Start with baby steps

When shippers or transportation providers engage in an information technology (IT) system changeover, one expert believes they should do so via a simple step-by-step process to gain rewards over time, rather than do too much too soon.

“Whenever you are implementing a new system or upgrading one, you should focus on making some short-term wins first,” Adam Bruun, director of professional services for Manhattan Associates, told Fleet Owner.

“The ‘big bang’ is really hard to do with IT; it's better to move slower, getting the new or upgraded system under your belt and achieve some small [return on investments] first,” he explained at Manhattan's 2010 Momentum User Conference. “The reality is that resources and staffing make it hard to achieve everything a shipper or carrier wants to do right away. It's better to take things slowly so you can find the ‘sweet spot’ for ROI.”

Bruun compared this process to a professional football game, whereby the offense moves the ball down the field in stages, looking to initially make a series of first downs rather than go for the long pass into the end zone at the outset.

“This is why a lot of what we do is education and training more than anything else,” he added. “The goal is to get the users comfortable with the technology architecture, to keep the initial ‘shock’ as minimal as possible, so they can then go out and achieve ROI gains not just at the outset but over the long term as well.” www.manh.com