VLM

5.4.2 Timeline

The development of this system started at the end of 1999. VLM wanted to offer their customers a service as opposed to a software product. During the initial stages, development did not follow a typical linear process whereby a clear end goal is establish along with milestones of how to get there. Instead, they began work on the project with the mindset of seeing how it developed. VLM talked to each of their new and existing customers to find out what they would require from the system, how they want it to work and how it would fit into their business culture.

In Declan Malone’s view “it was our customers who drove the development”, he sees this as a continuing process; “this is not a project with a specific end date, it is a way of doing business and as such we will be constantly trying to improve it”.

5.4.3 Budget

As outlined above, the project started out as an evolving process, and as such they didn’t set an initial budget.When they started working with Enterprise Ireland they had to be more specific about the costs. Today they have good visibility of what projects are coming up in the future and the modifications that need to be made, therefore they can budget more accurately. However, if a large customer wanted to sign up to use the system, they would have to incur extra development costs. They would only do so if a certain level of business is guaranteed.

5.5 Set-Backs & Difficulties

VLM experienced two main difficulties when they tried to roll out this system:

• Customer not web-enabled
  Even with all the benefits that can be gained by using this system, some customers are still not adopting it.One of the reasons for this is that they do not have the technology. In fact some of the smaller estate agents in Ireland do not even have PCs. Technically, to use this system, all that is required from the customer’s perspective is an Internet browser and a phone line. However, if a customer is accessing the Internet using a 56k modem, it would be extremely slow to use this sort of design tool online. The reason for this is uploading large, graphic images, using such narrow bandwidth can be very slow. Ideally the system should be accessed through an ISDN line; a dedicated line to the Internet . The vast majority of larger companies would have this and therefore have sufficient bandwidth to deal with large graphics without the frustration of the system running slowly. Some customers believe that it is quicker to design the document in MS word, and then email it or post it. VLM admit that their process might be slightly longer initially, however once the customer has designed and ordered the document online, no more review iteration need to be done.
• User resistance
  The biggest difficulty VLM experienced with rolling out this system was from a users’ perspective, rather than a technical perspective, as they had anticipated. The problem they found was that each branch of the customer organisation already had a relationship with an individual printer. Head office agrees to use VLM’s system and informs all their branches. In some branches this was perceived as being ‘forced’ by head-office. As a result there was no room for error on VLM’s part. Even the slightest mistake would mean that these resistors would start waving flags. The only way to combat that, according to Declan Malone “was to perform as you said you would on a contract basis”.