You learned in our previous blog how project management helps engage your staff during software implementations. But what about stakeholder engagement? Just as you need to have a clear vision to engage your staff, you need to have a clear plan on how you’ll engage stakeholders throughout your system implementation. Without this, your new system won’t be successful. Read below to learn why:
Communication
Similar to staff engagement, stakeholder engagement plays a significant role in the success of your software implementation. When done correctly, it can help you bring your stakeholders onboard before your new system goes live.
To engage your stakeholders effectively, communication truly is key. You’ll want to consider not only what messages you want to communicate, but also how you can provide opportunities for them to give you feedback.
To do this, you will first need to understand who your stakeholders are, and what messages you need to communicate to them. Think about all of the people, outside of your immediate staff, that your new software will impact. Then, think about the types of changes that your stakeholders will need to adapt to. Be sure to think about both positive and negative impacts so that you can prepare your stakeholders as soon as possible.
Next, you will need to think about the communication methods that work best for your stakeholders – and there might be more than one. Based on the stakeholder’s position and job duties, what format or communication style works best? For example, if you are trying to connect with doctors, a 20-minute phone call would not be a good approach. A brief email with visual graphics might be better received, since they can read it quickly in between patient appointments.
Finally, what channels will you establish for listening to and capturing their feedback? Will your stakeholders have time to complete a survey or attend a Q and A session? It’ll be important to think through all of these aspects before you start reaching out to your stakeholders.
How We Can Help
When it comes to stakeholder engagement, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all playbook. Your approaches should be tailored to the unique needs of your organization and stakeholders. This is why it makes a difference to have a project manager, like QuantumMark, who can guide you through the process using a holistic lens. Like we mentioned in our previous blogs, a good project manager can help you establish a clear vision that translates into actionable plans.
Wrap-Up
This brings us to the end of our blog series on How Project Management Helps Software Implementation. To recap, we covered what holistic project management is and isn’t. We then looked at how it helps create a vision to guide your software implementation. From there, we focused on how holistic project management engages staff to create a successful software implementation. Finally, we explored how it can help in engaging your stakeholders and communicating effectively.
If you’re interested in learning more about creating a holistic project management plan for your software implementation project, contact us today at sales@quantummark.com.