What is the recipe for a successful MultiPress Go Live?

3 February 2023

Every now and then we get asked this question. Perhaps this question is triggered by Dataline's recent strong growth: after all, we have many ongoing projects. A human approach makes all the difference: listening to customers' ways of thinking and their fallacies and guiding them towards a better path. In this blog article, we discuss some of those fallacies and how to avoid them.

"My business operation is particularly complex and cannot possibly be automated"

We have been in the industry for years and hear this story quite regularly. In our experience, the limitations of your current system force you into some logistical flows and habits. You used to do things this way, without asking any further questions. However, your current operation is not set in stone! It's healthy to challenge your business processes every now and then. The Dataline project manager is happy to help you do that!

Say no to "as is" thinking

A statement we often hear at the beginning of a project is: "the new software must be able to do exactly the same things as the old one!". This mindset is one best avoided: these kinds of projects cost a lot of money so why invest so much without advancing your business forward? In fact, you want to get rid of the old software, so it should not be a model for where you want to go in the future.

In the first week after the Go Live, the project manager watches over the continuity of your business processes and from then on, everything is different and the pros and cons should prevail.

"My people are too busy to test the software"

During implementation, an ERP/MIS software has to be tailored not only to the business processes but also to the people who have to learn to work with it. To get that done, it takes a project manager who can manage all of that.

• Problems crop up in every implementation. But did you know that you can determine whether you discover the problems before or after the Go Live? The suggested six-week testing period serves to detect and fix such problems in time.
• Give your staff a separate room where they can periodically test for an hour at their leisure. Schedule these moments in advance as well.
• Choose enthusiastic lead users. They often become the internal point of contact for other colleagues who lose their bearings for a while. Sharing knowledge with other colleagues is a necessity and an enthusiastic lead user often succeeds better in guiding others
• Without insight and training, people will fall back into old habits: you shouldn't expect everyone to understand the integration and how it will affect their specific role, even if you think it's easy. So be sure to discuss MultiPress training with your project manager, as they will be responsible for providing the necessary training. That way, you can make sure your workflow works the way you want it to and that no one takes shortcuts or falls back on old habits.

"Innovation is an overrated buzzword"

Not everyone is happy with change and so there will always be people in your company who oppose it. At Dataline, we often see situations where two companies use the same software and equipment and print the same types of jobs, and yet one company is hugely successful with integration, while the other is not. The differences between these two companies are always people-related.

Therefore, you need to communicate with the whole company about the vision of the project, what is involved, the possible disruption they may experience, the effect on their department, and so on. Guide your people in this, involve them in the story, make them understand how important their role is in the scheme of things. Explain to them why we are now going to do things differently. Make this communication regular and transparent, and keep reinforcing the vision and its benefits to your employees.

The success of your project depends on the attitude and commitment of those involved. Technology is not infallible and the difference between the success of one company and another is the attitude their people have towards it.

The Dataline method

At Dataline, we know project management: delivering projects is what we have thrived on for 25 years. That's our business! When you start implementing MultiPress in your print business, it is essential that you build a good relationship with your Dataline project manager. In most cases, you will not be able to carry out the project on your own, even if you have your in-house development expertise. The Dataline team realises very well that software is not truly sold until it is also taken to the Go Live level. In other words, after the project manager has done his job: setting up software, parameterising (setting up) and providing training. Only when the customer works independently and successfully with MultiPress, the task is successful.

This careful working method has also gained external recognition: Dataline has been ISO-certified every year since 2006. An external auditor thus established that Dataline consistently delivers products and services that meet customer requirements and applicable legal and regulatory requirements, and aims to increase that customer's satisfaction through the effective application of the system.

So cherish the good relationship with your project manager, it really is worth its weight in gold. For you, a Go Live is exceptional, for the Dataline project managers it is their daily job. They are going to help you take an important step for that which is very dear to you: your print business! And such a precious thing is better left in the hands of someone with whom it clicks. If you get into trouble, he is the one who is going to help you.