6 Factors Impacting Implementation Approach

How do you determine the best implementation approach for your upcoming project? The answer is impacted by at least 6 factors:

Number of Impacted Systems/Processes
Availability of key personnel
Staff Implementation Experience
Complexity of Current Process
Data Requirements / Complexity
Flexibility & Adaptability of Your Culture

Number of Impacted Systems and Processes

The breadth and scope of a project is a key determinant of implementation approach. If you have multiple systems performing the same business function, a pilot program can replace one of those systems. Replacing one of many provides both a test and a template for rapid deployment in a controlled manner. Pilot programs reduce risk and can create positive momentum for change.

Conversely, highly integrated systems are hard to untangle and require a comprehensive approach. Before unplugging or changing one component, you must evaluate the impact on related processes and systems. Although this analysis is crucial to success, it is still possible to have a phased implementation approach if the future processes or systems are designed appropriately. For example, we worked with a company which designed, built and installed custom audio-visual systems with highly integrated processes and systems. The internal transfer pricing mechanism between departments incented bad decisions. The system also had weak functionality for the installation department. Changing the transfer pricing and implementing construction industry best practices increased both profitability and efficiency.

Availability of Key Personnel

We often see companies rely on the knowledge and expertise of that key person. The keeper of the keys is the most valuable employee and the biggest bottleneck. Sometimes that person is the business owner! Getting the knowledge out of their head and institutionalized in they system and process documentation can be daunting, especially when they are not around.

Rapid implementation flourishes with fully engaged key personnel. An agile team pivots to other projects and initiatives when knowledge is MIA. Conversely, traditional implementation processes ensure gates and checkpoints validate the presence of knowledge. However, fits and starts discourage the traditional project team. Ultimately, you must evaluate each project based upon the specific project and personnel issues.

Staff Implementation Experience

The more experience within the internal team, the lower the reliance on external consultants. A recent college graduate will have all the textbook knowledge required for a job, but lacks the real life experience to know how to execute. The same is true for digital transformation.

During our discovery process, we look to qualify customers out of our “Start” program. Start assumes customer self implementation with coaching. The approach also transfers responsibility for execution and project management to the implementing organization. Project experience allows the client’s team to sense when a effort is straying off course. Without experience the team will not “know what it does not know.”

Without staff implementation experience we recommend inclusion of an experienced project manager with domain expertise in both industry and the implementation process. This enhancement does not preclude rapid implementation, but definitely assumes an inclusion of more knowledge transfer time.

Complexity of the Current Process

Many factors impact complexity.

The more people you have in the room, the more dysfunction you will have!
Does the process cross organizational boundaries?
Do you need an engineering or computer science degree to understand what is happening in the process?

Complexity does not always require a traditional approach. If a confusing process can be broken down into smaller simpler processes, an agile approach may work. However, organization and control of the disaggregated teams and efforts requires a strong project manager with deep process knowledge.

Data Requirements

Some projects are obvious. Other projects require vast amounts of information. Furthermore, some projects require complex data transformation. Will your project require large amounts of data for analysis and interpretation? If so, it may be hard to move fast, especially when the analysis is really convoluted.

In an implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, data conversion is a huge wildcard in terms of time and effort. Many customers think they need multiple years of all sorts of data converted without considering the likelihood of using that data in the new system. Conversely, when implementing an advanced inventory planner, multiple years of data is required for regression analysis to generate accurate predictions with a high degree of certainty.

Flexibility and Adaptability of Your Culture

Process and technology are irrelevant without a team that can execute. Your people are the key factor in selecting an implementation approach.

Agile approaches require flexible people.
Rapid approaches requires curious learners.
Change is hard when not embraced.
A positive mental attitude makes change easier.
A motivating leader increases the pace of change.

Does your organization embrace or resist change?

Next Steps

Unfortunately, a blog post or series of blogs will not provide clarity for your next implementation methodology. Knowing what to do requires experience. Organizational and project leadership are key when embarking on a digital transformation endeavor. Assuming management is fully supporting your initiative, you must find the right champion to lead your project in one of two ways:

Knowledge Leader – A business process expert leads the transformation effort. Deep process, industry or domain expertise enables the leader to provide knowledge based leadership.
Transformation Leader – The project champion understands how to lead a re-engineering project to success by leveraging the right implementation approach combined with the appropriate internal resources.

Process experts typically hire a consulting firm to provide the methodology and project management services required for success. Conversely, transformation leaders tailor project implementation approach to the unique business circumstances and requirements. This will be covered in the last blog in the Implementation Approach blog series. You can catch all of the videos on our You Tube Corner Office Playlist.

Additional Considerations

To learn more, watch the Corner Office video series and check out the additional blogposts on this topic:

If after watching the videos you are still uncertain of the best approach, Contact Us by filling out a discovery questionnaire. If you want to start with a Business Blueprint to streamline the final project, you can also complete our Blueprint Discovery Questionnaire. We have different forms for all of our services to make the initial consultative as effective as possible.

Our initial, no obligation consultations are always at no charge.