Rethinking people, process and technology when delivering projects and change

By Co-Founder Lucy Grimwade

I've worked with people, process and technology for over 15 years. From starting my career on a service desk to moving into owning services to progressing into being the designer of tech services and support functions. 

The number one hiccup I have seen when it comes to project implementations into operations - is when organisations focus on throwing in a new or changes to technology, people and process before analysing their current landscapes. 

It’s no secret. 

The pace of change and innovation is accelerating and many businesses are struggling to keep up. 

➡ Not just with competitors, but with themselves!

Day-to-day operations are becoming more complex, with large teams spread across many offices, in different cities and even in different time zones. Add to that, the pressures to work at pace giving no-one time to ask questions...Teams are pushed to crack on, with little focus on collaboration, improvement and performance. 

The to-be is always more important then the as-is. But, riddle me this: how do you know the to-be will fix the problems of the as-is, if you don't already know the functionality within the as-is?

It's a problem because

(And not limited to): 

• Money is wasted on NOT-fit-for-purpose tech, which is eye-wateringly costly and don't even get me started on the hefty prices of maintenance/releases packages. 

•  Staff will leave. If people don't understand their purpose (with-in role and process), they will first start to lose moral and productivity to only eventually and inevitably leave. Which isn't helpful when trying to run a strong, high-performing operation. 

• The business will continue to have the 'oh bloody IT' opinion (or worst, your customers will be saying smack about you behind your back) which, some can argue it is unfair but seriously, sometimes can you even blame them? 

There isn't a one size fits all 

Every company will have a unique set of challenges. (I see that eye roll 🙄 )

And, as you may know from reading my content, that I am not about cookie cutting things into place. Hey, what works for you and your business might not work me and mine. 

Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but most organisations will tend to focus on creating change with technology, people and process with methodologies like Six Sigma, ITIL and PMP...

Don't get me wrong I am ITIL qualified, with a Lean Certification and a Coaching Diploma. Which arguable helps with the whole "speaking the same language" point... 

But common sense will always override anything that a course will tell you - Listen, there is no use putting a square peg in a round hole, right!

So, here's the thing. 

The solution doesn't have to be overly complicated. Yes, it will take time perhaps even a little bit of your budget. But investment up-front can actually save you later down the line. 

Here are 3 steps on rethinking people, process and technology when delivering projects and change. 

1) Map out your as-is infrastructure with service wraps and support models. 

I once worked in an organisation where the Technical Architect had mapped out the entire technical landscape of the business. It was printed out and displayed on a wall which made it incredibly useful in understanding which system talks to another and through what integration. From there, it made it easier to then think about the business areas, support models and personnel to consider when it came to a implementing a new product and service. 

⚠ But, you can't just map it out and then hope for the best 🤞 . You will need to: 

☑ Get someone to own it. (Hello, RACI) 

☑ Create a governance process that includes end of life, contract renewals etc, etc. 

☑ And dedicate time and resource to getting it done. 

2) Listen to the do-ers and find out what they ACTUALLY do. 

You know what they say about people that assume? 

Time and time again, decision makers, make decisions on people, products and procedures that, quite frankly they no NOTHING about. We have got to stop this antiquated approach. Speak to your stakeholders, work with your business analysts and business change managers to get the full picture. 

It's dangerous game to play jumping to assumptions or suggesting something that you did 10 years ago, in a different role, in different industry, on different service. So:

☑ Stay curious for longer. 

☑ If you don't know, ask. (Even if you are the CEO) 

☑ Aks to see a demo - of the old tech and the new tech. And get the end-user to trial it too. 

3) Explore what the numbers say. 

I am just as shocked as you, that I am once again advocating for the use of data. (My manager will be pleased). 

Data can really help paint a picture of a situation, pin-pointing exactly where the failings are. But be warned 🚨, if your data source is a little un-tidy, so will your findings. Meaning, you might have do a clean up first, before analysing the data. 

What to look for: 

☑ Trends in the data. E.g. is there a specific customer? 

☑ Aligning stories. Is what being said, found in the data set? 

☑ The root cause. E.g. People, Process or Technology 😉

This might help 

If you don't do this already - at the point of ideation involve as many stakeholders as possible. Some project professionals will be shaking their heads at this, but imagine a world where you get to handover and no-one has a compliant! 

Sign, sealed and delivered, sounds like a dream, but is possible if you get your stakeholder and comms mapping right - 

Oh and you know you're AS IS before you do anything with a TO-BE.