Why do some companies have a disastrous Customer support software Implementation? As I talked about in my last post, in order to have a smooth and successful software implementation, one has to understand some of the reasons these implementations go awry.

• Assigning the wrong people to the company’s implementation team
• Changing too much or doing it too fast
• Attempting to re-create the old application
• Failing to work with the implementation provider

In that blog post, I discussed the first two of these reasons. In this post, I will discuss the last two. All four are equally important in order to avoid a disaster in implementing new Customer support software.

Attempting to Re-Create the Old Application

Most people do not like change. This goes for people at all levels in a company from executives through middle management right on down to the Help Desk agents. Unfortunately, if these people are involved with the implementation team, they have a tendency to insist on seeing the same screens, clicking on the same buttons, and generating the same reports they always have; they cannot see that any of those can be improved or that a change in the process will improve delivery of services. This insistence will cause costs to spiral without providing any business benefit.

All levels must understand and buy into the fact that new software will mean improved functionality. The focus must be on the functions that are needed and will be needed in the future. By better understanding the reasons underlying the processes, the implementation team can determine the business need that the process is fulfilling. If the process is necessary, it should not go away. However, the way in which it is done may be improved by changing the flow of the process. And yes, this may even necessitate organizational changes outside of the Help Desk area to accommodate a new process flow and make for a smoother implementation.

Failing to Work with the Implementation Provider

If the implementation team does not feel they have time or money to go through all the steps recommended by the implementation provider, they may want to cut something. For example, if the team feels they can document the processes, they may not want to pay to have the vendor or provider do that step. However, failure for the provider to have the processes documented will lead to miscommunication about whether those processes are truly present or how they work in the new software. If the testing phase is not long enough or inclusive enough, the go-live may be a disaster.

Training is a place many companies feel they can skimp. But this is one of the most important areas not to skimp. This ensures that the people who use the software actually buy into it enthusiastically and feel comfortable using it on a day-to-day basis. Remember this software will be their lives for the foreseeable future. And they are the company’s lifeline to the bottom line – the customer!

Implementation providers (whether they are implementation consultants or the software vendor) will have an implementation method with specific steps to ensure success. These steps have been developed over a period of time and through experience with many different companies. They work well with this particular provider and this software. Failure to follow their steps and recommendations will inevitably lead to a less-than-perfect implementation.

Remember the implementation providers are experienced professionals who are there to help you. The quality of the communications between your company and these implementation providers will determine the success of your Customer support software implementation.