TED Magazine - February 2017

BUSINESS / TECH WATCH
ROLL IT OUT RIGHT
Deploying new software is not without its surprises—
no matter how well prepared you think you are. by Carolyn Heinze
DEPLOYING NEW SOFTWARE can be a daunting task, and one that’s not without its sur- prises no matter how well prepared IT departments, and their providers, are. It’s also a necessary task: After all, the software an orga- nization uses—and how it’s applied— can give businesses a considerable advantage. So how should electrical distributors approach a new software deployment? 1. Assign a point person. Nathan Wiens, president and CEO of Nathan Wiens Consulting, urges companies that are working with an outsourced IT integrator to have an in-house point person who heads up the deployment. He argues that oth- erwise, the end result may not be what the organization was after. “Time and time again, I’ve seen that there’s great communication [between the company and the out- sourced provider] at the beginning of the project, but then it falls off be- cause there’s no project owner within the organization,” he explained. “The company’s leadership checks in peri- odically with the integrator, but it’s really up to the integrator to make all the decisions for the business.” The in-house point person should act as a liaison between the company and the integrator, and part of his or her job should entail communicating with those who will actually be using the software. 2. Scope smart. Many small to mid-sized businesses are embracing CRM software to streamline sales recording. However, Wiens noted, sometimes these organizations aren’t fully aware of the impact that CRM technology has on other facets of the business, such as marketing auto- mation, before they roll out the new system. “It’s important for the organiza- tion to carefully scope a deployment ahead of time to minimize problems that could occur down the road,”