The four directors of Optimise Systems Ltd would be the first to hold their hands up and admit the last couple of years have been rather fraught with uncertainty. A series of management buyouts and a history of virtual neglect have left customers somewhat dazed and confused about the virtues of the company’s software offering, Prodigy. However, with a fresh perspective from new premises, an injection of finance and new blood, and a bucket load of enthusiasm, the minds behind Optimise believe they have got what it takes to put Prodigy back on the map.

In April this year, the company obtained exclusive ownership of Prodigy, which has eliminated a fundamental shortcoming outright. The directors agree that previous owners of the software have tended to manage affairs on a remote basis, which has left clients rather jaded and ill-informed. However, Optimise is strictly a hands-on operation, they claim.

“The difference this time is that we are the decision makers,” says development director, Arthur Field. “The customer base, management and the product has pretty much remained consistent but it is now much easier to get development decisions made.”

In a bid to emphasise the clear channels of communication with its clients, the company held an open day in July, during which the directors outlined their objectives for the future, both long and short-term. “We treated the open day as a starting point,” says sales and marketing director, Phil Carter. “We haven’t finished the race by any means but we are starting to deliver on the promises we made.”

Optimise is under no illusions that reaffirming credibility within the marketplace will be easy. In recent years, the industry has spawned a number of strong players in the field of IT. Yet, managing director, Barrie Astbury, says the new competition has stirred up the industry, raising the stakes of the game, which will only have positive repercussions in the end. And, the company feels it is finally moving in the right direction towards attaining a stronghold in one of its particular fields of interest, namely small to medium-sized produce marketing organisations.

Having acquired more spacious offices, the staff is better able to distinguish the two sides of the business - maintenance work and programming. However, the directors feel that with the addition of new staff members and the possibility of further recruitment, extra space may be required before long, so they are already assessing the possibility of expanding on their current site.

The team has been growing at an impressive rate. This year the company hired Tim Spate, who joined the existing staff in the role of senior project leader, as well as four trainee programmers. “We were only going to take on two new programmers originally but when we saw their aptitude we really couldn’t turn them down,” says Astbury.

And, having reached a level of stability, all staff members are fully focused on the technology at hand. So why are the directors putting so much weight behind a mature system like Prodigy? Working under various names and management teams, the four directors have been involved with Prodigy at varying stages of its development, accruing some 80 years of relevant experience between them. “We’ve got a lot of affection for Prodigy because we’ve grown up with it and the last thing we wanted to see was a really good product die,” says Astbury.” And the team is quick to highlight its advantages. “What we have to offer new customers is a stable and well-developed product, which therefore doesn’t have a major development cost to carry,” says Narracott. “It is a very robust and flexible product. It needs regenerating but whatever we do we don’t want to lose those qualities.”

Being a Unix-based system it doesn’t need rebooting on a frequent basis and having ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) means it can be used in a variety of different formats, to suit individual user preferences, he explains.

Like a lot of mature products, Prodigy has been subjected to a fair amount of amalgamation which means various versions of the software are being used within the industry. The company intends to focus on developing particular aspects of the program suite, for example, a new production module, which is already underway, although it has come to the conclusion that clients are in need of guidance in using the existing technology, before embracing too many new facilities. “Customers are not getting enough out of the system,” says Carter. “There are is a real lack of training available so we are proactively putting in schedules for people to come here for proper training days. This is one area we feel has been neglected for too long and we are determined to put that right.”

According to Narracott, this gesture demonstrates the company’s holistic approach. “We offer a total service,” he says. “We don’t have an engineering workshop but when we install or upgrade we will do everything from just supplying a server with software to a complete infrastructure. By working with hardware partners we can concentrate on the software maintenance and functionality of the products.”

One disadvantage of the system, to which the company readily admits, is that it “doesn’t look very pretty”. However, Field is quick to emphasise that the system has improved in this respect. “And we are not restricted by any specific environment.” he adds.

With regards to the company’s medium-term plans at least, the current Unix-based system is very much a fixture. “Unix is where we want to be for the moment but we are in an ongoing development phase and all platforms will be and are being considered,” says Astbury. According to Carter there are reasons for and against using a Microsoft platform, but Optimise is wary of aligning itself too strongly with either school of thought. “There are a lot of people who are very anti Microsoft but there are also a lot of people, especially the next generation - the sons and daughters of directors - who have been totally brought up on Windows, and it is not in our interest to alienate anyone.”

Optimise is pleased to announce the recent addition of a major potato supplier, North Norfolk Potato Growers Ltd, to its books. Carter says the team is looking forward to working closely with the company as it develops in the future.

In this age of rising costs and negligible returns, the importance of selecting a first-rate computer system cannot be over-emphasised, says Astbury. “Fresh produce companies are pretty well all getting the same prices for their goods and are now beginning to realise that the only place they can make any savings is in their own warehouses.” Technology systems in produce facilities are still fragmented, according to Astbury. But he suggests this cannot last, especially with the growth in mobile technology, which will ultimately co-ordinate all operations within an individual company, providing access to all files from any location, in real time.

Sales and marketing are not the only objective in focus, however. “The new business is great, we love putting in systems and growing the business but we are not going to forget our existing clients,” Carter says. “We have given ourselves two years to achieve what we talked about at the open day, about bringing Prodigy a little bit further into the twentieth century, before we think about our long-term aims.”

Topping the agenda is the plan to get the website up and running, which should be finished early next year. With the company hoping to raise its client base by 10 per cent next year, this will be a much-needed resource, says Carter. The company is also determined to strengthen relations and trust between the development and sales teams to avoid giving clients unrealistic forecasts for any programming required.

The team at Optimise Systems has set itself some steep challenges, but ambition, and a little risk are all par for the course, its directors surmise. “Next year will be a critical year for us,” says Astbury. “There have been a fair few casualties but we don’t intend to be one of them. Watch this space because Prodigy really is back. We are not going to take the attrition we have suffered lying down.”

WISE WORDS FOR PROJECT SUCCESS

How many of you are contemplating a core business system (ERP) project in the New Year? Implementing a brand new, integrated information system can be a daunting prospect. And if you haven’t already done so, how do you go about deciding which is the right system for you? Sales, purchasing, inventory, QA, production, forecasting, trading, financials... this kind of project will most likely touch every person and process in your business.

If information is the lifeblood of your organisation in today’s competitive world, think about it this way: putting in a new system will be like replacing its heart and many hundreds of arteries and veins at a stroke... without anaesthetic. It could hurt a lot! And your business must trade normally with the outside world while all of this change is going on internally. So what can you do to avoid the pain, and make your new system implementation a success next year?

ERP systems are not new, and a browse along the project management shelf in a good bookshop will provide more reading material for the Christmas break than you can sensibly handle. As in every other walk of life, however, you can benefit a huge amount in a short time from seeking out some experienced individuals who have been there before you, and listening to their advice. Here, then, are some wise words from six key players in the industry who know exactly what it takes to succeed:

UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WHY

“I think that many ERP projects run into trouble right at the very start because they are poorly conceived. Often the business case has not been adequately developed”, says Simon Eagle, an independent management consultant who specialises in the fresh produce sector. “The business case must focus on needs and the benefits that are expected from the project. These benefits should be a touchstone throughout the entire project lifecycle since they define why the project exists. Regular reference to the original business benefits ensures that the project direction is continuously scrutinised.”

Chris Yates, professional services manager for ABS also places a lot of emphasis on defining the terms of reference for the project. “Get it down in writing,” he says, “Scope, objectives, benefits, resources, risks, the lot. The process of writing it down will help you pinpoint the questions you don’t have answers to. Find those answers! When your document has been agreed, you can share it with everyone who joins the project, to explain what’s being done and why.”

GET COMMITMENT FROM THE TOP

Gayle Gilman, IS manager at Sinclair International, has recently helped her company to complete a global ERP roll out. She works from Sinclair’s head office in California, and has no doubt about the importance of commitment from the top: “The business has to know that the change is 110 per cent embraced by management. Top management has to explain, frequently and with enthusiasm, what the business has to accomplish and why it is important, thus creating a positive environment for change. Past experience has shown that in implementations championed by IT alone the level of acceptance within the business is not as high, and it takes longer to get things done”.

Patrick McCafferty, ICT director for Wight Salads Group, agrees with Gilman. “You must have an executive sponsor for a successful project”, he says. “And even if your CEO is 100 per cent behind the project, make sure you identify and involve all the stakeholders as well. Buy-in at operational level and department champions are essential. IT departments do not implement ERP systems well on their own - create a project team of staff from every affected department, and involve them totally.”

PICK THE RIGHT PARTNER...

McCafferty again: “It is not enough to have a software supplier who knows the product and has knowledge of your industry”, he claims. “Your project team must be able to establish a strong working relationship with the supplier’s personnel. They are an integral part of your implementation and a key to your success.”

Nick Turnbull, technical director at Branston Ltd, also believes choosing the right partner is important. “There will be problems and unforeseen issues along the way”, he says. “On occasion these will test the partnership between customer and supplier. If trust and honesty exists between the two parties, then problems can be overcome in a constructive and timely fashion. Effective and open communication is needed.”

... AND THE RIGHT SYSTEM

“In recent years, a number of new solutions have emerged which are focused on the fresh produce sector. This is good news,” says Eagle, “but selecting the right packaged solution is not that easy. Most companies produce a Request for Information (RFI) document and shortlist potential suppliers from the responses they receive. Presentations are then arranged with the short-listed suppliers and this leads to the selection of a preferred supplier.”

He has some ideas for streamlining the process. “In my experience a straightforward, weighted points scoring system linked to the business benefits works well”, he says. “It provides both consistency and objectivity in the evaluation process, and gives a simple way of ranking competing suppliers. In a team environment, the use of a common evaluation method provides a valuable reference when comparing a number of different supplier solutions at the detailed level. Of course, you also need to choose a solution provider who can act as a true business partner - a company that understands the sector you operate in, and invests in their solution to address emerging requirements. A comprehensive due diligence process is vital to achieve the necessary level of confidence.”

RESOURCE UP

What about the amount of effort involved? “Evaluate the available resource and be realistic,” advises Turnbull. “Before embarking, take time to understand the quantity and quality of resource at your disposal. A big project will be a drain on any business and in particular on key staff whom will almost certainly be busy people already. There must be sufficient resource available to competently manage the project, both from a technical and a training/education perspective. It’s fine to be ambitious, but crucial to be realistic.”

Michael Clarendon, LINKFresh implementation consultant for ABS also believes resourcing to be all important - both for the customer and the supplier. “Dedicated project resources work best,” he says, “but it’s not always possible. Getting quality time from the key users is essential, and management must do everything to make sure that happens.”

Gilman emphasises one role in particular: “A good project manager is an important component in the mix,” she says. “Someone with the experience to juggle all the priorities, whom can act as spokesperson, provide motivation and deal with the occasional crisis is the cornerstone of a large project.”

EXECUTE WELL

Now you’ve decided what to do, which partner to work with and what resources you need... how should you go about making it happen? “Take time to understand the business processes and future requirements,” says Turnbull, “and make sure your consultants do too. With a sound understanding of the requirements upfront, the likelihood of delivery to everyone’s satisfaction is increased.”

“It is important to have a methodology to control the project”, McCafferty believes. “But it doesn’t matter which one you use, so long as it fits your company and project requirements.”

Clarendon thinks that testing should be stressed. “Allow plenty of time for the conference room pilot (CRP),” he says. “This is the best chance your users will have to test the system before you go live. As well as picking up any last minute issues with system configuration, they will also get a chance to practice what they have been trained on. Everyone should make the most of this opportunity.”

“Continuous communication is needed with the business,” says Gilman. “The most successful projects have been those that go the extra step. Put project milestones up on the company notice boards; give the team members a t-shirt with a project logo... make sure project updates are communicated in departmental meetings. The key is to get everyone involved, and keep them learning, and talking positively, about the new system.”

CONCLUSION

Replacing a core business information system can be a complex and time consuming exercise, but it really shouldn’t be a life threatening operation. This is not a new science: as our six contributors have shown, there is plenty of real world experience to call upon. You shouldn’t need to learn any lessons the hard way, but if you do find things aren’t going as well as you expect, don’t hesitate: find someone who’s been there before you and seek their advice.