What are the common challenges and pitfalls of a TMS migration or upgrade?

1 Scope and objectives

One of the first steps in any TMS project is to define the scope and objectives of the migration or upgrade. This involves identifying the current pain points, the desired outcomes, the key stakeholders, the budget, the timeline, and the success criteria. A clear and realistic scope and objectives can help you avoid scope creep, misalignment, and unrealistic expectations. It can also help you communicate effectively with your TMS vendor, your internal team, and your external partners.

2 Data and integration

Another critical aspect of a TMS project is the data and integration. This involves ensuring that your data is accurate, complete, and consistent across your sources and systems. It also involves designing and testing the integration between your TMS and your other applications, such as your ERP, your bank accounts, your payment platforms, and your reporting tools. Data and integration issues can cause delays, errors, and inefficiencies in your TMS project. To avoid them, you need to conduct a thorough data audit, establish data governance, and follow best practices for data migration and integration.

3 Change management

A TMS project is not only a technical change, but also a cultural and organizational change. It affects the roles, responsibilities, processes, and policies of your treasury team and other departments. Therefore, you need to implement a change management strategy that addresses the human side of the change. This includes engaging and communicating with your stakeholders, providing training and support, managing resistance and feedback, and measuring and celebrating the benefits of the change.

4 Security and compliance

A TMS project also involves ensuring that your system is secure and compliant with the relevant regulations and standards. This includes protecting your data from unauthorized access, breaches, and theft; complying with the data privacy and security laws of the countries where you operate; and following the best practices for cybersecurity and risk management. Security and compliance issues can expose your business to legal, financial, and reputational risks. To avoid them, you need to conduct a risk assessment, implement security controls, and monitor and audit your system regularly.

5 Testing and training

A TMS project is not complete until you test and train your system. Testing involves verifying that your system functions as expected, meets your requirements, and integrates smoothly with your other systems. Training involves educating your users on how to use the system effectively, efficiently, and confidently. Testing and training issues can result in poor performance, user dissatisfaction, and operational disruptions. To avoid them, you need to plan and execute your testing and training activities carefully, involve your users throughout the process, and address any issues promptly.

6 Continuous improvement

A TMS project does not end with the go-live date. It is an ongoing process of continuous improvement that requires regular maintenance, monitoring, and optimization. This involves keeping your system up to date with the latest features, patches, and upgrades; reviewing your system performance, usage, and feedback; identifying and resolving any issues or gaps; and exploring new opportunities to enhance your system functionality, efficiency, and value. Continuous improvement issues can affect your system reliability, usability, and scalability. To avoid them, you need to establish a governance structure, allocate sufficient resources, and foster a culture of innovation.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?