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File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 1
RETS Implementation Practices
RETSImplementation Best Practices
Business Case
Project Start-up
Resource Identification
RETS Service Provider
RETS Data Customer
Project Execution
Kevin McQueen Yogi Schulz
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 2
RETS Implementation Practices
RETS Implementation Best Practices Topic Objectives
Identify potential issues around a RETS service
Provide recommendations and suggestions based on best practices
Ensure the RETS implementation addresses the business case
Reinforce sound project execution practices
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 3
RETS Implementation Practices
Business Case
Focal point of the RETS implementation
Match RETS capabilities to the business problem
Identify tangible & intangible benefits
Don’t over-sell
Highest benefit area is service
to data customers
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 4
RETS Implementation Practices
Implementation ProjectStart-up - 1
Describe business case
Capture business rules– ensure that you know yourself
Validate business requirements for the metadata– data about the data
Confirm internal and external contracts, processes, security
Identify internal resources
Identify existing skill levels in RETS:– service provider
– data customers
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 5
RETS Implementation Practices
Implementation ProjectStart-up - 2
Understand and validate feature set
Understand impact to existing data customers
Define roles and responsibilities for:– MLS
– service provider
– data customers
Recommendation: Create and maintain visible reference documents
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 6
RETS Implementation Practices
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 service provider offer it?
– Data quality enforcement - tools
Are there sessions controls?– Multiple sessions
– Session duration limits
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 7
RETS Implementation Practices
Contracts
RETS Service Provider:– Who does what
– You own the data
RETS Data Customer:– Control the access
– Control the uses
General observation:– Control your asset with appropriate language
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 8
RETS Implementation Practices
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
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 9
RETS Implementation Practices
Security
Document your security requirements:– Statutory security
– Physical security of system
– Software security of system
Audit trails
Logging
Recommendation: Define the security requirements at the beginning
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 10
RETS Implementation Practices
RETS Advantagesover FTP
Real-time data feed for broker web sites / consumers
More data access options:– User agent security– Role-based permissions– Metadata enables multiple views of MLS data– MLS control over misuse
Usage tracking capabilities
Data customers restricted to queries within authorized view of the MLS data
FTP = dumb flat files
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 11
RETS Implementation Practices
Resource Allocation
Determine internal versus outsourced resources:– Training
– Help desk
– RETS support
– Statistical and other report generation
– MLS service computing infrastructure
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 12
RETS Implementation Practices
RETSFeature Set
RETS compliant does not mean all the optional features exist
Different service providers will have different optional features– Related to their business decisions
Ensure that supported feature set matches between the service providers and data customer
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 13
RETS Implementation Practices
RETS Service ProviderBest Practices Topics
RETS compliant
Available resources
Business continuity plan
Business continuity tests
Availability
Recommendation: Service offering must be a close match to your needs
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 14
RETS Implementation Practices
RETS Service Provider Resources and Skills
Does service provider offer dedicated resources for your implementation project?– Will they get pulled off on some other “hot” project?
Can service provider identify capable third-party resources for your project?
Should you use an external project champion to manage your project?
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 15
RETS Implementation Practices
RETS Data Customers Best Practices Topics
Existing Services:– Default MLS client– IDX/VOW– Brokerages– Other MLS clients– Homestore– Newspapers/book
publishers
New Services – value to Realtors®:– Multiple choices for
default MLS client
– Multiple choices fordesktop, laptop or pda client
– Data aggregation
– Marketing tools
Recommendation: Support new software and services only via RETS
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 16
RETS Implementation Practices
RETS Data Customers Resources and Skills
The RETS service will change business practices
Communicate the benefits of RETS:– Reusable software
– Many sources of knowledge
– Industry standard
– Improved data structure for improved change management
Recommendation: Communicate the benefits for using RETS
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 17
RETS Implementation Practices
RETS Impact onExisting Data Customers
Will require changes to their applications to use RETS
May have a sense that MLS is “off-loading” work to them
Maintain buy-in by communicating the reasons– Highlight the benefits from easier maintenance of their
applications in response to your changes
– Overcome resistance of data customers who may not share your pain with the current situation
Recommendation: Gradually upgrade data distribution to RETS
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 18
RETS Implementation Practices
Project Execution
Manage scope with a change order process
Recognize priority shift during implementation project:– Beginning – quality, functionality
– Middle – cost
– End – schedule
Insist that resource commitments be honored
Ignore distractionsProject management
contributes to project success
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 19
RETS Implementation Practices
RETS benefits will add value for your MLS
Implementations encounter many modest hurdles– All have been successfully overcome
Project implementation best practices:– a few are RETS specific– majority of the best practices address the common system
implementation issues
Conclusion
File: 05_RETS_Implementation_Best_Practices.PPT 20
RETS Implementation Practices
TopicSummary
RETS offers many benefits, but faces many of the common implementation challenges
Learning curve is real– Many resources available to help
Business case must drive the use of technology