My thoughts surrounding this blog post relate to a few recent implementations that I’ve been involved in that could have made better progress had some preparatory factors been taken into consideration prior to my visit. For this reason I would like to suggest 10 ways that an organisation can make the best use of a consultants time when engaging for a PPM software implementation. This blog post will discuss the first 5.
1. Identify the benefits and communicate them
If nobody understands the benefits of the software then you’ll find users frequently asking "why are we doing this again?". The benefits have to be clearly visible and quantifiable to act as a driving force. Understanding them at a senior level is not enough. Once identified the benefits need to be communicated to all who will be using the software so they know why they are using it. Give them some background as to the problems you currently experience and why its important to the organisation.
2. Ensure there’s a mandate
Related to the previous point, obtaining a mandate will be crucial. Having obtained the mandate the senior manager or executive then needs to show their support. Not just once, but continuously. If the implementation isn’t backed often enough by somebody with sufficient authority then users will assume its not as important as they were first told. One key way of ensuring the mandate is ever present, and effective, is to involve the senior figure in all stages: requirements, implementation, roll out and ongoing usage. If the person mandating the software doesn’t see the benefit to themself there’s a fair chance they will forget about it down the road.
3. Identify the core team and key stakeholders
Implementing project management software is more than a one man job, you’ll need the involvement of people from several areas. Like I said in my previous post, silo’s are for farmers. The core team needs to consist of at least two users who will act as system administrators. On an ongoing basis this is likely to involve a significant amount of at least one of those people’s time for training and general user support. In addition to system administrators you will need to have a key stakeholder who can represent the needs of each team the software will be used in. If none of those users fit the role then you will also need someone to project manage the implementation, again someone with a bit of authority.
4. Complete the training first
The purpose of training is to bring your level of knowledge up to a level not too distant from that of the consultant so that when they tell you about what they are doing, you understand them! Not just that, product knowledge gives you greater input on the design and things you would like to see the software do, if you know what the project software is capable of. This will not only help you in the beginning but will also be a huge benefit when the consultant leaves—you’ll be able to hit the ground running. You’ve heard the saying “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach a man how to fish and feed him for a lifetime”? Think of the product training as your fishing course.
5. Know what you want
Understand what it is you want to achieve by having the project management software in your organization. For this you need to identify the pain points and critical success factors. At a high level this will be important to know, but you also need to have a clear idea of the detail as well. What is it exactly that you want the report to show? What is the data you want recorded for each project? Who will be involved in your key processes approval steps? Even a relatively immature project management practice will have detailed requirements if you think hard enough about it.
Look out for Part 2 of ‘Making The Best Use Of Consulting’ with the next 5 steps for getting the best out of a PPM implementation.
