Technology projects can be a challenge to implement. Many organizations discover that adopting new technologies deal with surprising similarities when implementing software changes within the organization. With this in mind, project success can often be achieved by avoiding a handful of common pitfalls. These dilemmas can manifest in different ways, but all seem to resemble each other at the core. Be sure to address these 5 in your next major technology endeavor.
- 1. Failing to Involve Stakeholders
One common difficulty companies find with ERP technology adoption is the failure to involve their stakeholders. The best way to guarantee a positive end result is to involve stakeholders consistently.
This may be more difficult than it sounds. The term “stakeholder†in this context refers to anybody the project’s outcome is likely to affect. Stakeholders are influencers and key contributors. Some will be SMEs (subject matter experts). Some will offer insights into key business processes. Some will be shaping your final product. If you haven’t yet defined your company’s stakeholders, this is the first essential step.
- 2. Failing to Drive Consensus and Gain Buy-In
Getting everybody on board as a single team can be more challenging than it first appears. Key stakeholders will span multiple departments. Those departments, in turn, will usually want different project outcomes. This means achieving compromise and agreement on some objectives is hard.
One way to resolve this is to look at your organization’s existing decision-making process. By understanding the current process, it’s possible to identify gaps, then, determine where you will encounter obstacles during this project. By taking a proactive management approach to the process of decision-making, it’s possible to achieve success.
- 3. Failing to Communicate Effectively
Communication breakdowns are a common difficulty faced during the ERP system adoption process. Therefore, it is important to identify potential communication issues at an early stage. When you identify potential gaps proactively, a successful plan for managing communication becomes possible. You can set ground rules to address these possible risks. Assign responsibilities for decision-making and set expectations at the outset.
It is also vital to manage communication effectively through every stakeholder level. You must develop a clear plan for this. Set communication expectations for less active stakeholders and the executive team. Regular communication is also vital to ensure executive team support through every project phase. This will ensure the entire team is working toward the same objectives and goals.Â
- 4. Failing to Define the Project’s Scope Clearly
Before embarking on assigning tasks and building the project timeline, you must identify the objectives and goals. Define the scope of the project to complete its objectives. To achieve this, it’s important to work closely with stakeholders to identify the overall goals of the project. It’s also vital to define clearly what you won’t accomplish in the project. By setting limitations of scope, you can guide the team toward success. Also, by defining the project’s scope, you will receive the essential tools to construct a strong foundation. On this foundation, you can outline the project’s activities, establish the project phases, and assign the resources.
- 5. Failing to Manage Risk
All projects come with their own risks. Those uncertainties require an approach that manages both negative and positive risks. This means a risk management strategy is essential. You must know how you will deal with, accept, avoid or mitigate risks.
This strategy must not only involve reactions to risks. It must also make sure processes are in place for controlling, monitoring, and responding to possible risks. For companies preparing to take chances, positive risks may yield a high reward in terms of time or cost savings.