Picking tools is both objective and subjective. Here are some observations I have picked up at bigtech and startup corp about picking the right tool for the job at hand.
After changing time tracking tool for 100+ software house here are few most crucial issues we have encountered:
- When picking new tool gather requirements from key users (or your internal personas e.g. dev team) but don't let them choose tool for you
- Balance solution provider between those that are "new and innovative" and "tested and stable"
- Gather feedback before and after pilot rollout BUT doing more than few user interviews (5 is a good number) won't give you impactful feedback
- Always try to pilot and use MVP approach
- Share your rollout plan as early as possible with all key stakeholder in all departments, you never know how this change will impact other parts of the organization
- Ask for free trials or special offers if you lack budget, almost all good tools will be happy to give one
- Don't get discouraged too early, humans don't like changes but when they get use to one, they forget about how painful the change was
- Talk with people who argue the most and ask them to share solutions, not just critic
- Communicate that you are open for feedback, create a special channels on slack to gather it, send surveys, ask on town-hall meetings
- Make people's life easy, nobody wants to read documentation so don't only share links, make tutorials, screenshots, presentation, miroboards, short videos -- anything that will help to adjust to change
- If transition is painful ask tool provider to help you, they onboarding other companies for years
- If that won't help ask key people in company to support you
After changing time tracking tool for 100+ software house here are few most crucial issues we have encountered:
- When picking new tool gather requirements from key users (or your internal personas e.g. dev team) but don't let them choose tool for you
- Balance solution provider between those that are "new and innovative" and "tested and stable"
- Gather feedback before and after pilot rollout BUT doing more than few user interviews (5 is a good number) won't give you impactful feedback
- Always try to pilot and use MVP approach
- Share your rollout plan as early as possible with all key stakeholder in all departments, you never know how this change will impact other parts of the organization
- Ask for free trials or special offers if you lack budget, almost all good tools will be happy to give one
- Don't get discouraged too early, humans don't like changes but when they get use to one, they forget about how painful the change was
- Talk with people who argue the most and ask them to share solutions, not just critic
- Communicate that you are open for feedback, create a special channels on slack to gather it, send surveys, ask on town-hall meetings
- Make people's life easy, nobody wants to read documentation so don't only share links, make tutorials, screenshots, presentation, miroboards, short videos -- anything that will help to adjust to change
- If transition is painful ask tool provider to help you, they onboarding other companies for years
- If that won't help ask key people in company to support you
After changing time tracking tool for 100+ software house here are few most crucial issues we have encountered:
- When picking new tool gather requirements from key users (or your internal personas e.g. dev team) but don't let them choose tool for you
- Balance solution provider between those that are "new and innovative" and "tested and stable"
- Gather feedback before and after pilot rollout BUT doing more than few user interviews (5 is a good number) won't give you impactful feedback
- Always try to pilot and use MVP approach
- Share your rollout plan as early as possible with all key stakeholder in all departments, you never know how this change will impact other parts of the organization
- Ask for free trials or special offers if you lack budget, almost all good tools will be happy to give one
- Don't get discouraged too early, humans don't like changes but when they get use to one, they forget about how painful the change was
- Talk with people who argue the most and ask them to share solutions, not just critic
- Communicate that you are open for feedback, create a special channels on slack to gather it, send surveys, ask on town-hall meetings
- Make people's life easy, nobody wants to read documentation so don't only share links, make tutorials, screenshots, presentation, miroboards, short videos -- anything that will help to adjust to change
- If transition is painful ask tool provider to help you, they onboarding other companies for years
- If that won't help ask key people in company to support you
After changing time tracking tool for 100+ software house here are few most crucial issues we have encountered:
- When picking new tool gather requirements from key users (or your internal personas e.g. dev team) but don't let them choose tool for you
- Balance solution provider between those that are "new and innovative" and "tested and stable"
- Gather feedback before and after pilot rollout BUT doing more than few user interviews (5 is a good number) won't give you impactful feedback
- Always try to pilot and use MVP approach
- Share your rollout plan as early as possible with all key stakeholder in all departments, you never know how this change will impact other parts of the organization
- Ask for free trials or special offers if you lack budget, almost all good tools will be happy to give one
- Don't get discouraged too early, humans don't like changes but when they get use to one, they forget about how painful the change was
- Talk with people who argue the most and ask them to share solutions, not just critic
- Communicate that you are open for feedback, create a special channels on slack to gather it, send surveys, ask on town-hall meetings
- Make people's life easy, nobody wants to read documentation so don't only share links, make tutorials, screenshots, presentation, miroboards, short videos -- anything that will help to adjust to change
- If transition is painful ask tool provider to help you, they onboarding other companies for years
- If that won't help ask key people in company to support you