Software Implementation: Keys to a Successful Rollout (2025)

A new software implementation is a complex endeavor that becomes even more intricate when it involves digital transformation and legacy application modernization.

Without a clear and comprehensive SaaS implementation plan, the journey from planning to launch is challenging and risky, potentially leading to poor end-user adoption, low productivity, and failed technology ROI.

Companies lose billions of dollars annually because of software implementations that go wrong, but most of those dollars could have been saved by planning the process.

For example, in mid-2019, fashion brand ASOS revealed to its investors that an implementation issue with its warehouse management software cost the company at least $25 million. The company had performed a sizeable overhaul on its software, and massive complications resulted in inventory counting errors and items not included in packages.

No matter the size of your company, software implementation is challenging and requires careful planning and execution. Even the best software will fail without proper testing, evaluation, change management, end-user training, and post-implementation evaluation, so it is crucial to have a thorough plan before you begin the process.

Why Is Successful Software Implementation Critical?

Software implementation is a complex and risky endeavor. A staggering number of companies fail when integrating new software into their systems, and over the last few years, the number of botched implementations has risen dramatically.

Too many companies invest a ton of time and money into purchasing new software. Yet, once they make the purchase, they don’t put any energy into figuring out how to get it up and running or training employees on the new software. As a result, the implementation plan goes awry.

Shortcutting the planning stages can send negative ripples through your entire organization — at best, a rushed implementation will slow everyone down and cause headaches. At worst, shortcuts could contribute to your company’s downfall.

Poor implementation can cause unexpected downtime that costs you extra money in lost revenue and salaries paid out for little to no productivity. For example, if your employees can’t figure out how to use your new software because of a poor configuration or integration, they could develop workarounds that are less accurate or efficient.

In addition to lost revenue, a poor implementation can result in data loss and security vulnerabilities that can be exploited and lead to your systems being compromised.

Types of Software Implementation

The types of implementation plans can vary based on several factors, like the scale of the implementation, the complexity of the business processes, and the organization’s specific needs. Here are some common types:

• Standardized implementation plans: These plans follow a generic approach that’s best for straightforward, less complex application implementations. They typically work well for small businesses or standard applications with minimal customization needs.
• Customized implementation plans: Tailored for businesses with unique needs, these plans involve more in-depth analysis and customization. They’re most suitable for organizations that require specific features or integrations unique to their business processes.
• Enterprise-level implementation plans: Designed for large organizations, these plans address complex requirements, including extensive integrations with existing systems, data migration, and scalability considerations. They often involve multiple stakeholders and longer timelines.
• Phased rollout plans: A phased rollout involves implementing the SaaS solution in stages. This approach minimizes risk and disruption and allows organizations to learn from early phases and make adjustments before broader deployment.
• ‘Big Bang’ implementation: A ‘Big Bang’ approach to software implementations involves pushing a new application live in one large push. This method eliminates old systems and switches to a new one without a transitionary time. This doesn’t mean there isn’t planning – often big bang implementations require more planning than phased approach, as the risk is much higher with an “all-in” implementation.
• Agile implementation plans: Agile plans are iterative and flexible, allowing for continuous improvements based on user feedback and changing business requirements. This approach is great for dynamic environments where needs evolve rapidly.
• Pilot implementation plans: Pilot plans involve rolling out the SaaS solution to a small, controlled group within the organization before a full-scale implementation. This approach helps to identify potential issues and gain insights for a smoother overall implementation.
• All-at-once implementation plans: This approach involves a full-scale implementation in one go. It’s often faster but can be riskier, as it leaves less room for adjustments based on interim feedback.
• Hybrid implementation plans: Hybrid plans combine elements of both on-premises and cloud-based systems. They’re helpful for organizations transitioning to the cloud or those that need to maintain some on-premises infrastructure.

How to Create a Successful Software Implementation Plan

Once you’ve selected your software and chosen an implementation team — your IT team or a third-party vendor — you’ll need a plan to ensure everything goes smoothly to drive ROI on our software investment.

By developing processes ahead of time, you can avoid surprises, minimize the risk of failure, and create the proper training so that your entire company will realize the full benefits of your new software.

Successful software implementation starts with a clear definition of change success and the accompanying processes. Here are six steps to follow to ensure your software implementation project goes smoothly.

1. Assess business requirements and set clear objectives

Begin by thoroughly assessing your business requirements and how a SaaS solution can meet these needs. This involves consulting with various stakeholders across departments to understand their challenges, needs, and expectations from a SaaS solution.

Clearly define the objectives of implementing a SaaS solution—whether to improve efficiency, reduce costs, or enhance customer experience. This step forms the foundation of your plan, as it sets the direction and scope for the implementation process.

2. Choose the right SaaS vendor and solution

Selecting the appropriate SaaS vendor and solution is critical. Evaluate potential vendors based on their credibility, customer support, security standards, and the specific features of their solutions. Consider the scalability and customization options of the SaaS product to ensure it can adapt to your business’s evolving needs.

You should also assess the integration capabilities of the SaaS solution with your existing systems to ensure seamless operation post-implementation.

3. Scope out your implementation project

An implementation project scope is a detailed roadmap that outlines all the tasks you need to complete as part of your project. You can also use scopes to manage expectations, plan when each step will occur, and prevent issues by listing possible problems so you can fix them in advance. They can also assist in minimizing scope creep, which can cause confusion and missed deadlines.

You can tailor your project scope statement to the complexity of the software you’re implementing and your systems, but all scopes should include the following information:

• Deliverables — list the name and description of the software you are implementing and the total implementation cost.
• Your timeline — include a start and completion date. If you don’t have exact dates, provide an estimate.
• Prep work — anything that needs to be done with your current systems before implementation can begin.
• Excluded items — tasks that will not be part of the current implementation process but might be on a broader road map.
• Expected outcomes — to align stakeholders, explain what benefits you expect to gain and how your teams will use the new software.
• Potential conflicts or issues that may arise during implementation — this is anything that needs to be fixed or adjusted after your new software is deployed.
• A list of teams or employees that the new software will impact — make sure to include the types of training you’ll be providing.

4. Assign team owners to drive the implementation process

Communication is an essential part of successful software implementation. By assigning team owners, you can identify which responsibilities need to be managed so nothing falls through the cracks. These owners will know the best way to work around possible issues and understand how certain teams will be using the software. They can also think through the whole implementation process and work out any kinks before getting too far down the road with implementation.

You’ll need to determine who will be responsible for each implementation step and who should be involved in the planning and post-deployment stages. It’s common to select team owners by matching their expertise with the tasks. You can appoint employees with in-depth knowledge of each part of the process and according to their area of expertise. For instance, an implementation team can include IT, engineering, project management, and learning and development employees.

The complexity of your company’s systems and your chosen software will determine how many people you need on your team. For instance, larger companies with more complex software may need a bigger team to execute an implementation successfully. On the other hand, smaller organizations can often get by with just a few team owners.

One additional benefit of assigning different team members from across your organization to this process is that it helps provide different teams with support from people they trust, alleviating any resistance to change that may occur.

5. Focus on data migration and security

Data migration is a critical part of the implementation process. Develop a strategy for transferring existing data to the new system, ensuring data integrity and minimal disruption to operations.

Pay particular attention to data security and privacy, especially in compliance with relevant regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA. This involves setting up robust encryption, access controls, and regular data backups within the application environment.

6. Try out new software in a testing environment

Before going live, conduct thorough testing of your SaaS solution. This includes functional, integration, and user acceptance testing to ensure it works as expected and meets user requirements. Quality assurance is key to identifying and fixing any bugs or issues, ensuring that the new system is reliable and ready for deployment.

A sandbox testing environment is a virtual space set up exactly like your current system but completely separate from the software you use every day. This testing or staging environment allows you to build, launch, and test new software to make sure it’s compatible and helps highlight bugs or any features that are not working correctly. Your developers will set up a testing environment for you — ensure it’s part of your scope.

A testing environment takes extra time to set up, but it’s needed to protect your live system from malfunctioning. It might be tempting to deploy a seemingly simple piece of software without trying it out in a testing environment first. Still, even simple software can melt down your current systems if there are serious incompatibilities, so don’t risk it.

PRO TIP

With Whatfix Mirror, you can easily and quickly create sandbox IT environments of your web-based enterprise applications for user testing and hands-on IT training. End-users can interact and engage with a replica version of your software applications. This allows you to identify bugs, collect user feedback, and train users before launching new systems without risking live software use.

7. Create an onboarding and training program for employees

Software implementation is often only associated with the technical steps, but preparing your team is a critical part of the process. Create your employee onboarding and training programs in parallel with your implementation so you don’t have downtime once the software is ready.

To ensure that everyone who needs to use the software is trained, roll out your training on a team-by-team basis, making sure each team knows how to use the software for its particular application.

Your software implementation onboarding and training program should include:

• An overview of the software’s essential functions
• How to use the software for maximum efficiency in each team’s workflow
• Who to turn to for help
• Ongoing support and a way to provide feedback
• Training on new features as they come up

PRO TIP

With a digital adoption platform like Whatfix DAP, IT teams and application owners can use a no-code editor to create in-app guidance and on-demand user support to guide new and existing users through new software and process updates. With Whatfix, engage your end-users in the flow of work with product tours, interactive walkthroughs, in-app tutorials, onboarding checklists, tooltips, in-app resource centers, and more.

8. Install and integrate your new software tool

Now, it’s time to do the installation and integration work. Depending on what you’ve installed, this is the point where your employees will begin using your new software. If your deployment requires shutting down your existing systems, roll out your new software during off-hours when the fewest employees are logged in and warn employees in advance.

If your software requires new accounts or logins, send out account creation and login instructions just before or at the same time the launch occurs. In addition, it’s helpful to send reminders at least a few days before launch to ensure you don’t encounter any surprises.

To encourage digital adoption, seek out internal champions of the new software to improve adoption. These advocates are vital in getting more people excited about using your new software by showing employees how it can help them. Tasks well suited for internal champions include answering basic questions and showing a new user how to navigate the software.

9. Ask for feedback from your team

It’s essential to design a feedback process as part of your implementation, so you can identify any glitches, bugs, or other issues once the software goes live. Early feedback will let you address issues before they are widespread, so start asking for feedback while employees train to use the software.

Getting feedback from every employee using your new software can seem daunting, but a short email survey is usually enough to highlight common issues. You can ask for feedback by department or individually and focus on questions that ask how they feel about their experience using the software. To ensure a secure feedback loop, make sure your business has a trusted email hosting service to prevent phishing attacks or compromising critical business information.

Regardless of the method you use to solicit feedback, your implementation team should have an open line of communication with employees to provide support and address any issues that arise.

With Whatfix, organizations are able to gather feedback from employees on their onboarding and training flows – right in the flow of work.

Whatfix also empowers L&D and IT teams to understand how employees are using and interacting with their company’s software and technology. By capturing employee behavioral analytics, organizations can understand what features are being underutilized, see what types of training have higher engagement rates, and create more contextual onboarding, training, and support content.

10. Plan for post-implementation review and optimization

After implementing your software, plan for a post-implementation review to evaluate its performance against the set objectives. Gather feedback from users to identify areas for improvement and be prepared to make changes and optimizations based on user feedback and changing business needs. Continuous monitoring and updating are crucial to ensuring long-term success.

Common Challenges of Software Implementations

Implementing a application is an intricate journey filled with potential hurdles that can impact its success. Whether you’re a seasoned IT professional or new to software implementations, understanding common challenges and their practical solutions is key to crafting a successful implementation plan.

Some typical bumps in the road can include:

1. Integration with existing systems

Implementing a SaaS platform often involves integrating it with existing legacy systems and software, which can be a complex task. This challenge arises from compatibility issues, where the new cloud-based software may not seamlessly interact with older, on-premises systems.

The integration process can be complicated further if the existing systems are using outdated technology or if there are multiple systems that need to be integrated. Ensuring data consistency and real-time synchronization across different systems adds complexity.

To overcome integration challenges, thoroughly analyze the existing IT infrastructure before choosing a SaaS solution. Opt for SaaS providers that offer flexible integration options or APIs that can easily connect with your existing systems.

Working with IT specialists or consultants with experience integrating cloud solutions with traditional systems may also be beneficial. In some cases, upgrading or replacing legacy systems might be necessary to ensure smoother integration.

2. Data security and privacy concerns

Data security and privacy are significant concerns in SaaS implementation, especially since sensitive business data is stored off-premises. There’s a constant risk of data breaches, unauthorized access, and compliance issues with data protection laws.

Ensuring that your SaaS provider meets stringent security standards and that data is securely transferred and stored can be a daunting task. Businesses also often have to navigate complex regulations like GDPR or HIPAA when dealing with customer and patient data.

Address data security by choosing a SaaS provider with robust security credentials, including encryption, regular security audits, and compliance with relevant data protection regulations. Implement internal security policies, like access controls and user authentication, and regularly train employees on data privacy best practices to prevent accidental leaks or breaches. It’s also important to have clear agreements with your SaaS provider on data handling and to understand their security and compliance measures.

3. User adoption and resistance to change

Employees accustomed to traditional working methods may resist transitioning to new software. The challenge is technical and cultural, as it involves changing established workflows and processes.

Employees might hesitate to adopt the new system due to a lack of understanding, fear of the unknown, or perceived complexity. This resistance to change can slow the implementation process and reduce the new system’s effectiveness.

A digital adoption platform like Whafix facilitates end-user adoption, starting with comprehensive in-app guided training programs tailored to different end-user types, roles, experience levels, etc.

Enable your end-users with contextual in-app Flows based on their role, end-user type, department, etc. Use Task Lists to quickly onboard new end-users and get them proficient quickly. Smart Tips provide context to key friction areas to help employees follow your processes.

Providing ongoing end-user support and resources to address user concerns is crucial. Implementing your SaaS solution in phases is also beneficial, allowing users to gradually adapt to the new system rather than abruptly switching. With Whatfix Self Help, you enable end-users with moment-of-need performance support contextual to their end-user role and where they are in an application.

4. Managing ongoing costs and maximizing ROI

Unlike one-time software purchases, SaaS models involve recurring expenses. Balancing these costs while maximizing the benefits and efficiencies offered by a SaaS solution requires careful planning and monitoring. Quantifying the ROI of a new software implementation can also be complex because of intangible benefits like improved agility and collaboration.

Effective cost management involves carefully evaluating the pricing plans of different SaaS providers and choosing one that aligns with your business needs and budget. You should also regularly review and assess your SaaS solution’s usage and benefits to ensure it delivers value.

It’s important to have clear KPIs and metrics in place to measure the impact of your SaaS solution on business processes, which can help quantify the ROI. Adjusting your subscription plan as needed based on usage and changing business requirements can also help manage costs effectively.

5. Vendor lock-in and data portability

Vendor lock-in is a common concern in SaaS implementation, where switching to a different provider can be difficult, restrictive, and costly. This often happens because of proprietary technologies, non-standard data formats, or complex contractual terms.

Ensuring data portability, essential for operational flexibility, can also be challenging when moving away from a SaaS provider, potentially leading to business disruptions and data transfer complexities.

To avoid vendor lock-in and ensure data portability, it’s important to carefully review and understand the terms and conditions of your SaaS provider before committing.

Look for providers that use standard data formats and offer straightforward data export and migration tools. Establish clear contractual terms regarding data ownership and transfer processes. It’s also key to have a contingency plan for transitioning to a different provider if needed.

6. Customization limitations

The customization limitations of enterprise software pose a significant challenge, especially for businesses with unique or specialized operational requirements. SaaS solutions, designed for a broad user base, often offer limited scope for deep customization, which might not align perfectly with specific business processes or workflows.

This can lead to operational inefficiencies or the need for workarounds. It also restricts the ability of businesses to tailor a solution to their evolving needs, potentially impacting long-term usability.

To address this, thoroughly assess a SaaS solution’s customization capabilities thoroughly during the selection process. Opt for flexible platforms through modular customizations, integrations with other tools, or API access for bespoke development.

Establish open communication with the SaaS provider about your customization needs and explore potential solutions. Regularly reevaluate the solution’s fit to ensure it continues to meet your business requirements as they evolve.

Software Clicks Better With Whatfix

Whatfix provides application owners and IT teams tasked with software implementation projects with a comprehensive no-code platform to enable software users, drive user adoption, and achieve business outcomes with frictionless software experiences. With Whatfix:

• Enable application end-users with contextual, in-app onboarding and continuous training – all in flow the flow of work – with role-based Tours, Task Lists, Flows, Smart Tips, and more.

• Provide on-demand performance support for application users with Whatfix Self Help. Connect your in-app help center to your knowledge repositories and LMS to provide constant in-app support for employees.

• Identify common troubleshooting issues to take a data-driven approach to new user support documentation and in-app guidance with Guidance Analytics.

• Build sandbox application environments for simulated hands-on user training and testing with Whatfix Mirror.

• Keep application data clean by enabling users with in-app Field Validation.

• With Whatfix Surveys, collect feedback from application users to identify additional training needs, gather information on the overall software implementation, identify bugs, and more.

• Analyze application end-user behavior to identify areas of user friction and process inefficiencies, map optimal workflows, compare cohorts of users, and analyze user adoption journeys with Whatfix Analytics.