The scope is well defined, statement of work is signed off, and teams are all set – congratulations! Your organization is about to embark on an exciting new journey, a NetSuite Implementation….or you think….
According to Gartner study, between 20% – 35% of NetSuite projects are perceived as failures.1 The amount of time and the resources spent on your implementation have no value, at the end of the day, if your project is a failure. So, what can you do to ensure your project is on track and to guarantee that you are getting the maximum value from your NetSuite Implementation?
Here are the top 7 things to consider, to get the maximum value out of your NetSuite Implementation:
1. Project Management
Imagine a car engine and gearbox trying to work simultaneously without lubricant. They will make a lot of noise, not run efficiently, and gradually wear out. However, with lubricant, those parts run smoothly. Project Managers are lubricants of a NetSuite Implementation. With so many moving parts, they will make sure everything runs fluidly. A good project management team should not be overlooked. They can help you meet all your deliverables, and make sure the project stays on schedule and on budget. More importantly, a great project manager will hold people accountable for their deliverables
2. Top Performers
These are people from each department that know the process inside out. They fully understand the Who, What, When, Why and How. These high producers can help add maximum value for the NetSuite implementation to ensure it meets requirements. Be sure to select one person from each department that can help you achieve maximum value out of your NetSuite Implementation. These high producers will be the go-to people for any questions related to processes within their departments.
3. Process Reengineering
We continue to do what we do on a daily basis without asking the key questions: Who, What, When, Why, and How. Organizations often overlook the bottlenecks within organizations because of either lack of visibility or they aren’t able to understand the overall impact. This is the perfect time to review your current state and see how you can best re-engineer to streamline processes across your organization. NetSuite vendors don’t completely know your business process, so at times an out-of-the-box solution may not work too well. A well-defined process will only enhance the functionality of your new NetSuite system. Using process mapping techniques will not only help you achieve fluid process, but it will also help manage change among end-users. Lastly, it will set a benchmark that will allow you to see the overall value of your NetSuite Implementation.
4. Prioritize
It is very important to have small wins and to prioritize your requirements. Many organizations try to take on way too much at once and it can create project risks. Using a phased approach lets you layer on additional functions after you go live and stabilize. Know what impacts your business greatly, which requirement are more important than another to have the system up and running. The smaller requirements, or nice to have, can be pushed to another phase. Being able to function as a business has to be the first priority.
5. Data Migration
You wouldn’t take junk to your new house, would you? So why treat your new NetSuite system that way? The majority of organizations falsely assume they have good data quality that will not require much cleaning. Put aside those assumptions and look at your data on a granular level. Take time to remove duplicates and clean up old records. You should only bring over what is required. Read our resource, Model of a Successful Data Migration, to learn data migration best practices.
6. Quality Assurance
Product quality does not translate into implementation quality. A great product holds no value if it is not implemented as per the user’s requirements. It is essential that users testing the NetSuite system have complete knowledge of internal processes and the NetSuite system itself. In addition, ensuring the solution meets the organization’s requirements rather than just performing functionality tests. Based on the complexity of the implementation, it is crucial that the testing team has sufficient time allocated.
7. Change Management
According to the Deloitte & Touche Tohmatsu survey, the number one barrier to implementation is resistance to change. Quite often implementations do not go as expected because of resistance from the leadership team across the organization or employees. These are 3 simple steps you can take to guarantee you get the maximum value out of your NetSuite implementation:
- All aboard! It is critical that everyone who is impacted by this implementation is fully on board. Create a compelling business case which should clearly identify:
- Problem with current state
- Why change is required
- Future state
- Identify resources required and time effort
Having a well-defined business case will eliminate any confusion around the objective of your NetSuite Implementation.
- Communication – Sometimes sending an email is not enough. Effectively communicate implementation updates with brief stand-up or team meetings with all employees who are impacted by this implementation. Constant communication will lead to smoother Go Live and user adoption.
- Take care of roadblocks – Yes, roadblocks are going to happen. Having an authoritative project sponsor will remove roadblocks in a timely manner to ensure you get the maximum value from your implementation.
Organizations that follow these key 7 steps will see greater value out of their NetSuite Implementation. See how Trajectory Inc. can help you maximize on your NetSuite Implementation investment.
