Just imagine it. You\u2019ve successfully completed your purchase of a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). After several months of focused effort, you guided your management team and other stakeholders through a complex process to select new software that will enhance maintenance services and provide cost savings.<\/p>\n
If your company is like most, you first had to convince senior management and your finance department of the value of CMMS software. Maybe you needed to prepare a formal return on investment (ROI) analysis. You probably also checked in with IT to discuss the potential network impact and application support requirements.<\/p>\n
Surely, you worked to develop buy-in from those who\u2019d actually be using the new system. They all needed to feel comfortable it would help, not hinder, their work.<\/p>\n
Now you\u2019re there. The purchase has been made. So what\u2019s next? How will you turn that successful procurement into a successful implementation?<\/p>\n
The same people you worked with during the buying process will now be looking to you and asking, \u201cWhen will I see the benefits?\u201d You\u2019ll be able to show them much more quickly by keeping them informed and involved through the initial implementation phase.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s your responsibility to maintain an open dialogue, set and manage expectations, and clearly communicate what you need from stakeholders.<\/p>\n
Follow the guidelines below to streamline that process and avoid the typical pitfalls that kill new CMMS initiatives.<\/p>\n
Before you can get started, you have to know what you need from others in your organization\u2014and how to be sure you\u2019ll get it. Think carefully about this before you approach other stakeholders.<\/p>\n
Make a list of the people whose help you need, and ask yourself these three questions about each.<\/p>\n
You can use a simple, multi-pass approach to organize and prioritize what\u2019s needed from each department.<\/p>\n
Each department has already been promised something of value from the CMMS implementation.<\/p>\n
Operations and production were promised better service at reduced cost from the maintenance team. Senior management and finance were promised a good return on investment. IT may have been promised an easy fit with their server and network infrastructure, and responsive vendor support.<\/p>\n
Write out a short list of the anticipated benefits you\u2019re trying to achieve for each of these departments, and (re)communicate them carefully and specifically to each. Also communicate specifically to each what you\u2019ll need from them to achieve those goals.<\/p>\n
Step 1 and Step 2 defined what you need and what you\u2019re promising. Step 3 is about how you\u2019ll measure it.<\/p>\n
Use SMART criteria to help departments set implementation goals that are<\/p>\n
Being this specific will help set mutual expectations clearly and keep your implementation project on track, without disagreements about what was promised by who or when it was to be delivered.<\/p>\n
Major system implementations are never easy. If you follow these three steps, though, you\u2019ll help avoid some of the major \u201ctraps\u201d that kill many promising projects. You\u2019ll be your company\u2019s CMMS implementation hero, and not just another implementation \u201cfail.\u201d<\/p>\n