• Brainstormed all of the functions absolutely required, including screen appearance uniformity;
• Forms and document format design for inter- and intra-department utilization;
• A wish list of items that each department or function would like to see included;
• There should be flow charts that indicate how each of the different users will interact with each other;
• Prepare a paper on the commonality of design and utilization of automated reports available from the system;
• Develop a list of items that are not included in the hardware or software that will have to be addressed by in-house staff or by consultants;
• Assign a team of dedicated employees who will not be reporting to their regular jobs so they can accomplish the computer development and implementation stages;
• Make a plan for not only the initial staff training, but continuing education for users and new employees;
• Send implementation team members to conduct on-site inspections of the hardware and software manufacturers' clients, customers or references for detailed discussions and review of the problems being encountered.
• Obtain samples of procedures, reports and training manuals developed by these clients and circulate them among your user staffs.
• Develop drafts of the new computer procedures and policies;
• Identify supplier-monitoring capabilities, such as: late delivery, substandard quality, costs for returning items, a field for notations about the suppliers' customer service;
• Include a PO and contract management module that includes expiration and renewal date monitoring notices;
• There should be a field for a synopsis of each contract that is retrievable by: alpha, dollar volume, contract numbers, commodity classification, high turn over items, order lead time, contact person and phone numbers, and a screen for bond and insurance requirement monitoring.
• By the time the list of computer suppliers is being pared down, there should also be a decision in place as to how the system will allow in-house staff members to place an order directly on-line to the vendor with minimal or no approval process that could and should bypass Purchasing. (Note: Computers will be changing the way we do business, and possible future concepts need to be addressed before the computer functions are cast in concrete.) For example, there is a national trend of reducing or eliminating the purchase order, especially the processing of a PO through Purchasing staff. Therefore, a computer system based upon a PO process may become obsolete within a couple years.
• Make a decision on how the computer system will be implemented, i.e. simultaneous parallel systems, or a complete conversion from one day to the next.

© 1997 by Donald L. Woods, All Rights Reserved