::: Advantages - Phased Implementation :::

Phased Implementation

Methodical Approach

Be realistic

Phased Implementations - One of the biggest obstacles to introducing new inventory management system software in an operational environment is firing it up for the first time. Introducing change involves both business process change and behavioral change. To avoid a crash and burn scenario, consider:

Developing an overall implementation plan and then testing it on a small scale using production data.
Making sure that all participants understand the objectives and know where to go for help.
Starting with good data and being prepared to refine it.
Establishing reasonable, tractable measures of success.
Preparing to deal calmly with the unexpected.
Institutionalizing the process once it's in place.

Methodical Approach - To achieve anticipated inventory management performance improvements, a measured approach works best. Time spent at the beginning of the project pays off in the end.

Implementation Plan - i-Lean provides a wide range of analysis and design capabilities. Before launching a full-scale implementation, experiment. Test and modify parameters on a subset of the operation to determine the most effective strategy. This will help drive the implementation plan as well as the establishment of performance objectives.

Shared Objectives - i-Lean recommendations may challenge inventory management assumptions and procedures currently in place. The inventory management team should be prepared for this and do the testing necessary to resolve any concerns. Chiron will be available to answer the questions and help build the knowledge base.

Data - As an analysis and design tool, i-Lean is most effective with clean reference data. Zones, subzones, SKU characteristics, storage media, material handling costs, administrative costs - all must be defined and tested to achive the best results. Chiron will work with you to make sure all of the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed by supporting your team during site analysis, data collection, and data entry. i-Lean does support techniques to fill in the gaps when some data, e.g., volumetrics, is not up to par. Chiron's data entry features not only supports manual and batch data loading, but also provides sophisticated diagnostic tools to validate integrity across all data categories.
Interfaces - We take interfaces seriously. i-Lean is most effective when it can communicate with other applications like customer order systems and purchase order systems to feed it information. i-Lean features several data import/export options to support connectivity to your current systems. We can help you establish interfaces and recommend strategies to manage them in a production environment.
Infrastructure - As a software company, Chiron has extensive experience with application platforms. We can help you establish and/or validate the infrastructure you need to run i-Lean and have it communicate with other applications.

Be Realistic - Software applications like i-Lean and Warehouse Management Systems can offer significant productivity and profitability gains, but successful implementations take hard work and patience. Establishing reasonable schedules with built-in contingencies reduce stress and yield results.

Measures of Success - You should expect an immediate and significant return on investment from the application of i-Lean. These should show up in areas like reduced inventory balances, faster turns, lower carrying costs, improved use of storage space, etc. Selecting the most important and robust measures, baselining, and checking the results during testing will help quantify your operational improvements.

The Unexpected - It's not uncommon to find surprises during implementation. These may be related to the application itself or some process or reference data anomolies. Anticipating these events and allocating some time for resolution helps avoid frustration.

Maintenance - While getting there is half the fun, holding the gains over time is the key to profitability. Institutionalizing the strategy, measuring results, and tuning pay off.

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Phased Implementation Methodical Approach Be realistic	Phased Implementations - One of the biggest obstacles to introducing new inventory management system software in an operational environment is firing it up for the first time. Introducing change involves both business process change and behavioral change. To avoid a crash and burn scenario, consider:
	Developing an overall implementation plan and then testing it on a small scale using production data. Making sure that all participants understand the objectives and know where to go for help. Starting with good data and being prepared to refine it. Establishing reasonable, tractable measures of success. Preparing to deal calmly with the unexpected. Institutionalizing the process once it's in place.
	Methodical Approach - To achieve anticipated inventory management performance improvements, a measured approach works best. Time spent at the beginning of the project pays off in the end. Implementation Plan - i-Lean provides a wide range of analysis and design capabilities. Before launching a full-scale implementation, experiment. Test and modify parameters on a subset of the operation to determine the most effective strategy. This will help drive the implementation plan as well as the establishment of performance objectives. Shared Objectives - i-Lean recommendations may challenge inventory management assumptions and procedures currently in place. The inventory management team should be prepared for this and do the testing necessary to resolve any concerns. Chiron will be available to answer the questions and help build the knowledge base. Data - As an analysis and design tool, i-Lean is most effective with clean reference data. Zones, subzones, SKU characteristics, storage media, material handling costs, administrative costs - all must be defined and tested to achive the best results. Chiron will work with you to make sure all of the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed by supporting your team during site analysis, data collection, and data entry. i-Lean does support techniques to fill in the gaps when some data, e.g., volumetrics, is not up to par. Chiron's data entry features not only supports manual and batch data loading, but also provides sophisticated diagnostic tools to validate integrity across all data categories. Interfaces - We take interfaces seriously. i-Lean is most effective when it can communicate with other applications like customer order systems and purchase order systems to feed it information. i-Lean features several data import/export options to support connectivity to your current systems. We can help you establish interfaces and recommend strategies to manage them in a production environment. Infrastructure - As a software company, Chiron has extensive experience with application platforms. We can help you establish and/or validate the infrastructure you need to run i-Lean and have it communicate with other applications. Be Realistic - Software applications like i-Lean and Warehouse Management Systems can offer significant productivity and profitability gains, but successful implementations take hard work and patience. Establishing reasonable schedules with built-in contingencies reduce stress and yield results. Measures of Success - You should expect an immediate and significant return on investment from the application of i-Lean. These should show up in areas like reduced inventory balances, faster turns, lower carrying costs, improved use of storage space, etc. Selecting the most important and robust measures, baselining, and checking the results during testing will help quantify your operational improvements. The Unexpected - It's not uncommon to find surprises during implementation. These may be related to the application itself or some process or reference data anomolies. Anticipating these events and allocating some time for resolution helps avoid frustration. Maintenance - While getting there is half the fun, holding the gains over time is the key to profitability. Institutionalizing the strategy, measuring results, and tuning pay off.
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