Most people are familiar with the yo-yo effect of losing weight - or rather, of trying to lose weight. The first successes come quickly, but after a short time the scales show more pounds than before. This is the case with many digitalization projects. The causes are quite similar. A simple strategy shows short-term success, but the necessary behavioral changes are not implemented. Most of the time, new digital solutions come to new problems with a cascading effect. Is it better to just not start at all?
There are digital answers to almost all problems in everyday business. Consultants talk about challenges - but for companies, these are still real problems. Overall solutions that allow a certain degree of flexibility, known as customizing, seem interesting. Instead of taking an off-the-shelf solution and adapting your own company accordingly, a well-thought-out and functioning software is modified. This can work well, but above all it requires expertise, effort and time.
It is therefore important to take a systematic and methodical approach to selecting solutions. Before we can get concrete answers, however, the questions must be specified. This is where the problem begins. Specialist and knowledgeable employees of the company often do not have the skills to describe processes and take anamnesis. The legal department and controlling would like to have a clearly defined scope of services and a specific cost framework for the project. The external consultant does not know the company and usually does not even know the industry. With the following rules, you can still lead large and small digital projects to success.
External advice with industry knowledge is the basic prerequisite for success. For small projects, the help desks of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and industry associations or an individual consultant can often help. The choice of partner should be adapted to the volume of the project. If the external consultant lacks a basic understanding of the mechanics within the industry, job titles or the general process of projects, it quickly becomes tedious and nerve-wracking.
Appropriate project budget! The costs for selection and implementation are usually significantly higher than the actual software costs, often at a ratio of 1:5, especially for small and medium-sized projects. If savings are made in the planning or too little time is planned for the necessary detailed decision-making processes, the project has a high risk of failure.
The project manager usually asks for the management's commitment far too late. Before the project even starts, everyone should agree on the necessity and the resulting consequences. Digitalization reflects processes in the company. This makes them transparent and potential weak points become clear. This is a great opportunity to increase performance and efficiency. There is no point in surprising the management level with a concept. A major project should not be tackled without a clear commitment. The question: "Do we want this?" then tends to promote frustration.
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