FAQ
Getting started with a system implementation, upgrade or migration
Does Spinnaker SCA have preferred technology vendors?
No, we are vendor agnostic and an independent system implementation partner. We are guided by your company's best interest and supply chain requirements.
Should we upgrade our current SCP platform or move to a new one?
Based on your current system's performance and level of customization as well as your company's growth plans and technology vendor roadmaps, we can help you answer this question objectively—before you make any long-term financial commitments.
How do I know if I am implementing, upgrading or migrating?
The difference comes down to how much change your business and technology will undergo. Here's a high-level breakdown:
- Implementation: Typically, this is a net-new SCP deployment (often called “greenfield”), where you’re standing up a system for the first time or replacing an existing one entirely. This includes defining processes, building integrations, migrating data, and training users on new workflows.
- Upgrade: This refers to enhancing an existing SCP install within the same platform or vendor. In a true upgrade, core workflows and integrations remain largely intact, and the changes are incremental rather than transformational.
- Migration: This refers to moving to a new platform or architecture (most commonly a cloud-based platform) which often requires redesigning integrations, rethinking processes, and retraining teams—it can look much closer to a full implementation than a simple upgrade.
Most organizations don’t fit neatly into one category—and many “upgrades” today behave more like re-implementations. That’s why the right starting point is understanding the health and performance of your current system, customization footprint and future target operating model.
How disruptive is a SCP upgrade or cloud migration?
With proper planning, testing, and change management, disruption can be minimized. In most cases, issues arise when upgrades and migrations are rushed, planning cycles aren't protected, or interdependencies between planning and execution systems are not well understood by the system integrator. We plan around your S&OP cadence, your planner workflows and your business calendar.
Can Spinnaker SCA support phased or site-by-site rollouts?
Yes. We frequently support multi-site implementations, upgrades and migrations using phased deployment strategies to reduce risk.
Does Spinnaker SCA provide user training and change management support?
Yes. Change management is a core part of our implementation approach, not an afterthought.
Advanced Planning projects fundamentally change how planners work—from demand forecasting and supply balancing to exception management and S&OP. Without strong training and change management, even the best system will fail to deliver value. We consider user adoption to be a true measure of success—ensuring your team is fully leveraging the SCP beyond the initial go-live.
Can Spinnaker SCA work alongside our internal IT team and/or a system integrator?
Absolutely. If needed, we can serve as a bridge between operations, IT and third party system integrators to ensure cross-functional alignment and accountability.
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