Real Asset Management releases white paper on intermodal software evaluation and implementation

Real Asset Management Plc (RAM), the supplier of asset and business management solutions for the container and intermodal industries, has released a white paper providing best practice guidelines for evaluating and implementing intermodal management software.  

The Intermodal Management Evaluation Guide was officially launched on the opening day of the Intermodal 2007 Conference & Exhibition, taking place from 4-6 December in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.  To coincide with publication of the guide, RAM’s General Manager, Craig Anthony, will lead a workshop on IT & Intermodal Asset Management on the morning of 6 December for delegates, exhibitors and visitors to the show.

Drawing on lessons learnt from multiple software projects with small, medium and large companies, the RAM guide covers the entire process, from initial identification of a company’s specific IT needs, through to setting up a project team, planning project timelines, selecting and working effectively with software vendors, managing the actual implementation and beyond.

Among key recommendations for the various stages of the software research and implementation process are:

• Make time at the outset to thoroughly evaluate your existing systems, establish their strengths and weaknesses and create a ‘wish list’ of features for a new system – the guide provides checklists of some of the most common functions that existing systems may need to be replaced.
• Set strategic goals and identify the desired end outcomes, providing a clear framework for the multiple stages involved in software research and implementation.
• Talk with end-users to ensure that you know what they really want instead of simply replicating procedures that have become established over time but may no longer meet genuine customer needs.
• Define project deliverables with the supplier and set realistic implementation timescales based on the scale of the project. According to RAM, unrealistic expectations are one of the major reasons for breakdowns in IT projects – two months from order to implementation may be realistic for a start-up company, but a project for a large established intermodal company with legacy system issues could take 12 months.
• Ensure buy-in from your own staff and make sure they are given due warning -and time - to provide information needed by the vendor.
• Put a post-implementation process in place to monitor and assess the system, get regular feedback from your supplier and take advantage of product enhancements and upgrades.

“The aim of this white paper is to save companies valuable time when it comes to planning and evaluating a new intermodal IT system,” explained Craig Anthony, general manager at RAM. “Hopefully, it can be referred to throughout the process to help avoid costly mistakes.”

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