file: 06_rets_implementation issues.ppt 1 rets implementation issues business case project...

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 1

RETS Implementation Issues

RETSImplementation Issues

Business Case

Project Preliminaries

Resource Identification

RETS Service Supplier

RETS Service Consumer

Project Execution



RETS Implementation Issues Topic Objectives

Identify potential issues around a RETS service

Provide recommendations and suggestions to resolve issues

Ensure the RETS implementation addresses the business case

Reinforce sound project execution practices



Business Case

Focal point of the RETS implementation

Match RETS capabilities to the business problem that you are solving

Identify tangible & intangible benefits

Don’t over-sell

Highest benefit area is service

to data customers



Implementation Project Preliminaries - 1

Describe business case

Capture business rules – ensure that you know yourself

Capture and validate business requirements for the metadata – data about the data

Confirm internal and external contracts, processes, security

Identify internal resources

Identify RETS service supplier and consumers



Implementation Project Preliminaries - 2

Identify skill levels in RETS service supplier, RETS service consumers

Understand and validate feature set

Understand impact to existing consumers

Define roles and responsibilities for MLS, supplier and consumers

Recommendation: Create and maintain visible reference documents



Business Rules

Who is permitted to see what data?– Authentication, Access Controls and Audits

What data can be entered where?– Data quality rules – does the supplier offer it?

– Data quality enforcement - tools

Are there sessions controls?– Multiple sessions

– Session duration limits



Contracts

RETS Service Supplier:– Who does what

– You own the data

RETS Service Consumer:– Control the access

– Control the uses

General observation:– Control your asset with appropriate language



MLSRETS Service Processes

Understand who does what:– Contract management

– Help desk access

– Service initiation and termination

– Service issues

Understand problem escalation:– Responsibilities in the resolution process

– Chain of control to ensure resolution



Security

Understand your security requirements before starting

Statutory security

Physical security of system

Software security of system

Audit trails

Recommendation: Define the security requirements at the beginning



NARInformation Security Toolkit

Develop processes, tools and technologies to keep your Internet information secure with these easy-to-use guides that were created by NAR:

– For Residential Brokers

– For Real Estate Agents

– For Commercial Brokers

– For Association Executives

– For MLS Executives

Information Security Guidelines http://www.realtor.org/rocms.nsf/pages/InformSecCtr



Resource Allocation

Internal versus Outsourced Resources:– Training

– Help desk

– RETS support

– Statistical and other report generation

– MLS service computing infrastructure



Metadata:Data about the data - data content, structure

Without metadata, software is very fragile and will break when structure is changed

Metadata driven applications can respond to structure change without technical intervention– Columns and property types can appear when they

are added without more work

Metadata can be a challenge to unsophisticated developers– Ensure that the consumers understand issue



RETSFeature Set

RETS compliant does not mean all the optional features exist

Different suppliers will have different optional features– Related to their business decisions

Ensure that supported feature set matches between the supplier and consumer



RETSService Supplier

RETS compliant

Available resources

Business continuity plan

Business continuity tests

Availability

Recommendation: Must be a match to your needs



RETS Service SupplierResources and Skills

Does supplier have dedicated resources for your project?– Will they get pulled off on some other “hot” project?

Can supplier provide third party resources for your project?

Should you use an external project champion to manage your project?



RETSService Consumers

Existing Services:– Homestore– IDX/VOW– Brokerages– Newspapers/book

publishers– Primary client

software

New Services – value to Realtors®:– Multiple choices for primary client

– Multiple choices for secondary client

– Multiple choices for laptop orpda client

– Data aggregation

– Marketing tools



RETS Service ConsumerResources and Skills

The RETS service will change business practices

Communicate the benefits of RETS:– Reusable code

– Many sources of knowledge

– Industry standard

– Improved data structure change management

Recommendation: Communicate the benefits



RETS Impact on ExistingService Consumers

Will require changes to their applications to use RETS

May have a sense that you are “off-loading” work to them

You are impacting them, communicate the reasons

Highlight the benefits from easier maintenance of their applications in response to your changes

Data customers may not share

your pain with the current situation



Project Execution

Manage scope with a change order process

Priorities shift during implementation project:– Beginning → quality, functionality

– Middle → cost

– End → schedule

Insist that resource commitments be honored

Ignore distractions

Project management

contributes to project success



Conclusion

RETS benefits will add value to your MLS

Many modest hurdles– All have been successfully overcome

Project issues:– a few are RETS specific

– majority of the issues are the common system implementation issues



TopicSummary

RETS offers many benefits, but faces many of the same issues of any service supplier – service consumer technology

High learning curve but there are many resources available to help

Business case must be the driver for the technology



Implementation ProjectReward

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