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You’ve made the commitment. The architecture is set. The business case is approved.
How do you successfully deliver this transformation?
Your business case may contain the early framework of a project plan, particularly if it was developed to support a funding request. If you operate within a structured PMO, you may already have guidance in place. However, if you’re navigating this journey with limited internal support, here are some key considerations to help you execute your migration effectively.
1. Define Your Strategy
One of the most significant risks in any project is the Dunning-Kruger effect – being unaware of what you don’t know. A structured assessment of your business’s strengths and gaps before initiating an upgrade can reveal critical blind spots. Addressing these early on ensures a smoother transition.
An experienced facilitator can help guide these discussions, ensuring your team understands how this transformation will impact operations, processes, and user adoption. By proactively addressing these factors, you set the foundation for long-term success.
2. Build the Right Project Team
Your in-house team is essential to the success of this upgrade, but realistically, few businesses have idle employees with the exact skill set required for such a complex initiative.
Should you outsource the entire implementation? While that’s an option, you’ll still need key internal stakeholders—such as an application owner to act as the Project Sponsor—alongside input from critical business areas like Operations.
The most effective approach is often a hybrid model, blending internal resources with external experts like Project Managers and Maximo specialists. Once this core team is established, they can refine the project’s requirements and oversee the vendor selection process. The balance of speed, cost, and quality will be key – choosing the right team ensures you don’t compromise where it matters most.
3. Choose Your Partners Wisely
While outsourcing can help manage risk, it doesn’t eliminate it entirely – your choice of partners is critical.
Depending on your approach, you may need:
Successful partnerships require alignment in expertise, working style, and project goals. Choose vendors who understand your industry and are committed to delivering long-term value.
4. Design with Precision
The shift from high-level requirements to detailed design often brings unexpected challenges. At this stage, the quality of your architecture, application, and integration decisions will determine the project’s complexity—and ultimate success.
Ask yourself: Do you have the right expertise in each area? If not, investing in experienced specialists now can prevent costly issues later.
5. Execute with Agility
Planning, scheduling, cost tracking, change management – these are just some of the moving parts in a successful migration. But the key to execution isn’t just selecting a project framework – it’s knowing how to adapt it.
Agile? Waterfall? PMBOK? PRINCE2? No single methodology is a perfect fit for every project. A skilled Project Manager will tailor the approach, leveraging best practices while ensuring flexibility.
Similarly, requirements gathering, testing, and training must be customised for success:
The right project team will navigate these complexities, ensuring the transition is both seamless and value-driven.
6. Ensure a Smooth Operational Handover
When the project is complete and the team celebrates a successful launch, your business is left with a new, powerful system. But success doesn’t end at go-live—ensuring operational readiness is just as critical.
From day one, plan for:
The transition from project delivery to business-as-usual operations should be seamless, with clear accountability for continued success.
How gSphere Can Help
At gSphere, we are committed to your success – every step of the way. Our flexible, collaborative approach ensures you get the right expertise when and where you need it.
If this upgrade is keeping you up at night, let’s talk. We’ll help you navigate the complexities, mitigate risks, and ensure your Maximo migration delivers real value.
Get in touch today.
