The Yin And Yang Of Supply Chain Execution Software Selection By ESYNC
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Choosing the software that will best support your logistics execution can be both a tremendously agonizing and extremely rewarding process. The investment your company will make in deploying Warehouse Management Systems, Transportation Management Systems, Labor Management Systems or other point solutions critical to optimal supply chain performance, can range from hundreds of thousands into millions of dollars, depending on the size and complexity of your organization and the scope of your project. The price tag, combined with the dizzying array of options in the marketplace, can lead to significant anxiety within an organization that is planning or executing a software selection, especially for those directly involved in the decision making process.
Common components of a good selection process are formulation of functional requirements, calculation of return on investment, and prioritization of specific functionality. These are all examples of selection efforts that lend themselves to objective comparison using some form of empirical evaluation or scoring methodology, that if properly applied, create differentiation amongst potential solution providers. In a fragmented and often confusing software market, objective analysis of tangible and measurable factors is only one of the keys to making the right decision.
The Yin/Yang symbol represents the balance between two very different, yet complimentary aspects of a system. Neither component alone is as strong as the two together. So it is with the tangible and intangible criteria used to make any good software selection. The focus throughout most selection processes is on the tangible , or Yang. Does a particular solution provider have the same array of functionality as another? Is solution provider A more financially sound than solution provider B? The answers to these questions can be measured using a variety of pragmatic methods and are therefore easier for a selection committee to rate. The Yin, or intangible criteria that can be used to evaluate potential solution providers, are often overlooked or given short shrift.