Imagine if you will this scenario...
You are a sizable shipper; domestic and international; inbound, outbound, transfers; multi-mode, a fleet operator and broker. You have recently completed a major transformation of your Transportation Management System (TMS) and tangential technology - an upgrade, a replacement, a first time install - and boy are you relieved that the project was delivered on-time and on-budget.
Now it is time to reap the rewards that you promised the C-suite.
Sounds like Nirvana.
Post-Implementation Challenges
However, more often than not, despite superb planning and execution of the implementation, there are some ‘typical’ attitudes and issues that shippers have to deal with post-implementation.
These may fall into one or more of the following buckets:
- The organization that views the TMS as a “Black Box”:
>> Users don’t understand full extent of the TMS’ capabilities.
>> Not sure why the TMS put this load together…
>> Does the TMS even do that?
- The organization that doesn’t properly maintain the TMS:
>> We haven’t cleaned that directory out in a long time.
>> Those rates are like 5 years old.
>> The optimization solution is so slow.
- The organization that has Load Planner turnover + insufficient formalized TMS training:
>> We have significant process gaps and we miss opportunities.
>> This is the way we’ve always done it, not sure why it was set up that way.
>> You always have to break up these loads. I don’t know why.
- Organizational ‘disputes’ between business and IT functions as to ownership of the TMS and/or an internal Super User:
>> Is our Super User an IT function? (yes, but it requires Transportation skills).
>> Is our Super User a Business function? (yes, but it requires Technical skills).
Preventing Solution Decay
Whatever the fundamental reason, it's clear that many organizations have ongoing challenges that need to be addressed in order to prevent ‘Solution Decay’, to continuously improve, and realize the full benefit of the investment.
This is where an unbiased expert can come into the mix and guide the shipper team.
A True Story
Back to our scenario (this is real though).
A large and complex shipper with a TMS that was in place for years recognized that they were spending a lot of time on ‘fire-fighting’ system challenges (platform stability, turnover in users, changes to business processes, etc.), and that they had little time to optimize some fundamental functionality.
Perhaps the functionality was not needed, or deemed low priority, on the install or was not even an initial requirement. But they did realize sub-optimal processes and results were occurring and they needed expert help quickly.
What would you do?
This shipper, who was getting minimal support from the technology vendor, engaged JBF as a Virtual Super User (VSU).
In summary, our team mobilized to identify priority issues, developed and tested solutions with the client, and the client enacted the solutions (some simple; some complex).
A registry of tasks and resolutions, as-needed SME support from both parties, thrice-weekly issue reviews, and regular status updates kept a laser focus on priorities and expected results.
