1. Amy McFadzean, PMP
July 2015
WHITE PAPER: SOFTWARE FOR
OPTIMAL OPERATIONS
Adopting PSA, CRM software and technology to increase
efficiency, produce better quality and outcomes.

2. Software for Optimal Operations July 2015
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Copyright © 2015 Amy McFadzean. All Rights Reserved. P a g e | 1
WHITE PAPER: SOFTWARE FOR OPTIMAL OPERATIONS
Adopting PSA, CRM software and technology to increase efficiency, produce better quality
and outcomes.
INTRODUCTION: CHANGING TOOLS
Business operations have shifted. Business operations and customer relations have moved from pen, paper and
calculators to modern software tools. Automation is the new norm, from with the creation of complex spreadsheets
and executive documents. Employees are continually expected to do more with less. There is a focus on billable
hours to sustain operations and facilitate growth. Management teams need to report this data to executives to
justify expenditures and show progress. The investment in software can be high up front, however by performing
due diligence and generating a list of reports and data to use as a baseline, the ROI on software to automate business
processes can be significant. This white paper serves to give an overview of how business automation software can
help optimize operations and create more fluidity within the organization.
PREPARE FOR CHANGE
For successful change, preparation is key. Pulling together items ahead of a shift to a software implementation,
allows for success. Failure to adequately prepare will result in lost efficiencies and rework later down the road.
Preparation takes on many forms. First, determine where the pain points are. Why is the company considering
replacing the current process with new software? What isn’t working and what is the company hoping to achieve?
These should be the basis for change management and process improvement. Clearly communicate the purpose and
goals of the software as well as expectations to all parties affected by the software. Keep in mind that not every
department will be directly impacted, however even those teams who are indirectly affected should be aware of the
purpose and goals.
The more time spent during planning and preparation will result in a smoother long term process and more
successful project.
DEFINE STANDARDS. ENFORCE ACCOUNTABILITY
Following solid planning and preparation, defining standards and accountability is already underway. Upon gathering
information and determining what changes will be made, including why and establishing baselines from existing
methodology, the standards should be well defined. These defined items will come full circle in the reporting of
outcomes, ROI and success measurement. Policy and procedure documents outlining the expectations should be
created at this stage. There can never be too much stakeholder buy-in; creating vested members of the leadership
and management team are critical in this stage. In addition to defining the expectations for staff, define the
expectations for management. Establishing guidelines for what management is expected to know, complete and
report on is equally as important. Establish regular meetings or intervals for information sharing. Discuss adding
these metrics as a part of a KPI report or dashboard which is shared with key executives.
Following through is arguably the most important component to enforcing these standards. While detailed research,
fact finding and follow up will take more work up front, this will also ensure long-term commitment and success.
Know the stakes if something were to fall through. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to the team if something is

3. Software for Optimal Operations July 2015
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incomplete. Building a habit or a routine takes approximately 21 days. Chances are, after the first month, those
involved in the process will have come to incorporate the new software into their routine. The infrastructure will
start to ground itself and truly become a part of business operations.
REDUCING WASTED EFFORT
Queue up efficiency. Monitor the changes adopted. There will be obvious increases in efficiency in addition to those
which will show up in reports and provide a more holistic view into operations. Staff should now be able to complete
a particular task in a matter of minutes rather than hours. What data is available as a result of the software; accurate
time tracking or reliable data for sales leads? What is the time spent utilizing the new software versus what is being
obtained from it? Staff should be investing a number of hours in the software each month completing
documentation, tracking hours, tracking leads…all of which can be measured. Track the billable time generated by
staff members monthly. Determine new sales lead-time differentials since the new software adoption. How much
billable time came from that staff member during that month? How much quicker was the sale able to be closed?
How much more detail and future opportunities are tracked through this data which will lead to greater business
optimization?
For staff spending most of their time using spreadsheets in their daily work, often times several days are lost in
simple spreadsheet maintenance. With many businesses using a plethora of spreadsheets amongst departments
and users, misuse of this tool wastes money in a few distinct ways; wasted time, security risk, wasted space and
inaccurate data1
.
Using software allows processes to be automated and result in accurate, real time performance tracking. Cloud-
based software further allows increased accessibility by all staff.
DELIVERING QUALITY
Spreadsheets rely on the building of formulas to calculate results. They also are a snapshot of data from a period in
time; they are quickly outdated when attempting to report on real time data. Using software, which has built in
algorithms able to run on-demand, allows the business to be able to view accurate data real time.
Using software to track projects provides the ability to monitor status, risks, trends and financials in a holistic
manner. The use of templates becomes much easier as does information sharing across departments and staff
within the same team. Necessary information becomes transparent and available. Spreadsheets or documents area
not stored on a local machine and pertinent information is centrally located. Utilizing software to log a risk register
and work them from the application, for example, provides visibility into potential challenges and allows the
organization to take a proactive approach; more so than if a single spreadsheet were used and perhaps not able to
be viewed as readily. Organizations are able to set up business rules and logic within software for notifications based
on critical milestones or entry of such things as risks or issues. The quicker a challenge can be addressed and the less
reactive the solution often results in a higher quality response to the client and for the project.
The ability to holistically review a project or a client through a single software system, rather than through individual
documents and manual efforts, simply allows for a greater degree of excellence.
1
(mrc Tech Blog, 2009)

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REPORTING & OUTCOMES
Now that the data has been collected for a period of time, the opportunity exists to determine results. Meaningful
reports typically come several weeks or months post go live and will take some practice and refinement to achieve
desired processes, and inputs. The saying “Garbage In, Garbage Out” is entirely applicable in any software
implementation. Whether poor or inadequate data is going into a perfectly defined system or perfect data is going
into an ill-conceived software system, the output is the same and is of no value.
Share the information. Ensure that staff have access to the reports and understand not only the data but also why
the data is important. Provide a summary of what the data means to key stakeholders and to the organization as a
whole. Help staff to understand why what they are doing and their inputs are important to the longevity and success
of the team. Processes will likely require tweaking after the initial reports are available, however this is to be
expected and is a step toward optimal operations.
IN SUMMARY…
There are many facets to a successful software implementation. Ensuring that each of the following steps are
followed are integral to the long term success and business optimization using software.
 Plan & Prepare
 Communicate the Plan
 Gather Baseline Data
 Define Success Metrics
 Measure Results
 Communicate Results
 Refine Processes
 Establish and Enforce Accountability
In the end, there is a direct correlation between what is put into the software and the implementation versus what
comes out. Make it count.