Transport Management System Doesn’t Have To Be Hard. Read These 5 Tips

The primary reason any transport management software (TMS) may go off-track, is due to poor planning and implementation.  Often Analysts and Developers tend to ignore and sideline intricate, but vital aspects of a TMS.  The end result is, they hurriedly include these functions at the nearing project end, and habitually overshoot their budget.  Following are a set of best practices if adhered to, will positively result in a successful TMS implementation.

1. Plan ‘People-Process-Location’ project requirements a few months ahead!!!,

These are the three concrete parameters that account for a successful TMS implementation.

• Step 1: Clearly understand project requirements:
• Along with a Strategic, documented Project Plan, the fundamental project requirements for the transport management software implementation have to be put in place. The sole purpose here is churning out ‘the money’ being missed out in terms of locating specific areas of the business for:

• Huge cost-savings
• increased ROIs
• improved Enterprise structural change over
• better job alignment

The other vital steps to be taken here are:

• Step 2: Establish an integrated design involving IT personnel of Management and Supply Chain.
• Step 3: Document the end-to-end business case and put in place a roadmap for the same.  This should include proper project plan documents such as Schedules, Timelines (PERT, GANTT etc.)
• Step 4: Obtain sign-off of the business case and roadmaps from all stakeholders 

2. Selecting the right-design TMS and the right partner is extremely vital!!!

This aspect plays a key role while the buyer and seller understand the transport management software requirements fully well.  Before going in for the TMS implementation, they are required to collectively agree on:

• The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
• Budget for implementation on either side
• Cushioning the budget, to tackle contingencies, with an additional 30% of the cost
• Establish the ‘Super User’

3. Ensure all teams for TMS implementation are fully ready for operations

Following are the set of teams that are mandatorily required to be ready before the start of any transport management software implementation.

TMS Steering Committee:

Being the pilot drivers of the TMS implementation, the Steering Committee members should ensure the leadership team maintains the continuity with the supply chain.  They also should ensure risks are identified on time and action plans to tackle the same are implemented immediately.

Core IT

It is to be ensured that adequately qualified IT staff are deployed for TMS implementation.  It would suffice if these IT resources possess complete technical know-how of Systems in and around the TMS implementation as well as possible upcoming evolved versions.  Their vital tasks include:

• IT activities tracking
• Ensure Resource productivity
• Ensure the implementation is well within the budget at every micro-level
• Strict adherence to milestone implementation timelines

4. Proactive risk and delay spotting when you are implementation ready!!!

This is a very common scenario TMS Managers and Stakeholders often find themselves in.  When you are implementation ready, well within the budget, you find your timelines are overshooting.  Such weird project delays are primarily due to:

• Poor integration
• Out of control scenarios

Poor integration – how can we assume things?

This often results due to assumptions by Managers and stakeholders that order data like Sales orders, Purchase orders, returned goods etc. will automatically integrate with the TMS being implemented.  The reality is such data are required to be made implementation ready by personnel.

Funny, out of control scenarios

Following are a few hilarious circumstances:

• An Enterprise already had automated legacy Systems for a few processes and the new, advanced TMS implementation will overshoot ‘People, Process, Timeline and Cost’ overshooting.
• A huge business shift happens (like business take-over, new large customer to be attended etc.) and the transport management software implementation may be paused for attention.
• Misunderstandings in Transportation SLAs and Contracts requiring renegotiation.
• Important stakeholder putting down their papers.

Focused Best practices for Project planning, Timeline adherence & implementation

• Start project documentation well before the start of implementation to preserve absolute project focus.
• Encourage on-site activity and comfort more for personnel to increase their productivity.  It is on-site that workers produce effective output.