4 Steps to agile software implementation
When adopting new software, it’s crucial that it is implemented correctly. That’s why at Onguard we believe in agile software implementation. This process helps businesses avoid being overwhelmed by their new software’s capabilities and breaks the implementation down into manageable steps to ensure the greatest success. Agile project delivery has also been found to be 28% more successful than traditional methods. As both a partner and trusted advisor, we work with our clients to ensure implementing our credit management software goes smoothly, involving all the necessary players within a business. With years of experience in doing this, we’ve compiled our top tips for agile software implementation:
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Start small
Onguard CreditManager has wide-ranging capabilities and trying to do too much too quickly can be overwhelming. So instead, start small. Begin with the key capabilities before trying to introduce new ones. This will ensure you’ve got that phase of implementation right and understood the functionalities before committing to the rest.
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Set goals
While it’s natural before starting to implement new software to think about what you want to achieve in the long-term, it’s also vital to think about the short-term. Particularly as a lack of clear goals is the most common factor behind project failure. Therefore, goals are a fundamental part of agile implementation. So, ask yourself: what are the long-term goals, but what is an easy, short-term goal to help achieve this? Initially, set a goal that is easy to reach and will have an immediate and tangible impact. Once you’ve seen the results of the implementation, you can evaluate how it went, what was good and what could be done differently before moving on to the next goal.
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Create a feedback loop
A feedback loop is essential for agile software implementation as it allows you to learn from the previous step, put any learnings into practice with the next stage and ensure constant communication. Ineffective communication is the primary contributor to project failure one-third of the time and had a negative impact on project success more than half the time. Continuous feedback also allows you to change the scope of the project. By working towards small goals within short timeframes, you can see whether the changes you’re implementing are working. As each goal is small, if the steps you’re taking to get there aren’t working, then it’s possible to stop that part of the implementation phase without having wasted months on each stage.
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Involve the right people
As well as working with the right partners, it’s important to involve the right people within your organisation. The implementation process should have input from key decision-makers within the business and the end-users. This will ensure the software can cater to their needs. Additionally, you may want to get input from your debtors so their feedback can be looped in, too.
By implementing software in this agile way, the overall cost also decreases as it will be possible to implement it slowly on a case by case basis. It also means you can upgrade aspects based on need. Overall, by working with the right partners for agile implementation will be the biggest benefit, as it means you’re able to learn from the provider’s expertise that’s been built over time. For a more in-depth guide to software implementation, check out these seven steps.
