The team at Title 2 has been called in many times to fix a failed or struggling system implementation. Most companies shop for and implement new software every five to ten years if not longer. It is very difficult to be good at something that you do so infrequently. Here are some key steps that will help to ensure your implementation is a success.
Build your team: Make sure you have experts from every discipline in your business. Even if their area is not directly impacted by the implementation, they need to be represented in this project. Don’t underestimate the time commitment required, either. It is very easy to be distracted by the daily operations of the business but committing the necessary time to this project will go a long way towards achieving success.
Define and document your business processes: It is impossible to define the requirements of a business system if you cannot define the processes that the system is meant to manage. From order receipt to invoice, you should have every aspect of your business defined and documented. This is a great opportunity to develop your ideal processes. Chances are you are doing something a certain way based on limitations of your current system. This is your chance to re-think how you operate!
Define the requirements of the new system: First and foremost, software companies are sales organizations and they are going to try and sell you their product whether it is a good fit or not. Having this list greatly helps the decision-making process. Based on your documented processes, develop a list of the things that the system must do and the things that would be nice to have. Define your budget. And keep future growth in mind. This system should last you for years to come.
Shop around: There is a tendency to stick to systems that you have used in the past. Don’t be afraid to shop around and look at new vendors. Ask peers at other companies for ideas. Ask software companies who they compete against most often in your space. They should have no problem letting you look at their competition. It is a good idea to give the vendors your list of requirements so they can tailor their demonstration to you and make it more meaningful. Make sure the entire team is present for each presentation.
Choose the best fit: Using your list of requirements, choose the best fit for your business. Be wary of software packages that require a lot of customization to make it do what you need. Almost every installation will have some customization, but it should be minimal.
Plan the Implementation: Make sure that the details of your vendor’s responsibilities and your responsibilities are well defined. Create the detailed project plan with timelines and accountabilities. Make sure the dates are achievable and agreeable with your vendor. Chances are that your vendor will create a project plan to manage on their side but it is a good idea to have your own project manager as well.
Execute: Now execute your plan. If something comes up that was not anticipated, make sure to work with your vendor to document the change order and adjust the timeline and budget. Ensure that your resources are committing the time necessary to the project.
Test, Test, Test: Testing is critical. Stress test the new system. Load it with more transactions than you ever plan to achieve in normal production. Make sure the response times are acceptable. Make sure you have adequate bandwidth. Have your team process orders through every step of the business to make sure everything flows as planned.
Training: You don’t need to wait until the end of the project to train your end users. This should be on-going throughout the project but certainly before go-live.
Go-Live: You might decide to run your old and new systems in parallel or your might do a cut-over. Do your last data migration and make sure you have a clean cut-off for inventory and accounting transactions. Turn off access to your old system to avoid users logging in accidentally out of habit.
You should have someone leading your team that has done implementations before. If you don’t have that resource internally then consider engaging an outside resource to help. Getting a third-party to review assumptions and read through your plan with fresh eyes is a great idea.
There will be bumps along the way but if you planned well and executed your plan they should be minimal. Finding problems before you are dependent on the new system saves a lot of work and stress compared to finding them later.
Let Title 2 bring our expertise to your team. Contact our sales team today!