Implementing new software is something that many companies consider with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. Done right, the implementation of new software can improve revenue, increase profitability, enhance customer satisfaction, and help with employee retention.... done wrong, just the opposite. Here are four things for you to consider:
Requirements - One of the biggest mistakes that you can make is to acquire new software without a VERY clear set of requirements for the software. What are requirements? Requirements are the specific functions that your business needs. In petroleum wholesaling and retailing, there are some bits of functionality that should broadly be considered as mandatory regardless of the company. In addition, your business may have some specific needs that you need to ensure are addressed by the software. You should take the time to commit your requirements to writing. Although it's not necessary to have some big fandango RFP (Request for Proposal), you should have at least a simple checklist that you use to evaluate whether the software you are considering will meet your needs.
Implementation - In most cases, the software you acquire will need some level of configuration that is specific to your business. It will be important that you carefully configure and test the software to make sure that it is performing according to your requirements. There are two important things to remember when if comes to implementation: a) You need one or more people on your team that will be responsible for implementation and will be the "power user" after the implementation, and b) There are only 24 hours in a day... if you pick your best and brightest person to lead a software implementation, don't expect them to also continue to do their current job. Get a back up for them or considering hiring some temporary staff.
Change - Even in the best of cases, software implementations are disruptive. But remember, to a certain degree, that's what you are signing up for.... you want the software to CHANGE the way that you do business in a positive way, but consider this.... not everyone likes change. And the everyone I am referring to is your employees and your customers. The best way to get all constituents inside and outside your company to support your new software is to involve them in the process. Offer as much training as you can on how each group will be effected.... include people, when possible, in making decisions about the acquisition and implementation of the software. To the extent that the software impacts customers, let them know multiple times AND in advance what you are doing and why. Don't underestimate how big a deal making a change is.... it doesn't matter if you are replacing old software OR replacing a manual (paper and pencil) process... you need to give this some attention.
Return on Investment - I suppose it stands to reason that you should be expecting a return on investment associated with acquiring new software. Try to calculate in advance what you expect to receive in terms of payback amount and timing. If you can't quantify it, you may want to reconsider if you should be acquiring it. If you need help with this, don't hesitate to send us an e-mail (sales@firestreamww.com) letting us know that you'd like some guidance or help with calculating return on investment. We've got some templates that will help you.
Be well and thanks for reading.