When a company embarks on a case management software implementation project there are several things that can be done to ensure the process runs smoothly and stays on schedule. At i-Sight (now Case IQ), we have managed more than 300 software implementations, and the most successful projects – the ones that ran seamlessly and finished on time and on budget - were the ones in which the organization planned well for the project and took advantage of the experience and advice of the i-Sight (now Case IQ) project team.

Naturally, the approach to a software implementation project will depend on the size and complexity of the stakeholder group, but every project benefits from proper planning. No matter the size of the project, one of the most effective ways to keep it on track is to ensure that all stakeholders are identified at the start of the engagement. See an explanation of this phase in this video on case management software implementation.

Before embarking on a case management software implementation of any size, ask yourself the following questions:

• Who is affected by the processes involved?
• Who needs input into the project?
• Who is responsible for decision making?
• Who holds veto power on any decisions?

Smooth implementation happens when stakeholders are identified early and project teams are aligned and communicating, as it did with a major bank for which i-Sight (now Case IQ) recently delivered a system.

Case #1: Successful Implementation of a Global Case Management System

This large and complex project started off on the right foot. When the team leaders from the bank who were responsible for getting the software implementation started met with i-Sight (now Case IQ), they had already identified all the key people who needed to have input on the project. This is perhaps the most important initial step a company should take.

Do Your Homework

“These people had really done their homework,” says Ben Wittebol, one of i-Sight (now Case IQ)’s business analysts who worked on the project. “They arrived at the kickoff meeting with a list that identified each person responsible for leading a process and with a description of their processes. We were able to get a good idea right away of the processes we needed to map and who needed to have input into them.”

Not only had all the relevant stakeholders been identified, but they had also been briefed on the time commitment that would be required. The stakeholders attended all the meetings, which meant that there were no surprises as the project neared completion.

“It was as close as you can come to a flawless deployment,” says Wittenbol, “and that was in no small part due to the initial stakeholder identification and commitment.”

Simple Steps to Make a Big Difference

As crucial as it is, identifying stakeholders is a fairly simple process, and i-Sight (now Case IQ)’s project team members are experts at helping clients through this stage.

How to identify stakeholders:

• Walk through the process step-by-step, identifying everyone involved at the primary level of each step.
• Ask all those identified to name anyone whose functions either feed into or receive outputs from the process.
• Ask those people to identify any other workers affected.
• Identify decision makers and those with the power to overrule them.
• Ensure everyone identified in the steps above are involved in the project from the kickoff meeting.

Case #2: Barriers to Successful Implementation

Unfortunately all projects don’t run as smoothly as the one above. And one common reason for projects experiencing delays and cost overruns is the lack of time and effort spent on identifying and getting commitment from stakeholders.

In a software implementation that experienced some hiccups, the kickoff meeting and subsequent building and testing of the system went according to plan, or so everyone thought. Unfortunately all the relevant stakeholders hadn’t been identified in the initial phase of the project and when the director came onto the scene after the user acceptance testing had been completed, he identified a new stakeholder whose process had not been incorporated into the system.

“We had to go back and reconfigure the application,” says Dan Lagasse, i-Sight (now Case IQ)’s director of services. “It was late in the game to be making these changes and it required a new round of user acceptance testing. This delayed the deployment by four weeks and increased costs by 15%.”

When identifying stakeholders at the beginning of a new case management software implementation it’s important to take the time to think the processes through thoroughly. The simple process of identifying every scenario and every person whose job is affected sets the foundation for a solid deployment, and taking advantage of i-Sight (now Case IQ)’s expertise in the process can help to ensure there are no surprises mid-project.