STATE OF FLUX
2014 GLOBAL SRM RESEARCH REPORT
INFORMATION & TECHNOLOGY 157
ADOPTION BEST PRACTICES
1. SIMPLE SOLUTION Conversion of business requirements into a simple, user-friendly solution that is relevant and timely, has to be a given. Increasingly, flexible SaaS solutions provide you with best practices embedded within the software, with the flexibility to tailor your solution to meet these requirements. Our research also highlighted the importance of the SRM software being a ‘one-stop SRM shop’ – the place where you can go to manage all your post-sourcing supplier management activities. 2. 'EXCEPTIONAL VIABLE PRODUCT' Classic software product development stresses the need to concentrate on core functionality and features, i.e. the highest return on investment versus risk. Taken a step further, product quality needs to be great to ensure users become champions. Get them built fast, deploy fast, collect feedback fast, and then build fast again. 3. ALL ABOUT THE USER Growth hacking is a marketing technique developed by technology companies, which uses creativity, analytical thinking and social metrics to increase adoption of new products and gain exposure. David McClure has developed a great growth hacking model and metrics (AARRR) that can be applied to any SRM software deployment: ö ö Acquisition – getting users interested in, and onto the SRM solution. ö ö Activation – the first activity, be it registration, log on, action or issue logging. ö ö Retention – repeat visits and solution activity. ö ö Referral – recommending others use it. ö ö Revenue – the benefit delivered.
4. SCALABLE
In every area, your SRM has to be scalable – from the way the solution is built, through communications, to the establishment of the correct security policy. Thinking about this from day one will allow you to plan for the future and align today’s actions against that vision. Accessibility will provide scalability. 5. SUPPLIER EXPERIENCE We believe the supplier experience should be viewed as importantly as the customer experience. A strong SRM solution should create positive supplier engagement and allow suppliers to contribute at all levels... the ultimate win-win connecting, collaborating and creating. 6. ADAPT ADOPTION Companies and people can only cope with a certain level of change; beyond this level, the productivity dip becomes unacceptably large. Introducing new SRM software incrementally in line with your appetite for change becomes key: ö ö Align new releases with user needs. ö ö Bundle new functionality together to provide ‘complete’ solutions. ö ö Use supplier segmentation to aid prioritisation of roll-out.
Powered by FlippingBook