File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 1 RETS Implementation Issues  Business Case  Project Preliminaries  Resource Identification  RETS Service Supplier  RETS Service Consumer  Project Execution

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 2 RETS Implementation Issues 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

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 3 RETS Implementation Issues 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

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 4 RETS Implementation Issues 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

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 5 RETS Implementation Issues 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

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 6 RETS Implementation Issues 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

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 7 RETS Implementation Issues 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

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 8 RETS Implementation Issues MLS RETS 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: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 9 RETS Implementation Issues 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

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 10 RETS Implementation Issues NAR Information 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

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 11 RETS Implementation Issues Resource Allocation  Internal versus Outsourced Resources: – Training – Help desk – RETS support – Statistical and other report generation – MLS service computing infrastructure

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 12 RETS Implementation Issues 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

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 13 RETS Implementation Issues RETS Feature 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

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 14 RETS Implementation Issues RETS Service Supplier  RETS compliant  Available resources  Business continuity plan  Business continuity tests  Availability  Recommendation: Must be a match to your needs

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 15 RETS Implementation Issues RETS Service Supplier Resources 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?

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 16 RETS Implementation Issues RETS Service 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 or pda client – Data aggregation – Marketing tools

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 17 RETS Implementation Issues RETS Service Consumer Resources 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

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 18 RETS Implementation Issues RETS Impact on Existing Service 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

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 19 RETS Implementation Issues 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

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 20 RETS Implementation Issues 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

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 21 RETS Implementation Issues Topic Summary  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

File: 06_RETS_Implementation Issues.PPT 22 RETS Implementation Issues Implementation Project Reward