Keys to a Successful Shipping System Project | How to Avoid Project Failure

How to Avoid Shipping System Project Failure

One of the most disheartening facts about warehouse and shipping system projects is that an estimated 70% of them fail. That means that 70% of the billions of dollars spent go down the drain just in the U.S. alone. The scariest part of this is the number of people who lose their jobs over failed projects, a harsh result that could be avoided with a better process from the initial sale to project delivery, go-live, and system support.

How to Plan for Project Success

Every project has different requirements and tasks. To achieve success, a few rules and requirements need to be understood and followed. In the following paragraphs we’ve provided a simple outline that we (CLS) follow to consistently deliver successful projects with a very high level of customer satisfaction.

(If you wonder how valid and tested this information is, at CLS, over 90% of our projects are firm/fixed price; either we execute successfully or “WE” (CLS) – not our clients – pay the price for poor project execution.)

1. Calculate and Prove Your Project’s ROI

Making the sale is great, but unless you’ve convinced an executive sponsor of your project’s value (ROI) to their organization as part of your sales process, you will inevitably run into a problem.

2. Keep Your Executive Sponsor Informed & Engaged

Make sure you have the continued support and commitment of the client’s executive sponsor to keep their team on track and keep the project moving when slowdowns and distractions occur.

All too often, the client’s project team has new tasks added to their routine, day-to-day responsibilities.

Without an executive sponsor to shield and protect these participants and clear priorities, they are often pulled in multiple directions.

3. Keep the Shipping System Salesperson Engaged

The end of the sale is often when the salesperson completely exits the project, and you lose an important internal vendor advocate for the client’s satisfaction. Keeping the salesperson involved can help ensure their promises are kept.

4. The Project Blueprint – Never to Be Overlooked

Once both teams agree on the project goals, both sides must create, review, and agree on a detailed project blueprint (we call this a Technical Specification document). For most of our multi-carrier shipping system projects, the Technical Specification is about 50 pages, detailing as much of the project and its requirements as possible.

This ensures the customer understands exactly what they’re buying, and our sales & project delivery teams understand exactly what they’re delivering – practically guaranteeing a successful implementation for all.

If this critical stage is rushed or skipped, the project can quickly slide into the dreaded “never-ending installation zone” from which few great projects ever return.

We’ve applied this approach to many, many shipping software implementations and integration projects. We stand behind it because it has yielded a 100% customer satisfaction rating for CLS clients.

For other tips, read our blog: Six Top Warehouse Profit Killers and How to Avoid Them

Learn More

• 3 Logistics Hacks to Speed Up Shipping Operations
• Six Top Warehouse Profit Killers and How to Avoid Them
• 9 Ways to Reduce Warehouse Management Costs

Rick Williams, president and CEO of CLS, is a parcel shipping software expert with 40 years of experience in multi-modal transportation management software, supply chain operations, and logistics technology. CLS is a leading provider of multi-carrier shipping software solutions that help companies reduce shipping costs, reduce labor costs and enhance customer service. CLS helps companies improve warehouse productivity by automating shipping processes with software for shipping, integrated pack/ship stations, data collection, and more. Please contact us today for a complimentary consultation and software demonstration.