Selecting and Implementing the Right System

During a session I led at last week’s National Conference on Operations & Fulfillment in Orlando, Fla., I identified several critical mistakes businesses make in their systems selection processes, regardless of the type of system. These include distributed control systems, order management systems (OMS), warehouse management systems (WMS), e-commerce or similar ones.

Among the mistakes I noted were the following:
* not having the right project team in place;
* failing to develop detailed business requirements; and
* limiting the search to a preselected number of vendors, based on the premise that “someone that somebody knows” said “this is the system you should get.”

I also focused on the methodologies companies use to ensure their businesses are selecting the right systems. These methodologies include the following:
* assessing your business requirements and documenting them;
* developing a request for a proposal that accurately reflects your business;
* vendor demonstrations;
* vendor negotiations; and
* contracting through implementation.

Also covered in the wide-ranging session were tips on the average timeline for selecting a system, building a budget, selecting a systems model (build, licensed or SaaS), and choosing on-premise or hosted services.

I also covered trends that many businesses are looking for in systems today, including these:
* one system vendor with modules for e-commerce, OMS, customer relationship management and WMS;
* one customer view across the enterprise; and
* the integration of systems still being key for functions such as inventory management.

Catalog Success, F. Curtis Barry Team Up for New Workshop
Want to learn more about selecting and implementing the right system for your business? F. Curtis Barry & Co., in partnership with Catalog Success, is hosting a co-branded, two-day interactive workshop, “Evaluating, Selecting and Implementing Direct Commerce Systems,” on June 17 and 18 in Richmond, Va. For registration information, visit www.fcbco.com/seminar .