Have You Outgrown Your Current Systems?
When a team is growing, excelling and thriving, it’s natural to reach a point where the status quo no longer works. You’ll start to notice a need for new capabilities. New frustrations will pop up, along with new opportunities for growth.
It can be difficult, however, to justify a change, particularly one that will require an investment. After all, it was the “old way” of doing things that got you to where you are now – those processes and systems were likely instrumental in building the successful team and approach you have today. Your executive team may have a “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” attitude, while you as a project manager can see the benefit in evolving before things break.
To make a case for change, you’ll likely need to point out specific challenges that prove your team is outgrowing the current setup and show you’re not just chasing the newest, flashiest thing on the market. Consider whether any of these 10 signs that you’re outgrowing your current systems apply:
You have a list of pre-approved “workarounds” for things your current software can’t do. Having to build internal Excel sheets to get what you need can be a major time suck.
Your team can’t access all parts of the tool remotely. Especially in this new era of work, being able to access data anywhere is a non-negotiable.
Every time you talk with your vendor partner, it’s to complain about something. Even worse, some people on the team may be actively avoiding using your existing software.
You have multiple systems in place to do different tasks, and they don’t integrate easily – if at all.
Finding information you need within the tool is time-consuming.
Your yearly subscription costs have risen, but you can’t remember the last time you saw an update with new features come through.
The type of projects your team is doing, or the type of client you serve, has recently changed.
The current system was in place before you started with the team, and you’re now one of the most senior members there.
You’re spending more time inputting data than analyzing it, and you don’t have any way to automate the process.
Team members have partial visibility in some areas, which means that getting questions answered involves tracking down specific people.
Though researching and investing in new tools can be costly, the long-term return on investment can be huge. When you’re ready to take the leap on new tools to evolve your project management process, reach out to us – we’re here to help.