Tag: Supply Chain software

  • It’s Time to Revisit Vendor Managed Inventory

    It’s Time to Revisit Vendor Managed Inventory

    VMI and eKanban

    A few decades ago, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) was a hot topic. Many manufacturers saw it as a way to reduce inventory levels and costs. If they could get their suppliers to maintain ownership of raw materials or subcontracted components until consumed, inventory levels would naturally drop—on paper anyway. Because they were giving most, or all of their business to one supplier, they were also in a position to negotiate better terms. For the supplier, VMI was a win, too, because it allowed them to lock in the manufacturer’s business.

    But VMI came with inherent risks to both the manufacturer and the supplier. On the supplier’s side of the equation, the risk lay in the manufacturer’s ability to forecast demand. Unless the contract between manufacturer and supplier had some sort of “shared responsibility” clause, the manufacturer had no incentive to minimize actual inventory levels. Safety stock and reorder point levels could be set high, with minimal risk. And if the forecast was overstated, the manufacturer didn’t need to worry about excess vendor-managed raw material or contracted-components inventory.

    Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI)

    From the manufacturer’s point of view, the risk lay primarily in the reliability of the supplier. If the supplier didn’t hold up their end of the bargain or a shipment had material defects, the manufacturer risked a material shortage and significant production delays. While these problems could occur with any supplier, one of the visions of VMI was to reduce the headaches that come from managing supplier issues.

    As a result, many manufacturers limited their use of VMI to Class C items that were relatively inexpensive and easily sourced. That way, high safety stock levels didn’t impact their balance sheet much, and supplier reliability issues had a minimal impact on production schedules.

    Demand-Driven Manufacturing Technology Makes VMI Easier

    The technologies our customers use to manage their internal Demand-Driven Manufacturing initiatives have the added benefit of making VMI feasible once again. Electronic Kanban (eKanban) software is a classic example.

    Most readers of this blog are probably familiar with Kanban. They are the automated replenishment signals that are so vital to Lean and Demand-Driven Manufacturing environments. Kanban comes in multiple flavors such as the manufacturing Kanban that signals the need for internal replenishment of materials; the supplier Kanban that initiates replenishment from external suppliers or outsourced manufacturers; and a customer Kanban signals from the customer to the manufacturer for finished goods or replekanban demand signalsacement parts. Often tugger routes are introduced into the process to deliver materials as needed (regularly or on demand pull) from the warehouse to point of use.

    The eKanban system enables real-time, electronic signaling. As materials are received into inventory, they are scanned into the system – and, they are scanned again when consumed. Upon consumption of a Kanban, a signal is sent to a supplier or contract manufacturer, bypassing the standard procurement process and shortening cycle times.

    Demand-Driven Manufacturing Reduces the Risk of VMI

    OK, so eKanban can make VMI more functionally feasible and efficient than it was twenty years ago, but what about the risks inherent in VMI?

    That’s where Demand-Driven Manufacturing comes in.

    Technically, implementing Kanban replenishment signals doesn’t automatically qualify your approach as Demand-Driven Manufacturing. You could be in a traditional manufacturing environment using reorder point planning (ROP) to trigger replenishment. For example, your bin sizes are based on ROP calculations that have little to do with actual demand. Since the signal comes from downstream consumption, some would consider this to be pull manufacturing, but it is not in the same way that Lean or Demand Driven environments consider “pull”.  Pull is getting close to the actual demand signal; the more inflated the bin sizes, the further the process is from pull – and the larger the bullwhip the process will create.

    eKanban process

    In true pull-based or Demand-Driven Manufacturing, replenishment is based on actual demand or consumption. (And some buffer stock which we talked about here.) Projected and actual demand, demand variability, and supplier reliability are monitored and inventory is right-sized to meet these specific attributes of the item.  The allows Demand-Driven manufacturers to continually adjust their Kanban Loop sizes so they are always in alignment with demand, supply expectations and actuals.  As variability is removed and lead-times are reduced, the Kanban Loop adjusts to become one step closer to demand.

    Demand-Driven Manufacturing makes VMI far more attractive for your suppliers. They understand that the signals they receive for replenishment aren’t based on some pie-in-the-sky forecast that will leave them sitting on tons of materials in the supply chain that they will eventually have to write off. And, it puts you in a better position to negotiate the kinds of service levels agreements (SLAs) you need to reduce the risks associated with supplier variability.

    If you’d like to learn more about eKanban, here are a few additional resources:

    White Paper: Gaining Control: Exploring Push vs. Pull Manufacturing

    Article: Moving From a Manual to an eKanban System

    Case Study: Continuous Improvement Immersion Plus the Right Tools Proves Profitable for Dynisco

     

  • The Magic Bullet for Real-Time Supply Chain Collaboration? Cloud Visibility.

    The Magic Bullet for Real-Time Supply Chain Collaboration? Cloud Visibility.

    Supply chain visiblity and transparencyJessica Twentyman reported in the Financial Times, that for many manufacturers, supply chain collaboration is stuck in the dark ages. When it comes to ordering materials and components, managing inventory levels, or organizing the delivery of finished goods to customers, companies are forced continually to chase business partners – mostly suppliers, logistics companies, and retailers – via a messy stream of emails, phone calls, and even faxes. Worse still, much of the data that could give manufacturers a complete, end-to-end view of their supply chain already resides within the systems of these partners; as much as 80 percent of it, according to some industry estimates.

    Supply Chain Market reported the closest any manufacturer can get to the magic bullet of efficiency (collaboration) is through greater supply chain visibility. Supply chain visibility means all partners get access to – and share data – in real-time. Visibility to all orders allows suppliers to proactively respond to demand signals. Poor visibility often results in parts shortages. Frustrated manufacturers report having no idea they were down to the last box of parts. The result is expensive; using faster shipping methods to get the part back on the shop floor. A real-time view of parts on hand allows a supply chain manager to take action before there is a stock out, eliminating expedited fees.

    A single – visible – version of the truthsupply chain visibility technology

    Modern Demand-Driven Manufacturers are leveraging real-time Cloud-based visualization and collaboration systems to view data from multiple, disparate sources while keeping the data in its original, host environment. The value of these visualization systems is in their inherent flexibility. Once the data connections are made, they can be accessed and used (with appropriate permissions) at any point along the end-to-end supply chain spectrum. There is no limit to the data sources that can be connected or how the data can be sliced and diced and made visual to accommodate the different layers and levels of the manufacturing enterprise.

    The result is a single – visible – version of the truth that enables a more compliant, consistent, Lean, and waste free supply chain. Visualizations can be created or configured by and for the individual user, work center, plant or multi-plant/enterprise, supplier, or customer level. Order, replenishment status, inventory levels, machine maintenance, system alerts, KPIs, logistics tracking, and more can be made accessible to the appropriate parties anytime, anywhere, providing a single source for real-time information.

    Data on Demand: Examples of value across supply chain layers

    • Customers gain visibility into order receipt, status, and delivery data. In ETO environments, visibility tools can provide further collaboration capabilities on product specifications and requirements.
    • Suppliers receive real-time demand signals with the ability to exchange purchase order and projected delivery information online. Supply Chain Managers can collectively visualize and track the performance of all suppliers against their service level agreements (SLAs).
    • Individual users have easy access to information they can act on to analyze issues and improve performance. Customer Service representatives can follow the status of their customer’s order and confirm delivery details; Operators have a clear view of priorities and an understanding of what to work on next; Quality Analysts are immediately alerted to issues and can quickly trace the source of the problem.
    • Work Centers can monitor all the machines in their area through a single screen to collectively determine overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and gain insight for preventative or prescriptive maintenance.supply chain data on demand
    • Individual Plants can visualize real-time end-to-end production flow and the status of safety, compliance, and key performance indicators (KPI) at any level in the facility.
    • Regional Plant Networks can connect to Warehouse/Distribution Centers to better manage excess inventory and monitor status from Third Party Logistics (3PL) providers.
    • Multi-National Enterprises can connect to global data sources – including Supplier networks and Contract Manufacturers – to assess individual plant performance and collectively view and track logistics flow throughout their enterprise.

    Newer Cloud technologies are more intuitive with drag-and-drop functions and natural language queries. IT is no longer saddled with pulling data and generating reports. Through self-service tools, even non-techies can perform their own analyses and create their own dashboards and visualizations.

    The technology is available and the impact of such can be far-reaching. The investment quite often produces an immediate or near-term return just in avoiding costs associated with downtime, waste and expediting.

    Standardizing data formats – the key to universal, real-time accessibility.

    With the multitude of data sources feeding the supply chain, the visibility value is in the ability to “mash up” or bring together data from these disparate sources to tell a complete story. The strategy for doing such is standardizing – or normalizing – data. And while this is not a new concept, today there is a more efficient and cost-effective approach. Through the Cloud, data is accessed from its host environment and aggregated, analyzed, and shared by standardizing the data and making it accessible in real-time through technology tool sets like SignalR. These lighter weight, highly flexible and scalable web-enabled technologies are rapidly replacing costly hardware devices traditionally used for data standardization.

    Ultimately, visibility techinvesting in supply chain technologynologies should be measured by their ability to provide the right data to the right people at the right time.  The true value proposition is in having the right information to take immediate action – the decision-driving data that will make a difference in how your supply chain is performing today.

     

    More information on this topic:

    White paper: End-to-End Supply Chain Visibility Technology is Here

    Video case study: How Orbital ATK is Leveraging the IIoT and Visual Factory Technology to Drive Continuous Improvements

    Video: SyncView Real-time Manufacturing Visualization System – 4 minute overview

     

    Supply Chain Brief Best Article

  • Supply Chain Visibility and the Bottom-line

    Supply Chain Visibility and the Bottom-line

    Visibility MatteSupply chain visibilityrs.

    Rick Morris, a Certified Supply Chain Professional wrote in Supply House Times that while improving fill rates, improved forecast accuracy also lowers inventory levels measured in days of sales; and simultaneously, improved forecast accuracy improves fill rates and lowers inventory. He suggested this translates into increased profitability. When analysts have studied companies that were best-in-class in demand forecasting, they found these companies averaged (according to Advanced Market Research) 15% less inventory; 17% higher perfect order fulfillment; 35% shorter cash-to-cash cycle times; and 1/10 the stock outs of their peers. In addition, every 3% increase in forecast accuracy increased profit margin by 2%. These improvements in inventory efficiencies then translate into improved financial metrics, including 10% improvement in earnings per share; 5% increase in return on assets; and a 2.5% gain in profits.

    Reducing the Risk of Supply Chain Disruptions

    Sunil Chopra and ManMohan S. Sodhi, reported for the MIT Sloan Management Review, that supply chain executives complain there have been major supply chain disruptions, highlighting vulnerabilities for individual companies and for entire industries globally. Today’s managers know that they need to protect their supply chains from serious and costly disruptions, but the most obvious solutions — increasing inventory, adding capacity at different locations and having multiple suppliers — undermine efforts to improve supply chain cost efficiency. Surveys have shown that while managers appreciate the impact of supply chain disruptions, they have done very little to prevent such incidents or mitigate their impacts. This is because solutions to reduce risk mean little unless they are weighed against supply chain cost efficiency. After all, financial performance is what pays the bills.Supply Chain Visibility definition

    Supply Chain Market reported the closest any manufacturer can get to the magic bullet is supply chain visibility. Supply chain visibility is needed to achieve a manufacturers’ goal of saving money quickly and inexpensively. Supply chain visibility means all partners get access to data in real-time. Visibility to all orders allows suppliers to proactively respond to abnormal fluctuations in demand. Poor visibility often results in parts shortages. Frustrated manufacturers report having no idea they were down to the last box of parts. The result is expensive, requiring faster shipping methods to get the part back on the shop floor. A real-time view of parts on hand allows a supply chain manager to take-action before there is a stock out, eliminating expedited fees.

    eKanban software provides an effective quick win.  An eKanban system can mitigate disruptions associated with stock outs through automated inventory replenishment and visibility into real-time demand signals, supplier response and more. Current manufacturing Kanban technologies have evolved to automate and simplify even the most complex supply chains.

    In addition to eKanban, many of today’s manufacturers are taking advantage of all the digitization created to enable the Internet of Things and elevating visibility within and beyond their four walls – and across multi-enterprise environments. So, what steps are manufacturers taking toward this end, and more importantly, what is the investment?

    The answer depends upon your starting point.

    In a recent research report, Gartner defines their five stages of maturity in supply chain visibility to include: Asset; functional; supply chain; value chain; and ecosystem visibility. (Gartner, Define the Five Stages of Supply Chain Visibility Maturity, 2016.) As an organization moves toward greater maturity, the number of disparate data sources to be aggregated and made visible multiplies. As such, web-based and SaaS priced visual factory information systems (VFIS) are gaining favor based on their flexible technology architecture, affordability and ability to easily scale – manufacturers can use the same system to visualize information as they mature through the stages.  And because the VFIS connects to any data source (legacy systems, ERP, MES, PLM, WMS, machines, etc.), manufacturers wouldn’t necessarily need to invest in any other systems to get started on impacting the bottom line through greater supply chain visibility.

    We will spend more time exploring how manufacturers are creating greater supply chain visibility and empowering people with relevant, real-time information, in future posts. In the meantime, if you have any examples you would like to share, please leave a comment!

     

    Additional resources:

    Video: How Orbital ATK is Leveraging the IIoT and Visual Factory Technology to Drive Continuous Improvements

    Video: Visual Factory Software Overview

    White Paper: Gaining Control: Exploring Push v. Pull Manufacturing [using Kanban systems]

     

     

    Supply Chain Brief Best Article

  • Common Lean Manufacturing Software Project Constraints

    Common Lean Manufacturing Software Project Constraints

     

    Sarah blog June 2015

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Leveraging Project “Constraints” and Maximizing Results

    As a project manager for demand-driven, lean manufacturing software, I have more than a nodding acquaintance with the theory of constraints (TOC). What I find quite remarkable is the ability to apply the theory of constraints to other mediums beyond the manufacturing of goods – even something like project work.  When a client understands the theory’s principles, it can be powerful in driving a truly transformational project that outperforms their other software installations.  It becomes a new way to frame how you and an organization collaborate to create something new – a better business with better and faster results.

    If you want to learn more about how constraints management works in manufacturing, definitely check out my fellow blogger, Rick Denison. He’s the go-to guy for this practice on our site. What I’d like to talk about today is constraints management during projects—specifically—what are some of the more common project “constraints” and how do I deal with them?

    Every project contains a standard set of parameters that become initially defined, but are continually balanced throughout the project lifecycle.  These are competing project constraints, which include, but are not limited to:

    • Scope
    • Quality
    • Schedule
    • Budget
    • Resources, and
    • Risks[1]

    These elements will pull against each other throughout the project, but it’s wise to identify them not as “bottlenecks” or issues, but as constraints that can be leveraged to drive outputs and faster progress.      To give you some ideas about how to leverage these constraints, I will focus on three from the list: schedule, resources, and risks.

    Schedule Time to Schedule

    Sometimes people consider project planning a phase that can be glossed over so that the “real work” can begin sooner.  Talking about the work does not accomplish the work, but it will make you consider ways to work smarter.  Working smarter means different things to different teams, but can include creative scheduling solutions like:

    • Several “sprint-like” mini projects instead of one big define-and-deploy project. This mini-project approach can mean functionality is delivered to business users faster and in more palatable scope amounts.
    • Parallel paths of work to get more out of the project timeline.
    • Understand the benefits of building in purposeful “buffer” time, which can at first seem like it’s unnecessary or that there’s no time allowable. I encourage teams to do this so that they protect the most constrained project resources and create a project system that is able to handle the inevitable, yet “standard” project disruptions, such as new business climate factors, changing team members, etc.  Buffers are central within the TOC framework.  Since the constraint resource becomes the pacemaker for the rate at which project deliverables are output, building in this time becomes critical to remaining on-time and not slipping in either schedule or scope.

    It’s easy for a project team to complain about not having enough time in the schedule – even if they are just starting out.  Instead, think about the full project timeline as a blank canvas and an opportunity to get creative on how to best leverage the time.

    Your Most Valuable Resources are People

    Your project team is about finding the perfect combination of two elements: quality and quantity.  The “quality” of your team members cannot be overvalued.  Capable team members that know their role, the business needs, and can deliver on the project objectives are the most valuable assets that any project could ask for.

    But even top-performers only have so many hours in the day.  Whether team members are allocated 25% or 100%, the important thing is to maximize the time, or capacity, that these resources have available.  It’s not about labeling your most “valuable” resources, but inevitably, one team member will be a constraint.  So, acknowledge the constraint and have everyone rally around the team member(s) to support their activities.  In my experience, that means doing everything I can as a project manager to align tasks, schedules, and being extra-prepared for these specific (and valuable) resources.

    The second leverage point to boost your project resources would be to add capacity by increasing the “quantity” of resources.  When you have fully maximized the results from all of the current resources and are still not meeting the project scope, many teams consider relieving the constraint by increasing headcount.  While this can be a helpful solution over time, be aware of the upfront time associated with bringing more people up to speed and that their output quality may not initially match others.  Just like a manufacturing environment, additional resources (machines/assets) add to capacity, but require management and attention too.

    Risky Business

    Consider project risks to be like identifying project “flow disruptions” — ahead of time and concurrently adjusting course to mitigate those disruptions.  Risks can range from small to significant, but discussing them openly and planning accordingly can sometimes be enough to avoid them all together.  This means you increase the overall velocity of your project when you deal with less surprises downstream and you are able to deliver results to the business faster and with more clarity.

    A team that does not spend time identifying risks throughout the project lifespan will likely regret it at some point.  Discussing project risks can seem like more time taken away from “doing work” or a “gloomy” way to kick off a project, but it’s actually incredibly productive.  The project paranoia that people raise can seem like an energy drain, but pay attention because often these concerns are based off of real experiences and legends of projects past from which the current team can learn.

    The act of going through risk identification can surface two categories of topics.  The first category is the potential risk scenarios for which a mitigation plan should be developed and executed.  These would be the most common notion of project risks that people consider – the “what-ifs” and their consequences.  The second category are issues that may seem like risks, but are really actual and necessary project tasks that were overlooked in the project plan.   Be grateful that these were identified and plan them into your project activities like everything else, with a pat-on-the-back for your thoroughness in planning and the confidence in knowing you delivered a higher-quality output.

    Next time, we’ll take a deeper dive into the project risks category and talk about ways to overcome them.  Until then, feel free to send me your questions or experiences on anything implementation related.

    [1] PMBOK Guide, 5th edition

     

    6.0-Sarah Life Hack 101: Doing Implementation Documentation RightSarah takes a customer-focused and results-driven approach to project management and demand-driven manufacturing systems implementation. With hundreds of projects under her belt, Sarah is fearless when it comes to challenging the status quo and delving into the details to ensure an optimal user experience. As such, her posts reflect tips and best practice advice for managing people and processes through projects – and getting the most out of your systems.

  • Rockin’ Relationships: Documents Drive the Details

    Rockin’ Relationships: Documents Drive the Details

    In the second part of our three part series on successful implementation strategies, we discuss one of the most important project setup strategies – the RACI.

    Part Two- The RACI

    RACIAs I’ve mentioned before, implementation projects end up being mostly about the people involved. Project success hinges upon how effective the project team is in harnessing their own particular talents and in placing the right eyes over the right set of project deliverables to ensure quality down the line.

    Last time, we talked about how to build a solid logistical framework for implementation. Next time, we’ll discuss effective communications protocol. Today, we’ll discuss the way to get the right people doing the right things using a RACI.

    Don’t Race Through Your RACI

    As you may know, a RACI is a responsibility assignment matrix that defines who is responsible for all aspects of the project. (RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consult, and Inform). Based on an organizational matrix from the contractor and customer companies, it tells you which people do what to deliver all aspects of a project.  So what do these four types of “project people” look like?

    1. Responsible individuals are the people that will actually perform the work to complete a particular task or deliverable. These individuals coordinate all other team members who will have input or involvement on the task. This can include coordinating draft reviews, meetings, and sign-off to drive a task to completion.  They are also responsible for communicating and reporting on the task progress.  A good “R” assignee doesn’t necessarily have all of the information required to do the task up front.  However, they should be on a logical team for the task, as well as in a project role that’s a good fit for knowing the task scope and how it’s going to get it completed.  Note that a project manager is not a common “R” assignment within a RACI.  The only exception is for project tasks that are strictly project management in nature.  A great example of this is the RACI itself!
    2. Accountable individuals have a role in signing off on a particular task and considering it complete to the highest quality. To be the “A” for a task means that person is signing off on the “R” person’s work.  All content and language must be sound and clear, which is also what the “A” must enforce. If referring back to any designs that turn out to be incorrect or late deliverables, the Accountable person is the team member on the hook for explaining what happened. Having Accountable team members involved throughout a deliverable’s development is key to effective project work items.  Final sign-off should not be the first time an “A” is reading content, but rather an affirmation of the already reviewed material.  A proper Accountable assignment is one that has enough knowledge of the deliverable and project scope to know if something meets content quality expectations.  If an individual is at too high of a management level, they may not have enough information to know if it’s been done to the proper standard.
    3. Consulted – These individuals may be considered the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for a particular task or knowledge area. They are engaged by the Responsible team member to provide input and review deliverables for accuracy.  A Consulted person’s expertise should absolutely be included before a task can be considered complete.  It is important to identify the individuals specifically and communicate timelines and time estimates of when they will be needed.  This makes sure they are available when required in order to avoid any project plan delays.  For example, an architecture guru might need weeks to promise you attendance at a crucial meeting—make sure they’re on board from the very start.
    4. Inform – These individuals will be provided status updates on a particular task or deliverable. They also may be just a user of the end product when the task is complete.  An Informed individual does not typically provide feedback back to the Responsible team member – consider this role more of a “carbon copy” or “FYI” role that is copied on particular updates throughout the process.

    The act of creating a RACI demystifies project responsibilities which will help a project be a well-oiled machine down the road.  It allows people to manage their own time and workload within a project timeline since they know when and for what they are needed.  I have found that the activity of doing a RACI is just as helpful as the resulting artifact.  Make sure you have the crucial conversations about true responsibility and accountability to clear up potential confusion later in the project.

    I’d love to hear about your experiences with planning RACIs. And I can’t wait to talk about good communications with you in my next post. But until then, keep your RACIs –and project relationships—rockin’.

    – Sarah Huhner

    6.0-Sarah                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Sarah takes a customer-focused and results-driven approach to project management and demand-driven manufacturing systems implementation. With hundreds of projects under her belt, Sarah is fearless when it comes to challenging the status quo and delving into the details to ensure an optimal user experience. As such, her posts reflect tips and best practice advice for managing people and processes through projects – and getting the most out of your systems.
  • Rockin’ Relationships: People ARE the Project

    Rockin’ Relationships: People ARE the Project

    Logistics planning to enable project relationships – practical directives from an industry veteran.

    Part One: Love Your Logistics

    At the end of the day, implementation projects end up being about people—their skills, styles, and investment in the project and the project’s success.

    As you may well imagine, there are quite a few ways to set up effective relationships. For me, these fall into three categories: Project documentation; communication: and logistics. And whether I am working on an overseas project or around the Midwest, logistical considerations sometimes loom the largest in starting off a project on the right foot.

    In the other two sections of this “Rockin’ Relationships” blog series, we’ll discuss documentation strategies and communications best practices. We’ll obviously have some overlap in these areas. But in the meantime, we’ll concentrate on logistics, using the five ”W’s” and the one “H” of journalistic renown.

    Project management logistics

    Who? It’s easier to retain control of a project when specific people become associated with each project deliverable. I also recommend pairing these individuals on-site with a corresponding member(s) of the consulting team. It enables them to cultivate a level of comfort with one another that can lead to open lines of communication – discussions that send so-so projects into the stratosphere.

    What? The success of any project depends on how task-oriented its team members are. We’ll talk more during the rest of the series about documenting these tasks, but, logistically speaking, this question has to do with the nuts-and-bolts of the project: What do our teams need to succeed? These items range from specialized laptops to on-site building access cards.

    When? Make sure your repository includes timelines for when certain members of the consulting group will be on site. Also get the few selected regularly scheduled meetings on the calendar right away and require that people rearrange schedules to accommodate them. Holding all team members even to an initial, high level timeline will begin to drive the project toward on-time delivery. We’re talking about production software here, so of course, on-time remains a pressing concern for our industry. Don’t let your project be any different.

    Where? Make sure the consulting team has a workspace and the proper introductions to the key people responsible for the project. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I have seen consulting teams literally headquartered in a closet, waiting for building or server access for weeks. As you may imagine, this doesn’t help with the project budget.

    Why? Logistically speaking, taking the time to explain to members not only what you will be doing but why you have done it this way will help you obtain buy-in—the project manager’s most precious commodity of all. The more people understand the project priorities, the more supportive teams will be later in the process.

    How? Crafting a solid Statement of Work document will help you ensure that the people involved with each phase of the project are clear on scope. Approach it like a lawyer would, even perhaps before a lawyer reviews the document. If the Statement of Work has already been established when you join a project, read it through enough times to be able to explain it to someone else at both a high and detailed level. If you have questions, ask your leadership team in case it leads to a potential scope loophole later on. Show the team you have a clean grasp of scope and they’ll feel secure that you know how to get everything done, on time, and with the right resources.

    These are just a few of my takeaways from being on my own project management journey. I also urge you to send me some of your own project logistical tips; or send comments or questions about what you’ve read here. I can easily tailor future blogs to address them and would much prefer these pages to reflect a conversation rather than a lecture!

    If you are responsible for implementations from a client standpoint or even in another industry or for another vendor, I’d like to invite you to share your experiences, as well. We’ll continue our discussion about managing relationships effectively in the next two blogs. Until then, keep those implementations rockin’!

    – Sarah Huhner

    6.0-Sarah                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Sarah takes a customer-focused and results-driven approach to project management and demand-driven manufacturing systems implementation. With hundreds of projects under her belt, Sarah is fearless when it comes to challenging the status quo and delving into the details to ensure an optimal user experience. As such, her posts reflect tips and best practice advice for managing people and processes through projects – and getting the most out of your systems.

“test”

manufacturing software

White Paper - The Next Generation of Planning and Scheduling Solutions

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

×

manufacturing software

×

manufacturing software

White Paper | Gaining Clarity

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 

×
Test_form

manufacturing software

×
White Paper | Gaining Confidence

manufacturing software

White Paper | Gaining Confidence

Please complete and submit the following information to download the white paper. Thank you for your interest in Synchrono!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

×