How many projects have you run where there is a conflict on when the Project Team can release the service, and, when the business will allow the service to be released.
It seems every project we run we are constrained by the End of Month processing.
Firstly we have the weekend before month end, we are told that releases cant be don’t then as we need to allow the Sales teams to input their end of month orders. Then we have the actual end of month processing, It doesn’t finish there, when the processing is done, its time for the Finance to tidy up the Month End figures, so they need systems up. Before you know it, we are back at Month End again! Sound all too familiar.
So, when can we release our project?
As a Project Manager, planning is critical. There should be ‘no surprises’ and releasing your new service is like backing your car into your garage, its planned and you need to time and guide the car into your garage, so it arrives in the right place you planned on without any collateral damage.
In technology projects, there is a delicate balance between innovation and business continuity, requiring a strategic approach to ensure that changes are smoothly integrated without disrupting ongoing operations. Understanding the challenges in the early stages will help you plan those change releases. Project Managers need to consider:
Resistance to Change – One of the primary challenges in implementing IT changes is resistance from employees. People often fear the unknown and worry about their ability to adapt to new systems and processes. Let’s face it we all comfortable in our own environment but changing to a new one brings on an element of fear.
Operational Disruptions – Introducing new IT systems or updating existing ones can lead to operational disruptions. These disruptions can affect business productivity, customer service, and ultimately, the bottom line. Ensuring that business operations continue smoothly during the transition is a significant concern for IT and business leaders alike.
Data Security Risks – IT changes often involve the migration of data from one system to another. This process can expose sensitive data to security risks, making it crucial to implement robust security measures to protect against data breaches, cyber-attacks, corruption and loss.
Ensuring that both the Project meets its aim in implementing IT Changes and that the Business Operations is considered, and where appropriate is protected and considered in the release schedule, the Project Team need to consider the following key areas:
Comprehensive Planning – Effective planning is the cornerstone of successful IT change implementations. This includes conducting thorough impact assessments, defining clear objectives, and developing detailed project plans. By anticipating potential challenges and devising strategies to mitigate them, businesses can minimise disruptions and ensure a smooth transition.
Our focus in Bushey is to ensure we have undertaken thorough planning and we have a Project Set Up Checklist which we use to capture key data from the business when undertaking the initial planning activities.
Stakeholder Engagement – Engaging stakeholders at all levels of the organisation is critical. This involves communicating the benefits of the changes, addressing concerns, and providing adequate training and support. By involving employees in the process, businesses can reduce resistance and foster a culture of adaptability.
The more communications and engagement of Stakeholders can only be good for your project. This doesn’t mean they are only the IT Stakeholders. So many times when I ask who are the key Stakeholders from my sponsor at the commencement of the project and we are provided a list of IT staff.
Phased Implementation – Rather than implementing changes all at once, a phased approach can help manage risk and minimise disruptions. This involves rolling out changes in stages, testing each phase thoroughly before moving on to the next. This approach allows for adjustments to be made as needed, ensuring a smoother transition.
Undertaking migrations and transformations, try to keep as much of the original system in its original build (including its data). If possible. work on a strategy of building all new and copying data to the new platform, undertake testing and then when signed off, turn off the old system.
Robust Backup and Recovery Plans – Having robust backup and recovery plans in place is essential to safeguard against data loss and ensure business continuity. Regularly backing up data and having a clear recovery plan can help businesses quickly restore operations in the event of unexpected issues.
I always insist before a major transformation that there is a FULL BACKUP of all data completed before we even start the transformation. This ensures that we are protected from even the unexpected. It would not be the first time that an upgrade of one system impacted another, due to poor understanding of the environment by the technology team.
Monitoring and Support – Continuous monitoring of the new systems and providing ongoing support to employees can help identify and address issues promptly. This proactive approach ensures that any problems are quickly resolved, minimising their impact on business operations.
How many times have you been told by the users on the first day that the system seems slower than before. We now insist that there is an element of Monitoring at all levels undertaken before the transformation and after so that we can quickly identify any issues before it is released, and yes this includes Application performance.
Implementing IT changes while managing business continuity is a complex but achievable goal. The key though, is understanding the challenges and adopting strategic approaches, businesses can successfully navigate the transition, harness the benefits of new technology, and ensure ongoing operational stability.
If you have experiences of push back in implementing a change into a live environment let us know in the Comments below and how did the Project Team overcome the challenges?
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