To maximise profits and compete in a demanding market, forward thinking intermodal companies must take full advantage of the latest technology, continually review their business processes and upgrade or replace front-office systems. Decision makers should compile detailed information in order to assess the benefits of implementing a specialist software package such as:
- Reasons for change
- Current system issues
- Strategic benefits of both types of system
- Predicted costs over next five years for both systems
When calculating the Return On Investment of a prospective new IT system, it is just as important to calculate the cost of not implementing a system, i.e will current systems incur more costs over time than new software.
The strategic benefits are often equally as important as the financial implications. These include points such as:
- Can a new software packages be implemented quickly, with current and historical data being transferred seamlessly?
- Is the system more functionally rich than alternatives, providing increased business advantage?
- Will internal IT recruitment and training issues be reduced considerably?
- Will the system be continually enhanced and updated to take full advantage of new technology?
