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For those of us in technology, we have all heard it before, “Just sign on the dotted line and you’ll be up and running in no time!” But the reality of it is, implementing new software is never quite that simple. With over 13 years of project management experience, I can assure you that with some careful upfront planning technology implementation can run a lot smoother than perhaps what you have experienced in the past. Below, I outline the seven steps I share with LoanLogics’ clients to ensure their path to technology implementation is successful.
Understand and define the project scope. In today’s fast paced environment, teams are often under pressure to just jump right in and get it done, sometimes without a clear understanding of what it really is. This approach can lead to confusion and frustration as teams scramble to integrate new software into their existing processes. To combat this, spend time to understand how the new software fits into the big picture by documenting your business needs. Some things to consider:
- What is the specific problem you’re trying to solve? How will the new software help solve this problem?
- What is your team doing today? What processes will need to be updated so the team can adapt to the new tool?
- How will you roll out the new software? Do you have a formal training program, or will it be ad hoc? Will you phase in usage over time, or will it be a big bang?
Understand the technology. In addition to the business considerations, there may be technology impacts as well. These are typically lessened when leveraging cloud-based solutions instead of on-premise server-based software installations. Even with a cloud-based solution, there still may be requirements that need to be fleshed out, especially if the new software will need to work with software you’re already using. This is an area where understanding your requirements will be critical to your implementation’s success.
If data integrations will be required, you’ll need to define what data you need, how often you’ll need it, and what technologies you’ll use to get the data from one system to another. Consider what file formats to use and if you’ll need to map field names or values from one system’s convention to another’s. If sensitive data is involved, you will also need to ensure that the file transfer is secure.
Establish your timeline. All of these considerations will go into building out a milestone plan so that the work that you’ve identified can be scheduled. When building out your roll-out schedule, it’s helpful to prioritize your must-haves versus your nice-to-haves, especially if you are working within a specific budget or have to factor in any regulatory due dates for getting up and running.
Assemble a team. Most implementations are a team effort, so you’ll want to ensure that you’ve got the right people on the job. Key to this is assigning a project lead to drive the schedule and manage communications. Ideally this person will serve as a champion for the new software within your organization to get the team excited about what’s to come.
In addition to your project lead, you may need to pull in some additional resources to help get the job done. Some of these folks may have to come from other departments, or even outside vendors, depending on the work that needs to be completed. Often these resources have other commitments that may affect their availability. Communicating your timeline and requests with ample notice can help to ensure that the team members are available when you need them.
Get to work. You’ve got a plan. You’ve secured the team. Now it’s time to execute on it. A project kick-off meeting will help to set the wheels in motion. The project lead can introduce the team, communicate the goals established in the project definition stage, and review the plan. If your software vendor will be a part of your kick off, it’s best practice for your project lead to coordinate with the vendor ahead of that meeting to ensure that you’re in alignment with the agenda, timeframe and overall plan before bringing in your whole team.
To keep things moving, the project lead should have regular checkpoints with the team. This holds the team accountable to the schedule and gives team members an opportunity to communicate any issues they run into. It’s important to keep a log of these identified issues so the team can track them to resolution. During these regular checks, it’s helpful to reference your business and technology plans frequently to track the team’s progress.
Be flexible. Changes are inevitable in any major undertaking. Some of the assumptions that were made in the beginning may no longer be valid as new information becomes available. There may be updates to regulations, new company policies, staff turn-over, or any other number of contributing factors that lead to unexpected changes. As long as your plan has accounted for how you’ll handle those changes as they arise, you’ll have the ability to manage the impacts to your implementation.
Go live! Completing all of the technology set up, but then struggling to truly go live is a common hurdle in many implementations. This is where your earlier planning around roll-out becomes critical. As you approach your launch date, the team should put together a checklist of cutover tasks and be in frequent communication during go-live activities.
During the days and weeks following your launch, check in with users to collect feedback on what’s working well and what might not be working so well. This information can be used to help drive incremental improvements which will aid in user adoption.
The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
Robert Burns, To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest With the Plough , 1975
There is a famous line in an old poem, To A Mouse, that says, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Surely, implementation plans can to varying degrees but the more preparation you put into the upfront planning the better off your organization will be to adapt when surprises occur.
For more tips on preparing for a successful implementation read the following blogs:
4 Steps To Bust Your Implementation Log Jam
5 Best Practices for Embracing Technology
