Essential factors for a successful introduction of project management software

Sunday, 06 December 2009 17:16 Written by Thomas Brandstetter

The introduction of a company-wide project management solution represents a big challenge. In order for a project to be done professionally from the beginning, a number of points need to be taken into account. We have summarized for you what we consider the most important factors. This affects more the factors for success that deal with the decision making and introduction process. Here, we will not talk about the essential factors that the tool needs to fulfill.

Goals and volume

As usual for projects, you begin with a clearly defined goal. To this end, the principal – typically the directors or the CIO in charge – and the project leader define the goals, priorities, and the project framework. These need to be available to all involved up to the arranged extent during the course of the project. Additionally, the scope of the project needs to be clearly defined. Possible tasks and goals:

Choosing of suitable candidates
Optimizing and adaptation of existing PM processes
Customizing of a chosen solution
Process and organization structures that need to be evaluated and adapted
Migration and relief of existing systems
Accompaniment of the first pilot projects
Etc.

A crucial point is the question of long-term support for the solution. In smaller companies, frequently the people responsible for the introduction will be considered the primary contact person for problems and questions even years later. A defined end of the project and a transition to the company team has never happened here.

Often the goals also change during the course of a project. In that case, the project order needs to be adjusted accordingly.

Control risks, don’t ignore them

An evaluation and introduction project comes with great risks. On one hand, company-wide processes and IT-systems will be adapted, and on the other hand you tend to become dependent on the software manufacturer, in particular with large PPM systems. Professional risk management is therefore crucial from the beginning. This also includes consulting a legal firm when the concrete design of the contract is concerned. With large systems you will enter a marriage-like relationship!

Risk management also means to have a Plan B. Introduction projects are often cancelled at a very late stage. Here you always have to work with a fall-back scenario.

Know the stakeholders, manage the stakeholders

A number of stakeholders are affected by the introduction of a company-wide project management solution. It is therefore vital to analyze their influence and plan accordingly. Even good software can be given a bad reputation by certain departments or people. Individual wishes, expectations, and fears play an important role. Future end users need to be integrated into the decision making process. Since project management tools also have a controlling function and sometimes work with personal data (time sheets), the union official and the officer responsible for privacy of personal data will have to be included, if necessary. Pay particular attention with international companies. National rules have to be followed in this case. In Europe, especially, rules are much stricter than in the USA, for example.

Collaboration with the software distributor

You need not only suitable project management software but also a suitable partner who will support you during the coming years. We are convinced that this works best when both partners occupy a similar position. This means a large software manufacturer fits best with a large company, a midsized manufacturers will fit well with a midsized company. In each case, both parties work on the same level and the customer will receive the support he needs. Even though this point does not play a role with a simple desktop application like Microsoft Project, if you want to introduce a PPM system into the company and you need to adapt to respective IT-systems, this is a crucial factor for success. Please also refer to the article about the Gartner Magic Quadrant.

Step by step introduction

PPM systems are often introduced in one step (Big Bang). This is usually the result of harsh goals set by management. The risks that can ensue, in particular if the integration is not fully validated, are very large. With software development projects, the wisdom that step-by-step introductions carry much less risk is well established. This is why we recommend, here, to use an iterative process. Starting with a few pilot projects, the user circle will be increased step by step. This way, mistakes and still-needed adaptations can be taken care of with lower costs, since fewer users are affected.

Methodology first, then the software

Many companies that are right now in the process of picking a project and portfolio management software are not yet mature enough for it. To begin, with it is vital that all users, especially all project managers, are at the same high level of education. Here it is particularly important to ensure that the respective know-how of the methods is well-established in the company by using certifications. Only if there is a unified procedure established in the company does a IT-support make sense. Also crucial is the variety of kinds of projects. Fee for service projects, for example, pose different demands on controlling than, for example, projects based on “time and material.” With software companies there is the additional challenge that newer procedure methods, such as Scrum, are being used partially within the company, which, to some extent, could render unifying the methods impossible. If there is a high heterogeneity within the company, it needs to be decided whether only one or maybe even several tools for IT-support are useful (refer to goals and volume).

Conclusion

The choosing and introduction of project management software is to be done as a project itself. As with any other project, the risks will need to be actively mitigated. Additionally, the goals and end points of the project need to be well-defined. If you introduce the software step-by-step, and if you have a good partner to support you, you will conquer these challenges. That is as long as your company is already ready for the introduction of an appropriate solution.