Best Practices to Ensure Successful Software Implementation


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The era of technology has revolutionized work systems completely. Companies are gradually shifting from manual to automated systems. Many organizations are undertaking software implementations to keep pace with the surrounding business environment.

However, many times software implementations result in failure. This can happen due to a number of reasons that include; unrealistic expectations, lack of commitment from the top management, inadequate resources and the mismatch between business and software requirements. Other reasons may be the lack of training, poor project management and poor communication along the hierarchy.

The possibility of success can be increased if firms are willing to use the key best practices of software implementation. This will ensure successful software implementation as well as long term business success for the firm. The best practices to ensure successful software implementation are mentioned below.

Identify the Key Issues

The business issues must be first identified and then analyzed clearly. The executives at the leadership level should allow an open discussion regarding software implementation so that the key issues can come to the surface. For this purpose, executives should provide a comfortable discussion zone where there are no organizational barriers so that employees can discuss issues openly. The third party vendors must be completely abreast with the issues. All parties involved in the implementation process are required to align their tasks with the mutual goal of successful implementation.

Establish Realistic Time Frames

Organizations mostly tend to establish very optimistic time frames for their project. They must not ignore the limitations that may obstruct their implementation processes and set the time frames accordingly. If one step of the process is taking more time, the dates of the entire process must be shifted forward. The project managers should regularly monitor the schedule and modify it according to the current progress of the project.

Align Work Streams

The work streams in the organization need to be identified, aligned and regularly monitored to ensure a smooth implementation. The dependencies in a firm need to be understood during the project planning stage for better resource allocation and appropriate time scheduling.

Have a Meticulous and More Realistic View

Many times, project managers see an overall picture and miss out on the little intricacies. Projects like software implementation are critical and require a manager to view the progress with greater precision. Have a critical eye and viewing the progress in a more critical light will allow the manager to identify any issues present. Managers can also identify potential risks and take proactive measures to avoid them using this technique.

Manage Expectations

Set realistic expectations for the project. Being too optimistic may not be good for the organization. It is much better for managers to be realistic and keep the expectations afresh in the minds of the team members.

Seek an Objective Opinion

Even though project managers are highly skilled and experienced, but if the entire project is assessed by a neutral third party, which means by an outside expert, a more objective opinion of the entire project can be gained.

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