What do long bicycle rides have in common with new planning software?  Maybe not much except they are two things I’ve been spending a lot of time on lately.

I completed my first cycling century (100 miles) at the end of last month. It took a lot of dedicated training time to get ready for it.  I’ve also been busy the past several months helping clients investigate new software for supply and demand planning and MRP.  It takes a lot of work to find a good fit.

When you commit to an endurance sport like a cycling century or a marathon it is important to count the cost and prepare well before you start.  If you don’t prepare adequately, you probably won’t be able to finish. Likewise, if you do not prepare well for your software selection, you may find yourself with a tool that does not get you over the metaphorical finish line of getting your planners out of Excel spreadsheets for planning.