Simply-Solutions has joined forces with appiChar. Read the home page to find out more.

So you’ve chosen your developer (see Implementation Guide – part 1 if you haven’t!) and you’re ready to go. What’s really important to make sure you’re project is a success?

Communication

Without communication, your project will fail. Your consultant needs to understand your organisation and how it works, almost as well as you do. And your consultant should tell you what they’re up to. Don’t be surprised if you get asked what appear to be daft questions. It’s better to ask and look silly, than not to ask and get it wrong.

Developing a good CRM takes time and effort. For a few months, it should be one of the most important things your organisation is doing, so pick the right time to get started.

Involving People

“I’d like to thank my parents, my producer and my neighbour’s dog”. Yes this project will require team work. Even if you think you know everything there is to know about how your organisation runs, someone somewhere will do things differently – or better yet, have a clever idea they want to incorporate. Better to know about it sooner rather than later.

Plus, people don’t always like surprises. If you involve people from the start, they’ll feel engaged and probably happier to work with what gets developed.

Set Aside Adequate Time

This is your project after all. Gone are the days when a developer would go away for a few months to return triumphantly, and place before you (with a flourish) a finished product. Which is good. Because more often than not, the finished product was disappointing and not quite what you were expecting.

So, you need to prioritise. Don’t try to get a new CRM just before that new website needs completing, or the AGM is being planned, or you’re thinking of going on holiday.

Listen

To everyone: your developer; your staff; your volunteers; your board members; maybe even your mum. They will all have good ideas so why not take the time to hear them. And make sure your developer listens too. The phrase “But that’s how we’ve always done it” should be banned.