Your new document management solution implementation is underway. And, while you can’t always guarantee success, you can take steps to make sure that your new software deployment will be smooth and profitable for your company.
Here are some of our top tips for successful document management implementation:
- Keep everyone in the loop: You likely got buy-in from management when you began the document management selection process, so now it’s important to make sure that everyone who will be affected by the new system is aware of the changes to take place. This allows you to work with department leaders to plan and implement the new system effectively, create an accurate implementation timeline and assure that everyone knows the system requirements. Also, make sure that key stakeholders are aware of the system objectives so they know how it will positively affect their business processes.
- Gather your A-Team: Implementing a new document management solution is a big undertaking, so you’ll want a great group of people on the team to manage this new investment. This team can monitor the progress of the implementation, work together to develop business rules for the system, make decisions and provide diverse views and opinions. It’s important that this team is selected carefully and is limited only to essential members. A large group with unnecessary buy-in can cause delays and disorganization in the implementation process.
- Set a timeline: Your staff is going to want to know how long the deployment process – complete with training, troubleshooting and customization – is going to take so that they can make sure they are continuing to meet deadlines. Make sure to set a realistic timeline so that staff’s calendars can be adjusted accordingly. Make note of specific milestones and highlight those so that employees know where the deployment is at on the timeline and can see progress.
- Establish a training schedule: Set up short, individual training sessions on specific aspects of the software throughout the implementation process. These should be 30-60 minute courses so that employees aren’t overwhelmed with information in a day-long class. This gives them time to experiment with the system and try their newly-learned skills before being trained on new ones.
- Keep in touch with your technology provider: An open line of communication with your technology vendor is essential during the implementation process, and after. They will want to know that you are meeting all of the system requirements and that you don’t have any pressing issues or questions. You will want to know where they’re at in the deployment process, if they need any information from you and just that they’re available to give you a hand if you need it. Your vendor is your expert, so utilize their knowledge.
- Test everything: Once your system is implemented, put it through its paces. Use your documents, as well as export formats, complete with the invoice volume you expect it will have to manage. Test invoices that meet different sets of rules to make sure your workflow is working properly. This will give you a realistic look at your system’s performance so that you know that it’s working correctly and managing documents according to protocol before using it for everyday tasks.
There are plenty more tips that can help insure that your system implementation is smooth and successful. Organizations that have taken strategic precautions have found their investment to be worthwhile. How have you managed a profitable document management deployment?
by MetaViewer Paperless ERP for Microsoft Dynamics