You finally figured it out. It is nearly impossible to operate your supply chain without a proper supply chain management system in place. Logistics workers today take advantage of modern technology to scale their companies. However, the process may not always be as simple as 1,2,3. It can be stressful to implement new technology if you have no idea what to look for in a system, how to operate it, and not have a clear idea of just how much return on investment you will get from the implementation.
Here are some tips and tricks on how to properly implement a supply chain management system or transportation management software, so you can be up and running to handle processes with ease.
1. Decide what issues you need the new supply chain management system to solve.
The first and most obvious step to implementing a new system is to see what problems you are facing with the old system if you have one. If everything in your organization is handled manually, observe what issues that is causing. Ask your employees and coworkers. If you have a list of problems you want to resolve, it is much easier to hunt for a new system, as you will know exactly what features you need.
2. See customer testimonials for the system you are interested in.
When you are hunting online for a good system, make sure to visit the websites of these companies and look at customer testimonials. Review sites such as Capterra and G2 have a strict process of publishing reviews, so you can rely on the review sites a little more than the company’s own website, where reviews and testimonials may be a bit fabricated. Do your research and make sure the company has a good overall reputation!
3. Choose simplicity over unnecessary customization.
Make sure you are asking a lot of questions in product demo meetings and ask the sales reps to show you any functions you may be unsure about. Be on the lookout for required over-customization, and ask yourself if it is really needed. Having a lot of customization options may seem like an attractive option at first, but think about how long it will take to train employees on fields and tasks that may seem more like a hassle than a plus point after some time. Simplicity is usually the best option.
4. Create a plan for training employees on the new system.
As with any new implementation, you will need to train your employees on how to operate the new supply chain software. Set up a common time to train everyone, and record the meeting if you can so employees can refer back to it later. If anyone is still unsure about how to work certain tasks on the system, have a one-on-one meeting with them to answer any questions they may have. Make sure everyone knows what they are doing to avoid costly errors down the line.
5. Monitor the performance of operations after implementation.
After the implementation is complete, track just how much return on investment you are gaining from switching over to the selected platform. Does it line up with the customer testimonials you read? If there is any dissatisfaction with results after some time has passed, get with your customer rep at the supply chain system’s company and ask them what you need to do differently to increase return. Try making some adjustments as needed. You can always look into a better option if your initial plans do not work as you intended.
The process of implementing a supply chain management system is not so scary if you know how to take the lead and help everyone onboard easily. Hopefully, these tips were helpful in guiding you through the steps to take for proper implementation.
Zara Raza is a Digital Marketing Specialist at Turvo Inc. She graduated from the University of California – Irvine in 2019 with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and has written several blogs on supply chain management.