Design - the Journey
Human Centred Project Planning
How many times have you implemented or upgraded your CRM? Even if you have done this before, the situation will not be exactly the same this time.
How many times have your stakeholders experienced CRM deployments, and can you say that they have always been positive experiences?
Through our Human-Centered planning, we give you and your people the flexibility to learn and adjust what is delivered to your and their needs.
We also deliver tangible results that make fundamental measurable differences to your business from the start, not just at the end, and engage your people through the process.
Human Centred Planning
Flexible Plans
You will have some idea of your future and what the journey to that future might involve.
But we know this is a journey, and so, like all journeys, you may not have all the answers when you start.
So, we plan the journey as a series of steps, each building on the previous one and as the foundation for the next.
We ask you to agree on a detailed functional requirement for the next step, which is only part of the journey.
This Agile approach allows you to change your mind as you learn.
Engage the Human
The journey we plan takes time and effort, and you simultaneously have “Business as Usual” commitments.
So, you will need to allocate resources outside “Business as Usual” to represent all the stakeholders involved.
The senior sponsors and contributors are likely to focus on managing the project to ensure that a clear view of the destination is maintained.
The user representatives will focus on whether the software developed works for them and supports their everyday work lives.
What we deliver in software is constantly checked against both.
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Deliver Benefits Fast
When we create your Agile (DSDM) plan, each step is designed to provide a firm foundation for the next step and deliver measurable business benefits.
Each step will take between 4 and 6 weeks, which means you will start getting value very quickly from this Agile approach.
We design this fast and frequent delivery of value because that drives a momentum of success that builds and energizes enthusiasm in your business.
It also demonstrates that the plan is working, whereas in more traditional approaches, you don’t know this until the whole project is delivered and the consultants have left.
Integrate with Change
In our view, it is an error to communicate with stakeholders only at the end of the project.
Firstly, you may have spent months thinking about and developing a CRM system. If your people haven’t gone on that journey, they are mentally in a different place and need time to catch up, which impacts adoption.
Second, your stakeholders will know something is up, and if there is a vacuum, they will fill it with rumors that may be hard to dispel.
So, we work with you to develop a Change Communication Strategy that will run alongside the delivery of the plan so that stakeholders can take that journey with you.
Agile and Appreciative Inquiry
Unlike the traditional CRM Consultant, who is technically focused, I have a broader vision, which includes Change Management. As a Sales and Marketing Director, I have had to roll out CRM Systems to an often skeptical team. I know what is involved.
Agile Projects for CRM
We follow the Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) recommended by the Agile Alliance. This method provides a more structured approach than other Agile methodologies, such as Scrum, while retaining the spirit of Great Things created by Great People.
We have adopted Agile because it is fundamentally a human-centered approach to product design. DSDM brings with it a governance structure that ensures the project stays on course while being flexible about how.
Each Sprint in DSDM is delivered within 6 weeks, and at the end of that time, something that benefits the business is provided. This is an iterative approach, which means it is tested with the users against their requirements, adjusted, and retested until it is right.
We also like this approach because it makes adoption more certain. It is delivered in small, digestible pieces, keeping the end users engaged and energised in delivering their system.
Find out more about Human Centred Planning
Experience & Background
I am a veteran of over 15 years developing and deploying CRM Systems in every type of setting and across both MS Dynamics and the ZOHO Platform.
My experience has included Local Authorities, IT and Software providers, Not-for-Profit Membership organizations, sole traders, and Micro Businesses.
While I have technical accreditations as a developer, my background is as a user. That means I bring a uniquely practical approach to deployment driven by outcomes, not the shiniest new tech.
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