Background – Core Application System Replacement
ITDirections was engaged by one of the largest uniform rental and linen supply companies in North America with approximately $650M in annual sales, operating more than 115 production facilities and service centers throughout the United States and Canada, servicing over 150,000 customers each week.
After several pre-cursor projects were completed together, the Client engaged ITDirections to manage the nationwide implementation of their Route Accounting system, which was the heart of their business operations. The previous Route Accounting system was heavily customized out-of-date technology that encountered operational risks on a daily basis. The implementation was to be done at 49 sites and 12 distribution centers.
The Challenge – High Stakes Implementation
Due to the day-to-day operational risks with the old system, a timely and successful implementation was paramount. There was no room for failure as the system managed the core of their business and the stakes were high. This implementation required on-site assistance as each site was rolled out, but no Client employee was open to traveling for three years so they couldn’t adequately staff the project. Implementing the critical system required a good understanding of their business and being reasonably tech-saavy. However, staffing the project with a large team of outside consultants was not affordable, not to mention the added risk of ongoing dependence on consultants.
The Solution – A Global Model Design and Creative Resourcing
ITDirections helped the Client design and develop the global model for implementing the system at all sites. Concurrently, we helped them recruit and train 12 recent college graduates to lead the site-by-site rollout after they’d learned the business and the new route accounting tool. Together with the new team, we implemented the global solution to the first six sites. These sites served as training while also proving and perfecting the global model design. Their internal team then continued with remaining 43 sites, and ITDirections rolled off the project.
The Results – Expedited ROI and Payback Period
The Client successfully implemented at all 49 sites and finished the project one month ahead of schedule and under budget. Ultimately, the project resulted in a 13-month payback which was 23 months ahead of plan, making this one of the most successful projects in their company history.
