When I searched online for “What is analysis paralysis”, Google’s AI Assistant told me: Analysis paralysis is the tendency to get stuck in indecision due to overthinking or excessive analysis of a situation, leading to an ability to make a choice or take action.
In business (the construction industry is no exception) and in our everyday lives, our “gut feeling” often helps steer us in our assessment of a situation, and in our decision-making regarding the best way forward. That “gut” reaction could stem from multiple influencing factors, including inspirational others, experience, learning and knowledge, and available information.
Often though, it’s the evidential data and analysis which serves to confirm or cement that initial assessment or reaction, helping to back-up key decisions.
The analysis phase
That said, when undergoing major business systems change, one area where I strongly feel you can never do enough analysis, where you can never think too deeply, and where you can never go overboard on thinking through all the possibilities and alternatives, is in the initial information-gathering phase. This is when the organisation’s current business structures, processes, and data reporting requirements are reviewed , and decisions are made about how new software can help shape, support, and transform those structures, processes, and data reporting requirements now and into the future.
At Eque2, we aptly call this early stage of a software implementation project the “Analysis Phase”. In my view, it’s a time when you can never become “paralysed by analysis”. It’s when striving for perfectionism is good, it’s when 95% is not good enough, and it’s about acknowledging that time not dedicated now to thinking through each and every possible outcome or requirement might cause problems later down the line.
1. Start as you mean to go on
This is an investment for the future. These early sessions with software solution and implementation experts will pay you and your organisation dividends later. So, begin by ensuring you get the right people round the table. Be honest about what’s broken, what not, what is sacrosanct, and what’s up for grabs or possible change. What do you want to start / stop / continue in terms of processes, controls, analysis, and reporting? Be brave, this is a unique opportunity to challenge yourselves, the status quo, and look afresh at everything. But, on the other hand, don’t suggest change for change’s sake, and certainly don’t chuck out the proverbial baby with the bathwater.
2. Think about your coding structures
Take considerable time thinking about all your coding structures, in particular the General Ledger Chart of Accounts, and how Job Costs and Revenues will be analysed.
Modern construction industry business software solutions have flexible and powerful data analysis and reporting functionality. When partnered with an array of industry-leading reporting tools, ERP systems can present your organisation with the exact data it needs, analysed exactly how it wants, and with the ability to easily and quickly respond to changes in those needs, perhaps following a change in business structure, or group / external reporting requirements.
Therefore, when designing those core coding structures (and indeed when considering all code structures within the software, however minor you think they are), consider how readily they are matched with existing or future-desired reporting and analysis needs, and whether there is capacity within those code structures to allow for future flex.
This is a key area where multiple, improvement-led, iterations are worthwhile. And I would urge it’s not an area where you simply “copy and paste” what you’ve always done, as that risks the new software inheriting historical bad habits, thereby failing to maximise efficiencies and objective-based outcomes.
3. Be open to new ideas
Chew over the experience and advice or the software implementation consultants. After all, they will have worked with dozens and dozens of businesses, and will be overflowing with great ideas, and examples of where business have taken good / bad routes, and what the impact of those decisions was.
Balance this against the fact that you know your business better than anyone looking in from the outside, so welcome fresh perspectives, challenge suggestions, and ask lots of questions.
4. Don’t rush the design
Work alongside your software implementation experts to document your thought processes and decisions. This then serves as a reminder, or justification, for the decisions made when looking back, particularly if something crops up later that calls into question those early decisions. Hence, be ready to revisit again and again what you’ve already written, until you’re as happy as you could possibly be, and get agreement from everyone in the team.
There will inevitably be some compromises along the way, but what’s important is that those compromises are the right ones compared with the alternatives. And whilst changes can be made later during the software implementation journey, these might cause delays or cost increases because other areas need to be revisited.
This is certainly not an area where you want to look back and say: “If only we’d …” and regret an early “that’s good enough” standpoint simply because you feared becoming “paralysed by analysis”.
5. Stay aligned
Finally, when making business-optimised software design and configuration decisions at this early stage of your business systems change journey, check back to ensure you’re aligned with the original project objectives and outcomes to give you the confidence that you’re setting off in the right direction.
Article Series
This is the fifth in a series of blogs about the systems change journey by Steven King, Eque2’s Head of Change Management. Steven is a Big Four-qualified Chartered Accountant with over 20 years’ experience in senior finance roles in construction businesses and groups. He has led major business systems projects within the industry several times, including at 4 of Eque2’s existing customers. Steven has the benefit of real-world implementation experience, super-user hands-on systems knowledge, and a record of success in delivering big change projects involving our solutions on-time and on-budget.
Read Now: Recognising the need for systems change within a construction business
Read Now: Making the systems change decision
Read Now: Fail to plan, plan to fail
Read Now: Monitoring the construction systems change journey
Next time: It’s all about the data
Eque2 provides modern solutions allowing all types and sizes of construction, contracting, housebuilding and maintenance businesses to manage the full lifecycle of a project from anywhere, on any device. For more information, visit www.eque2.co.uk or call us on 01628 702 702.