When a company decides to invest in IT upgrades, one of the biggest fear is whether will they be able to reap the benefits of such costly investments. There are generally many critical success factors that determine the success of such IT projects, e.g., senior management commitment, proper project management, etc. However, we believe that the other important critical success factors that are often left out are the right choice of solution and the people implementing it.
In getting the right choice of solution, a company first needs to identify the problem and gaps in the current system. A detailed study of the key business processes and requirements should be done. This helps the company to obtain a clear objective and thorough understanding of the implications when the IT project is implemented such as potential changes in the business processes, the change management required, compatibility, etc.
Next, the company will then need to navigate through a plethora of solutions that are available in the market. At times, companies can get sidetracked with other non-essential functions and may end up getting a solution that deviates from the core requirements. Many solutions offer stunning front-end interfaces but lack a strong and robust back-end that supports the application. The right solution should provide the best fit-for-purpose of the key requirements in addition to scalability to grow with the business.
Ideally, the right people to implement these IT solutions should possess a techno-functional skillset, i.e knowing both the technical aspect of IT and the functional aspect of the business. This allows them to translate the business requirement accurately during implementation.