Four steps to success of software projects - Step 1

When you consider buying, installing or upgrading business software, the starting point is asking the question - why?
It may be that you want to increase sales, increase productivity, decrease costs, improve cash flow, etc. The reason doesn't matter. Most often and organization will jump from this broad goal right to looking for software products, or talking to friends or colleagues about what they used. This is a big mistake! The goal is too loosely defined. Everybody in the organization and your suppliers will have a different view of how to achieve this goal. How you achieve this goal will depend on what you mean by it. And this is different from person to person, company to company.

You need to be able to visualize what this goal means. For example, if you are considering Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, is it your intent to become more intimate with your customers, understand their needs and wants even when you can't satisfy them, understand every interaction? Or do you just want a contact manager and the ability to track sales in process?
This step is the most important!

Once you have visualized the solution, you need to identify how you will maintain the energy to deliver the results. Most software projects are more of a marathon than a sprint. As much of the activity is technical and of no interest to the business, most business people get tired and ignore the project waiting for something that they can get involved in, in spurts. They are busy running the company and can't focus on the project the way that technical staff do.

During this step, you need to identify deliverables that are to be performed by the business to move it forward. You must identify activities that can be done in spurts that help to move the project along and maintain focus.

As leaders, you must also maintain this focus by looking for results, improvements in te short term and not be satisfied with waiting to the end.

These four elements: Goal, vision, focus and leadership will be critical to the ongoing success.