Software and Change Management

I don’t know if it’s part of the New Year’s resolutions, but we have a LOT of clients asking about software changes. Some of them are customizations to our FIT System; new or updated Power BI reports; Power App projects; some are adding a new module to their existing software, like Inventory; others are looking at replacing their ERP, a big project with many things to consider.

We welcome these discussions and enjoy digging into the goals, where you are now, and making a roadmap to get where you want to be! In some cases, the decision might be to move forward with a change. In others, it might be changes to current workflows and additional training to stay with what you have, but use it better than ever.

Any change, even the best ones, can be stressful for your team members. There are a whole flood of emotions when people are presented with changes. Anyone providing leadership in a project, whether it’s adding a new module or making a complete software change, needs to be aware of how people MAY feel and get in front of it. During the project, it’s important to stay connected with how people ARE feeling and stay in front of that! It’s great to have a clear plan with all steps outlined to get the tasks done, but those tasks are done by your people and their reactions and speed of acceptance will impact the success of your project.

We’ve reviewed several books on change management and there are many resources available to learn more about the ‘people’ side of these changes; definitely worth your time. It’s important to have the support of senior leadership, a champion who can lead the project and has the authority to keep it on track, as well as a detailed plan (which probably will be more like a guideline by the time you get to the end). I think it was Churchill who said, “Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential.” The value of planning lies in the strategic thinking and preparation. Then the plan is like a blue-print to guide you through the inevitable changes ahead.

Other things to consider, I’m sorry to say, is the incentive the person selling to you may have coming based on your decision. Any soft-ware choices you make, any modules you add, any add-on products you choose, should meet a business need and have a positive impact on your people and the bottom line. At Syscon, none of our team members are incentivized to sell any particular product or service. We are all encouraged to share and be educated on our offerings, but there is no incentive tied with any advice or recommendations a Sys-con team member might share.

When rolling out new modules, we recommend a kick off meeting to clarify what is needed, order of events, timing, and when it will be ‘live’ for everyone.

For Power BI reports and Power Apps, in addition to the content and presentation, consider security and access.

Last thought on this: If you’re exploring a solution and you find one, but this is not the right time, don’t be discouraged! Keep your notes, contact info, anything you’ve gathered during the process. Then put a ‘tickler’ on your calendar for three months from now, or six months, pull everything back out and reconsider if the circumstances have changed and you might be ready! This is a process, so ‘No’ for now may not mean ‘No’ forever.—CMW