Common traits for software implementation success

I have heard a lot of questions over the years on how to implement software successfully. I have always equated going live to leaving the hospital after surgery. You can walk out with a smile on your face, or you can exit on a gurney with tubes sticking out of various orifices. You are live in either situation. I have seen both and every condition in between. Which one do you want to be?

Having been part of hundreds of implementations, the ones that are successful share the following traits:

1) Analysis was thorough and requirements defined up front, before picking up a keyboard.

2) Emphasis was placed on ownership. Take the training, learn the system, participate in the launch. If you can’t do that, you should consider managed services.

3) Remember why you bought the software. Hold the vendor to the bells and whistles that helped provide the ROI to justify the spend. No one wants a lift and shift.

4) You will hit snags. Like Thanos in the Avengers franchise, it is inevitable. As thorough as you were in pre-implementation it is not unusual to miss something. Review the miss, assess, and make the right decision before moving forward. Sometimes that comes at a money or time cost. You only get one chance at a first impression, so make sure you understand the consequences.

5) Pay attention to the little things. Integrations and reports are often put on the back burner but become very painful when they are not there at go live. Make sure they have some focus.

6) Test, test, and re-test. Understand the deviations and put in the proper tolerances for acceptance. And system test, start to finish. There is a flow that needs to be not only followed but learned. It is as much a training exercise as a testing exercise.

There are others, but I will stop here. Feel free to reach out if you want to hear more.