The difference between implementing an APS system and building an APS solution that gives you a permanent strategic advantage is night and day. We now know, with absolute certainty, that the only way to achieve meaningful results implementing a successful Advanced Planning and Scheduling Solution is to adopt a three legged stool strategy. Unless you take the time to make sure that all three legs are firmly in place, your APS solution will give you only minimal benefits.
- You need the right software
- You need the right partner
- You need the right level of commitment and the right people
Unless your APS software can model your real world constraints you will not be able to produce a valid schedule. Since it is almost impossible to know all of your requirements up front and since those requirements will change over time you need software that has proven itself in thousands of companies and in almost every industry. We have proven over and over again that it will not only support your current needs but it will support your future needs too.
It can be easy to lose sight of your business objectives when you see a sexy looking APS demo and a clever sales pitch showing the latest high-tech gimmicks. The reality though is that over the last 20 years we have seen many such systems and almost all of them quickly disappear leaving a trail of unhappy customers who have invested a significant amount of time and money on something that never actually works in the real world.
Historically we have also seen that manufacturers who think they have the in-house expertise to select and implement an APS solution almost always fail miserably even if they were fortunate enough to select the right software.
Over the same time period LSE/LSI has consistently been able to deliver APS solutions that address the specific needs of our clients and over the years we have helped these customers get more and more from their Opcenter APS investment.
By avoiding the numerous and expensive pitfalls that typically ruin most APS implementations LSE/LSI will help you drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to start getting measurable results while putting in place a platform that allows you to constantly improve and innovate.
The hard truth is that most ERP resellers and consultants do not have the in-depth knowledge and experience that can only be gained through years of working in the trenches. They may talk a good game but they really don’t know what makes the difference between success and failure.
In the end, the only people who can give you the full story of what it takes to succeed are our customers.
Since this is so important, we take the time to help you understand the type of person you will need to deliver the results you expect and the skills they will need.
The LSE Advanced Planning & Scheduling Consulting Service will help you design the right solution that meets your objectives based on where you are today and where you want to go. This allows us to present you with a number of options based on your budget and your timeline.
- The Assessment Process
- The Design Process
- The Development and Prototyping Process
- The Implementation & Testing Process
- The Continuous Improvement Process
For a detailed explanation about each of these processes please see The Little Blue Book on Scheduling.
Once you have implemented your APS solution you will likely need to fine tune OpcenterAPS by making a number of small, incremental improvements. Involving LSE in this support process will typically allow you to quickly achieve the kind of results that have a significant impact on your ROI. We have a number of Pre and Post Sale support strategies to help you.