Software Implementation Done Right

At Brandow Consulting, our approach to inventory management software is distinct from the rest because we like to address the big picture first, rather than only fixate on specific symptoms of an overall problem. Because of this, we’ve meticulously developed a proven system over the years that guarantees that every issue’s root cause is found and not only fixed, but converted into a strength for optimal usage in the future. This five-step process, if followed correctly, will ensure that your vision for a successful warehouse software system becomes a reality. Today we’ll zero in on the key first step in this proven process.

Documenting Desired Overall Workflow

How does this method begin? One of the first things we do is create an overall workflow strategy for the entirety of the operation, and go from there. In this sense, we employ a “begin with the end in mind” approach which gives us a target to shoot for, even if this might be a moving target depending upon your evolving understanding of the operation. We make sure to precede this with a well-founded setup of the software, ensuring that all devices are connected and that every aspect of your digital infrastructure is in a place that ensures the inventory management software will work how it is designed to work.

After this first essential step, and having done quite a bit of discovery work about your business, we then move on to helping you design what you believe would be the ideal for the overall workflow process of your company. This is ultimately a process of decision making on your part, where you narrow down and determine what would be the best practices for each of your users, as well as for the business as a whole. We will help you with this process, but it is important that these specific workflow goals are set by you with your understanding of the business needs, because they will necessarily be different from company to company. There are very few one-size-fits-all approaches when it comes to the intricacies of your digital transformation.

The various procedures we help you craft initially will be roughly a paragraph in length, and there will be a separate one for each user as well as each task involved. We document such processes as how you go about entering in a sales order, how you’d perform a work order, or close a work order, or how you would like internal communications to be handled, etc. In the end, it all comes back to usage. The question we will continually ask throughout the process is “what is the best way for your company to use the features of the software to best fit your goals, your needs, and your workflow?”

Training for the Best Inventory Management Software Results

You may be surprised to hear that we do not immediately jump into training at the get-go. As a matter of fact, training is our number four step with our implementation process! The reason for this is because we at Brandow Consulting learn from our past mistakes. Believe it or not, there was a point in time when we simply offered training with no prior setup, but soon learned that this was not an ideal approach. We found that although many of our clients gained valuable knowledge from our initial training, they didn’t have the necessary foreground laid to do anything substantial with it.

After seeing this happen time and time again, we started to realize that it is crucial that the software be adequately set up well before training starts, let alone concludes. Skipping this vital step, we’ve found, is comparable to learning how to ride a bike before it is even assembled. Likewise, if you attempt a training before setting up the inventory management system, you may have the information necessary to utilize is, but you will lack the essential hands-on experience that is required to truly understand and implement it.

Instead, we make sure that your users have all of the tools they need beforehand in order to learn the specificities of the QuickBooks inventory software, as well as the time to practice with it before you eventually go live. That way, once we begin the training, we are starting with a firm foundation of what the software actually can do for you, as well as the vision you have for it. The second part of this is especially important, because it will provide us a goal to strive towards in the following steps.

Making Your Warehouse Management Software A Success

Many companies think that finding and selecting the best inventory software program is all they need to do in order to have a successful warehouse management system. Most, however, soon find that there is a lot more that goes into it. Without a proper structured approach set in place, such businesses will quickly find themselves lost and stuck, having made no progress, and instead, often create unnecessary problems for themselves along the way. Get ahead of the curve on your digital transformation. With our proven methodology, we can help you use your software system to its fullest. Countless businesses have come to us for help when they felt like they had no direction, and we consistently are able to help them get a grip on their QuickBooks software.

Interested in learning more? Give us a call at 844-839-4949.