Creating an Implementation Plan

Good Practice: For a large project with a wide user base, the implementation stage can often be more complex and time consuming than the development stage. The implementation stage can often benefit from being treated as a separate project. The following ideas are worth considering, especially for large projects introducing new business processes across multiple sites:

1. The implementation should be conducted by the people who will live and work with the new system; they will have a strong vested interest in getting it right.
2. Conduct a 'company survey' for each site, to meet the senior management, obtain their support, and fully understand the local working practices. This will help to ensure the new process is fitted in seamlessly with the existing processes and that any nasty surprises are discovered early on.
3. An implementation 'event' for each site should include a presentation by the Chairmen to the rest of the Company to indicate strong support from the top of the organisation.
4. Comprehensive training for all users with different sessions if the process involves different types of user, for example gatekeepers, project leaders and team members. You can never have enough training. It is better to split training into a number of short sessions, for example initial training, with two follow-up sessions at monthly intervals.
5. For a multiple site implementation, use the concept of a 'showcase' company where the conditions, for example user buy-in, expertise, motivation are particularly beneficial. A successful implementation in the showcase company will then prove the system/process and act as a centre of expertise for the remaining sites.
6. For a multiple company implementation, consider running several workshops for the implementation staff, to allow them to learn from each other. A little competition between different companies also helps to spur on the implementation. This approach helps ensure that real problems are resolved fast and that other team members quickly eliminate 'false' problems. Consider special awards for implementation success. For example, an 'Accreditation Certificate' when a company has successfully implemented the system and met a number of key (but simple) criteria in the business process. The certificates should be signed by the President/Company Chairman and presented to the local implementation team.
7. Consider special measures to track implementation progress, for example Gold, Grey and Black lists. People don't like to be singled out as poor performers. For this approach to work you must select a few simple key measures that cannot be challenged; be scrupulously fair, objective and reject all bribes.