As businesses continue to innovate and adopt new technologies, successful implementation becomes a critical factor in achieving the desired outcomes. A poorly executed implementation can lead to delays, increased costs, and even failure to achieve the expected benefits.
Importance of successful implementation
Successful implementation is essential in extracting the maximum value from your technology investments. According to Deloitte, successful implementation of digital technologies can help accelerate progress towards enterprise goals by 22%. Here are just some of the reasons why successful implementation is so important.
1. Maximizing ROI
Implementing new technology can be a significant investment for organizations, and it’s important to ensure that this investment is maximized. Ensuring that new technology is implemented successfully is key to making sure that the technology delivers the expected benefits and generates a positive ROI.
2. Staying competitive
Successful adoption of new technology that enables them to work more efficiently can give organizations the competitive edge they need to become market leaders.
3. Improving end-user satisfaction
When you’ve successfully implemented new technology that improves the service experience, this can inevitably lead to improved customer and employee satisfaction. For example, a new IT ticketing system can help organizations provide better IT service and support, enabling employees to focus on their tasks thus allowing them to serve customers to the best of their abilities.
4. Enabling innovation
By providing new tools and capabilities, organizations can explore new ideas and business models that were not possible before.
Challenges of implementing new technology
But as we’re all aware, implementing new technology comes with several challenges. From resistance to change and lack of budget to security, many factors can get in the way.
1. Resistance to change
People are often resistant to change, especially if they are used to working with existing tools and processes. McKinsey states that 70% of change management projects fail due to employee resistance.
2. Lack of expertise
Implementing new technology often requires specialized knowledge that may not be available in-house. A Harvey Nash/KPMG survey found that 67% of IT leaders struggle to find the talent with the right skills and knowledge.
3. Integration with existing systems
New technology may not always be compatible with existing systems, which can make implementation difficult. This can be either due to a lack of integration features between the systems or an effective merging of data. If not done carefully, this can lead to disjointed workflows or inaccurate information within your infrastructure.
4. Cost
Implementing new technology can be expensive, and organizations need to carefully consider the return on investment (ROI) before making a decision. And quite often, especially in the current economic landscape, it’s proving hard to secure a budget for new technology initiatives.
5. Security
New technology can also introduce security risks, making the implementation period a vulnerable time for businesses. With one in four companies globally having suffered from a data breach over the past three years, it’s crucial that appropriate security measures are carried out.
5 things that make for a successful implementation
To overcome the challenges of implementing new technology, here are five things that make for a successful implementation:
1. Clearly defined objectives
Clear objectives are a crucial component of any successful implementation. Having clearly defined objectives ensures that everyone involved in the implementation process is working towards the same goal. When everyone is working towards the same goal, it becomes easier to prioritize tasks and make decisions. Organizations with strong alignment between project objectives and business strategy have a 38% higher success rate.
2. Comprehensive planning
Without a solid plan in place, it can be challenging to achieve the desired outcomes. Comprehensive planning involves identifying the steps required to achieve the objectives, setting timelines, and assigning responsibilities. Planning should involve all stakeholders, including IT and business units. It should also identify potential risks and mitigation strategies. With these in place, it becomes easier to identify potential issues and address them before they become significant problems. It also helps prevent confusion and ensure that everyone is working towards the same goal, enabling everyone to work more efficiently.
3. Adequate resources
It’s important to identify the necessary resources early in the planning phase and allocate them appropriately. Without them, it can be difficult to achieve the desired outcomes. When resources are limited, you risk tasks getting delayed and deadlines missed. Not having adequate resources not only impact the timing of your implementation but also its quality. When resources are scarce, it’s tempting to cut corners when completing certain tasks, thus significantly affecting how the implementation is carried out.
4. Effective communication
Effective communication is essential for keeping stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the implementation. It should be two-way, transparent, and timely. Regular progress reports and feedback mechanisms can help to address issues and keep the implementation on track. When everyone is on the same page and communicating clearly, it becomes easier to identify and correct any errors or misunderstandings. It also helps keep everyone engaged. And when employees are engaged, they become more productive. A Gallup study indicated that highly-engaged business units realize a 14% difference in productivity. This, in turn, helps everyone get on board, increasing the success rate of your implementation initiative.
5. Continuous monitoring and evaluation
How can you know if your implementation is a success if you don’t know how it’s doing? Regular monitoring and evaluation are necessary to ensure that the implementation is achieving the desired outcomes. Metrics should be established early on and tracked throughout. Staying informed this way also makes evidence-based decision-making easier. When data is being collected and analyzed throughout the implementation, you can take advantage of the information available to decide your next steps. Additionally, you can identify areas that could be improved and make adjustments accordingly.
Increase your tech implementation success rate with IFS assyst
Implementing new technology can be challenging, but with the right tools and support, it can be a successful endeavor. Why not make new tech implementation easier with IFS assyst? With IFS assyst’s all-in-one solution, you have the complete capabilities of ITSM, ITOM, and ESM within your grasp. Quick to deploy and easy to use, it has all the tools you need to plan, implement, manage, and evaluate new tech implementations.
