DC Velocity - August 2012

it may be forced to reassign qualified staff to the other project.

Hill says he’s seen a number of integration projects run into trouble as a result of such reassignments.

To prevent that from happening, he urges companies to address the topic up front during the selection process.

Ask whether the inte-
grator can assemble and assign
a team by the designated start date, he
says. Once you’re satisfied on that count,
request a list of proposed team members
and check out their backgrounds. When
you have a team you’re happy with, let the
vendor know you’ll want them around for
the duration, Hill adds. “Ask for a com-
mitment short of death and taxes [that]
these people will be with the project until
it’s completed.”
Hill. “When it gets down to making a
decision, I’m going to pick the one I
like.”
Jeff Waller, a former consultant
who now works for the Veghel,
Netherlands-based material han-
dling company Vanderlande, con-
curs that chemistry can be critical to
a project’s success.

4Is the integrator willing to provide a solid statement of work? Before sign- ing any contract, the company and the integrator must agree on the scope of the project work with clearly defined deliverables, timelines, and responsibilities for each party.

“That statement of work needs to be
very detailed, and it needs to define what
the integrator will do, the equipment, and
what resources the user will bring to the
party,” says Hill. “This ought to be part of
the contract.”
A detailed statement of work can prove
critical in the event the project hits a snag.
That’s because a well-drafted statement
will lay out the process to be followed
should a project go off track and sched-
ules have to be readjusted.

“Few projects go flawlessly,” Hill points out. “You won’t want to spend your time hollering and pointing fingers. You want to approach problem resolution in a businesslike manner.”

5How’s the chemistry? This is anoth- er tough selection criterion because, unlike the scope of work, it can’t be clearly defined. In this area, Hill says to go with your gut feeling.