When implementing new software, sometimes there are overages. Even with stakeholders or key decision-makers determining necessary features during a preliminary stage, a desired project budget can be exceeded during the development phase.
This can be as a result of:
- Unexpected conditions
- Unrealistic requirements
- Software selection that’s a bad fit for your business
Another challenge is a lack of cross-functional buy-in. When it comes to implementing an ERM-GRC (Enterprise Risk Management/Governance Risk Compliance) software managing collaboration between departments can be problematic. Resistance and apathy are major project risks due to fear of change or imposition and a lack of understanding of the rationale for the project.
Additionally, there can be hidden costs associated with implementation, such as:
- Hardware and additional software changes
- Extra operational resources
- Additional security
- Upgrades, patches and fixes
- IT team training
- Data management
No matter how much you plan, go-live dates can slip. As the development phase progresses, requirements often expand and necessitate new features, or a project proves more difficult than initially anticipated. These setbacks can lead to a creep that inevitably delays an estimated delivery timeline.
Finally, the culmination of all these problems is that your IT team may lose their passion, setting back a project by weeks or even months. This can be due to:
- Unclear motivation
- Unclear goals and timelines
- Overwhelming goals
- Unclear communication throughout the organization
- New, competing priorities and projects
