Enterprise business application readiness checklists are missing these 2 key steps
How to approach your investment with a clear commitment to win
This checklist can apply to any enterprise application you are considering – ERP, CRM, Customer Support, Payroll, Collaboration Tools, LMS...
Companies choose to implement enterprise applications with the aim of achieving specific business benefits such as:
Simplifying business processes
Reducing operating costs; improving margins
Data transparency
Improving customer experience
Improving decision accuracy
These complex implementations are also commonly plagued with:
Cost overruns
Project delays
User adoption issues
Resource burnout
And these issues result in NOT achieving the business benefits listed above.
Here is the traditional checklist to guide you through the decision to implement an enterprise solution to implementation of the solution (this is a decent list however each item deserves its own article, so we are keeping it light here):
1. Assess current system landscape
2. Define project scope and objectives
3. Assemble a skilled team
4. Choose the right solution
5. Choose the right implementation partner
6. Create the plan / governance
7. Follow best practice implementation guidelines for Design/Configure/Test/Deploy/Support
The 2 missing items that should be at the top of your list
These solutions can cost millions to implement. Yet too often I see leaders approach them with the attitude of “let’s just not lose” versus “let’s win this”.
Leaders are wishy-washy with what they hope to achieve – maybe to avoid being held accountable for achieving them.
How can you invest millions and NOT KNOW what you expect from the investment?
How can you invest millions and NOT FULLY COMMIT to winning?
Is it worth it to you to START your checklist with these 2 steps:
1. Document the ACTUAL business benefits you are going to get - not what the back of the box of software says or what my list above says or what the poorly written business case says. Document what you MUST achieve because of this investment with REAL measurable target metrics.
2. Capture the CURRENT-state metrics you have so you can prove that your investment moved the needle.
From THIS to THAT, specifically and measurably.
Then you are ready to start working on the rest of the checklist items.
Don't sign the contract (software or implementation partner) until you know, and until your colleagues at the top agree, and until you have done the work to capture CURRENT metrics.
You owe it to yourself to get it right the first time, don't you?
You honestly can't afford not to.
