Issue link: https://resources.tangoanalytics.com/i/1465842
8 Tips for Improving SLM & IWMS Implementations SLM / IWMS Leading Practice: Tip 6 You are two months into an SLM / IWMS implementation when it dawns on you - your implementation partner doesn't know the first thing about reconciling Common Area Maintenance or how it's done. How can that be? They seem to know the technology, but clearly lack an understanding of your business. Now you're the teacher and they are the student. Being in the software and management consulting business, it's difficult not to get excited about the latest and greatest technology. But at the end of the day, the technology is not the most important part – it's the business we are enabling. Too many software companies and SLM / IWMS implementers get this part wrong, often with disastrous implications. Technology-first implementers attempt to leverage technology capabilities for technology's sake – they are a solution looking for a problem. As the saying goes, if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. These firms focus on developing technical skills in a particular platform rather than building knowledge of the business they are trying to serve. It's all about how many consultants they have "certified" in a certain technology, regardless of their level of experience in the business they are trying to enable and improve. Many of these companies have most of their resources offshore in an effort to lower costs and increase their margin, thus making the likelihood resources actually understand the business even more remote, both figuratively and literally. We learned early that focusing on the business and the core issues that need to be resolved, before diving into the technology, is the only way to achieve long-lasting value. Successful Store Lifecycle and IWMS implementations require the right approach, the right team and must be rooted in deep business knowledge, not technology. It's about having a proven partner that not only understands the technology you selected, but also has the business acumen and can truly act as a strategic advisor. It's About The Technology The Right Approach and Team Means Everything • When selecting an implementation partner, ask to see resumes of the team – the people who will actually be working on the project. How many years of experience do they have in the technology you're implementing? Have they done projects in your industry? • Spend time with proposed resources to see if they understand your business and the challenges you face, and whether they can bring experience to the table from work with similar companies. • Find out how many resources are onshore versus offshore. One of the quickest ways to project overruns are delays associated with throwing functional and technical documents over the wall to offshore resources. You can only hope that what comes back is a solution that fits your needs and the requirements you thought you articulated.