How to lay the foundations for the success of your project in the preparation phase
In today's markets, there aren't many organisations that can afford to fail with their next ERP/CRM implementation or digital transformation initiative. Unfortunately, there is a persistent misconception that preparation for this project success only begins once a system is demonstrated and you are connected to suppliers. But do you realise that the most important decisions that determine success or failure are made at the beginning of the preparation phase? So where do you lay the foundations for the success of your next project?
Over the last 5 to 10 years, the factors that determine the success or failure of software implementation projects have changed significantly. Over time, these factors have shifted from purely technical aspects (keywords: system failures and performance) to organisational aspects, including the willingness and ability to change business processes, mindset and corporate culture. Because of this shift, it makes sense to approach the preparation phase in a completely different way.
Preparation is the be-all and end-all
Solid preparation for an organisational project starts much earlier than with traditional, more technology-driven projects. And the nature of today's projects makes it imperative to involve different roles in a project if success is the only realistic option. Ideally, the key foundations and requirements for a project are determined before contacting suppliers.
Important questions in the preparation phase
It is important to be able to answer the following questions during the preparation phase:
- What strategic goals do we want to achieve with this initiative?
- How can we define these objectives in an attractive format so that every single employee can understand them?
- How can we secure the active participation of the entire management team?
- Who is the active and competent sponsor at board level who will be responsible for both success and (hopefully not) failure?
- Will this project be the only project with 100 per cent focus or will there be multiple projects running simultaneously?
- Are we adapting the new software to our way of working or are we open to changing our business processes in the direction of the software's best practices?
- Do we opt for a "big bang" approach or is a series of "baby steps" a better approach?
- What are the biggest risks of failure and how can we limit or even eliminate them?
- How can we motivate our teams to share their best ideas with the project team?
- How can we use communication to involve the whole organisation at an early stage?
It is of course crucial to share the answers to these questions with the whole organisation. Another advantage of this approach is that you can inform your potential vendors and implementation partners much better about what you want to achieve with your project.
Preparation is always ninety per cent of the final outcome. So there is a good chance that better project results will be achieved with this new approach.
Our conclusion
Preparing for an ERP/CRM implementation or digital transformation is crucial to the success of the project. Companies should already answer important strategic and organisational questions during the preparation phase in order to ensure a successful implementation.
Clarify the most important questions during the preparation phase to be better prepared for your project.
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