Modern CRM Transformation - Part 12: How to Succeed When Phased CRM Delivery Isn’t Possible

Signal Boost: "Hope" by Arlo Parks
Characterises the the nerves, trust and resolve required to pull off a big bang delivery in financial services.

In an ideal world, CRM transformations are delivered incrementally—carefully phased, allowing teams and users time to adapt. But sometimes incremental rollout isn’t possible. Whether driven by business realities, compliance deadlines, or legacy platform end-of-life constraints, you're forced into a "Big Bang" approach: one simultaneous go-live for everyone.

We faced exactly this scenario. It wasn't our preferred approach, but it was necessary. Here’s how we adapted our user rollout, delivery approach, and leadership strategies to manage the complexity and risks effectively.

Why Big Bang Was Inevitable

Several critical factors forced our hand into a Big Bang delivery:

• Our legacy CRM was rapidly approaching end-of-life, making incremental rollouts risky.
• Regulatory deadlines meant phased deployments couldn't guarantee compliance on time.
• Shared business processes and integrated data made partial rollouts impractical without serious operational disruption.

Accepting this reality early helped us proactively manage the situation rather than resisting the inevitable.

Changes to the User Rollout Approach

Because we couldn’t gradually ease users into the new system, we made significant shifts in our user engagement and readiness strategies:

1. Intensive Pre-Go-Live Training

Comprehensive, role-specific training began well in advance. Rather than generic training, sessions focused on detailed real-world scenarios. For example, our customer service teams completed full simulations of handling live cases, significantly boosting their confidence and readiness.

2. High-Visibility Communication

Communication frequency dramatically increased. Users received clear timelines, expected impacts, and detailed support plans. Leadership visibility was high; senior leaders consistently championed the new system through updates, town halls, and informal check-ins.

3. Extended Hypercare Support

We expanded our hypercare significantly, embedding dedicated support teams directly with user groups during the critical post-launch phase. For instance, immediate onsite support reduced critical incident response times from days to mere hours, greatly minimising disruption and user anxiety.

4. Champion and Super-User Networks

We developed robust networks of champions and super-users across the organisation. These individuals became frontline support, early advocates, and vital sources of real-time feedback and encouragement.

Changes to the Delivery Approach

The Big Bang approach required adjustments in our technical and delivery practices as well:

1. Increased Focus on Testing and Simulation

We dramatically enhanced our testing efforts, running full-scale, end-to-end simulations to identify performance bottlenecks early. One such simulation uncovered database indexing issues, allowing us to resolve them ahead of time and prevent potential system slowdowns at launch.

2. More Robust Contingency Planning

Detailed rollback and mitigation strategies were clearly documented, with explicit criteria for activation. We also set up a dedicated "war-room," providing immediate decision-making capabilities during the critical go-live window.

3. Clear and Simple MVP Scope

We deliberately simplified our minimum viable product (MVP) scope for day one. By deferring non-essential features to subsequent releases, we reduced complexity, risk, and pressure during launch.

4. Stronger Vendor Alignment

We closely integrated our vendors into our delivery and go-live plans. Clear lines of accountability and immediate vendor responsiveness were established, significantly reducing the risk of delays or misunderstandings during the critical go-live period.

Leadership Practices for Big Bang Delivery

Effective Big Bang delivery required distinct leadership practices:

• Visible Leadership Presence: Senior leaders were present onsite throughout go-live. One memorable moment was seeing our CIO personally reassuring teams on the floor, directly addressing their concerns and visibly reducing stress.
• Rapid Decision-Making: Decisions had to be made swiftly. Leadership established quick-response communication channels, ensuring critical issues were addressed in real-time.
• Consistent Reassurance and Morale: Leaders continuously reassured teams and users, maintaining morale and momentum even during challenging moments.

What It All Comes Down To

Our Big Bang rollout succeeded because we:

• Proactively managed user readiness with detailed training and strong communication.
• Intensified our testing and contingency planning to anticipate and mitigate risks.
• Provided clear, decisive, and reassuring leadership presence throughout the transition.

The outcome spoke for itself: user adoption rates were high, and initial post-launch support tickets dropped significantly within days due to effective training and hypercare support.

Big Bang isn't ideal—but with the right preparation, communication, and leadership, it can succeed.

Next Up: Beyond Delivery: The Critical Ingredients That Make or Break CRM Transformations.
Delivery isn’t everything. The hidden pillars of CRM success incl. CX, risk, and vendors.