Following on from our last article: Improving your Business Systems – Have a Clear Vision (Part 1)
You now have the vision – a clear idea of what is not currently working, and even better, a firm grasp on what you want your final outcome to be – Great! Now is the time to refine and consider the options.
During this part of the process, it is very easy to become overwhelmed with the options available out there. There is an app for everything these days and the advertising hype can sometimes cloud the picture.
Be open minded about the features you need (and would like) in the solution. Rate these needs and wants on a priority scale as it relates to your business – in this way you can make a much more informed decision when there is a conflict.
Be open minded about the features you need (and would like) in the solution
The ‘known’ is always a comfortable space. How it is being done now isn’t always going to match how it will look after this journey is ended. Be open minded about needing to be make some adjustments throughout the process but also about what the ‘possibilities’ could be – consider if some of the features in a solution could be of benefit for you.
Having said this, don’t be like Alice and follow the rabbit down the hole! Wanting to incorporate every possible feature from the outset can cause you grief. Consider a top priority of features that are needed and shelve other ‘potentials’ for revisiting down the track once the solution is up and running. Just knowing it is a potential is good enough for now in some situations.
Get a demo of any potential solution if possible. Set it up to replicate what you would like it to do within your business. Don’t take the features list at face value but test them out, make sure they do what the website says it will do in the way you expect it to do it!
This part of the process, unfortunately, is very time consuming but imperative in the entire scheme and chances of success. This is the time you will still have a chance to pivot and change direction to another solution. It is also a time that starts opening your eyes to the potentials.
Next time we will look closer at the planning phase of implementation and how to give yourself the best chance of success. >> LINK to Part 3 (Coming Soon)
If you do have questions or want help to identify your needs and best fit solutions, give the friendly team at Digital O2 or contact us here a call to discuss what we can do to make the path a little clearer for you.