| While this is a topic that seems obvious to some of you, it should be discussed. Along with training, it’s one of the most vital factors in a successful implementation. Insist that as many stakeholders and users as possible get involved. Show them the proof of concept. Then demo it to them every step of the way. They will still have changes when it rolls out, but at least they can’t say they haven’t seen it before or been involved. Why go to all of this effort if they want changes? I like to say that no battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy (that statement might not be original to me). If you’ve built your system flexible, you know that you can modify it after implementation. Even if end users see and test the system, they will feel differently once they get their hands on it. Sometimes the changes will be iterative. Get the software into the user’s hands and tell them you are still looking for feedback. Let them know that a phase 2 will occur after you’ve gone through a cycle. Too often the finance department will get an idea and believe that this is the way things should go. Not too many companies actually run that way. It will work far better in a system where you have to convince others that your method is correct. My experience is that we can usually keep the core idea, and with some editing, make everyone happy. It’s amazing how often a small compromise will bring people on board of your implementation. Building out every single possibility rarely works. This is the biggest mistake that many companies make regarding initial Hyperion implementations; assuming that they will get everything right the first time. This is a case where the perfect is the enemy of the good. Get it as good as you can, and plan to make changes. Why should you do all of this? Success of the project. The more people you have that have a sense of ownership, the more that will want your project to succeed. It’s human nature for people to be suspicious of something dropped with no warning. How does this tie in with the prior blog postings? I’m glad you asked. You need to have a consultant that can present your ideas clearly to all users. A deep understanding of what is possible technically, combined with the functional ability to speak to all departments, is what sets Brass Tacks EPM apart from our competitors. I’ll be back in the new year with more postings. As always, comments are appreciated. 1 CommentS. LURIE12/21/2015 05:20:52 pmBuy-in is critical…a project can’t have pigs and chickens: everyone needs skin in the game: to be part of the process. Success has many parents.REPLY Leave a Reply. |
