Construction Software

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The task of implementing a new construction software package is no easy one.  The be successful, you need to understand your business objectives and how they relate to the new software.  Only then will you be able to develop a plan to match the software with your business and meet those goals.  

This article goes in to some details about several key factors that companies need to keep in mind when they’re trying to successfully implement a new software package.  These things should all be discussed and thought through before any implementation begins.  Not only will they raise some key questions, but they will also help in developing the best plan for each organization.

Assemble Your Team

Your conversion team should resemble a pyramid of sorts. With a team leader at the top, followed by layers of support personnel with various levels of involvement, you will create a strong foundation for positive results.

Conversion Lead:  The in-house leader of the conversion team will be the primary contact between your organization and the software vendor.  This is typically the person with the most expertise in the area and could be the CEO, CFO, or even the controller.  Their main responsibility is to oversee the entire implementation process and make sure that things stay on schedule.

Level Two – Management:  Below the project leader in the structure of the team will be managers from every department of yoru company that will be affected by the new software.  Their main responsibilities will be ensuring that the new software performs every operation that their department needs it to with no problems.

Data Entry Staff:  At the base of your pyramid is your data entry staff. During your conversion, it’s important to include staff that will use the software on a daily basis. Discuss current processing procedures and identify ways that the new software can improve or streamline workflow.

Others:  In addition to the core groups, you need to be sure that other personnel from other levels of the organization are included.  The key is to make sure that all departments or individuals that will be impacted by the new software have a voice in the new software implementation process.  

You may also consider asking your accountant (if you use an outside service) to be a part of the team as a consultant since they will also be affected by the change.

Get Software Vendor Assistance

The most knowledgeable source for conversion assistance is your software vendor. With hundreds or thousands of implementations under their belt, your vendor can provide invaluable guidance every step of the way.

Most vendors have conversion or implementation managers who should be used.  Additionally, if they offer conversion checklists or anything similar, make sure that you use them.

Keep in mind that some vendors will charge a fee for these additional services.  In most cases, the costs are well worth it.  You will have to pay an up front fee for the services, but the software will be up and running quicker and you’ll be able to start reaping the cost saving benefits of the new software sooner.

Tip: Get your vendor’s recommendation on where to order new checks and forms for your software.

Develop an Implementation Timeline

With the assistance of representatives from your vendor, develop a detailed timeline for the implementation.  Begin with a list of all that needs to be done and get input from all members of your team and the vendor.  The more thorough your list, the better equipped for success you will be as it will eliminate the risk of things popping up that weren’t planned for.

Once the list/brainstorming is complete, you might want to categorize each task the get organized.  Things can be categorized as “pre-install,” “testing” and so on.  If you’re going to need to upgrade your hardware during the implementation, remember to account for that as well.

Conversion is an excellent time to evaluate your current chart of accounts and cost codes, and to make changes if needed. Adding these items to your timeline will prompt you to review and revise before it’s too late.

The timeline that you develop needs to be in a clear calendar format with hard date ranges or specific dates for each milestone.  One of your team members needs to be responsible for monitoring your progress along the timeline to ensure that the schedule is maintained or that it is updated to reflect changes.

As you create and complete your timeline items, it will be important to ask questions. Communicate with your vendor and conversion team by asking: Are we on track? Are there things to add to the timeline? What potential pitfalls or delays can we anticipate and avoid?

Tip: Don’t forget to add your “Go Live” date to your timeline.

Data Conversion

You have two options for converting your data from your old software to the new system:  manual and electronic.  Ultimately, your choice will depend on what services your vendor offers and how much of the old data you want to transfer over.

Converting Data Manually:  There is nothing fancy about manual data conversion and it is exactly what it sounds like – the data is entered in to the new system manually by employees.  This is often a good choice for companies that only plan to move a small amount of data.

Electronic Data Conversion:  Electronic data conversion involves the use of technology to bring your existing data into the new software. This option is ideal in many cases and for a multitude of reasons. Less labor-intensive than the manual method, the electronic route benefits smaller conversion teams or more aggressive timelines.

If your vendor offers electronic conversion tools, you should strongly consider using them.  They will be able to provide you with guidance for retrieving data from your old system as well as giving you a list of acceptable formats for converting the data.

Cleaning Data:  The old saying of “garbage in, garbage out” certainly applies here.  If the data in your old system is inaccurate, full of errors, etc., then you will want to clean it up before transferring it to the new system.  Set aside some time to go through your old data, standardize it, delete duplicates, test its validity, and make any necessary formatting adjustments before transferring it.

Testing:  Testing your converted data is just as crucial as data cleanup. Manually or electronically entering data into a test database on your new system gives you the chance to evaluate critical processes and review vital reports for accuracy.

In some sense, you can think of testing after the conversion as a dry run for the real thin.  Verify its integrity, run some test queries, and compare reports with reports generated by the old software for accuracy.

Companies that are extremely large and have a lot of data to convert should consider hiring temporary help during the data transition period.  This will speed the process up without the need to take other individuals away from their normal duties.

Training

Once your software is installed and your data converted, training is the next phase in your implementation. Do not cut corners on training. Adequate instruction on the functionality and features of your new software will lay the foundation for continuous improvement in your workflow processes.

Conducting on-site training is the most advatageous because it allows users to get comfortable with the software in the environment that they’ll be using it in as well as work with real data.  Begin with the basic modules and move on from there.

Follow up training sessions are also recommended but can be done using online or phone training sessions.  Ongoing training/refreshers should also be mandatory for all employees at regular intervals.

A Continued Partnership with Your Vendor

Long after your go-live date has passed, your relationship with your vendor will continue. Nurture that relationship whenever possible. Communicate enhancement requests to the development team. Offer to be a reference for prospective clients. And if regional or national user conferences are planned, attend them if you can.

The environment of construction accounting is complex.  Building a long-term relationship with your vendor is one of the best ways to ensure ongoing success for your company.

The process of installing and training staff on a new construction software system is certainly not a walk in the park. Companies that do so successful begin by getting an understanding of their objectives and how the software fits in to their overall business goals. Once they do this, they can begin to develop and execute a plan that will provide the best match between the software and the organization’s objectives.

This article goes in to some details about several key factors that companies need to keep in mind when they’re trying to successfully implement a new software package. These things should all be discussed and thought through before any implementation begins. Not only will they raise some key questions, but they will also help in developing the best plan for each organization.

Identify Key Individuals

The group or team of employees that are selected to complete the sofware conversion should consist of a leader with layers of support below that have more layers of support below them. If you’re picturing a pyramid in your mind as you read that statement, then you’re on the right track.

Team Leader: This will be the leader of the entire conversion project. This person will likely be the person in the organization with teh most expertise in the area and does not necessarily need to be a company president or C-level executive. This person will also be the primary communicator with the software vendor. They will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the implementation and keeping everything on schedule.

Level Two – Management: Below the project leader in the structure of the team will be managers from every department of yoru company that will be affected by the new software. Their main responsibilities will be ensuring that the new software performs every operation that their department needs it to with no problems.

Level Three – End Users: Below the managers will be a group of end users that are selected to participate in the conversion. Their input may be the most valuable in terms of finding ways to use the software to improve company processes and they will also be responsible for inputting all the data in to the new system.

Other Support: These three levels will also need to get support from other key individuals within the organization who may not need to be permanent members of the conversion team. It is highly important to ensure that every individual or department that will be impacted in some way or another has an opportunity to voice their opinions and ideas or is represented by a member of their department during the implementation.

You may also consider asking your accountant (if you use an outside service) to be a part of the team as a consultant since they will also be affected by the change.

Get Input from Your Vendor

The software vendor that you work with will undoubtedly have the most knowledge about successfully implementing their system. Although this may be your first or second software conversion, they will have gone through the process hundreds or thousands of times and will be able to provide you with some sound advice.

If your vendor offers some sort of conversion or implementation manager, you should strongly consider using their services. Additionally, and information that your vendor can provide, like checklists or similar documents, should also be used.

Keep in mind that some vendors will charge a fee for these additional services. In most cases, the costs are well worth it. You will have to pay an up front fee for the services, but the software will be up and running quicker and you’ll be able to start reaping the cost saving benefits of the new software sooner.

Another bit of advice – ask your vendor for some recommendations for places to order forms, checks, and other materials that you’ll need to get the most from your software since they will know what works the best with their package.

Plan a Timeline

You’ll want to talk with some representatives from the software vendor and get their help in creating a timeline for the software implementation. Start by brainstorming a list of everything that needs to be done (in no particular order) and get some input from the entire conversion team as well as your vendor. When making this list, be as thorough as possible to reduce the risk of unplanned events or problems coming up down the line.

Once the list/brainstorming is complete, you might want to categorize each task the get organized. Things can be categorized as “pre-install,” “testing” and so on. If you’re going to need to upgrade your hardware during the implementation, remember to account for that as well.

Once all your tasks are categorized, you can begin to create a timeline. Use a calendar format and set dates for each milestone. Designate one team member to be responsible for monitoring the progress that you make and ensuring that everything stays on track. If delays occur, the calendar must be updated to reflect the delays and changes.

Finally, make sure you set the all important “Go Live” milestone at the very end!

Move Your Data to the New System

When the time comes to convert your data from your old construction accounting software system to the new one, you have two options – manual conversion and electronic conversion. There will be several factors to consider when deciding which route to go, but the key things to consider is what level of service and support your vendor offers and how much of the old data will be moving to the new system.

Converting Data Manually: There is nothing fancy about manual data conversion and it is exactly what it sounds like – the data is entered in to the new system manually by employees. This is often a good choice for companies that only plan to move a small amount of data.

Obviously, the big concern with manual conversion is the accuracy of the data entry. Companies that decide to use manual data conversion must ensure that there is a solid system in place to verify the accuracy of the data that is transferred.

Converting Data Electronically: The advantage of using technology to convert the data to the new system is that is it much faster and does not involve a lot of human labor. It is the preferred solution, especially for companies with small conversion teams or those that are transferring a lot of data.

Some vendors offer tools that convert the data for you and if they do, you should seriously consider using them, even at a small cost. The vendors will be able to guide you through the conversion and will know what kinds of formats the data must be in to make the conversion successful.

Cleaning Data: The old saying of “garbage in, garbage out” certainly applies here. If the data in your old system is inaccurate, full of errors, etc., then you will want to clean it up before transferring it to the new system. Set aside some time to go through your old data, standardize it, delete duplicates, test its validity, and make any necessary formatting adjustments before transferring it.

Testing: Equally important to cleaning the data is testing it in the new system after the conversion. This should be done before, during, and after all of the data is uploaded to the new software.

The testing of your data after the conversion is complete should be viewed as a “dry run” for the real deal. Have the new software create reports and verify their accuracy against the old system to ensure that everything is running properly.

Companies that are extremely large and have a lot of data to convert should consider hiring temporary help during the data transition period. This will speed the process up without the need to take other individuals away from their normal duties.

Training

Once the new software is installed, all the data is converted, and everything is running smoothly, the final step in the process is to train the end users to properly use the new software. This is arguably the most important step in the new software process. Do not cut any corners here. Even users that have knowledge of the new system need to complete the training to ensure everyone is on the same page.

On-site training through your vendor is generally the best way to do this. Users get experience using the new software in the environment that they will be using it while working with the same data that they will work with every day. Start with the basics and move on only after everyone has grasped the core essentials.

Follow up training sessions are also recommended but can be done using online or phone training sessions. Ongoing training/refreshers should also be mandatory for all employees at regular intervals.

Stay in Touch With Your Vendor

Once the new software is up and running for real, do not end your relationship with your vendor. Keep in touch with them regularly so that when problems arise (they will), you will get the best possible support. Offer to serve as a reference for them for similar companies and make an effort to attend conferences or trade shows in your area where they appear.

The construction accounting software industry is very complex and it will pay off in the long run to have a positive relationship with your vendor. Nurturing an ongoing relationship with them is one of the best ways to ensure the success of your new software.