The Project-Killing Beast on the Three-Legged Stool - Bruce F. Webster: End Users
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The third group, end users, has the least apparent power.
But nevertheless, these users can sink a new project, too. They do this simply
by complaining (rightly or wrongly) that the new system is unusable, less
efficient, error-prone and lacking the hoped-for advantages that led the
executives to fund it in the first place.
At least three major factors are at work here. First, people
don’t like change unless the advantages are blindingly obvious and the
self-gratification relatively immediate. This is especially true for computer
applications with user interfaces. Anyone who has lived through an organizational
switch in the past 20 years from, say, WordPerfect to Microsoft Word knows what
this is like and how bitter the fights can be.
Second, a replacement of an old system or the introduction
of a brand new one usually involves a corresponding change in existing business
processes. It’s not just the software that’s affected; there can be an impact
on the way people within the organization accomplish certain tasks, even if
they never use the software themselves.
Third, the people who are going to use the new system want
to feel that they have a say in it. This may seem like an obvious step.
However, organizations often purchase, develop or deploy new systems with minimum
end-user involvement.
Keep all of this in mind when you embark on developing or
selling a new system. It’s important to have support not only from the
executives paying for it, but also from MIS and the end users as well. Without
firm support from all three legs of the stool, the many-headed beast—aka your
new system—will surely fall down.
Bruce
F. Webster is an international IT consultant. You can reach him at bwebster@bfwa.com or via his Web sites at brucefwebster.com and bfwa.com.
© 2008 by Bruce F. Webster
IT Management 
