Year
2023
Type of Project
business analysis
Savings
Time (25-30%) and Costs (5-10%)
Directed by
Michael Muro
Driss Chabi
Laurence Krajewski
Annie De Grace
Overview
Customer Presentation
Our client, a North American leader in frozen and canned food products, is globally renowned for delivering high-quality products and services.
Mandate
Conseil 2.0 and Talsom were commissioned to support the implementation of a Transportation Management System (TMS) at various levels. This included revising and optimizing business processes, configuring the system, managing change, supporting client teams, and overseeing the project as a whole.
Client's goal
Execution of the project
Talsom and Conseil 2.0 conducted numerous interviews with various stakeholders to:
- Understand processes and pain points at different stages of transportation management.
- Grasp the overall implementation context.
- Identify different populations involved and develop a change management strategy.
Here is the five-step methodology to achieve the client’s desired results:
We initially gained an understanding of existing processes by conducting around ten interviews with various impacted departments (logistics, purchasing, warehousing, customer service, and finance). We mapped the current processes (approximately 15 processes) and identified data available in the ERP, which was crucial for determining which processes could be automated with the TMS and which ones should remain manual. Subsequently, we defined the target processes once the TMS was in place, along with transition processes to anticipate impacts on the teams, assess training needs, and anticipate integration requirements between the ERP and the TMS.
We met with 40 users over 4 weeks, combining these interviews as much as possible with those aimed at targeting processes. These interviews allowed us to identify key success factors, including swift decision-making by the steering committee, adherence to project scope, timelines, and costs, as well as the designation of ‘super users’ responsible for the adoption of the TMS. Workshops facilitated a more detailed understanding of the expectations, concerns, training preferences, and preferred communication channels of each population.
These results informed a change management strategy, including a user support structure, a communication plan tailored to each project phase, a training plan, and an engagement plan specific to each group, utilizing the ADKAR model to ensure project buy-in at every stage.
We conducted sandbox tests for each warehouse, evaluating the systems developed in Microsoft 365 Business Central. Subsequently, we gathered user feedback during working sessions and made necessary adjustments in response to their comments.
We actively collaborated with the client’s teams for the configuration of the TMS and its integration with their ERP. After defining the target processes, we participated in configuring various modules and parameters of the TMS. This included the routing guide, rates, product groups, loading groups, equipment, carriers, docks, locations, and users. Once the configuration of the test environment was completed, we conducted tests before duplicating the configuration into the production environment.
The results of the population study guided training towards interactive sessions tailored to each group, utilizing a ‘train the trainer’ approach. Videos were created for the key features of the TMS, accompanied by a detailed user guide. Super users were empowered to train all users. Satisfaction and confidence rates of different populations were measured after these training sessions.
A testing schedule based on a proven methodology was established, including unit integration tests, functional tests, and end-to-end tests. Super users played a key role in executing nearly 300 functional tests. Acceptance of these tests was a prerequisite for Go-Live, ensuring that the configuration of the TMS was adequate.
During the actual deployment, we supervised the teams in transportation, purchasing, warehousing, finance, and customer service at various sites. We revalidated their understanding and mastery of the tool, remaining available for four weeks after the Go-Live to provide support to the teams, validate the correct usage of super users, and address any minor issues.
Results
Go-Live occurred on the initially planned date, and the budget was not exceeded. This was possible due to swift decision-making by the executive committee, a dedicated IT team, engaged users, rigorous project management, effective and accepted change management, and experienced consultants.
With this implementation, Talsom and Conseil 2.0 enabled their client to achieve significant savings in terms of time and resources while improving customer satisfaction. Enhanced communication and increased meeting efficiency fostered a better understanding of internal processes, resulting in long-term cost reductions.
Client visibility was strengthened with dashboards measuring carrier performance, and real-time access to notifications and alerts significantly increased customer satisfaction.
Furthermore, each resource estimates saving an average of 25% to 30% of time for transportation teams. Additionally, the implementation of a TMS typically results in transportation savings ranging from 5% to 10%, notably through automated invoice verification and correct application of a routing guide. Finally, the digitization and centralization of data enable improved management of transportation bids, which can also lead to direct cost savings on transportation expenses.
