Why is WMS implementation so hard?
By Robert C. Kennedy
I once wrote a white paper titled, “Why is it still so hard?” The “it” was WMS implementation. The point of the article was that even after decades of software companies implementing their systems, the failure rate for systems to come online and deliver their promises was unacceptably high.
I lived through some very difficult projects myself. I did some things right and made my share of mistakes. I read dozens of articles from very smart people analyzing how to make projects succeed. Yet, the results as an industry spoke for themselves. That was then. I think things have gotten a bit better today, but the question is still relevant. It’s still too hard.
In this month's INBOX newsletter, we’ve included an article about why WMS implementations fail. It’s a short, concise summary derived from our eBook, The Basics of WMS. Based on one man’s experience over forty years and 200 projects.
“Success is not so much about eliminating challenges, but about accepting that they will come and planning for them.”
If someone came to me and asked for advice on how they might avoid the pitfalls of these projects, I would answer by saying, “you don’t.” Every project has its challenges and always will. In fact, every project has the same challenges, often in the same sequence. Success is not so much about eliminating challenges, but about accepting that they will come and planning for them. Success is about response: anticipating the challenges and minimizing the degree to which these problems arise and the impact they have on the implementation.
Now let’s say that same person asked, “what’s the one piece of advice you can give me?” I would tell them to let the software work as it does. That means, to the greatest extent possible, don’t change it, don’t customize it, don’t pay for enhancements. If you can change your process without a negative impact on your business, do so.
What my adventures in WMS have taught me is that it is so frequently true that customers confuse operational preferences with business requirements. Preferences are not requirements; they can be balanced and blended with the software.
So, check out the article. And subscribe to our monthly INBOX newsletter to get a regular digest of news articles that our teams thinks are pertinent for today’s supply chain professionals. And if you want to talk more, contact us at info@rcksc.com.
