Don't waste company knowledge

When a business looks at productivity improvements and improved profitability, they often look outside their company for the skills to help them get there. This is particularly the case when new software is installed. They look to the software company as the "experts".

The software company are experts in their own software, but not necessarily in getting value from their software. In order to get value from software, it has to help you to achieve your goals. That starts with your existing business processes.

Your business already does some things right. There may be opportunities for improvement, and many of the opportunities are already known by your staff. They just don't know how to make the improvements.

When you turn over a software project to your supplier, you are giving them the keys to your business. They don't know your business! They know their software.

The challenge is to get the knowledge from your staff of what works and does not work. Help them to develop solutions to improve productivity, increase sales or reduce costs, whatever your current priority may be. Focus on the issue that is most important to you. Once they understand the priority, and have a way of making their knowledge known, they can help to redesign the process to achieve the improvements. Once they understand that they will be able to see where the software can help them.

Most small businesses don't have the kind of skills and experience to bring people together
to achieve this goal. So they have to go outside for help. The mistake that is made here is that they turn the whole process over to outsiders to design the new solution. What is needed is someone who can help bring that knowledge to the surface, educate your staff about process improvement and help them to redesign the process. Notice the emphasis on help, not do it for them.

Doing this will ensure that they are focused on your goals, they will buy into the solution and own it in the end.

Not only will the job be easier, the solution will be better, and the cost will be lower (you are paying for a facilitator or coach, not a designer).