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Business Issues
Why should I buy a scheduling or planning tool?
The most commonly cited reason is to optimize process operations in order to improve customer service, lower production costs, reduce inventory and/or increase capacity. Another commonly cited reason is to make the scheduling and planning process more convenient for the personnel involved. An effective scheduling and planning tool can also double as a training tool, allowing new personnel to become familiar with a process and its operation.
What are the most important factors to look for in a scheduling and planning tool?
The most important factors are effectiveness, extensibility, ease of use and cost. Other factors to consider are support and database integration. The market for scheduling and planning software is young and there are literally hundreds of companies offering products that cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The less expensive products essentially replace a pencil and paper and allow manual construction of a Gantt Chart on a computer screen. The more expensive products contain algorithms to automatically generate schedules. However there is enormous variability in the capabilities of algorithms in high end packages. A prospective buyer should insist that an expensive tool be demonstrated on their process or one of similar complexity and structure.
What is the total cost of owning a scheduling and planning tool?
The total cost of ownership is the sum of the software cost, consulting fees, and indirect costs attributable to training, database integration, and maintenance of underlying models. The majority of dollars spent on scheduling and planning are for consulting services. Depending on the capabilities of the scheduling methods, these services range from providing help in the identification and generation of a process model, to significant parameter adjustment to make the software perform on the customers process. The best way to control ownership costs is to assess the amount of consulting (both initial and ongoing) associated with the installation of a scheduling and planning system. Primary indications of this cost for a given vendor can be determined by the portion of their revenue stream due to consulting.
How can a non-expert distinguish between the many products and companies servicing the growing scheduling and planning market?
While it is true that there are a lot of products, services, and features in the market, the prospective customer need not entirely base their choices on sales literature and sales representative claims. Listen to how the representative says what they say. Arguments made for or against themselves and other vendors should be substantiated with evidence. Ask about the vendors revenue stream. Regardless of the customer list, a revenue stream which is largely composed of consulting could be indicative of a product which does not perform well. Talk to a technical person. Although your sales representative provides valuable information through their contact, it is highly advisable to discuss specific concerns about a site with a person thoroughly trained in the use of the software. Ask for a real demonstration. Nothing is better than watching a system work on the real data. While sales demonstrations are valuable for illustration of the interfacial features of a tool, they may not truly indicate the types of problems a system is capable of solving. If the vendor refuses or sets an unreasonably high price for such a demonstration, there may be reasons for this policy of which the prospective customer should be aware.
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