Getting Buy-In: Don’t Forget The Developers

Feature Blinders

I was talking to a friend recently who was researching a new cloud platform for their work. It was a pretty typical discussion; she had looked at three different options and had a front runner. Now she was trying to figure out how to sell it the rest of her team.

Naturally, the discussion moved toward product features and how those features filled gaps in their current IT infrastructure. After a few minutes, it was clear that she had found a great solution that addressed a ton of issues.

At that point, I asked: What do your IT people say about this?

She just stared at me for a moment, and then said that because it was a cloud-based platform that it should be fine.

Meanwhile, I’m sitting there thinking: that’s a pretty big gamble. So I recommended that she double check with the IT folks, just in case.

What Not To Do

Non-technical people, like my friend, may not understand most of what the IT folks say when running something like this by them, but that doesn’t mean you should skip this step. Failure to do so could mean delays in terms of both completing integration and deployment. Or, even worse, it could turn out that the systems aren’t compatible. If you’ve already signed a contract this would be a huge issue.

Developers Matter

Anyone who’s ever been part of a software integration knows how important it is to get developer/IT buy-in early on. After all, these are the people who understand what’s already in place, what your infrastructure can handle, and what is realistic when it comes to new solutions.

Even with a cloud-based platform, there are bound to be integrations with other systems. It’s not enough to just say that Solution A is compatible with Current Technology B. Sure, it might technically be compatible, but your developers will be able to give you a better idea of just how easy (or difficult) that integration will be.

Freezing out technical personnel during the research, selection, or implementation processes run the risk of upsetting the people you need the most for getting your solution up and running. They may not want to deal with the headache you’ve just dropped on their desk. That may mean refusing to work on it or putting it on the back burner, thus creating more delays.

Remember, all the features in the world won’t do you any good if you’re unable to use the solution in the way that you envision. Soliciting opinions from developers and IT will drastically increase the likelihood that you’ll actually get everything that you want.

Make sure that you not only ask your IT team about adding new solutions but that you heed their advice as well. Be transparent with them about your needs and what you’d like them to do and chances are the entire process will go a lot smoother.

If you’re not quite sure how to approach your IT people or how to decipher what they tell you, talk to your software vendor. Here at Plum Voice our talented developers and IT professionals can work with your IT team to ensure the easiest transition possible.

Have questions? Let one of our experts help.