Have you ever wondered why GMA service providers repeatedly ask for the same product documents? The answer may surprise you. And it’s likely the same answer applies to other puzzling GMA questions you may have had in the past.
The Struggle of GMA Project Management using Outdated Tools
Most GMA service providers manage projects using antiquated tools like simple shared folders, spreadsheets, and email. Let’s break it down using a potential real-world example. Imagine your assigned project manager is handling 10 projects for different customers, with an average of 30 countries in each project. That translates to 300 individual country certification applications being managed on 300 individual spreadsheet lines. Compound that with each country requiring a unique set of mandatory documents like test reports, pictures, and diagrams, you can begin to understand the complexity. Without modern, purpose-built, GMA tools, managing country certifications can be an overwhelming manual task that unfortunately is prone to human error and creates significant additional work for both the customers and service providers.
Understanding the Frustration Inefficient Storage and Organization processes causes Manufacturers
So, what does this mean for manufacturers? Unfortunately, it means that most GMA service providers struggle to securely store and organize documents for future use. For example, when a customer adds additional countries after the initial project has closed, project managers lack an efficient way to determine which documents have already been obtained and can be leveraged for the new project. The only option is to search through emails or shared folders to locate past documents. Naturally, project managers don’t want to repeatedly request the same documents, but they often have no other choice.
Introducing Tech-Enabled GMA Project Management
This is just one example of why GMA service providers should embrace technology to support the entire country certification process. At Global Validity, project managers are equipped with our proprietary platform, Access Manager, which replaces shared folders, spreadsheets, and emails. With this technology, reusing existing documents to support new country certifications becomes an automated function that happens instantly. It’s the next level of efficiency.