Things run slower for a while. A mistake happens that never would have on the old spreadsheet. Someone hesitates when the new screen opens, because it is one more unfamiliar thing between them and getting the job done.
Now add that to a team that is already stretched and hitting targets, and the software is the first thing dropped the moment things get busy. Not because it does not work, but because nobody had the room to learn it.
Free: the Implementation Checklist. A practical order of work for rolling out new business software without overwhelming your team. Get the checklist
What abandonment costs you
You pay for the setup and the time, get no benefit, and the team becomes harder to convince next time. A good tool becomes the thing people avoid.
Why it gets dropped
The pattern is nearly always the same: the rollout moved too fast, and the team had no reason or room to push through the rough patch that comes with any new system.
The process: four steps through the dip
1. Tell the team the dip is coming
Say plainly that things will be slower for a while, and that this is expected.
Example: “The first few weeks will feel slower. That is normal.”
Pro tip: Say it before the first day. Surprise makes people quit.
2. Open one department only
A whole business on one screen is tempting, but chasing that picture before the team is ready is what turns a good tool into an abandoned one.
Example: “Only invoicing goes live this month.”
Pro tip: Resist the pull to add more because it is easy to turn on.
Free: the Implementation Checklist. A practical order of work for rolling out new business software without overwhelming your team. Get the checklist
3. Make room to learn
Lower the pressure while the team learns. Ask for less elsewhere, or schedule practice time.
Example: “Thursday afternoons are for working in the new system.”
Pro tip: If you cannot make room, delay the start.
4. Check in weekly and fix the irritants
Ask what is slowing people down and fix small things fast.
Example: “The invoice screen asks for a field we never use. Removed.”
Pro tip: Small fixes show people the system is theirs.
Where this runs
This applies to any system. It is also how we run our own Growth Challenge: one department at a time, with room to get good at it before moving on. In the business system we set up for clients (Odoo Community), you can switch on only the app you need. The process is the point. The tool just keeps it going when you are busy.
Your next step
Pick your one department and set the date. The free Implementation Checklist gives you the order, and the Odoo Growth Challenge shows the approach in practice.
Free: the Implementation Checklist. A practical order of work for rolling out new business software without overwhelming your team. Get the checklist