Software Implementation

Overview

Work smarter, not (only) harder.

Depending on your industry, there are various software tools that can make your life easier, your operation more efficient, your quality better, your customers happier, and your bottom line fatter. Sometimes these are one-off specific tools that are highly customized for your business, other times it may be a general ERP (enterprise resource planning) software that can tie together the various parts of your operation into a single tool that enables cross-functional coordination.

Implementing new software requires a strategic approach to ensure a successful outcome, rather than a long drawn out process with suboptimal results that leave you feeling like the exercise was a waste of time.

• First, define the problems you want to solve in a systematic fashion using a business requirements document (BRD, example template).

• Next, research and evaluate the potential software providers that could meet your needs. You may already have something in mind, or you can look to your competitors for direction as well.

• Schedule demos to validate your research and answer decision-critical questions.

• Select the right tool based on your research, team evaluation, demos, and team consensus.

• Build a software implementation plan with a gantt chart for responsibilities and deadlines. Include a communication plan, team makeup, and meeting cadence.

• Kickoff project, keep detailed notes, and drive project forward using project management tools.

• Once implementation is complete, ensure the changeover from previous methodologies is fully transitioned to the new software-enabled system to maximize your organization’s gains from the tool. This step may require change management tactics.

• Finally, perform a retrospective of the project to extract any learnings for future projects.

Recommended tools

• Business requirements document (template)

• Software review platforms like Capterra or G2

• Asana for project management