Green rocks and stumbling blocks – key reasons why software implementations fail

The Standish Group International’s Chaos Report has famously found year after year that more than half of software projects fail, with many cancelled before they are completed. The reasons for these failures typically have little to do with the software, says David Tayler, CEO of Fusion Software.

“When implementations don’t deliver the expected results, organisations typically point a finger at the software. But there are myriad reasons for implementation failures and most of them are not about the software itself,” Tayler says.

Tayler says Fusion Software has on occasion been consulted on implementations that have been attempted – and failed – several times previously. This, he says, points to problems both from the client and vendor side. “Software is not a simple product like shoes or a loaf of bread. It’s a continuously morphing system that means different things to different stakeholders,” he says.

Fusion Software likens software systems to a green rock. Tayler explains: “If you mention a green rock, every person will have a different mental image of what it might look like. You might have five stakeholders in the room, and five – or even more – different ideas of what the green rock looks like. Software is the same. Everyone might be referring to a new system by the same name, but each one has a different idea of what the system is, how it will perform and what it will deliver for the business.”

This is one of the key reasons why a software implementation might be deemed a failure, Tayler says.

“At Fusion Software, we use what we call our green rock methodology to try to ensure that what we offer is what the client is looking for,” he says. If the vendor and client stakeholders don’t understand each other clearly, and align on expectations, the result is inevitably huge frustration, short delivery and failed projects.

Agreeing on what the green rock looks like is an important first step towards success, Tayler says.

He notes that a Business Requirements Specifications (BRS) document will help clarify matters, but will still not deliver the complete picture of what the business expects. “The BRS isn’t the be-all and end-all. The client needs to have a project champion, who has time to invest in the implementation process and who works closely with the implementation partner throughout the implementation. If the client invests as much time as the supplier does, they will create a relationship, and that relationship will breed success,” he says.

He notes that the organisation and its supplier or vendor should keep unpacking what the green rock looks like throughout the implementation process. “It changes all the time. A software system is a live scenario – it never stops evolving,” he says.

Tayler says software can also disappoint after the implementation, if organisations neglect change management, training and system maintenance. “Software is like a car, in that it won’t perform properly if nobody knows how to drive it and you don’t service it regularly.

“Training should never stop to ensure that new staff use the system properly and internal people don’t pass on bad habits,” he says. “Importantly, the system must be constantly maintained, either through in-house skills or by the supplier. We offer post go-live SLAs to ensure the system continues to perform optimally. If best practice maintenance isn’t followed, organisations will slowly but surely erode their success and eventually conclude the system doesn’t work and they should start again from scratch,” he says.

Tayler says key mistakes to avoid when implementing software are:

Not understanding the green rock – organisations should be clear at the outset why they want the solution, what it should deliver and the business outcomes that are expected of it.

Not having a relationship with the service provider or vendor – not only should organisations understand what the software solution should deliver, they should also ensure their supplier clearly understands this too. Organisations need to work closely with their supplier throughout the project, and post-implementation, to ensure they get optimal returns from their investment.

Not having a project champion – organisations need internal stakeholders who collaborate with suppliers to ensure the project adapts and delivers as expected.

Not maintaining the software system – software systems should evolve continuously to remain up to date and aligned with the changing business. Failure to maintain the system will result in the software failing to live up to expectations.