It has been six weeks since the customer’s system has gone live. I haven’t heard from them for the whole week. In some ways, it is a really good sign. It means that users are starting to understand the system and are able to perform their daily tasks without any issues/help. Part of me still wonders though… Are they really okay? Shall I just login and have a peep, just to make sure that the data in the new system in still in-tact? Shall I give them a call?
Go Live and the days leading up to it are generally very resource intensive. There are a myriad of simultaneous tasks that are carried out by the implementation team; many meals are shared together and when we have a win, a beer or two always bring the teams a long way.
As the time moves forward, the intensity diminishes slowly and users become more and more self-sufficient. They understand the system more and discover how to use it to their best advantage. Sometimes, they even find tricks to help them do things faster.
The discussions then, take a more holistic approach. There are chats about what one did over the weekend and jokes are shared but there is also a focus on refining the processes further. Sometimes, these refinements turn into minor or major projects and the relationship continues to grow.
I cherish the opportunity a project gives me not only in terms of new connections but also in terms of learning benefits that I receive by working with a different set of minds and a different set of constraints. It reminds me that underneath each set of constraints, there are more subtle forces at work and working through these allows me to create a more coherent team so that we can achieve our objectives together. This is probably the most enjoyable part of my job!
