Overview
One of the first steps in implementing software is establishing your implementation team (aka the Core Team). So what is the Core Team, and what do they do? The Core Implementation team is the group of individuals who work together in a collaborative environment to make key decisions during the implementation of new software. They are responsible for:
- defining the implementation project and functional requirements;
- configuring and customizing the software solution;
- ensuring that they, and all other staff members, understand how to use the software system.
This leadership team should become the gatekeepers of your internal processes and the software tools that manage them.
So how do we build an effective Core Team? Today we’ll discuss team size; member skills and personalities; roles and responsibilities; meeting schedules and availability; and how to capitalize on your investment after the new software features have been implemented.
Team Size
Your Core Team should consist of three to five individuals, depending on the number of staff using your software. The key factors to consider while determining Team size are:
- Depth of employees who understand the software
- Representing a diversity of perspectives
- Implementation efficiency
Employee attrition affects every Core Team eventually. I have received countless calls from agencies where “none of the original implementation team are here anymore.” Remember the rule of redundancy: two is one; one is none. Replace Team members lost to attrition and keep your Core Team intact in perpetuity.
You also need more than two Team members to provide a diverse perspective of your company, its processes, and people. A diversity of perspectives is more likely to attain consensus for how the software should be used with consideration for your staff. This empathetic approach to building your system will bolster end-user adoption of the software. A software system can only provide reliable data if everyone uses it as intended.
On the other end of the spectrum, larger teams are inefficient to manage and will impede your progress towards going Live in the software solution. They require more resources to:
- Schedule meetings and Core Team training
- Make key decisions about the implementation
- Ensure all Team members understand the training milestones
This does not mean you won’t rely on the input and perspective of additional staff members. The Core Team can easily solicit staff feedback or outsource various administrative tasks without having to admit additional Team members.
For companies with a larger user base, we recommend organizing sub-groups based on organizational leadership such as “Department Supervisors” or “Team Leads”. Or, you may have groups that are organized by software user group or department (“Super Users” or “Subject Matter Experts”). These groups will assist the Core Team by providing feedback on current workflows. They should be among the first users to be trained so they can provide additional, critical feedback and depth to your training plan (training the trainers).
Selecting Team Members
So who should be part of this elite unit of software heroes? Core Team membership is not a lifetime achievement award, a popularity contest or referendum on office politics. You need to select Team members based on their ability to provide your organization with implementation success. We recommend the following critical factors for Team member success:
- Departmental representation
- Proficiency in technology and implementation
- Personality and collaborative spirit
Make sure to select members representing multiple departments or user groups in order to obtain a diversity in perspective. If you have accountants, one of them will certainly be on the Team. Next, you will also need to have a project/traffic manager on the team. This person will be more familiar with the organization’s internal processes and resourcing.
Members of Creative staff tend are too often overlooked for Team membership. Don’t let them fool you with their vocal disdain for software systems. Anyone who can navigate the Adobe Creative Cloud can handle your basic project management system. Besides, creatives are your ultimate end users and doers for the agency – their input into your processes and how the system is utilized should be represented in a REAL way.
Next, I would select an individual who is more client-facing (account managers or new business managers), as they are typically the origin of the information that ultimately triggers use of your software system.
Team members proficient in technology are more likely to understand a new software program than staff who are not good with technology. People who are “not good with software” generally resist changing from software environments that they are familiar with. New software evokes anxiety in these individuals. They will impede your progress!
Conversely, team members who are generally good with new technology are more likely to be champions of the implementation project. Pay particular attention to individuals who have participated in successful software implementations in the past. Their experience in managing change will provide valuable insights as you face bringing about similar changes.
I am sure it goes without saying, but you need team members with positive attitudes who are outcome oriented. They should work well with others. Key decisions must be made. Not everyone will agree all the time. You need people who can collaborate together and work towards consensus models for how the software should be used among your staff.
It’s also beneficial to have team members with solid administrative skills – someone who takes good notes, organizes meetings, and is generally skilled at orchestrating order out of chaos. But, keep in mind that you can invite someone with these skills to help participate in your meetings without actually making them a member of the Core Team.
Throughout this selection process it’s important to keep in mind you may not always have a choice when it comes to particular individuals. Sometimes a specific staff member’s authority and/or responsibilities may require they become a member of the team, even if they don’t possess desired qualities. My rule of thumb would be that they possess at least two of the three success factors mentioned above.
Finally, make sure you have an owner/executive sponsoring the Core Team. They do not have to be on your Core Team, but we require their involvement on all implementation projects (more on this in the next section).
Team Member Roles and Responsibilities
There are a number of key roles that must be filled within your Core Team. Keep in mind that multiple roles may be held by one person. Also, a role may be filled by someone who is not on the Core Team (scribe, champion, owner, etc.). They can participate in implementation activities without being involved in the major decisions that drive this implementation project.
Administrator – This person owns the implementation project and they own Workamajig (is this you?). They will preside over the Core Team. They may or may not actively use or participate in all Workamajig apps deployed during the implementation. However, they should be comfortable using all aspects of the system.
Core Admin Backup – The administrator needs a backup – remember the rule of redundancy: two is one; one is none. This person essentially has to know and understand Workamajig as well as the administrator. They fill in for the administrator whenever needed and can help facilitate any of their responsibilities accordingly.
In theory, both the administrator and their backup will have access to all parts of the system, including sensitive, financial data. This typically means these members will be accountants – but this is not a requirement. My favorite admin/backup dynamic duo pairs the accountant with the project manager.
Owner/Executive – This person may or may not be a part of the Core Team. This person signs off on and enforces the decisions made by the Core Team. They also hold the Core Team and its members accountable for the implementation. Implementation failure is almost impossible when you have multiple, key staff (such as the owner and administrator) accountable for the same objective. Workamapro, Inc. requires all projects have an owner or executive (for marcoms).
Project Champion – Every internal project will require a leader who can insure successful execution. This person must have some form of senior leadership (owner or executive) over the company and must be able to overcome the obstacles that will inevitably occur throughout the project. A good project champion supports the project and can sell its virtues to the owner of the company in order to obtain their full commitment. They are also able to help broker solutions to difficult decisions that require compromise across multiple departments and among seniority staff.
Scribe – Someone has to be in charge of documenting key communications and decisions that occur throughout your meetings and amongst your team. They can also help to identify and clarify the organization’s fluid goals for the project.
Documentation Specialist – This person is responsible for documenting your processes, training milestones, and training materials. Training materials can be custom-made or adapted from the Workamajig Help Guide. To help develop better documentation, set up website wiki’s or intranet sites, or utilize a solid screen capture/recording program such as SnagIt or Camtasia. A picture is worth a thousand words. A video is worth a thousand pictures. My friend John Burdett, owner of Fast Slow Motion, forces his staff to shoot their Salesforce training videos in one take. That way you never have to worry about shooting the perfect video – it’s guaranteed to be imperfect. Try it!
Meeting Organizer – anyone on the Core Team can organize meetings but particular care should be taken in larger organizations where the complexity of implementation objectives meets the chaos of client business. You are going to have a lot of meetings and someone has to assist in determining availability as well as scheduling times and resources to facilitate the meetings.
Team Meetings and Availability
The Core Team should meet to create an initial implementation schedule and set the frequency of Core Team meetings. Consideration should also be made for the availability of each team member so that the team can plan accordingly. For individual members, decide what percentage of their day can be committed to the project. Additionally, consider their weekly schedule – specifically which days they can commit and how many uninterrupted hours they can dedicate to the project during those particular days.
Consideration must be made for daily, weekly and monthly responsibilities. For example, we may say that an individual can devote 2 hours per week to this project. However, it will become more important to understand the actual impact and breakdown of this time – is that .25 hours per day, but no time on Mondays? Or is it .5 hours on Mondays and Thursdays, with a full hour on Wednesdays? The key is making sure you have a full accounting of all fixed time obligations that can be assigned to individuals and the team, and all ad hoc time that the group or individuals can utilize, working at their own pace.
Finally, be sure to consider all known personal time off for team members that will occur and therefore disrupt or require an update of your implementation schedule.
Whatever time constraints are deemed appropriate should be signed off on by the executive/owner contact to signal the importance of the project to both the team members and the rest of the organization. These constraints must be honored across the company so that the implementation project isn’t continually rescheduled (or ultimately never happens).
What Next? Keep the Team Together
The Core Team doesn’t split up after you are live in Workamajig. They should continually monitor your staff to ensure they are using the system as intended. You have worked on an implementation plan to go live in the system. That plan does not live in a vacuum. In fact, it becomes outdated the moment you are Live in Workamajig, because, as a group, you are now better informed about your organization’s needs and how to use the software.
Your staff should have a channel to communicate support needs. Most importantly, you must listen to each other’s ideas for improving the way you work. Workamajig reporting will help reveal your inner pain points, redundancies, and inefficiencies.
The Team should continue to meet on a regular basis (at least monthly). Each team member should be prepared to discuss what they think is working well with the system and what they feel can be improved. Together the group can form a consensus about which of these items should be flagged as a future operational enhancement, and which items should be updated immediately. Then, the team can work together to implement the needed changes, and update operational plans accordingly. By working in this manner, you create a habit of continuous process improvement.
Ultimately, it is the executive/owner’s job to ensure the Team keeps moving toward the goal. Enforcing consequences when priorities get off track is part of that responsibility.
Implementing new software is not a suggestion. It is a final destination – an agreed upon change that IS happening. It’s part of a job description – the job’s functions, duties, company policy, etc. Certainly difficult things should be communicated so that the right behaviors can be channeled to the appropriate parties, but if a particular process does not gel with the group, it doesn’t mean it can be ignored or overlooked. Never stop pushing for the end result. Your Core Team will help you get there!