Dr. Jim Bohn provides a list of 10 things to consider when starting a new IT implementation project to avoid common pitfalls. The risks include: 1) being blinded by an unrealistic return on investment; 2) lack of organizational preparedness for the changes; 3) using less experienced "B team" members; 4) denying the business impacts; 5) not having contingency plans; 6) undiscovered issues from legacy systems; 7) underestimating indirect impacts; 8) allowing scope creep; 9) rushing technology before analyzing processes; and 10) not fully counting the total costs. Thorough planning and preparation are needed to address these risks and ensure a successful project outcome.

1. 4/18/2014
PRO/Axios: Organizational Insight
INCOMPLETE
PROJECTS ARE
MONUMENTS
BUT NOT
TROPHIES.

2. 4/18/2014
THINGS YOU OUGHT TO THINK
ABOUT WHEN YOU START A NEW
IT IMPLEMENTATION
Dr. Jim Bohn
PRO/Axios

3. Ten Things you ought to think
about …
1. ROI Blindness
2. Lack of Organizational Preparedness
3. Using the “B” Team when only the “A” team will do
4. Denying the business impact of the change
5. Wheels on the bus
6. The Jimmy Hoffa syndrome
7. I get by with a little help from my friends
8. Ado Annie syndrome (“I can‟t say „No‟”)
9. Doing Technology before process
10. Counting the cost
4/18/2014
Organizational Insight Leading to Organizational
Transformation

4. Why am I offering this caution?
 I gained these operational insights through experience
with several major IT implementations.
 Many (not all) IT consultants avoid telling you about
these risks.
 Most companies don‟t do enough IT implementations
to get „good‟ at IT.
 Few internal IT teams stay together long enough to
share learning from the last system implementation.
 System introductions touch the very DNA of your
organization. The risks are VERY HIGH.
4/18/2014
Organizational Insight Leading to Organizational Transformation

5. 1. ROI Blindness
2. Lack of Organizational Preparedness
3. Using the “B” Team when only the “A” team will do
4. Denying the business impact of the change
5. Wheels on the bus
6. The Jimmy Hoffa syndrome
7. I get by with a little help from my friends
8. Ado Annie syndrome (“I can‟t say „No‟”)
9. Doing Technology before process
10. Counting the cost
4/18/2014
Organizational Insight Leading to Organizational
Transformation
Ten Things you ought to think about …

6. ROI BLINDNESS
 ROI Blindness – Perceived ROI sometimes makes rational
people irrational. Rare is the organization that goes back to
check the original ROI. Be brutally honest about the true
financial and human toll required.
 Lack of Organizational Preparedness
 Using the “B” Team when only the “A” team will do
 Denying the impact of the change
 Wheels on the bus
 The Jimmy Hoffa syndrome
 I get by with a little help from my friends
 Ado Annie syndrome
 Doing Technology before process
 Counting the cost
4/18/2014
Organizational Insight Leading to Organizational
Transformation
1

7. ROI Blindness
Bring DATA!
Not
anecdotes …
4/18/2014PRO/Axios: Organizational Insight
ALERT:
Executives do not
respond well to
complaining
1

8. LACK OF ORGANIZATIONAL
READINESS
 ROI Blindness
 Lack of Organizational Preparedness – The old gospel song asks
“Are you ready?” Have you thought through how this
implementation will affect your organization? Do you have the
capacity for this change?
 Using the “B” Team when only the “A” team will do
 Denying the impact of the change
 Wheels on the bus
 The Jimmy Hoffa syndrome
 I get by with a little help from my friends
 Ado Annie syndrome
 Doing Technology before process
 Counting the cost
4/18/2014
Organizational Insight Leading to Organizational
Transformation
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9. Lack of
Organizational
Preparedness
• Bring
experience!
• Raise questions!
• Have you
considered?
• Get the risks
into a project
plan.
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10. USING THE “B” TEAM
 ROI Blindness
 Lack of Organizational Preparedness
 Using the “B” Team when only the “A” team will do - Are you
fooling yourself into thinking that those with spare time on their
hands are the right people for the job, simply because they are
available? Think again.
 Denying the impact of the change
 Wheels on the bus
 The Jimmy Hoffa syndrome
 I get by with a little help from my friends
 Ado Annie syndrome
 Doing Technology before process
 Counting the cost
4/18/2014
Organizational Insight Leading to Organizational
Transformation
3

11. Using the “B”
Team when only
the “A” Team will
do.
• Bring
experience.
• Recommend.
• Have
alternatives.
4/18/2014PRO/Axios: Organizational Insight
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12. DENYING THE BUSINESS IMPACT
 ROI Blindness
 Lack of Organizational Preparedness
 Using the “B” Team when only the “A” team will do
 Denying the business impact of the change - Research shows
your organization will not perform at the same level during the
introduction of a new system. There are revenue and profit
implications. What is your plan?
 Wheels on the bus
 The Jimmy Hoffa syndrome
 I get by with a little help from my friends
 Ado Annie syndrome
 Doing Technology before process
 Counting the cost
4/18/2014
Organizational Insight Leading to Organizational
Transformation
4

13. Denying the
business
impact of the
change
Bring
research.
From experts.
4/18/2014PRO/Axios: Organizational Insight
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14. WHEELS ON THE BUS
 ROI Blindness
 Lack of Organizational Preparedness
 Using the “B” Team when only the “A” team will do
 Denying the business impact of the change
 Wheels on the bus – Your organization needs to continue to
serve customers and care for employees during the change.
You are changing a tire on a moving vehicle – what are your
contingency plans?
 The Jimmy Hoffa syndrome
 I get by with a little help from my friends
 Ado Annie syndrome
 Doing Technology before process
 Counting the cost
4/18/2014
Organizational Insight Leading to Organizational
Transformation
5

15. Wheels on the
bus
• What‟s our
backup
plan?
• Build it!
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5

16. JIMMY HOFFA SYNDROME
 ROI Blindness
 Lack of Organizational Preparedness
 Using the “B” Team when only the “A” team will do
 Denying the business impact of the change
 Wheels on the bus
 The Jimmy Hoffa Syndrome – Your system will discover
unexpected software patches that must be integrated with the
new system, some built in COBOL = $$$$. Uncover those pitfalls
early in your due diligence!
 I get by with a little help from my friends
 Ado Annie syndrome
 Doing Technology before process
 Counting the cost
4/18/2014
Organizational Insight Leading to Organizational
Transformation
6

17. Jimmy Hoffa
Syndrome
• Be diligent
about due
diligence!
• Boring, painful
but necessary
work.
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18. A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
 ROI Blindness
 Lack of Organizational Preparedness
 Using the “B” Team when only the “A” team will do
 Denying the business impact of the change
 Wheels on the bus
 The Jimmy Hoffa syndrome
 I get by with a little help from my friends – Your implementation is going
to impact a LOT of unforeseen individuals and teams. Discover who will
be impacted. I can assure you: The impact matters to them!
 Ado Annie syndrome
 Doing Technology before process
 Counting the cost
4/18/2014
Organizational Insight Leading to Organizational
Transformation
7

19. I get by with a
little help from
my friends
• Study direct
and indirect
impact for all
teams
affected by
the change.
4/18/2014PRO/Axios: Organizational Insight
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20. ADO ANNIE SYNDROME
 ROI Blindness
 Lack of Organizational Preparedness
 Using the “B” Team when only the “A” team will do
 Denying the business impact of the change
 Wheels on the bus
 The Jimmy Hoffa syndrome
 I get by with a little help from my friends
 Ado Annie Syndrome – “I can‟t say „No‟”. Without
discipline, projects grow into monstrosities, becoming
impossible to implement. Scope happens.
 Doing Technology before process
 Counting the cost
4/18/2014
Organizational Insight Leading to Organizational
Transformation
8

21. Ado Annie
Syndrome is
best met
with
“Maximus”
• HOLD
THE LINE!
• Remind team
members of the
goal.
• Show the $$$
impact of
scope creep.
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22. RUSHING TO IMPLEMENT TECHNOLOGY
 ROI Blindness
 Lack of Organizational Preparedness
 Using the “B” Team when only the “A” team will do
 Denying the business impact of the change
 Wheels on the bus
 The Jimmy Hoffa syndrome
 I get by with a little help from my friends
 Ado Annie syndrome
 Rushing to Implement Technology before Analyzing Process –
Do not write Technical Design Documents without first having
gone through Process Design. Resist this impulse or you‟ll
automate a bad process.
 Counting the cost
4/18/2014
Organizational Insight Leading to Organizational
Transformation
8

23. Rushing to
Implement
Technology before
Analyzing Process
• Boring but
essential.
• Don‟t automate
junk!
• People will push
you to cut this
corner:
budget, timing, pr
essure.
4/18/2014PRO/Axios: Organizational Insight
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24. NOT COUNTING THE COST
 ROI Blindness
 Lack of Organizational Preparedness
 Using the “B” Team when only the “A” team will do
 Denying the business impact of the change
 Wheels on the bus
 The Jimmy Hoffa syndrome
 I get by with a little help from my friends
 Ado Annie syndrome
 Doing Technology before process
 Counting the cost – The Biblical adage about ensuring you can
finish what you start is wonderful ancient wisdom. Considering
the whole cost – people, process, finances, are you determined
to complete the project?
4/18/2014
Organizational Insight Leading to Organizational
Transformation
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25. Counting the
cost
• Do you really have the
resources to finish this
thing?
• Unfinished projects are
monuments but not
trophies.
• Are your leaders
committed to the project
for the long-haul?
4/18/2014PRO/Axios: Organizational Insight
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26. Ignoring the details …
 Agree on the meaning of terms – make sure there is
no ambiguity on what something means. This is
crucial on global projects.
 Develop standard definitions of terms.
 Design consistent revision controls and stick to them.
 Ensure consistent issue management.
 Construct common databases for efficiency.
 This is painstaking work, but worth the investment of
your time.
4/18/2014
Organizational Insight Leading to Organizational
Transformation
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27. 4/18/2014
PRO/Axios: Organizational Insight
INCOMPLETE
PROJECTS ARE
MONUMENTS
BUT NOT
TROPHIES.

28. Pro/Axios
 We offer plainspoken guidance for those who do the
work.
 Check out the Rapid Diagnostic @
www.ProAxios.com
 info@proaxios.com
 651-302-1574
 Minneapolis, MN, USA
 @DrJimBohn
4/18/2014Organizational Insight Leading to Organizational Transformation