So you have chosen some shiny new software for your business. It washes whiter, solves all your problems and has an upgrade available which makes a lovely cup of tea. Plus, it’s modern cloud software with well-designed user interfaces that should make it really easy to get up and running.

What could possibly go wrong? People, that’s what.

Here are 5 recommendations for making sure you actually deliver the benefits you were looking for when you roll out new software for your consultancy.

1. Have a clear purpose

Spending time, money and effort on implementing new software without a clear idea of why you’re doing it may sound like an obvious way to court failure, but it’s a surprisingly common problem.

The first step in getting your team on board is to convince them why it’s important, preferably with examples they actually care about. Work on a clear articulation of ‘why’ before moving on to the ‘what’ and ‘how.’

2. Take responsibility

Every initiative needs a senior sponsor. In this case, that’s you. And depending on who you are, you may need your boss to get behind it too. Senior staff accepting ownership of the software and everything required to begin using it, reassures everyone that you know what you are doing, and that they need to take this seriously. Unfortunately that means you need to own the inevitable setbacks too.

3. Communicate with the team

How can you expect people to start using a new product if they don’t have clear instructions? If people don’t know what to do when logging in, how will this product “make their lives easier”? It’s easy to forget that not everyone knows as much about the system as you do. In fact, most people will have never heard of it and have no idea why the business needs it, let alone what they need to do with it. It’s your job to tell them!

But it’s not enough to tell them before launch and then disappear. You need to continue communicating post-launch to let them know where they can go for further help, and what happens if they don't participate. Don’t forget that nobody cares about this as much as you do, so remember not to be disappointed when people don’t do all the things you have asked them to.

4. Measure and track progress

Keep an eye on compliance - are people using the software as you asked? People are often hesitant to do more than they have to, so it’s up to you as the ‘owner’ to track this and step in when things aren’t going as you want them to. People often look left and right, and if their team-mates and friends aren’t using your software then they won’t feel they have to either. Consider finding a champion in each team who you make part of your implementation strategy. If they feel that they’re on the inside they’ll commit more and encourage their team-mates to do the same. And multiple teams offer the opportunity for a little metric-driven competition which can also enhance take-up - after all, nobody likes to lose.

5. Get outside advice

Software is tough to roll out. That’s why plenty of consultancies make a handsome living out of helping clients to implement it. If you’re really struggling to make this roll out a success, ask the business who made the software you’re implementing for advice. They’ve supported many other businesses like yours through this, so should have strategies or incentive ideas to engage businesses through roll outs. Also, it’s in their best interests to make this a success - remember, you’re paying the bills!

Have you got your own tips and tricks for ensuring successful implementations? If so, we’d love to hear them.