There are a lot of managerial and technical references available about systems implementation methodologies and the like.  Many of these are presented in a rigid, boiler-plate non-personalized format that is enough to confuse most of us.

So, in the spirit of being helpful, I thought I'd post a simplified systems implementation model.  From my personal experience, this accurately describes the four basic phases of ANY Systems implementation,  from a human standpoint.  These Four Phases of Implementation are not my original idea. In fact, these concepts have been around as long as change itself. Since most of my Clients have found this extremely helpful, I thought I'd pass it along.

Through the four phases of an implementation, the morale of those participating in the project takes a predictable path. It is this morale that is necessary to the success of your project. The more morale can be increased, the more successful your implementation will be viewed. Understanding the four phases helps you manage and cultivate the high morale you are aiming for.

THE FIRST PHASE: "OH BOY!"
The first phase, the Oh Boy phase, is fun. "Oh Boy, we just purchased a new software product, and it's going to help us analyze our sales data and target new prospects a whole lot better!" This is the honeymoon phase.

Morale is very high in the Oh Boy phase. People are excited and optimistic, and probably have unrealistic expectations about the amount of time and effort that will be required to implement your software. They're looking forward to great improvements or even transformations from your product. The worst part about this phase is, like a honeymoon, how short it is.

THE SECOND PHASE: "OH SHOOT!"
Now, there a cruder version of the name for this phase, but I'll use this one for politeness' sake. Feel free to use the version you prefer. (This is the toughest phase).

When the reality sinks in about how much time and effort will be required to implement your system, people enter the "Oh Shoot" phase. Morale plummets during this phase. Instead of "Oh boy, this will help us fix our reports!" people are thinking: "Oh shoot, I can't believe how much work we must do to fix our data so that it will work right in the reports! How are we ever going to get that done? Will anyone even help us? Can we get our old system back?"  This is the buyer's remorse phase.

When implementation projects hit the "Oh Shoot" phase and remain stuck there, that's when projects fail entirely. It is vital that you work to make the Oh Shoot phase as short as possible, and that you work to move everyone – yourself, your members, your executive team, every user – to the next phase.
I always try to help new clients anticipate the "Oh Shoot" phase and help with planning to counter it so we can  keep their system implementations on track.

THE THIRD PHASE: "OH, WELL!"
The third phase is the "Oh, Well" phase. "Oh, well, we have a lot of work to do to get our data where we need it to be, but once that's done, we'll have the reports that we have wanted for so long now." This phase can vary greatly in length, lasting from the end of the "Oh Shoot" phase all the way until your product is successfully implemented. The more time required to implement your product, the longer this phase will last.

In the Oh, Well phase, morale starts out low, right down where it dropped in the "Oh Shoot" phase. Then it slowly gets better as you make progress towards your implementation goals. As each unwelcome task is accomplished and each milestone is met, morale rises. The steadier your progress, the more steadily it rises.

It's critical to understand that morale in the "Oh, Well" phase doesn't start out very high, and doesn't rise very fast at first. That makes it hard to determine whether you are out of the "Oh Shoot" phase or not. Your implementation is making significant, even vital, progress when you have moved into the "Oh, Well" phase, but when you measure morale, it doesn't seem all that much better at first, so it can be hard to tell that the implementation is in fact progressing. Over time, it becomes clear that things are improving. The trick is to determine whether morale is improving, albeit slowly, in which case you are in the "Oh, Well" phase, or whether it is stagnant and you're stuck in the "Oh Shoot" phase.

The "Oh Shoot phase doesn't end, and the "Oh, Well" phase doesn't start, until you resign yourself to the fact that implementation is going to be more difficult than you thought. You must face the fact that you are required to complete whatever work is necessary and possibly bring in outside help (wink, wink) to get the system implemented the way you want.

To make your implementation succeed, it is essential that you help move yourself from the "Oh Shoot" to the "Oh, Well" phase. Face facts and resign yourself to the effort required. Then work to move your teammates, users, and managers to the "Oh, Well" phase also, so that your effort can make progress. As the "Oh, Well" phase progresses, morale starts to improve significantly, until you reach the final phase.

THE FOURTH PHASE: "OH WOW!"
The fourth and final phase is the Oh Wow phase: "Oh wow! Did you see these great reports? How did we ever live without this software?" In this phase, morale climbs up high and stays there, as you realize the benefits of the software you have implemented.

It helps, during the sometimes very long "Oh, Well" phase, to remind yourself and your teammates that what you are experiencing is completely normal.  With enough focus and resources, the "Oh Wow" phase will indeed happen, and things will look much brighter then. With a successful implementation, the benefits and improvements are clear, and it's worth getting excited and celebrating. You can look back with the team at the "Oh Boy phase, laugh about the "Oh Shoot" phase, and pride yourself on making it through the "Oh, Well" phase
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THE "MORALE ROLLER COASTER RIDE"
As you move through the four phases, you WILL see morale drop and rise like a roller coaster. Even though morale plummets for the Oh Shoot phase, it helps to understand that this is normal and to be expected. Nothing's wrong with you, with your team, or with the product you have chosen. It's just that the pesky reality of limited time and resources has a way of worming its way into your organization's grand dreams and ambitious plans. The more you can help your team realize that their drop in morale is normal and healthy, the sooner you can move your project to the Oh, Well phase.

We are available to help organizations plan and execute their implementations and rescue them from the "Oh Shoot" phase.  Contact us today and let's get things moving in the right direction!