Noha Tohamy, vice president of supply chain research, AMR Research A number of vendors now offer consulting services designed to optimize SCM software. JDA Software Group Inc., for example, on its Web site boasts that the firm offers "an array of advanced offerings to protect and enhance the value of your JDA investment," including upgrade assessments, network design analysis, enterprise security planning and modification support. Another approach to getting more out of your SCM software is to create a "center of excellence" or shared service center consisting of a cross-functional team with the analytical skills necessary to help users optimize SCM technology. In companies such as Dell and Procter & Gamble, the teams essentially serve as "ambassadors to the supply chain," Tohamy adds. "One business unit or region might not need a full-time resource to set up models and use optimization tools," Tohamy says.