It’s not just about the technology. People and processes need to be considered when implementing new technology.

In the quest to grow and to maintain high levels of customer service, there is a tendency to use human capital to manage the gaps in technology. Conversely, firms can easily fall into the technology trap, assuming that any technology change or upgrade will solve 100% of their issues. The truth is that no single solution will address all of your requirements. It takes a balanced perspective of people and processes combined with technology to adequately address the challenges that is inherent with growth. When Business Managers need to do more with less, offer additional services, or scale up to meet demand, they must consider the big picture, especially adequately resourcing the effort.

With more than 200 successful AgilLink deployments and implementations, we have identified three top practices along with some traps to avoid in order to improve the outcome of your technology upgrade.

Step 1 - Define the Problem

The first step is the most important, but is often skipped over. Defining what problems you want to solve and what it takes to solve those problems. It may sound obvious but having a clearly defined problem statement(s) will inform your technology plan and act as a north star during the selection process.

When you start looking at potential solutions things can get convoluted fast. Vendors will present an array of impressive features and functions, but not all of their functionality will help you solve your problem(s). Having a clearly defined problem statement and a set of requirements will help you filter out the cool features from what is must have.

Remember one vendor will not be able to solve all your problems. This will require you to prioritize. The hard part is not figuring out what to do, but what not to do. This is where having a plan is critical.

Step 2: Software Selection: Assign a Point Person

It’s important that a point person be assigned to coordinate and manage the vendor selection process. This person needs to take the time in their week to research potential vendors, schedule discovery calls and demonstrations and following up after those meetings. Depending on the size of the firm and the complexities of the solution you are looking for this can be 10-20 hours a week.

Client facing work is always going to come first and it can be easy to gravitate to what you know versus utilizing new technology, which might be outside of some employees comfort zone. Without proper allocation of resources or bringing in an outside consultant, firms can go no where fast at this stage of the process. According to Erin Hulse, Founder and CEO of Deviate Consulting, “Don’t expect someone with a full time job and responsibilities to ‘fit’ a technology upgrade project into a schedule that is already full.” 

Step 3: Post Selection: Defining Your Project team

Defining your project team is a key next step once you have selected a software solution. There are many stakeholders in enterprise-wide software projects and each touchpoint has to be considered in the decision making process. While the team should represent the various stakeholders, it should have authority and be nimble so that it can make decisions to keep the project on track.

Every team needs an executive sponsor and a champion to create and communicate the vision of the firm. The project leader should be selected based on expertise, experience, and availability so they are able to devote significant time to the project. If bandwidth is not available, consider hiring additional internal resources or using external consultants to get the results you want in the timeframe you envision.

Executive Sponsor

• Defines the vision for the firm
• Reinforces positive messaging for change
• Acts as the critical decision-maker for adoption decisions

Champion 

• Reinforces the vision of the sponsor
• Assigns setup tasks and required training
• Monitors timelines and interdependencies

Project Leader 

• Leads technology selection process
• Leads tactical project team
• Translates vision into technical requirements

System Administrator and Internal Technical Resource

• Trusted administrator to create users, define roles and workflows
• Internal experts for first-line questions that are unique to the firm's processes and procedures

Recommended Practice: To ease the transition, focus on reassuring your employees, being transparent, and involving them deeply in the process. For an optimal implementation, you need buy-in from the employees who will be using the solution. They’ll be able to give you feedback about how it’s working, and let you know about any problems that arise. AgilLink offers significant resources to support customers' transition to its platform including tutorials, tools, videos, a knowledge base, and a user forum. Anything the vendor or project team can do to ease the transition from the old system to the new one will be appreciated by your employees and ultimately, your clients. 

_{This article and the information contained herein is for general information and education only. It is provided as a courtesy to the clients and friends of AgilLink.} 

AgilLink is an RBC company and an affiliate of City National Bank Member FDIC

City National Bank is a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada. Deposit products and services are provided by City National Bank.

_{Deviate Consulting is an independent company and is not affiliated with AgilLink, City National Bank, or RBC.}