We Are Going Live!

After doing project-related work for nearly 25 years, having a project “Go Live” is still a great feeling!  Yes, there are associated risks.  Yes, there are certain stresses related to change and moving outside our comfort zones.  Yes, sometimes the projects were pushed on people as opposed to being asked for.  And, yes, even if there is complaining during the project, the fears and concerns preceding the all-important “Go Live” date are forgotten as the new “thing” becomes part of the fabric of life.  In many cases, those who complained of the old way, tend to migrate the complaints over to the new way.

When I started working at the company I am currently at, it was to implement a global ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) so that the “world of Finance” could be on the same platform, speak the same language and have the ability to support one another no matter where they were located.  Migrating different regions, with different software, with completely different processes is never an easy task.  Projects of such a large size must be done in phases, with one overriding plan on how to proceed.  Translation: The project would be a multi-year project from beginning to end. 

Years ago, I worked for a company that was bought by Merck & Co.  Merck was an interesting place, in that, they actually had a project based organization structure.  This meant that for a large project, you were plucked from your current project and dedicated 100% to this new project, with its own project organization.  The benefit is that your focus is on the project with a team of the same goals.  This was definitely a unique learning experience. Project life afterwards meant that daily activities sometimes had the priority, other responsibilities come your way and other projects with a higher priority push off current projects.

Managing projects of this nature requires patience.  In a go-go society, instant gratification and quick turn arounds have been an expected norm, regardless of the reality of what is before us.  It is important in managing any project that communications in regards to the timelines, the impact / changes to a project and identification of external factors that effect a project occur.  When the moment of the “Go Live” is right in front of us, it is normal to ask, “what did we miss.”  No project ends at “Go Live,” but the project continues until a short time later, miraculously, “things” return to normal, as if there was never that tense period where we push back from change.  Remember, always congratulate and thank your teams for the work they did, for it is their effort, their stress and their expectations that make or break the acceptance of the “Go Live.”