A Deeper Dive Into Core Catalysts Implementation Recovery Services

Our Background in Implementation Recovery

At Core Catalysts we have a leadership team with over 200 years of project implementation experience and expertise.

Having “been around the block” (more than a few times), this means that, in terms of implementation, we have pretty much seen it all: the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.

Because of our backgrounds, on many occasions, both existing and new clients have brought us in to help them when ongoing implementation projects and programs they are working on are going awry.

Symptoms of a Failing Project

While the specific situations and details differ, once we have “landed” at the client, the symptoms of a failing project that present themselves to us are often similar or the same, including:

• Missed deadlines
• Project budgets “bleeding” cash (i.e., significant overspends predicted)
• Concerns that core business requirements will not be satisfied
• Potential that the project will “launch” very late, or maybe not at all
• Stressed out stakeholders and exhausted delivery teams

Typically, the client teams “on the ground” can describe the issues they are experiencing and the concerns that they have, but no one is quite sure or can tell you exactly (with certainty) what the root causes are, which is obviously very frustrating to client leadership and executive teams, especially if the client has paid a big system integrator who promised that implementation would go smoothly.

Our Approach to get Implementations Back On Track

Fortunately, with experience gained over literally 1000’s of projects, our implementation recovery teams have developed keen senses for “pattern recognition” (because, while the situations are different, root causes typically fit into common “buckets” that we can run through like checklists, almost from memory) that allow us to swiftly identify the exact reasons that the implementation is failing.

Sometimes, once we have diagnosed the symptoms and key drivers of the implementation problems, clients are able to fix them on their own. Unfortunately, even with these key pieces of information, more often than not, client teams are overwhelmed and, with the implementation issues continuing to mount, we are asked to step in and help.

With our experience across multiple implementation recovery engagements, Core Catalysts have developed proven methodologies to both identify and quickly begin to fix what is wrong with failing implementation, getting them back on track fast, and assisting clients to complete implementations successfully (on time, on budget, to scope and requirements).

Results

Typically, within two weeks we will be able to:

• Identify key implementation issues, and the major roadblocks currently preventing client teams addressing them.
• Develop initial “game-plans” to fix them, in logical and pragmatic ways, adopting easy to follow, sequential, step-by-step methods and approaches.
• Begin to execute these proposed solutions, gently but firmly, working with client teams and within existing implementation structures and resources.

Clients usually see close to immediate reductions in “pain,” with implementation quickly moving back in the right direction, followed soon after by meaningful improvement in results and outcomes over the medium to long term, as our teams help work through and alleviate the issues identified and implement the required fixes.

Equally, our teams do not use a “scorched earth policy” of placing blame on the client team members while taking all the credit – rather, we assess the people related issues that may be discovered and discreetly recommend changes and improvements where needed for the benefit of all involved.

Benefits

Benefits of engaging Core Catalysts assistance in implementation recovery efforts include:

• Saving your team (from burnout, turnover, and taking eye off “day to day” priorities)
• Saving money (reduction in budget overruns, using what you already have and have spent money on)
• Saving time and effort (getting implementations back on schedule for go live, with minimal fallout or “taking eyes off the ball” of day-to-day operations)
• Teaching client team members what “good” looks like, so that future projects can be sustained and successful, even when we are long gone

Our key focus in implementation recovery is enabling our clients to take back control of their implementations, and the achievement of the original projected end outcomes and deliverables.

What’s more, we have a 100% success rate in these types of projects, a long history of third-party collaboration (including with “Big 4” consulting firms), and are platform agnostic … plus, our goal is to just find out why there is pain, fix the problems quickly and cheaply, help take the project over the finish line fast, and then step back / away.

If You Are Experiencing Implementation Issues

Are you experiencing implementation issues or any of the symptoms of a failing project implementation?

Do you want to stop hoping things will get better and start getting your implementation project back on track?

If so, reach out to schedule an initial call or meeting with our implementation recovery team, where you can tell us about your situation, we’ll ask questions and listen until we understand, and then offer suggestions on next steps.

You won’t regret it!

–Mark Jacobs, Client Service and Delivery