Seeking the Smooth Software Switchover
October, 2008

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By Fritz Schindelbeck

Ever-evolving technology and marketplace competition makes the decision to upgrade property management software somewhat inevitable. In doing so, commercial real estate professionals should carefully evaluate suppliers, seek solutions with minimum risk and maximum versatility, consider application service hosting options, and weigh the needs of external stakeholders as well as employees. The following checklist offers some insight for evaluating a proposed software upgrade or implementation.

* Dispel the perception that an upgrade is conceived, led and delivered solely by the Information Technology department. An upgrade affects everybody so all stakeholders need to be involved and consulted from the outset.

* Making sure the project's objective and scope are clearly defined and universally accepted. If scope changes must be made, manage them very carefully.

* Stick to proven systems and avoid and untested software providers.

* A phased approach to implementing new software works best. Break the project into pieces that will both demonstrate progress and allow people to track it.

* It's vital that all users have a thorough understanding of current processes and how the new software will affect them. The upgrade represents an opportunity to employ new software as a process improvement tool.

* Make sure there is a specific change management communication plan that incorporates all key stakeholders for the duration of the project.
* Be sure to cleanse the data in the legacy system before converting to the new system.

* Don't cut corners on testing.

* Don't cut corners on training.

Steering clear of pitfalls ensures technology is used to its fullest potential. Time, money and resources are deployed efficiently. Full value for the implementation is attained. Productivity is boosted, and employees and stakeholders are engaged.

Fritz Schindelbeck is Vice President of Professional Services with Yardi Systems, Inc. For more information, see the web site at www.yardi.com.