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Your Software Is Built Through Partnership, Not Delivered as a Product

At Shift, we don't hand off software and disappear. We build a long-term relationship, collaborating at every phase, from initial audit through post-launch evolution. Your growth is our roadmap. Your challenges drive our innovation. That's why clients describe us as "married to Shift."

From Audit to Evolution: Our Proven Process

Our methodology de-risks your investment through structured collaboration. Every phase has clear milestones, deliverables, and checkpoints. Every phase involves your team, not as passive observers, but as active co-creators.

Phase 1 (Months 0-3)

Discovery & Audit

Deep Dive Into Your Reality
We don't assume we understand your operation. We learn it.

Activities

  • Process audit: Walk your mill floor. Understand your current workflows (legacy ERP, spreadsheets, manual workarounds).
  • Stakeholder interviews: Talk to operations, IT, quality, sales, finance. Understand each function's priorities and pain points.
  • Requirements documentation: Collaboratively define what IOM needs to do. Be specific.
  • Technical assessment: Evaluate your infrastructure (current databases, ERP, MES, integrations). Map the technical landscape.
  • Risk identification: Flag potential challenges early.

Deliverables

  • Functional specifications document 
  • Proposed technical architecture
  • Implementation roadmap and timeline
  • Risk register and mitigation plan
  • Executive summary for board/leadership

Collaboration Model
Weekly workshops with your core team. You're driving decisions, not us.

Success Indicator
You and Shift aligned on exactly what IOM will do. No ambiguity. No surprises later.

Phase 2 (Months 3-15)

Custom Development

Iterative Build, Real-Time Feedback

Software development is not linear. It's iterative. You see progress every 2–3 weeks. You provide feedback. We incorporate it.

Activities

  • Modular development: Build IOM in logical chunks (order entry first, then metallurgy, then quality, etc.). Each module tested and validated independently.

  • Wireframe design:You see screen layouts before we code. You validate UX. You correct course early.

  • Agile sprints: 2–3 week development cycles. Sprint reviews with your team every 2 weeks.

  • Automated testing: Unit tests, integration tests running continuously. Quality baked in, not bolted on.

  • Documentation: Technical docs, user guides being written in parallel with development.

Deliverables

  • Working modules delivered progressively

  • Full documentation

  • Test cases and quality assurance reports

  • User training materials and video tutorials

Collaboration Model

Your team attends every sprint review. You're shaping the product in real-time.

Success Indicator

By Month 12–18, you have a fully functional, tested system ready for integration and go-live planning.

Phase 3 (Months 9-15, overlaps with development)

Integration & Testing

Connecting Your Ecosystem

IOM doesn't exist in isolation. It must work seamlessly with your ERP, MES, CRM, and external partners.

Activities

  • ERP integration: APIs and data sync with SAP, Oracle, Dynamics, or your legacy ERP. Automated GL posting. Financial close acceleration.
  • MES connectivity: Real-time production instructions flowing from your Level 2/3 systems into IOM, and feedback looping back.
  • EDI setup: Customer POs arriving electronically. Invoices, shipping notices sent automatically to customers.
  • Load testing: Stress-test IOM with production-scale volumes. Ensure sub-second response times even under load.
  • User acceptance testing (UAT): Your team tests end-to-end workflows in a production-like environment. We fix issues before go-live.
  • Data migration: Historical data moved cleanly from old systems into IOM. Reconciliation and validation complete.

Deliverables

  • Integration test results and performance metrics
  • UAT sign-off from your team
  • Production deployment plan (detailed, risk-mitigated)
  • Rollback procedures (if needed)

Collaboration Model
Your IT team leads UAT. We support and fix issues they identify.

Success Indicator 
You're confident the system will work on Day One. Zero surprises.

Phase 4 (Months 15-17, overlaps with final integration steps)

Go-Live & Training

Launch and Adoption Support
This is the moment of truth. We make it less risky through hands-on support and structured training.

Activities

  • Role-based training: Different training for operators, sales, quality, finance—tailored to their workflows in IOM.
  • Train the trainer: Your power users become internal champions. We equip them to support peers.
  • War room support: Shift's team on-site during launch week. Real-time problem-solving. "On-the-fly fixes" model from Big River Steel.
  • Gradual rollout: Phased deployment (module by module, department by department) to minimize risk if needed. Or full deployment if your risk tolerance allows.
  • Documentation & videos: User guides, step-by-step tutorials, FAQs—all available in IOM's help system.
  • Knowledge transfer: Your team learns the system. Shift makes sure they're truly capable, not just trained.

Deliverables

  • 100% of your team trained and operational
  • Internal support documentation
  • Video tutorials for reference
  • Support during launch (Shift team available)

Collaboration Model
Your team runs operations. Shift provides expert support and removes blockers.

Success Indicator
By end of Phase 4, your team operates IOM independently. Shift transitions to support role.

Phase 5 (Ongoing)

Continuous Support & Evolution

A Living System That Grows With You

IOM doesn't go stale. It evolves.

Activities

  • Technical support: Direct access to senior developers.
  • Performance optimization: Monitor system health. Optimize queries and processes. Keep IOM fast.
  • Feature enhancements: Employee suggestions implemented. New business processes supported.
  • Security updates: Regular patches and security updates, deployed without disruption.
  • Roadmap planning: Quarterly reviews. Your team and Shift align on priorities for next quarter/year.

Deliverables

  • Responsive support SLA 
  • Quarterly business reviews
  • Prioritized roadmap for enhancements

Collaboration Model

True partnership. Your ideas drive the roadmap.

Success Indicator

Years into the partnership, IOM is still relevant, still accelerating your operation, still evolving with your business.

 

Why Clients Call Us

Deep Steel Industry Expertise

We're not generalists learning your business on the job. We're steel experts.
  • 17+ years in steel (since 2007)
  • We speak your language: Hot roll, cold roll, galvanized, grades, tonnage, capacity constraints, IATF, VDA, MTRs
  • We understand your challenges: Lead time pressure, audit risk, equipment utilization, customer demands

Conversations are efficient. We don't need to explain what "grade family" means. We already know. We can help you solve problems instead of spending time educating us on steel fundamentals.

Co-Creation Model

You have ideas. We implement them. That's the partnership.
  • Your process drives design: We don't impose IOM's logic on you. We shape IOM to match your operational logic.
  • Fast iteration: Suggestion from your floor? Implemented in 2–4 weeks.
  • Long-term evolution: Big River Steel is still changing IOM years after launch. Your business evolves, so does your system.
"IOM is a living, breathing thing. We keep changing it. That flexibility is unique." - Mark Orvis

What We've Learned From Every Implementation

Three Core Lessons (Reinforcing Earlier Themes)

Lesson 1: Clarity on Process Before Development

The Principle
Take time upfront to define exactly how you want to run your operation—workflows, approvals, quality gates, financial controls. Don't wing it. Don't assume the software will figure it out.

How Shift Supports This
Our Phase 1 (Discovery & Audit) is structured to achieve this clarity collaboratively. We ask hard questions. We push back if something isn't clear. We document everything.

Why It Matters
Clarity now prevents $1M+ rework later. Mid-project pivots are expensive and demoralizing.

Lesson 2: Partner Selection Matters More Than Feature Lists

The Principle
This is a years-long relationship. Choose a vendor you trust, that's accessible, that responds when you need them—even on evenings and weekends.

How Shift Operates  
Direct access to senior people. Steel expertise (not learning on your dime). Collaborative model (your ideas matter).

Why It Matters
A feature-rich system with poor support is a nightmare. A simpler system with great support is a competitive advantage.

Lesson 3: Your Process Drives Design (Never Reverse It)

The Principle
Software should enable your operational logic, not dictate it. Define how you want to manage your business. Then build software that supports that vision.

How Shift Applies This
Co-creation model. Your workflows guide our design. We adapt IOM to your reality, not force you into a predetermined path.

Why It Matters
When software dictates your process, you've surrendered control. You're no longer optimizing your business for your market. You're optimizing it for software logic. That's backwards.

Common Questions About Our Deployment Model

 

Q: How long is a typical implementation?

12–18 months from Discovery to go-live for a full steel mill deployment. Smaller scope projects (service center, focused modules) can be faster—6–12 months.

This is 5–10x faster than typical ERP implementations.
Q: Can we deploy in phases (some modules first, others later)?

Absolutely. Many clients prefer phased rollout to manage risk and resource allocation. We can deploy order entry + planning first, then add metallurgy/quality as Phase 2. Your choice.

Reduced risk per phase, faster realization of value.
Q: What resources do we need to dedicate internally?
  • Phase 1 (Discovery): 2–3 people, 20% time
  • Phase 2 (Development): 1–2 people, review meetings, feedback
  • Phase 3 (Integration & Testing): 3–5 people, more intensive (UAT)
  • Phase 4 (Go-Live): Full team (temporary spike), 2–4 weeks
After Go-Live: 1–2 dedicated IOM power users + ad-hoc support from operations team.
Q: What happens after go-live? Do you disappear? We don't disappear. We transition from implementation mode to support mode. Quarterly business reviews. Roadmap planning for enhancements. We're a long-term partner.
Q: How do you handle scope changes mid-project?

Transparency and agility. Small changes? We absorb them. Significant scope changes? We discuss impact on timeline and budget. We're collaborative, not rigid.
Q: Do you offer process audits before we commit?

Yes. We can conduct a lightweight process audit to evaluate IOM fit with your specific operation. This de-risks the decision and gives you confidence.
Q: What's your project success rate? 100% of our clients are operational and productive in IOM. Zero failed go-lives in our history. (Compare to 30–50% failure rate for generic ERP projects across the industry.)
Q: Can we speak with other clients who've done this? Absolutely. We provide references on request. Some clients (like Big River Steel) are publicly documented. Others prefer confidentiality. We respect that but can arrange conversations with willing references who've had similar experiences.
Q: Do you support international implementations?

Yes. We have clients in USA, Canada, and Europe. We support french and english interfaces, multi-currency, and local compliance frameworks (IATF for North America, VDA for Europe, etc.).

Ready to Explore IOM for Your Mill?

Two pathways  to start your optimization journey

☎️ Ready to Explore Seriously?

Talk directly with our team about your operation, challenges, vision. We'll discuss results from similar mills, walk through customization options, and address your specific concerns. This is a substantive conversation—not a sales pitch.

Contact : Mendy Richmond, Industry Solution Consultant - IOM

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📄 Want to know how this fits your organization?

We can conduct a quick evaluation of your current processes and assess IOM fit. Low commitment, high insight. Learn if IOM is right for you before deeper engagement.

Request a Process Audit