Launching a new RMIS will ultimately improve and streamline your company’s risk management results. Learn the mistakes to avoid and 4 best practices to champion beyond Go Live.
By Patrick J. O’Neill, Founder and President, Redhand Advisors
After months of planning and countless hours, you and your team are finally ready to launch a new risk management information system (RMIS).
After a quick victory lap, it’s already time to start thinking about Day 2.
Yes, Go Live is only the beginning.
Before Go Live, you prioritized the right features for the initial implementation phase – and unfortunately other “wish list” features disappeared because they weren’t needed on Day 1. As Phase II comes into focus, you have the opportunity to go back to that list and consider incorporating them into the regular updates and tech enhancements of your RMIS platform to optimize future risk management.
Developing a road map beyond Go-Live is critical to implementing these secondary “wish list” features — and to the long-term success of your RMIS.
Avoid Mistakes and Missteps after Go-Live
The newlywed period with a new RMIS system is accompanied by a learning curve. Missteps are common so beware of the most common mistakes. For example, a new system is an opportunity to create a smoother process for employees and data gathering, especially when it comes to automation features. Take advantage of the chance to rethink your workflows.
Next, where applicable, make the most of the opportunity to transfer knowledge from the implementation team to your customer support team before the implementation team winds down. Encourage the two teams to work together and include customer support as part of the training.
Finally, as your employees begin to use the RMIS, there will be opportunities for both learning and system improvements. Don’t be afraid to make changes – including new workflow capabilities and processes – to help your organization take full advantage of your vendor’s expertise and the technical capabilities of the system itself.
4 Best Practices for Go Live Success
As your organization sprints toward the Go Live date, a few simple tweaks can further your success.
- Create a continuous improvement time period with an evaluation loop. Don’t allow a clean break with the vendor’s implementation team right after Go Live. Ask for “hypercare” support model, or an elevated level of support to ensure the seamless adoption of a new system, for a set period of time. Use this extra care time to survey key stakeholders about what’s working and what’s not. Ask them to maintain a list of issues and prioritize fixes. Have the implementation team lead this, as they are closest to the process.
- Maintain ongoing training while getting accustomed to the new system. Until Go Live, there’s no way to know how employees will adapt to and use the new system (i.e., reporting, dashboards, analytical capabilities). For this reason, additional training after launch when employees are using the system daily often works best. Ask the vendor and your implementation team to tailor their training to your RMIS system features and functions, unique staff, program needs and more in order to troubleshoot specific issues your employees are having.
- Look for opportunities to automate. Using an RMIS to its fullest means embracing automation. After you Go Live, look to put processes in place to improve workflows. It’s likely that your employees currently perform multiple tasks that could be easily automated by the new RMIS. Maximize the power of digital by automating as much as possible, freeing up employees to spend their time on other tasks.
- Listen for feedback. When users call into the support desk, they likely have some insight into how they thought the RMIS would work versus how it was implemented. Encourage your support team to listen carefully to users and capture their feedback. This feedback provides insight into how to optimize the RMIS down the road, and which features to prioritize when updates become available.
The Next Chapter: Continuous Improvement
The success of your launch is grounded in how your team monitors, evaluates, and improves the RMIS system post-Go Live.
The minute you Go Live, you open your organization up to a flood of support requests, from user issues to technical issues. It can be overwhelming. Track the issues to understand what is happening and look for opportunities to improve the system at every juncture. Then prioritize what needs immediate attention and what can wait.
A new system is your opportunity to transform the way your business manages risk. Understanding that the Go Live period doesn’t end at Day 1, but rather opens a new chapter of continuous improvement will enhance the success of your new RMIS for years to come.
For more information on Go Live best practices and how to choose the right RMIS system, schedule an Inquiry Call with Patrick.