Businesses of all kinds are always looking for ways to improve the customer experience. CRM technology provides tools that help to improve that experience so that clients walk away completely satisfied. However, implementing a CRM system presents some unique challenges. Here are some of the most important aspects of successful CRM implementation.

5 Key Success Factors for CRM Implementation

1. Clear Vision and Goals

One crucial part of successfully implementing a CRM system is having clear reasoning for using the system that your entire team understands. From top to bottom, your entire organization needs to understand what the goal is behind making the change. When everyone has the same vision in mind for the future, it will be easy to keep everyone on the same page throughout the implementation process.

2. Adoption Across the Board

No matter how good your CRM system is, it won’t matter if your team isn’t utilizing the system. While some long-standing team members may have a certain attachment to their older tools, it’s important to get over this hurdle. You need your entire team on the same page to fully gauge the effectiveness of the CRM system and to provide your customers with a consistent experience.

3. Effective Training Methods

Change can be difficult for many people, especially when it comes to work tools they’ve been used to using for years, so it’s important to do everything you can to help your team through the transition process to a new CRM system. Comprehensive training on the new CRM system for your whole team is vital. While you may need to shift your resources around to achieve this training, the benefits you’ll get later make the process worth your while.

4. Gathering Data

If you aren’t able to measure meaningful statistics related to your CRM system, you won’t be able to determine whether or not you’ve successfully achieved the goals you set out to reach. Having tools in place to gather data related to your customers’ experience and the ease with which your team is able to use the tools, as well as other critical data points, will put you in a position to effectively refine the CRM strategy based on what works.

5. Choosing the Right Partner

Having the right help on your side throughout the implementation process will help to make the transition to your new system as smooth as possible. Expert advice from professionals who have been involved in implementation projects before will give you a solid base of knowledge to work from. The guidance you receive will help you achieve the goals you set out to tackle when you decided to adopt a CRM system.

Ready to take your business to the next level? Our experts are ready to work with you to develop a strategy that is specifically suited for your business. Contact Project Genetics today and let our experts assist you in getting your business on the road to success!

Efficiency and adaptation are crucial to maintaining an optimal business environment. Read on to learn more about one of the drivers of these cornerstone goals: ERP implementation.

ERP Defined

The term ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning. An ERP system consists of software that enables the automation of business or project processes into one central platform. As a result, aspects such as supply chain operations, financing, human resources, manufacturing, and sales can be linked and managed from an integrated system.

Phases of ERP Implementation

During the first step of implementation, a project team will gather important data about what different groups within the business or project need and what problems persist. After defining the ERP system’s requirements and planning for its framework, the team will evaluate currently existing processes and determine how these processes can best be redesigned and software customized so that seamless migration of data onto a new system or into the cloud can occur.

For the development phase that follows the planning and design phases, software will be configured and data import will commence. In addition, documentation and training manuals will be prepared. Then, the testing phase will begin so that major issues can be addressed and corrected before the system is deployed and goes live. Once the ERP is deployed, the support phase focuses on acclimating users to the system, fixing emergent problems, and upgrading software as needed.

Why ERP Matters

An organization may choose a new enterprise system because it wants to improve, modernize, and streamline an existing system, because the system is nonexistent or needs a complete overhaul, or following a merger and acquisition.

A successful system will yield many benefits. Consolidated data can be more easily assessed, analyzed, and compiled into insightful reports that are invaluable in making good data-driven decisions. Furthermore, departments that otherwise may have no meaningful coordination or interaction become more cross-functional and adaptive and benefit from a more comprehensive base of knowledge. As a result, overall workflow improves exponentially, and time and money are saved. Long-term, agility, optimization, and impact are the rewards.

The Value of Smooth Implementation

Every step of the implementation process is of tremendous consequence. Planning helps underpin an organization’s central goals, whether it be changing cost structures, technological advancement, increased operational efficiency, or another consideration. Understanding these aims helps outline a budgeting and scheduling plan while laying the foundation for deeper goals, such as innovation and growth.

The development phase builds on planning and requires a team of experts that can merge all of those plans into a sustainable system that considers company culture and risk tolerance. Gaps in documentation or delays in migration will complicate the testing and deployment phases, where the true markers of a system’s viability occur. The system will only be as efficient as the individuals who use it, which is why the support phase should never be overlooked or downplayed.

For the most current ERP solutions delivered with precision, customization, and expert commitment, contact Project Genetics Management Consultants, where success every step of the way is in our DNA.

Developers are constantly under pressure to meet deadlines with a polished product ready to launch. However, as most developers can attest, projects often fail to launch as planned. They may end up released with fewer features or be delayed altogether. What causes this problem, and how can you solve it? Better technical project management is key. However, it’s not the technical side that you should be worried about. Learn what really makes your projects struggle to meet deadlines.

Technical Project Management FAQs: Is Your Project Struggling With Unrealistic Deadlines?

The Most Common Cause of Delayed Projects

Delayed launches not only increase the cost of a project, but they can even lead to cancellation entirely. Almost one-third of projects die before launch due to repeated delays. What causes this problem? A UK study surveyed and interviewed 40 software-developing companies to identify the most common causes of delays. The study found that poor coordination and unrealistic expectations were among the highest-ranked reasons. Interestingly, technical difficulties were rarely the reason.

Respondents also cited conflict between members, which stemmed from the aforementioned planning problems. Clearly, managerial issues have the most potential to disrupt a project’s success. When there’s a disconnect between management’s expectations and a team’s capacity to deliver, problems will arise, and delays become more common. If you’ve been struggling to meet deadlines, it could be a sign that your expectations are off the mark. It may be beneficial to bring in a third-party consultant to review your project.

How Do You Know If Your Deadlines Are Unrealistic?

Several signs point to a problem with your deadlines. First, if your team regularly needs to go into crunch time to meet deadlines, they’re probably unrealistic. Crunch time not only exhausts your team, but it also costs more in overtime and turnover as employees often leave after finishing highly stressful projects. Another red flag is when your deadlines haven’t changed despite making significant changes to the project’s scope or features. Changes take time to implement; your deadlines must change, too.

Nevertheless, some factors don’t neatly align with deadline viability. For example, you might be tempted to hire additional staff to accelerate project development. However, without a clear need and assignment for new hires, you may end up creating more conflict or disconnect with your team. The same UK study noted that “more is less” in many cases, and additional hires usually failed to make deadlines more realistic. Adding another wheel to a car doesn’t improve velocity; it just adds friction.

How to Meet Your Deadlines Consistently

If you regularly have to push back your deadlines, the most likely culprit is management. Communication is vital to ensuring accurate, viable deadlines. If you don’t discuss the scope of a project with your team and get their input, you may overpromise to a client and underdeliver. However, you may be able to optimize your staff’s performance and improve your delivery times with better strategies and organizational tools.

At Project Genetics, we specialize in getting projects back on track. Contact Project Genetics to speak to one of our representatives.  

We’ve all been there before. A project is going south, fast. The client is unhappy, the team is demoralized, and you’re staring down an ever-growing list of tasks with no end in sight. Project Genetics can help you turn things around and get your project back on track. Whether you’re facing scope creep, unanticipated challenges, or simply need a fresh perspective, we can help with project recovery.

When Is It Too Late to Recover a Struggling Project?

With Project Genetics, it’s never too late to recover a struggling project. Red flags that indicate you should contact us include missed deadlines, lack of communication between stakeholders and team members, cost overruns, or insufficient resources allocated for the completion of a task.

In order to recover from a struggling project, the right support mechanisms need to be put in place. This can include providing additional resources, mitigating risk factors, and ensuring that all goals are achievable within budget constraints.

Identifying Risk Factors

There are many potential risk factors that can contribute to project failure, but some of the most common include:

Scope Creep

Scope creep is an insidious risk that occurs when the scope of the project expands beyond its original bounds. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but often it is the result of poor planning or changes in stakeholder expectations. Scope creep can quickly lead to cost overruns and schedule delays, so it is important to be vigilant about identifying and addressing it early on.

Unrealistic Deadlines

In many cases, deadlines are set without adequate consideration for the resources available or the complexity of the task at hand. As a result, projects often fall behind schedule, leading to frustration and wasted effort. To avoid this pitfall, it is crucial to take a realistic assessment of what can be accomplished within the available timeframe.

Inadequate Resources

Without the right people, materials, and equipment, it can be impossible to meet deadlines, stay within budget, or achieve the desired results. If a project is already failing due to insufficient resources, there are a few things that can be done to try and recover.

First, assess the situation and determine exactly what resources are needed. Then, reach out to stakeholders and other interested parties to see if additional resources can be obtained. Finally, it may be necessary to revise the project plan in order to account for the lack of resources.

Implementing Digital Solutions for Project Recovery

Digital tools can help with recovery in a number of ways. First, they can provide visibility into what’s going wrong and where corrective action is needed. They can also help to streamline communication and collaboration among team members, which is essential for getting a project back on the rails. Additionally, digital solutions can help to automate tasks and processes, making it easier to get things done quickly and efficiently.

With our industry knowledge and extensive network of contacts throughout many different fields, we’re able to effectively leverage resources and expertise to offer practical solutions to recover a failing project. Contact Project Genetics today for more information on how we can help bring your struggling project back from the brink!

Recently, it was estimated that 36% of business projects fail. Trillions of dollars are invested into projects every year, so that’s a lot of money being wasted. Most projects run into trouble towards the end of the project and it becomes challenging to right the ship. When it’s realized that a project is going off track, how do you recover it? Read on to learn the important steps for project recovery!

Back on Track: 4 Steps to Project Recovery

1. Create a Special Team

The first step is to create a special team tasked with recovery. This is a team composed of folks outside of the current project. Think of this team as an internal audit. Their goal is to do an independent evaluation of the project, conduct critical assessments, and execute the recovery process. As they will be stepping on toes, it’s important to have a good mix of personalities to minimize personnel issues. Buy-in from the current project team is key.

2. Start From the Top

Projects that follow the methodologies outlined by the Project Management Institute generally have a project charter with an outlined mission, objectives, and success criteria. These project artifacts must be reviewed and validated. It’s expected that some elements may need to evolve to match any new learnings since the project started. It’s also anticipated that any modifications will require approval.

3. Perform a Critical Assessment

A well-thought-out assessment is efficient, accurate, and minimizes project distractions. During the assessment, all critical project artifacts will need to be reviewed and project team members will need to be interviewed. Project artifacts in this step usually include the project plan, budget and associated metrics, estimate and pricing details, contract, and project organization chart.

The employees critical to the interviews include the project manager, sponsor, stakeholders, members of the project management office (if applicable), contractors, vendors, customers, and project team members. The goal of these interviews is to determine the exact status of the project, as well as any risks, issues, and opportunities. Interviews should emphasize confidentiality and open-ended questions.

Once the assessment is complete, the data should be analyzed and a list of findings and action items must be created. Then answer the most important question: is recovery possible? If so, move on to the next step.

4. Plan and Recover the Project

Once recovery is deemed possible, an extended team will need to be curated and the recovery process will start. It’s expected the focus now is on not failing. In addition, the recovery process will be subject to intense scrutiny, tight controls, and higher frequencies of communication and monitoring. The recovery plan must also take into consideration employee morale, personnel problems, and leadership issues. Patience, constant monitoring, and regular feedback are significant events during recovery.

Failing projects are recoverable. However, experience is necessary to turn them around. Do you need assistance in getting your project back on track? Check out Project Genetics today and meet with seasoned experts who can recover your troubled project! We help customers every day with project delivery. We are 100% committed to project success and can help you get your project back in line with your organization’s goals.