When companies start looking at investing in poultry software for farm and production management it’s easy for them to see the value they can gain from an integrated system that allows for easier analysis, helping them to make better business decisions. But when trying to decide if now is the time to start their poultry project, they always want to know the answer to two questions first: how much time will it take to implement and how much will it cost me? In this article, we will discuss the time factor.
After 30 years of business serving as software consultants in the poultry industry, you’d think we could say it will take every business exactly x amount of time to implement their project, but the reality is it is not that simple. Each poultry company we talk to has its own goals and no one company’s digital transformation journey is one and the same. After talking with hundreds of companies, we can say there is no one answer to this question. To get an idea of how long it might take for your specific project, there are some considerations you should keep in mind.
Considerations for determining the length of your poultry software project
In general, a poultry project can take anywhere from 6 months to a year to implement. We have seen projects up and running in as little as 3 months, but the overall timeframe is variable and depends on several different factors. To get an exact timeline for your project, you would need to chat with an implementation specialist, but to help you with the process, here are a few things to consider first.
Identify the problem(s) you want to solve: There are a lot of business software programs out there and they all have different strengths. If not careful, you could end up paying more for too many tools or getting tools that don’t support your overall goals. The best way to avoid a situation like this is to first make a list of all the problems you need the poultry software to solve for your business. For example, ask yourself questions like these, do you need help with farm management or production, or do you need help with both? Do you own multiple parts of the supply chain and need help with full supply chain management?
Clarify business goals: Once you know the main challenge you’re trying to solve, then take it a step deeper by outlining some specific goals within the problem area(s). This will lead your business to start understanding what features your software should have to help you accomplish your goals. Examples of questions you should ask: Do you need certain features to help with data analysis like business intelligence or are you looking for specific payment features like grower payments?
Overall budget: How much is your business able to invest in your project? This is a big question and truthfully it is multi-layer and variable depending on your project’s details. Just having a max budget in mind is a good idea to help you determine if now is the best time to start your project. A software consultant can help walk you through the details on this.
Evaluate project resources: How much of your staff can you dedicate to this project? What level of technical expertise or experience do they have? Keep in mind, with the right resources in place, your project could go faster than expected.
Determine project size: Where is your company in its digitization journey? Are you just getting started or are you looking to integrate with other tools like controllers, ERP’s etc..? How many different systems will you need to implement at one time? Where is your data stored, how many different places is it stored in and how much data will need to be brought over into the new system? What format is your data in currently? Answering these questions will get you off to a great start to help you understand timeline factors. Don’t worry, if you don’t know the answers to all of these, of course, when you chat with an implementation specialist, they will help you dive deeper into these questions and other questions as well as be there to help you form the best digital transformation path for your business & goals.
Planning your company’s poultry project
“Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.”
-Thomas Edison
As with any other project, success begins with great planning. Determining a project timeline can be tough on your own. If you have questions on this topic or want some recommendations in your planning process, our team of consultants is here to help. Be sure to also subscribe to our newsletter, as we will be sharing more articles to help with planning, project expectations, cost considerations, and more.
