An important building block in digitization is, of course, the tools and systems that transform processes and work steps into digital and automated solutions. Over the past decades, the possible solutions have become incredibly complex. The multitude of software available for every challenge and problem is hardly transparent anymore. Therefore, many companies also have an enormous difficulty in selecting or identifying the right systems.
The elementary building blocks for optimal tool identification looks like this:
- Definition of a high-level target process with a meaningful tool architecture and corresponding interfaces (definition of guiding principles)
- Cross-functional coordination of target process steps (esp. process owner and operational users)
- Procurement of a top-down release and generation of end-to-end acceptance
- Creation of a specific requirement and functional specification based on “Leading Practice” for the process and the architecture
- Identify relevant (if applicable, international) compliance and legal requirements for the tool RFP
- Execution of a tender process incl. System de-mo, negotiations and contractual content.
- Creation of a business case to enable a final decision to be made
- Define and establish an implementation and integ-ration plan. This should be defined in a “statement of work” with the tool provider in the final phase of the tendering process.
– Coordination with other ongoing projects (esp. system projects, such as S/4)
When to pay special attention to a reasonable tool selection?
- Particularly in heterogeneous system landscapes, the sensible selection of tools requires a great deal of attention.
- When the effort to achieve transparency in the process and in the data is particularly high.
- If the process is highly modular or there is a high number of manual activities.
- In the case of a high risk of compliance and regulatory violations.But it’s worth it. The fruits of good system selection and tool integration are:- Reduction and improvement of lead times
- Improve global data availability and quality
- standardized processes to generate the transparency andefficiency
- increases end-to-end automation and integration.The challenges and desired goals can be summarized in a simple method implementation: