When you’re ready to kick off a vendor-guided software implementation, one important question to ask is ‘who should be involved’. For every property management company and every software application the answer could vary. But for an ERP there are some key choices for an implementation team that can facilitate the experience and ensure ongoing success throughout the lifetime of the relationship.
Here is a list of 6 people to consider for your implementation team:
Project Manager
In the process of selecting and implementing the best property management software for your organization, there should be one employee who is the project manager – champion of the software search who can act as a liaison between all parties, including the vendor, and relevant internal departments. Having one representative at all implementation meetings can help minimize gaps in knowledge and enable a seamless adoption process.
Superuser
A superuser is involved throughout implementation and subsequent training sessions who will acquire knowledge system-wide despite their day-to-day use of the system. Superusers are equipped with vast knowledge of the software environment directly from vendor support teams which they can apply independently. Empowering at least one employee to become a superuser is both a time, and cost-effective solution to training because it enables faster internal support, training, and troubleshooting.
Implementation Consultant
An implementation consultant can be a third party hire for property management companies who want outside support during their software implementation, or it can be someone from the vendor team who will guide organizations through best practices of ERP software implementation. Because adopting a new software system can be a culture shock for many people, especially long-term employees who have been operating without such a system for most of the time, a consultant can help ease the transition. They can also help tailor processes to best suit your organization’s individual business model.
Development/IT
A software implementation is technological in its nature; therefore, it requires perspective from IT during implementation. Having a representative from your IT department can help identify any foreseeable hiccups that may impede implementation and enable faster access to solutions. Implementation will give property management IT teams first-hand experience and understanding of the software so they can evaluate alongside the vendor support team how it will be best be executed technically.
Marketing and Sales
For many property management software solutions, customer portals have become the norm. When software systems are equipped with customer facing features like self-service portals it can be beneficial to involve a representative from marketing and sales to see how those features operate and develop an early understanding of how it can be presented from a sales-perspective to prospective and current clients. Getting sales and marketing involved as soon as possible, allows the added features to be quickly built into your service offering and marketing collateral, getting customers aware of the enhanced brand value as soon as possible.
Department Representation
As software is being configured, representation from various departments can provide targeted insight to support improve set up. This essentially means including end-users for feedback and direction. Property management companies leveraging a comprehensive ERP software would likely seek a spokesperson from marketing departments, sales, accounting, maintenance, and other frontline teams who would be hands on with the system. This will also enable easier internal software training. Since some employees will have advanced knowledge of the system, they will be able to acquire practical skills faster and cross-train their colleagues enhancing knowledge-share across your organization.
