A common failure or cause of delay in implementations is the failure of management to assign responsibility without authority and/or oversight of the project. If you tell someone to do something and don’t give them the resources and ‘power’ to do it, it will probably fail. Again, different companies have different tenors.
Another major failure mode is where there really aren’t enough resources (personnel, particularly) to get things done in addition to regular responsibilities. A few years ago I told the plant manager that there was no way for the company to succeed in the time expected because it was evident employees were at their limit in so far as time went. He called a meeting of upper management and middle managers and said: “I realize there is a resource issue. I will take the hit for lost productivity. Quality shall not suffer even though output may. Please put your ISO responsibilities on the top of your agenda.” He authorized the war room to be stocked around the clock with sandwiches, drinks and snacks. Employees worked overtime. We had a meeting every Thursday to discuss progress including resource needs, including temporaries. This plant was 3000+ souls and completed everything in 6 months.
Often, outside help is needed with documentation. A number of clients have used temp firms to get legacy paper documentation input into their preferred software, for example.
Implementation Commandments
You cannot give someone a responsibility without publicly conferring authority to act.
If top management doesn’t care, no one else will care.
If planned meetings are not attended, ‘someone’ isn’t serious about their part in the project.
Track the project publicly. Publicize status weekly or bi-weekly.
Communication may not be everything, but it is the largest single stumbling block. No camps with walls.
If people do not have enough time to begin with, they won’t have time for this.
