Author: Mike Urgo
Stop automatically scheduling end of the year go-lives.
There, I said it.
I know. I know.
We will get into some high-level nuances, but the fact remains the same: projects that try to go-live date are usually delayed into Q1 of the following year.
Listen, I could wax poetic on the importance of a good go-live and organizational change management, but let’s save that for future newsletters. This episode is specifically looking at the go-live date and specifically – projects or initiatives set to go live at the end of the calendar year.
As leaders, we must ask ourselves, why? Why are we picking this date? Over the years I have heard a variety of reasons, some with more merit than others.
We need this ASAP
It aligns with our yearly goal(s)
We need to report it live to our shareholders
Our contract is up
Etc.
Rather than dissecting all the reasons or needs that contribute to poor planning, let’s focus on proper planning. It is my belief that projects are better received by impacted employees when they are delivered on a date that’s best for the business as a whole and on time.
For me, proper planning for a project or initiative go-live can be broken into three main impact areas:
Financial Impact focuses on the overall impact on the organization’s finances. For example, if you are replacing an enterprise system. Financial leaders will be focused on the existing contract expiration compared to the incoming cost of the new system plus implementation costs. They also may be concerned about end-of-the-year financial reporting. These factors can significantly impact the planning of a go live. They can forget to consider the business or cultural impact. I believe it’s imperative to have a bridge between the finance team(s) and the business(es) that are most impacted by the project or initiative.
Business Impact focuses on the operational impact the project is having. An example of this would be changing the timekeeping system used by employees. This would have a significant impact on hourly employees. Those employees aren’t necessarily concerned about the finances of this change (contract renewal, etc.). They are worried about how they will enter time so that they can get paid. Go-live plans should always consider how the project or initiative is impacting the business and plan the timing of projects and initiatives accordingly.
Cultural Impact is concerned with how the project is going to be received by all employees that touch the project, from executive stakeholders to the technology support team. Leadership must take into account how employees handle change (future blog on Organizational Change) when planning the release. Imagine releasing a CRM system for your sales force that is bonused quarterly and planning to release it during the end of a quarter? That’s a quick way to have your employees walking around talking about how tone deaf their leadership is.
This brings us to end of the year go-lives, as if no other additional responsibilities are happening during that time.
Imagine adding a project or initiative go-live on to employees’ plates during this time? It’s not just the employees who are solely dedicated to the project that you need to think about for a go live. User acceptance testing is needed, so project managers need to work around employees’ schedules who may not be a full participant in the project. There are executive steering committee and decision meetings that also need to happen.
It’s no wonder why so many initiatives and projects get pushed into late January or early February. By no means am I saying that this means no project or initiative should go live after November 1st. But I am saying that we as leaders should take the time to really think through the strategic planning of projects more than: can we get it done before the end of the year?
This is why it’s so important to consider the three aforementioned impacts. None should be weighed more than another. Rather, they should be strategically discussed and viewed from all perspectives when planning. It’s important for finance, operations, strategy, technology, project management, and any other relevant leadership to be at the table. Then there needs to be an objective conversation focusing on what capabilities are needed, when they are needed, and what are the financial impacts of the timing of delivering those needs.
Do you need help facilitating a conversation like that? Does your team need help strategically planning out their future initiatives?
Schedule a call with us today and let us begin cultivating a relationship that can help your organization exceed its goals:
The ability to take the time to understand your organization, your people, your processes, and translate to technological solutions is what makes Intellectual Nebula so effective!
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