After thorough planning and evaluation, youâre finally ready to roll out your new tech stack. But, as with any big change, how you implement it is everything. Itâs all about getting the details rightâmaking sure systems integrate smoothly, ensuring theyâll grow with your business, and giving your team the support they need to make the transition seamless.
Hereâs how to make sure this phase goes smoothly.
Choosing the right apps
Your implementationâs success hinges on making sure youâve selected the right tools. Youâll want to approach this decision strategically to ensure they fit your business needs now and in the future:
- Clarify your needs: Get clear on what you actually need. Create a solid list of must-haves and nice-to-haves so you can evaluate whether a vendor really fits.
- Talk to multiple teams: Donât rely only on the sales pitch. Make sure you speak with the onboarding, tech, and support teams to get a full picture of the vendorâs capabilities and how theyâll support you.
- Post-implementation support: This is a big one. What happens when you run into problems later on? Is their help desk knowledgeable and responsive, or do you get stuck talking to a bot? Make sure their support can back you up.
- Test it out: Use trial periods to test how the system works with your own data and how well it integrates with other tools youâre using. The earlier you spot potential problems, the easier they are to fix.
- Consider third-party integrators: Vendors often focus on their own product, but integrating that with the rest of your ecosystem can be tricky. Bringing in a third-party integrator could help everything run more smoothly and prevent future headaches.
Catching integration issues early
Integration problems often crop up right after you choose your apps, so dealing with them early on is key. Youâre essentially testing how well these tools talk to each other.
A common challenge is when systems donât integrate well, leading to inefficiencies and manual workarounds. So, how can you spot when systems arenât syncing effectively?
First, manual data handling is a clear sign of integration issues. If your team is entering data manually or using tedious download/upload processes to transfer information between systems, the tech stack isnât doing its job. For instance, many retail EPOS systems arenât mapped correctly into financial software, causing significant manual work for finance teams. Similarly, manual intervention during data transfersâsuch as mapping multiple reporting codes in the finance systemâintroduces errors and undermines efficiency.
Another red flag is if data mapping between systems feels complicated, resulting in frequent reconciliation efforts. For example, inventory systems that arenât seamlessly pushing purchase orders, stock levels, and cost data into the finance system can wreak havoc on your reporting accuracy. You want a clean flow of information, not hours spent chasing down discrepancies.
You may also notice delaysâdata might take longer to reach your finance system, or certain tools (like expense apps) may not sync in time for monthly reports. When this happens, your financial reports wonât reflect the latest data, undermining your insights.
In the worst cases, you may find your team relying on spreadsheets for reporting instead of using in-app features, or having to merge data from various systems manually. And if multiple vendors start pointing fingers at each other when problems arise, youâve definitely got an integration problem on your hands.
Scaling with your companyâs growth
Once youâve tackled integrations, scalability comes into play as you consider the long-term effectiveness of your new systems.
As your business grows, so do your tech needs. You donât want to find yourself overhauling your tech stack again in a couple of years because it wasnât built to scale. There are a few factors to keep in mind to future-proof your setup:
- Cost of scaling: As you add more users or access advanced features in higher tiers, scaling costs can rise quickly. Be sure to factor this into your budgeting process.
- Transaction limits: Some systems have transaction limits that might not be evident until your business hits a certain level. Check that your new tools can handle increased transaction volumes.
- Reporting needs: Consider how reporting requirements will change as your company grows. Whether itâs cost centre reporting, external stakeholder reports, or compliance obligations in new markets, your tech stack must be flexible enough to adapt.
- Market compatibility: Will your system work in new markets or jurisdictions? As your business diversifies, you may need additional software solutions to meet local requirements.
Supporting your team through the transition
Even the best tech stack can flop if your team doesnât get the right support. The success of any new system comes down to how well your people adapt to it.
A smooth implementation isnât just a finance job. You need buy-in across all departments to ensure that the new processes are followed. Simply put, a lack of engagement from any part of the business can derail the implementation.
Providing hands-on training is another critical factor. People learn best by doing, so give your team time to practice in a test environment before going live. Make sure thereâs someone responsible for ongoing training and support, as initial training is only part of the puzzle. A structured training plan, using test and live data, should be in place to ensure continuous learning. This investment will pay off in fewer mistakes and smoother operations down the line.
Itâs also important to monitor the uptake of the new system. Not everyone will embrace change with open arms. Some will be excited, others hesitant, and a few might even resist. Keeping an eye on how the team is adopting the new system will help you identify resistance early so you can tackle it head-on. To further bolster adoption, develop knowledge-sharing facilities such as team updates or a digital pool of resources.
The implementation phase of a tech stack overhaul is where the rubber meets the road. By selecting the right apps, anticipating integration challenges, planning for scalability, and providing thorough training, you can ensure a smooth transition that sets your business up for long-term success. Take your time, invest in the right support, and be strategicâbecause the payoff of a well-executed overhaul is a tech stack that truly works for you.
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