5 tips to implementation planning and avoiding your initiative failing
Implementation planning is the foundation for successfully delivering your initiative. Poor implementation planning is like trying to deliver your project on a foundation of sand.
For business transformation leads, Continuous Improvement leads, and Chief Transformation Officers, this scenario might feel familiar. We’ve all seen it and many times we’re trying to fix it and turn it around – after the implementation plan has been accepted and we’re in implementation.
The truth is, any initiative can falter without solid implementation planning. From clearly defining the current and future states to establishing measurable KPIs, every detail matters. In this article, we’ll unpack common pitfalls in implementation planning, exploring what happens when things go wrong and, more importantly, how to fix them.
1: Clearly Define Current and Future States
Let’s start with the very foundation of any implementation plan: knowing where you are and where you’re headed. Skipping this step is like embarking on a road trip without a map or destination in mind. Sure, you might end up somewhere, but it’s unlikely to be where you intended to go.
Good implementation planning clearly defines current and future states.
The Current State: Understanding the Now (‘As-Is’)
A complete understanding of the current state is crucial. Imagine trying to renovate a house without assessing its structural integrity. You could start painting the walls, only to discover that the foundation is crumbling. Similarly, in transformation initiatives, failing to audit current processes, technologies, and cultural dynamics leaves you blind to potential obstacles.
Take, for example, a financial services company we worked with. They had ambitious plans to improve their customer processes (both lead time and quality/accuracy) but didn’t truly understand the baseline performance or the underlying issues or causes for current delays and errors. As implementation progressed, the underlying issues remained and the planned improvement uplift wasn’t being seen. It was only after they paused to map their current state that they could identify and address these issues.
Putting numbers on current performance and the reasons for the losses will help you understand the current situation and help define exactly what you’re attempting to improve.
The Future State: Painting a Clear Picture (‘To-Be’)
Equally important is a well-defined vision of the future state. Without it, teams are left guessing, which often leads to misaligned efforts. A clear future state acts as a north star, guiding every decision and action. What will success look like? How will processes improve? What tangible outcomes will be achieved?
For instance, another client—a global retailer—had a vague goal of “improving customer experience.” It wasn’t until they broke this down into specific, measurable targets, like reducing customer service response times for specific services by 30%, that their teams could rally around actionable steps.
Questions to Consider
- Have you fully documented your current state, including any workflows and systems/processes that you will be touching ?
- Is your future state aligned with your organization’s strategic goals, and have you defined measurable outcomes?
How to Get It Right
- For any process change, consider process mapping current state vs future state and highlight the differences (what you expect to change)
- Fully understand the current losses and what’s causing them at a root cause level (5 why’s if needed); if you don’t understand the current losses you won’t be able to address the root cause issues
By laying this groundwork during implementation planning, you set the stage for every subsequent decision, ensuring that your initiative is tightly defined with a well understood current and future state.
2: Ensure you have detailed Work Steps with tangible outcomes (and use what/who/when)
Even with a clear understanding of where you are and where you want to go, the journey between these two points can become murky without a detailed roadmap. Poorly defined work steps causes confusion and derails timelines and frustrating teams.
Good implementation planning needs to include a robust work plan with detailed work steps.
The Danger of Vague Steps
Think of the implementation plan as a recipe. If the instructions simply say, “make a cake,” you’re left guessing about ingredients, proportions, and cooking times. Similarly, in business improvement initiatives, vague or missing steps can leave teams scrambling to figure out what steps are actually needed.
For example, an initial plan that lists high level milestones such “Train Staff” lacks specifics about who prepares the documentation, how the training will be deployed (online, in classes ?). As each milestone approaches, there will be a rush to ‘put something together’ and missed work steps and deadlines.
Breaking It Down: The Power of Granularity
Detailed work steps ensure clarity and accountability. Each step should specify:
- What needs to be done: Define tasks in actionable terms.
- Who is responsible: Assign ownership to prevent duplication or oversight.
- When it must be completed: Provide clear deadlines to keep progress on track.
Questions to Consider
- Have you broken down each phase of implementation into specific, actionable tasks?
- Does every task have a clear owner and timeline?
- Are your steps sequenced logically to prevent bottlenecks?
- Have dependencies been considered ?
How to Get your Implementation Planning Right
- Use project management tools to document and visualize tasks including dependencies.
- Understand what the critical milestones will be that drive the overall timing (critical path).
- Involve stakeholders early to ensure you have the right work steps (and that they agree with the steps prior to implementation!).
- In your risk planning, potentially create contingency plans for steps prone to delays or complications.
Detailed work steps in your implementation plan provide the scaffolding that supports your entire initiative, transforming your current ‘As-Is’ state to your future ‘To-Be’ state; each of the major changes seen in the future ‘To-Be’ state needs to be supported with work steps that will bridge the gap.
3: Thoroughly understand and define the costs and benefits
While detailed work steps create a roadmap for execution, misjudging costs and benefits can undermine the entire journey. Overly optimistic forecasts for the expected uplift or unanticipated implementation costs often lead to unmet expectations, eroding stakeholder trust and jeopardizing initiative (and program) success.
Good implementation planning includes a thorough understanding of the implementation costs and benefits.
The Risks of Flawed Assumptions
Imagine setting out on a cross-country road trip but underestimating fuel costs and forgetting to budget for tolls or meals. Halfway through, you’re stranded with no way to continue. The same principle applies to implementation planning. Misjudged costs can derail initiatives, while undervaluing potential benefits makes it difficult to justify investment.
For instance, during the rollout of a new ERP system, a manufacturing firm I consulted underestimated the costs of training and system customization. They also overestimated short-term productivity gains, leaving their leadership frustrated and hesitant to approve similar projects in the future.
We’ve seen poor understanding of both costs and benefits derail initiatives.
- Implementation costs not factored in – such as the additional FTE actually needed to run the new process or the cost of running two systems live before you can do the cutover to one system alone or the back-up generator needed to ensure the new system is 100% reliable. It’s usually some detail that gets forgotten until the questions really start in implementation.
- Benefits not properly calculated; a common mistake is to assume that if a task can be made 10% more efficient (takes less effort) then that will result in 10% FTE savings. In practice, that may or may not be true! Unless you’ve actually reduced FTEs by 10%, then no saving has been made – you’ve simply created additional 10% slack time for those FTEs.
Quantifying the Tangible and Intangible
To avoid these pitfalls, it’s crucial to:
- Identify all cost components: Include both long term on-going costs (e.g., additional labour, equipment, on-going services) and set-up costs (one-off documentation, training). Check with Finance whether the costs should be treated as full cost (usually used if needed long term e.g., additional FTEs would need to be fully costed) or marginal cost (typically used if a one-off set-up cost).
- Evaluate benefits holistically: While increased revenue or efficiency gains are measurable, improved employee satisfaction or customer loyalty might not be. Highlight both tangible and intangible benefits.
Questions to Consider
- Have you accounted for hidden costs like downtime during system integration?
- Are your benefit projections grounded in data and realistic assumptions?
- Do you have buy-in from finance and other stakeholders on cost and benefit estimates?
How to Get It Right
- Collaborate with Finance to ensure cost and benefit estimates are comprehensive and accurate. It’s important that Finance validate your estimates early in the stage gating process before implementation starts. Finance can also confirm the actual savings at the final ‘lock-in’ gate at the end of the initiative life cycle.
- Ensure you understand the ‘money’ step; this is the step that actually creates savings or additional revenue (from a Finance viewpoint). For example, if you’re expecting a new process to save 10% FTEs then the money step is when you actually reduce FTEs by 10% – not when the new more efficient process is introduced…
- If you are rolling out an initiative across multiple sites, consider using a pilot approach before scaling up. That way you can validate all your estimates in the pilot and revise your expectations accordingly before scaling up (and spending significantly on the new way of doing things).
By thoroughly understanding costs and benefits during implementation planning, you can align expectations, secure stakeholder support, and ensure your initiative delivers the desired value.
4: Define clear Measures of Success - Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
KPIs are the compass that guide your transformation journey. Even the most well-planned implementation will struggle if the success metrics are not defined clearly from the start.
Good implementation planning needs to define clear measures of success.
The Impact of Undefined or Vague KPIs
Consider this scenario: You’re building a new highway, but instead of defining clear benchmarks like traffic volume, safety improvements, or fuel savings, you just hope for the best. It’s possible that the road could be completed, but how do you know if it’s truly successful? What if it leads to unintended bottlenecks or worse, accidents?
How do you define success ? What will success look like ?
KPIs are the keys to measuring success and primarily answer the question of: Are we there yet ?
Setting Meaningful KPIs
To successfully implement any initiative, you need to track both process and impact KPIs. Process KPIs forecast future success, while impact KPIs show past results. Process KPIs are also known as leading or input KPIs whilst impact KPIs are also known as lagging or output KPIs.
- Process KPIs: Indicators that predict future performance. They are usually physical and directly associated with the process being measured e.g., time to complete task, usage of some equipment, time for each customer inquiry.
- Impact KPIs: Metrics that confirm success after the process has completed – for example, cost savings achieved.
Whilst impact KPIs can tell you the cost savings achieved it doesn’t necessarily tell you why it’s not achieving the desired impact. Hence, the need for process KPIs. If you have the right process KPIs, then the impact KPIs simply confirm the result you would expect to see.
Questions to Consider
- Do your KPIs reflect the real business outcomes you want to achieve, or are they too vague?
- How often will you review your KPIs during implementation ? are you prepared to react accordingly if they reveal issues?
How to Get It Right
- Ensure you have process and impact KPIs: You need at least one process KPI that gives you instant feedback on whether you’re heading in the right direction. Impact KPIs will confirm the overall success of the initiative but relying only on impact KPIs does not tell you the full story.
- Set SMART KPIs: A common mistake when setting KPIs is making them too vague. The SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) ensures your KPIs are actionable and focused.
- Set realistic benchmarks: Base KPIs on data from similar initiatives or historical trends to ensure they are achievable.
- Review and adapt: Establish regular check-ins during implementation to ensure your initiative is moving in the right direction and adjust accordingly if you’re not seeing the results you’re expecting to see. The KPIs will tell you if you’re successful – not a completed gantt!
- Consider qualitative KPIs: While quantitative KPIs like revenue or productivity are crucial, qualitative indicators like employee satisfaction and customer experience can provide deep insights. It’s natural to strive for a ‘hard’ quantitative metric to measure an initiative’s success but sometimes success needs to be measured by ‘softer’ metrics.
By defining the right KPIs in your implementation planning, you can track progress with precision, adjust your approach in real-time, and most importantly, ensure that your initiative delivers the desired outcomes.
5. Identify risks and risk mitigation plans
During implementation planning, it’s easy to become so focused on the destination that you forget about the potential roadblocks. However, a clear-eyed understanding of risks—and a thoughtful mitigation plan—can make the difference between a smooth rollout and a costly setback.
The Unseen Dangers of Overlooking Risk
Ignoring risks can lead to missed opportunities for pre-emptive action, putting your entire initiative at risk. Without mitigation strategies, minor hiccups can snowball into major issues, derailing progress. Issues are essentially risks that have eventuated. By successfully identifying risks and mitigating actions you can potentially prevent a major issue from ever occurring.
Common Risks in Implementation and How to Mitigate Them
- Resistance to Change: Change often brings about fear and resistance, especially when new technologies or processes are introduced. People may be comfortable with the old ways of doing things, and the thought of changing can be overwhelming.
- Mitigation: Invest in the right change management strategies, including training programs, open communication, and leadership support. Engaging team members early and addressing concerns can reduce resistance.
- Technology Failures: Whether it’s new equipment failing, a glitch in the software, integration issues, or a failure to scale, technology problems are an ever-present risk.
- Mitigation: Have contingency plans in place, including standby options; phase rollouts to minimize disruptions. Running a pilot program before full implementation can also help identify technical challenges early.
- Inadequate User Adoption: Even with a fantastic new process or system, if the users aren’t on board, success will be limited.
- Mitigation: Ensure thorough training is provided for all users, and create incentives for engagement. Regular follow-ups and feedback loops can help identify pain points and improve the adoption process.
- Cost Overruns and Delays: Some initiatives can be large and complex, and it’s easy for costs to spiral out of control or for timelines to slip.
- Mitigation: Establish clear budgets and timelines at the outset. Break the initiative into manageable phases and monitor progress frequently to stay on track.
- Lack of Stakeholder Alignment: Without alignment across leadership and teams, it’s easy for the initiative to lose focus or for resources to be misallocated.
- Mitigation: Involve key stakeholders in the planning process early and ensure consistent communication across teams. Regular updates, check-ins, and transparent decision-making are key to keeping everyone aligned.
Questions to Consider
- Have you identified implementation risks ? and evaluated and prioritised them (using a risk matrix with impact and likelihood criteria) ?
- Do you have clear mitigating action plans to address the highest priority risks (top 3) ?
- How well-prepared is your team to respond to unexpected challenges? Do you have a plan B ?
- Are you involving the right stakeholders in risk discussions to ensure full visibility? Is the initiative/business sponsor aware of the biggest risks and comfortable with the strategies in place to manage them ?
How to Get It Right
- Prioritize risks: Use tools like risk matrices to rank potential risks by their likelihood and impact, allowing you to focus on what matters most.
- Create actionable plans: For each identified priority risk, have a specific mitigation plan in place, including timelines, responsibilities, and resources.
- Monitor and adapt: Once the initiative is in motion, continue to assess risks and adjust your plans accordingly. Be proactive rather than reactive.
By addressing risks head-on and preparing solutions during implementation planning, you set your implementation up for success and avoid costly surprises.
Conclusion: Mastering the Art of Successful Implementation
In the world of business transformation, a strong implementation planning is everything. Without clear implementation planning, including thorough consideration of current & future state, work steps, cost and benefit expectations, KPIs, and risk mitigation, even the best initiative can fail to deliver the expected results.
What we’ve discussed so far:
- Understanding the Current & Future State: It’s crucial to know where you are today before mapping out where you want to go. A lack of this clarity can lead to wasted resources and misguided efforts.
- Detailed Work Steps: Breaking down the initiative into manageable phases ensures each work step gets the attention it deserves, making the entire journey more approachable and less overwhelming.
- Cost and Benefit Clarity: Setting clear expectations around costs and benefits helps ensure that everyone is aligned from the start and that there are no surprises along the way.
- KPIs: Defining the right metrics from the outset gives you a clear picture of success and ensures accountability throughout the process.
- Risk Mitigation: Addressing risks head-on allows you to navigate challenges smoothly and keeps your implementation on track.
But here’s the thing: It’s easy to become consumed by the excitement of new possibilities. Initiatives and major Transformations are often presented as a golden opportunity for change, but without a solid plan to guide the implementation, that excitement can quickly turn into frustration when things go wrong.
So, what’s the key takeaway here? Start with a strong implementation plan. Preparation is everything. The stronger your implementation planning at the outset, the smoother your implementation will go, no matter how complex the initiative.
The Future is Bright with Smart Implementation Planning
When you invest time and resources into a solid implementation plan, it’s like setting a sturdy foundation before you start building. The initial work may take time, but once it’s done, the rest of the process flows with ease.
As you move forward with your transformation journey, remember: It’s not just about what you’re implementing—it’s about how you get there. If you’re prepared to address potential pitfalls and take steps to plan for success, the results will speak for themselves.
Questions to Take Away:
- Are you confident that you truly understand the current situation and the issues you’re trying to address (at a root cause level) ? You know what you’re trying to change and why it will lead to an uplift in performance ? (A good test is if you can justifiably define the expected uplift)
- Will the work plan (Gantt) deliver the expected ‘To-Be’ future state ? Does every change you’re expecting to see in the future state have underlying work steps to deliver that that future state ?
- Are your costs and benefits realistic ? Do you know the ‘money step’ ?
- Have you defined what success looks like ? Are you measuring the right KPIs ? Do you have at least one process KPI you are measuring ? Do you have an achievable, realistic target ?
- Lastly, have you planned for risks ? Have you prioritised the risks both in terms of impact and likelihood ? and do you have mitigating actions in place for the most critical risks ?
Let’s Build Success Together
As you reflect on your current or upcoming initiatives, consider taking the time now to carefully examine your implementation planning. Ensuring that all the elements—current & future state, work steps, costs, KPIs, and risks—are thoroughly defined will empower you to lead your initiative with confidence.
Further information in implementation planning: