Implementing new technology is no simple feat — it requires the precise orchestration of people, processes, and existing technology to ensure seamless integration.
To successfully navigate the complexities of integrating new software like Workfront, starting with a clear understanding of your business objectives is crucial. However, many organizations tend to overlook this step, resulting in efforts that don’t align with business goals.
Defining the problem helps ensure the tool's architecture aligns with your organization's strategic goals and business objectives. By clearly identifying the problem, a solid foundation is established for a solution that seamlessly integrates into existing workflows and addresses your organization's specific needs.
Don't Tackle Too Many Changes at Once
To ensure a smooth Workfront implementation, avoid introducing new technologies and processes simultaneously. Successful integration relies on incorporating existing workflows into Workfront and leveraging current technology for effective change management.
Tackling too many changes at once will not only overwhelm your team but also disrupt the integration process. Instead, focus first on stabilizing Workfront within your organization. Then, once it’s running smoothly, consider implementing new processes or technologies.
While introducing new technology or processes during your implementation is cumbersome, it’s not impossible. To successfully introduce new technology or platforms during your implementation, your team must commit to months of planning and thoughtful analysis before integrating multiple changes at once.
Four Steps to Implementing Workfront
Step 1: Discovery
Discovery is a key step in implementing Workfront. Skipping this step can lead to significant problems down the line, making implementation unwieldy and chaotic. For a successful discovery, start with understanding how your system should be set up and aligned with business objectives. Although this can be daunting, especially for larger organizations, it's crucial for ensuring the system meets every operational need.
Reflect on how everyday activities should be represented in Workfront. This can help guide the system setup and ensure it integrates seamlessly with existing workflows. Another key aspect during the discovery phase is stakeholder engagement — involving one to two representatives from each team will help foster alignment and achieve clarity.
Below are three key factors to focus on during discovery:
- Organizational Structure: Ensure the system accurately reflects your company's hierarchy.
- Alignment: Establish clear accountability and workflows with stakeholders and team members.
- Reporting Requirements: Define the reports needed and how they will influence system setup.
A thorough discovery will lay the groundwork for a smooth Workfront implementation, ensuring the system effectively supports your business goals from the outset.
Step 2: Configuration and Design
Configuration is where foundational structures are built, including custom forms and project templates, as well as system settings, portfolios, and programs.
An essential aspect of this stage is clearly defining responsibilities for the development of each Workfront component. Specify details such as the item owner, progress status, and relevant links to ensure that ownership aligns with user licenses. This clarity will be key for maintaining accountability and ensuring smooth operations throughout the process.
Ongoing testing and updating of configurations are also essential to ensure the setup remains aligned with current requirements. Once everything is in place, the design document will serve as a guide for future reference, ensuring it reflects any changes made during configuration.
Through diligent configuration, a solid foundation is established that not only addresses current operational requirements but also accommodates future developments, leading to a successful Workfront implementation.
Tip: It’s important to exercise caution when granting system administrator licenses. Limiting this access to specific users prevents potential issues and keeps the system stable. By carefully managing who has control, the integrity of your Workfront setup is safeguarded.
Step 3: Launch and Monitor
Before launching Workfront, it’s crucial to ensure your team is adequately prepared. This means having a clear and comprehensive communications plan for team members, as well as leadership buy-in. Your stakeholders should be aware that not only is the implementation a top priority but also that all impacted parties will have access to your team as people begin to learn the ins and outs of the tool.
In this instance, it’s also crucial to be wary of timing. Managing timelines during implementation is challenging for any organization; however, the biggest factors are not sunsetting any existing systems too early, avoiding scheduling big projects during the implementation, and recognizing that productivity may decrease as users learn the tool.
The implementation team should also have designated SMEs who can advocate for Workfront. Your team should treat the implementation as a PR plan and Workfront as your client. During the implementation, it’s key that your organization views Workfront in a positive light from the start, as people naturally resist change.
Change Management at the Forefront
When adopting a new tool, it’s key to keep change management best practices in mind. Focus on hearing your colleagues out and making sure they know what is expected of them, what is going to be fixed, and, most importantly, that their voices will be heard throughout the process.
When implementing any tool, it’s essential to have a process to support the post-launch phase — whether this looks like offering office hours to impacted parties, providing easy access to training materials, and having a Workfront support queue to help users with questions and concerns.
Lastly, Workfront admins should be following Adobe Experience League for Workfront product releases. Admins should be aware of key updates before they are released and communicate these updates to impacted users.
Step 4: Training
Training is an integral step of your Workfront implementation. This should be done as close to your go-live date as possible to ensure users retain information effectively and feel confident using the system right from the start.
Your team should carve out adequate time for users to have focused, individualized training with the tool and a dedicated trainer. Most often, users learn best by doing and less by watching. The goal is to provide users with hands-on activities while onboarding them in the training sessions.
Lastly, training should be followed up with training guides that detail the who, what, when, how, and why. These data points will also be hammered home with executive leadership communications.
Streamlining Success with Workfront
A successful Workfront implementation relies on careful planning, engaging stakeholders, and thorough training. By focusing on these essentials, organizations can smoothly integrate the tool and achieve lasting results.
Does your organization need help implementing Workfront? Get in touch with the Workfront experts at MERGE. Contact us!