Earlier in the year we published our list of the “Top 11 Priorities for Supply Chain Information Technology in 2011.” Now I’d like to look back on a few of them and see how things are tracking. While I’ve only focused on a few in this blog that have recently been impacting my daily life, you can read the entire top 11 here.

UPDATES

Priority #1 - Make some SCIT investments now. The halt in purchasing new systems or upgrades has generated a backlog that will cause bottlenecks in the future. Don’t wait until the masses make their decisions to invest.

UPDATE: Many of you have taken action to make this a top priority. From what we are seeing, companies are kicking off new projects or are already in full swing – SCIT vendors are also seeing very high levels of activity. If you haven’t already started, time is getting short and it may be too late for this calendar year. If you haven’t gotten capital approved for 2011, now is the time to plan for 2012.

Priority #2 - Decide whether to replace or upgrade. Deferment has been a common tactic for making a decision on replacing or upgrading a system. Now is the time to understand the status of your current system(s) and make an educated decision before the purchase.

UDPATE: According to our contacts in the industry, this is taking up a lot of the bandwidth related to priority #1. Technology assessments and deployment planning projects will help you make the right call here.

Priority #4 - Establish the ‘Next Step’ in Your WMS Strategy. Evaluate your current situation relative to your original selection objectives and develop a plan for the ‘Next Steps’ to drive further efficiencies. Conduct an operations and technology audit and identify the specific opportunities to leverage the benefits of the investments made to date.

UPDATE: Whether this priority is a strategy for the future or a tactic related to an upgrade/replacement decision that you are considering now, your “go-live” date should still be just another jumping off point for the next phase.

Priority #9 - Contend with the talent gap. The competition to hire and retain key positions will be fierce. As one means to deal with the talent gap, companies can look at their core competencies and determine the best areas for outsourcing.

UPDATE: I wish this wasn’t true, but it is. Yet, despite the overall disappointing employment numbers, experienced folks in Supply Chain Information Technology are in high demand. Outsourcing may still be your best bet to help bridge the talent gap, but the best resources are seeing higher and higher utilization.

Priority #11 - Close the open checkbook. SCIT projects have been fertile grounds for time and expense vendor contracts. Now is the time to establish stronger vendor-client relationships, and focus on the terms and specifics of the contract.

UDPATE: This is as true now as it was earlier in the year, but it’s becoming more of a challenge due to Priority #9 above.

I’d really like to hear your perspective on these or your other priorities.

-- David Meyers

Other Resources:

Top 11 Priorities for Supply Chain IT in 2011

Top 11 for Profitable Growth in 2011

How Are Your Top Priorities for 2011 Moving? Global Supply Chain Firm Releases Mid-Year Analysis

 

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Tags: top 11, scit, wms