When issuing a request for proposal (RFP) for a transportation management system (TMS), shippers often overlook implementation/change management issues that are critical to the project’s success. Last week’s blog post, “The Glaring Information Gap in RFPs,” explained why these challenges need to be addressed in RFPs. The focus of this post is on the types of RFP questions that shippers can ask in order to elicit vital feedback on TMS change management challenges.

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A request for proposal (RFP) for a transportation management system (TMS) typically includes probing questions about providers’ capabilities and the technical specifications of the systems they offer.

But there is one area that tends to escape scrutiny in RFPs, even though it is vital to the success of every TMS project: Strategies for implementation and change management.

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There are obvious reasons for adopting a transportation management system (TMS) such as tracking carrier performance, automating the tender process, and load consolidation and optimization to name a few.

However, there are some that may not be on your radar screen even though they could deliver substantial gains. Read More…

Key to the success of an outsourced transportation management system (TMS) relationship is how much the provider manager responsible for the account knows about your business. Also important – but less obvious – is the availability of a backup manager who is also familiar with the nuances of your account. Such is the increasing complexity of freight networks that having a knowledgeable account manager is no longer enough; shippers also need to be reassured that there is an operations person who can step up to the plate and take over your account should the primary contact be unavailable. Read More…