There isn’t necessarily a right way or a wrong way to implement software but there certainly is a good way and a bad way to implement software.
If you are considering DESTINI Estimator construction estimating software and are worried about the implementation process, we want to assure you that we have implementation down to a science! After 25 years of solving preconstruction problems for the country’s largest general contractors, we know exactly what you need to implement new software successfully.
Here are four basic steps to a smooth software transition:
- Create an implementation team.
- Set expectations of the implementation team.
- Plan for the database and work breakdown structure.
- Establish best practices for after roll out.
Creating an Implementation Team
The implementation team can range in size from 1 person (for smaller operations) up to 10% of total precon team size who are held accountable to keeping the ball rolling through your implementation schedule and goals.
This group of change agents need to have the following characteristics:
- Positive attitude
- Problem solver
- Understand the end goal
- Construction and software literate
- Committed
If more than one person is on the implementation team, appoint a team lead who will be the main point of contact between your team and your implementation specialist at Beck Technology.
Expert tip: The implementation team lead must dedicate time to the implementation plan. This is the key to your success. They will need to delegate their tasks to others so they can commit the time it will take to lead the implementation and meet regularly with Beck Technology.
Setting Expectations of the Implementation Team
It is extremely important that your implementation team know the end goal of why you are implementing new software. Switching to DESTINI Estimator from your legacy system can be challenging, so clearly define why you are making the move—to save time, create more accurate estimates, be more efficient, and win more work!
Messaging of this end goal should come from the top down and your implementation team will need to be excited about using innovative technologies to make your process and their lives better. We like to call this “process improvement mentality.”
Further, leadership needs to recognize the time commitment of your implementation efforts. We suggest they take at least one hour a week to devote solely to practicing in DESTINI Estimator.
Expert tip: Teams that have successfully implemented DESTINI Estimator on schedule set a regular cadence of internal meetings where people can ask questions to the team lead and discuss issues, utilize a centralized communication tool like Teams or Slack for the team, and reach out and network with other DESTINI Estimator users.
Plan for the Database and Work Breakdown Structure
Kristin Vrana, Senior Implementation Specialist at Beck Technology, says, “garbage in, garbage out.” Your current database is going to be your cost history database in DESTINI Estimator, so take the time to clean and organize your data during implementation.
Thousands of line items can take months to clean up, plan accordingly. We’ve had clients pull a team member away from estimating responsibilities to work only on database management.
When senior estimator Andrea Schramm implemented DESTINI Estimator at her firm, the implementation team met every other week for four hours to clean up their database of 3,000 line items. It took them about two months to complete.
A solid plan for cleaning up your data now means you have less to maintain moving forward.
Expert tip: Kristin says, “Keep an open mind about how you can use WBS properties to manipulate data and let them do the heavy lifting for you. You can do really powerful things with fees and dashboards and analyzing data in different ways.”
Establishing Best Practices for After Roll Out
The first step after implementation is making a roll out schedule and creating a timeline of when all end users will be set up and fully using DESTINI Estimator. Training during this phase is especially important. Leadership must understand that your time commitment isn’t done!
Make sure everyone takes time to train on the new software. As simple as it sounds, it’s harder in practice. We suggest marking time off your calendar just like you would an important meeting to devote to learning DESTINI Estimator.
Attend regular meetings with your customer success rep at Beck Technology and come prepared with topics you want to learn more about and questions you have. Further, utilize Beck Technology's learning resources in the Beck Tech Training Portal and the Help Center.
Expert tip: Don’t drink from the fire hose! It’s okay to transition in baby steps. We highly suggest starting on DESTINI Estimator with a pilot project. This is taking an old project you’ve done and putting it into DESTINI Estimator. This way, you can practice and learn the new software without stress or pressure to meet customer expectations.
To learn more about pilot projects, click here.
