By Ian Hobkirk
Managing Director of Commonwealth Supply Chain Advisors
This blog is the last in the “GPS to WMS” series and I am wrapping up the discussion on the topic of communication and teamwork. Without effective communication among team members, warehouse management systems (WMS) implementations can unravel pretty quickly and wind up costing shippers more time, money, and effort than they originally allocated to the project. Put simply, there is no substitute for clear, crisp communication—from the point of software selection until it’s up and running…and beyond.
Why Communication is Critical
Two trends have made team communications more important than ever: the increasingly diverse workforce and the expansion of personal technology.
We’re living and operating in a real-time world, where project teams encompass dozens of people using a myriad communication tools. For one professional, a text message carries the same importance as an email; it’s just an alternate means of communicating. But to another worker, the text may not be viewed with the same level of importance as an email. Establishing a common understanding of how the team is going to communicate is critical to the success of the project. “I didn’t get your text,” could mean a delay in the project.
Project rhythms—or the establishment of standing meetings and documenting processes—are another critical component of WMS implementation success. You can use status reports, status meetings, stage gate reviews, functional reviews, design reviews, testing reports, and readiness reviews to enhance and support project rhythms. These meetings should be defined in the Integrated Project Plan, with meeting invitations sent to all attendees. Distribute document templates and other collateral materials in advance to help members prepare for the meeting.
The Value of the Status Report
When it comes to documentation, the best WMS implementations rely on status reports to keep tabs on progress and anticipate possible delays and other issues. Some status reports are very short and to the point, while others are very long and detailed. I tend to skew toward the short and sweet side, and I like using color codes to indicate the status of project categories (i.e., risk, financial, schedule, etc.). Going a step further, be sure to have project managers and team leads fill out status reports for their respective areas and then present those reports at status meetings. Finally, the document that gets distributed to senior management should include a page for the overall project status and then the status of each work stream (e.g., IT, WMS vendor, distribution, etc.).
It’s important to note that if you’re using this status reporting method, you must come to an agreement with the other report contributors on how project issues should be determined and reported. For example, does a one-day slip in one work stream mean the overall project goes from on-time to behind schedule? You need to report a fair view of project status, but if you get too granular, you may run the risk of only reporting problems. Not granular enough, and potentially major issues could be overlooked.
Managing Individual Task Assignments
Individual task assignments should flow out of your integrated project plan. If you use Microsoft Project, for example, it’s easy to assign resources to tasks and then print or email a report of individual task assignments. The project plan needs to be a living document that is continually updated and distributed among team members. Throughout the WMS implementation process, be clear on how the plan will be updated and by whom.
What’s the PM’s Role?
You can’t have a conversation about good teamwork and communication without mentioning the important role that the project manager plays in the process. I’ve had many discussions over the years with individuals regarding the skillset for the project manager. In my mind, the project manager should be person who has lived through multiple cradle-to-grave WMS implementations. This is critical because the project manager is the one person responsible for the integrated project plan and he or she is the only person who can look across all work streams and see if all tasks have been included in the plan.
In this “GPS to WMS” series, I’ve provided insights into what you can do before you sign on the dotted line with your chosen WMS vendor to minimize cost or schedule overruns, how to structure your team and what skillsets to include, the pros and cons of the different implementation methodologies, and how to create project management tools to drive communication, set expectations, and stay on track for an on-time go-live. Additional resources on the topic of WMS that might interest you include:
Presentation: WMS vs. WES vs. WCS – Sorting out the Truth from the Hype
Whitepaper: Selecting the Right WMS
Whitepaper: Six Tips to Avoid a Failed WMS Implementation