Project Planning & Advisory

What is project planning and advisory for a supply chain system?

Project planning and advisory is independent, expert guidance on a supply chain technology project before and during the work: what the project should include, what it should cost, how long it should take, who should do it, and where the risks are. Veridian serves as your advocate, bringing the necessary experience to make sure the project is properly scoped and expectations are set before a contract is signed or a team is assembled.

The service exists because implementation projects can be doomed from the start. Scope that is too broad, a timeline set by a sales cycle rather than the operation, a statement of work that hides charges and fees, or emphasis placed on the wrong parts of the project all show up months later as overruns. An experienced guide in your corner catches them while they are still cheap to fix.

What does a Veridian advisory engagement cover?

Every engagement is shaped around the decision the client has to make, but the work usually moves through five steps:

1. Understand the operation. We walk the facility, review current systems and integrations, and talk to the people who receive, pick, pack, ship and manage inventory every day. Requirements come from the floor, not from a vendor demo.
2. Define scope and outcomes. We separate what the project must deliver from what would be nice to have, and write both down. This is the document every later decision is measured against.
3. Build the plan and budget. Phases, milestones, staffing, testing windows, cut-over approach and contingency. If a WMS or OMS is involved, the plan reflects how Manhattan Associates projects actually run.
4. Review vendor and integrator proposals. We read statements of work line by line, flag abusive fees and open-ended charges, and negotiate scope and terms on your behalf.
5. Govern the project. Many clients keep Veridian on as an independent project advisor through go-live: reviewing deliverables, challenging change requests and keeping the project on track and on budget.

What does the client provide?

A planning engagement needs a decision-maker who can commit to scope, access to operations and IT leads for interviews, and any existing documentation: process maps, system inventories, vendor proposals and prior project history. Veridian does the analysis, the writing and the vendor conversations.

What do you receive?

How long does it take, and who is involved?

Planning engagements are short compared with the projects they de-risk. A focused scoping and proposal review is typically measured in weeks; a full program plan for a multi-site rollout takes longer. The Veridian team is usually small, led by a senior consultant with direct implementation experience, and scales up only if the client asks us to stay on in a governance role.

How does this fit with Manhattan Associates and AutoMate?

Veridian is a preferred implementation partner of Manhattan Associates, so plans for Manhattan WMS and OMS projects are built by people who have delivered them. Where AutoMate applies, the plan accounts for it: ConfigBuilder shortens configuration and environment set-up, ScriptWriter compresses test cycles, and FileSync removes manual file deployment. That is often the difference between the timeline in a vendor proposal and the one Veridian recommends.

When does a company need this service?

• You are preparing a budget request or business case for a new WMS, OMS or major upgrade.
• You have received an implementation proposal and want an independent read on scope, price and terms.
• A project is already underway and is drifting on timeline, budget or scope.
• You are planning a multi-site or multi-system program and need one plan that ties it together.