Don’t Declare Success too early!! (Part 1)

Do you declare success at implementation, then fail to realise the full benefits of your projects?

Projects are pivotal in driving business improvement, efficiency, and streamlining operations. These projects often involve significant investments in resource, time, and effort, aiming to transform processes and propel businesses forward. However, too many projects prematurely declare success at the point of process or system implementation, and fail to recognise that the value is delivered far later, and that the change management efforts need to continue for some time after implementation to realise the full value.

There are a number of key reasons for this delayed benefit realization, which are discussed further below. While this article is mostly focused on technology implementation, the majority of the points also apply for other types of projects.

In summary:

• User Adoption and Adaptation
• Risk Mitigation and Issue Resolution
• Inherent Complexity of Technology Integration
• Building Stakeholder Confidence
• Long-Term Sustainability and ROI
• Continuous Improvement and Optimization

Let’s dive into this a bit further.

1. User Adoption and Adaptation:

The ultimate measure of success in technology implementation projects lies in the degree of user adoption and adaptation. A premature declaration of success, and more importantly the disbandment of the project team, disregards this critical phase of user acceptance, adaptation, and proficiency. Employees need time to acclimatize to new technologies, and prematurely removing the project team support will hinder this process, leading to resistance, reduced productivity, and underutilization of the implemented technology.

2. Risk Mitigation and Issue Resolution:

Declaring success prematurely can mask underlying issues and risks that may manifest post-implementation. Time must be allowed to identify and address potential risks or shortcomings, and provide for a thorough assessment of the technology’s performance and functionality, enabling proactive measures to mitigate risks and resolve issues before they escalate.

3. Inherent Complexity of Technology Integration:

Technology implementation is fraught with complexities, with many intricate interdependencies, and unforeseen challenges. These complexities often encompass operational, cultural, and procedural barriers within an organization. Prematurely declaring success overlooks these nuances, disregarding the need for continuous refinement and adaptation.

4. Building Stakeholder Confidence:

Transparent and evidence-based evaluations post-implementation instill confidence among stakeholders. By refraining from premature success declarations, businesses demonstrate a commitment to thorough assessment, fostering trust and credibility among stakeholders. It reflects a dedication to ensuring that the technology implemented serves its intended purpose effectively and efficiently.

Continual evaluation post-implementation also ensures alignment with business strategies and allows for course corrections if the technology falls short of expected outcomes.

5. Long-Term Sustainability and ROI:

The ultimate measure of success in technology implementation lies in the longer term sustained benefits and return on investment (ROI). Declaring success too early may create a false sense of achievement, overshadowing the necessity of monitoring and measuring ROI against initial projections. Post-implementation evaluations enable recalibration of strategies to maximize ROI and ensure long-term sustainability.

6. Continuous Improvement and Optimization:

Post-implementation phases are crucial for gathering feedback, identifying areas for enhancement, and fine-tuning the technology to better align with evolving business needs. Failing to acknowledge this undermines the potential for sustained growth and innovation.

In conclusion, refraining from prematurely declaring success in projects is pivotal for proper evaluation, user adaptation, risk mitigation, and long-term alignment with business objectives. The emphasis should shift from the mere completion of implementation to the continuous evolution and optimization of technology solutions. The journey towards success in technology implementation projects is an ongoing process, requiring vigilance, adaptability, and a commitment to perpetual improvement.

More reading needed? Try this article: You are “live” ….now what? How to really finish implementation

Addendum:

I had a couple of questions related to how do you end the project and continue the change management, what steps should you take, when do you remove all the support?

Practical advice:

• Before launch ensure you have all of the OKRs, KPIs identified and how they will be measured. Understand both short term and long term measures that will monitor adoption, performance etc.
• Also, define expected change management plan post launch, including additional training, process modifications etc.
• Launch!
• For the first period after launch (duration will depend on the project and the size of the change) – provide hypercare from the project team.
• Celebrate the launch – let’s face it the team need to celebrate!
• Transition to a more operationally focused team that will continue the change management, and monitor the KPIs.
• Have regular reviews to identify whether the metrics are being hit as expected, and modify the change management plan as needed.
• Once you are hitting your adoption and performance targets, fully transition to your normal process management, and operational teams.

This may sound like you are transitioning to a new team post launch, but realistically these folks are already part of the project team, and it is more a case of handing over the lead.

For more practical advice on avoiding problems, read part 2!!