Conflicts and Impacts On Business Software Project Implementation

Filed in Software     

Biz

Strife within the Business Software Community
It is quite possible and even likely that there will a certain level of conflict when a new business software system is being implemented. The bruised egos that form the fabric of organizational life will not let their territory go without some fight. The company itself will have some experience of dealing with organizational conflict and they will simply apply all that experience to the new situation to ensure that the business software project does not collapse in tatters.

In order to deal with the conflicts that affect the various business software projects, it is important to understand their origin. When their origin is identified, it becomes easier to get solutions for both short term and the long term.

There is a multitude of vested interests in the organization which directly impact on the implementation of the business software project. The interests are not necessarily sinister in nature but they can have problematic outcomes for the organization if they are not handled well. A case in point is the team that has been performing very well under the previous business software system. They will quite rightly feel proud of their achievements but this pride might extend into protecting some form of territory.

If there is a culture of uncertainty, they will worry that someone else might prosper beyond their level under the new business software system. The character of the team will have some influence on the type of response that they muster. Some teams might decide to fight the battle and make a convincing case for their utility in the business. Others will go for the background root and attempt to quietly sabotage the project.

Some managers believe that the easiest employees are the ones who are silent. They mistake silence for consent or capitulation. This thinking ignores the possibility of passive aggression. They also ignore the fact that the angry employee may be looking to get even rather than attempting to resolve the initial problem.

Thus the people who make the most noise about the new business software systems will be disciplined and dealt with while the silent burners are left to fester. The ultimate price is then paid when the quiet employee does something so fundamentally damaging to the organization as a whole.

Consultation and Effective Communication Protocol are the balm that can soothe the rough waters of employee dissatisfaction. Some employees get so worked up a single issue that they do not even know about. Consultation enables the senior management get to the bottom of the resistance.

When a manager has a fundamental understanding of the issues that are facing the business software project, they will make sure that they are dealt with at the earliest opportunity. The conflicts within the implementation process for business software are unavoidable but efforts can be made to ensure that their impact is not too devastating to the overall operations of the business. Understanding the causes of the issues gives the manager an opportunity to deal with them.