Many companies are looking for ways to implement technology as cheaply as possible. Within the large category of digital tools, this may mean turning to self-implementable software. However, how do you know when this approach is right for your business or budget, and when it might be a mistake?
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In this article, we examine what self-implementable software is all about and what are the criteria that determine whether it is likely to be successful in self-implementing a specific new system to streamline departmental processes.
It's made up of systems or technological solutions that are more accessible to understand their operation, so the same company can implement them. The main objective of this tool is to save money on hiring when trusting the skills, training, and availability of time of the employees to carry out the self-implementation of the software tool.
When you hire consultants/vendors to help with implementation, there are two main benefits they provide: relevant expertise and time to spend on a project. As you consider whether your organization can self-implement a particular system, assess your team to see if they have enough training in these categories.
An objective assessment of your team's expertise is critical to ensure they are capable of taking on the implementation themselves.
The initial setup of some systems requires considerable technological knowledge that is not necessary for day-to-day operation. Server configuration, database setup, optimization, and custom code for integration with existing tools are some common areas of required expertise.
If you don't have staff on your team with this expertise, you should carefully consider whether it's a good investment of your time and money to develop this expertise in-house than to purchase self-implementable software.
On the other hand, some systems do not require this sophisticated technological expertise in support systems. All that may be required is solid knowledge about that particular app and its daily functions. In some cases, a heavy user of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office might have all the technical expertise needed for self-implementable software.
Subject matter expertise depends on the system you are implementing. If it is a new ERP system, are you an expert in the operation of your current system? Have you worked with many different systems? Have you ever been responsible for managing a new ERP system?
If you are thinking of self-implementing an automation tool, for example, full annual financial reports/financial statements, etc., does your team have a lot of experience preparing these reports today? Do you understand how these balances are put together and do you know which accounts are grouped under each number on your statements?
The size and complexity of the project will determine how sophisticated the skills will need to be to tackle any given project. For example, if the project requires the collaboration of a large team over many months/years, with many individual milestones, great complexity, and relative risk in case the project fails, you would prefer a professional project manager with plenty of experience.
On the other hand, if the project only involves one or two people, is reasonably straightforward, and has an excellent backup plan in case of delay or failure, basic skills may be enough. At least, it is advisable to look for candidates who have good attention to detail, and strong organizational and communication skills. That might be enough to guide the self-implementation of some systems.
One of the many reasons organizations pay for professional implementation is not due to a lack of experience, but rather a lack of available staff time. Being short-staffed or simply overworked likely means you won't be able to prioritize implementation tasks and you'll end up with a system that is never fully or correctly implemented.
For many systems, considerable time is required to successfully implement the tool. The tasks may or may not be complex from a technological or thematic perspective, but they may take a certain amount of time. For this reason, you need a clear understanding of the time required and the availability of your team.
Also, consider how often you'll need to interrupt the project to address your other duties. The more frequent the interruptions, the more difficult it will be to maintain momentum, remember the training, etc.
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As you get responses from your vendor, assess them on a Gantt chart. Projects that fall in the green zone are obvious candidates for contracting self-implementable software.
If your project falls in the yellow or orange zones, it is clear that the demands of the project are higher and careful consideration of your availability and/or expertise is warranted. If you determine that the project falls into the "red zone", it usually means that it would be wise to abandon self-implementation and look for other options.
This is not an all-or-nothing decision between self-implementation and fully outsourced implementation. Another option to consider is sharing the workload with the vendor in a joint or guided implementation. Your company can do most of the work, which will generate significant savings in fees and make strategic use of the experience and time of your professionals.
Use your team to provide oversight, remedy any weaknesses in the experience, or supplement any resource availability issues you may have. By balancing the use of your time, your expertise, and your budget for outsourced services, you can often develop an implementation plan that provides the best return on your technology investment.
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In short, self-implementable software tools are convenient alternatives to save money on hiring third parties to implement software, although it may require greater efforts on the part of the company as a whole to be able to execute the implementation successfully without asking for expert help. This software has the advantage of being simpler than those that normally need experts to implement it.