4 pillars of software implementation

THE 4 PILLARS OF SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS

Irving Goldfinger, IT Director, Treasury & Capital Markets

My career in the financial services industry has spanned four decades. Throughout this time, I have built a large portion of my knowledge base from managing countless software implementation projects for various parts of the industry - Trading, Treasury, Accounting, Risk, and HR, just to name a few. While the technology, regulations, and landscape of the industry have changed over the years, the four pillars that support all successful projects have not: client satisfaction, software quality, team expertise, and project planning and execution. Each of these pillars can be assessed by the questions I have outlined below.

​1.      Client Satisfaction: An integral part of satisfaction in professional relationships stems from the defined project expectations and how well your team meets or exceeds them. Begin each project by making sure there is a clear understanding from both your team and your client of requirements, timeline, and resources needed to complete the project. Communication is key to making sure you always satisfy the client’s expectations. An affirmative answer to these questions will usually yield high client satisfaction:

• Were the key business requirements met?
• Did the project respect the budget?
• Was the project delivered on time?

2.      Software Quality: Software is constantly being fine-tuned and created for nearly every need imaginable. While technology can be a great tool for automation and ease of use, it is imperative that you educate the client on the capabilities and functionality of each to make sure it best aligns with their wants and needs. Choosing the right software platform is the cornerstone of every successful project. This goes hand in hand with client satisfaction – making sure the implemented software works as expected. The following questions are helpful to determine the right software has been selected:
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• Was the software product a good match for the business requirements?
• How much custom/bespoke code was required to augment the core software functionality?
• Is the software robust and scalable for future business growth?

3.      Team Expertise: I’m sure you have heard the phrase, “teamwork makes the dream work.” This cliché rings true in software implementation: large projects and long hours require cooperation, synergy, and a vast skill set. A team is measured not only by the outcome of a project, but by how well they handled challenges along the way. As such, team expertise, dedication, makeup, and chemistry are crucial. To ensure your team has what it takes to effectively tackle any given future project, ask yourself the following questions:

• Did the team demonstrate the required and expected technical and functional skills? Does the team communicate effectively?
• Was the team agile enough to address functional and technical issues as they surfaced?
• Did the individual and team commitment exceed the client’s expectations?

4.      Project Planning and Execution: Determining the scope and requirements of a project lays the foundation for the rest of the implementation. Proper planning and precise execution ultimately lead to success and are necessary ingredients for any project. To determine how your plan of action fared and pinpoint a better path for next time, use the following questions to assess:

• Was the original plan used as the road map throughout the project?
• Did the plan include contingency for unexpected events?
• Was the original scope adhered to and respected during the plan execution?

If you have any questions or are seeking a team of experts to help you implement software at your organization, Actualize Consulting can help. Visit our website at https://www.actualizeconsulting.com/ to see a full list of service offerings.