Design and Implementation

You've discovered the current state, gathered data, built your business case, defined requirements, and chosen your approach. Now it's time to design the solution and make it real.

From Requirements to Design

Requirements describe what you need. Design describes how you'll achieve it.

The Design Challenge

Good design translates abstract requirements into concrete specifications:

Design Principles

Keep It Simple

Complexity is the enemy of improvement. The best solutions are:

"Composed of the smallest number of general components that can be customized in consistent ways."

Result: Solutions that are approachable, modular, flexible, adaptable, robust, and maintainable.

Design for the Real World

Consider not just the happy path, but:

• What happens when things go wrong?
• How will people actually use this?
• What exceptions will occur?
• How will this be maintained?
• What happens when volume increases?

Involve Users Early

People who will use the improved process should help design it. They know:

• What the documentation doesn't capture
• Which workarounds are actually essential
• What's been tried before (and why it failed)
• What would make their work easier

Process Design Elements

When redesigning a process, consider each component:

Flow and Sequence

How does work move through the process?

Design questions:

• Can steps be done in parallel instead of sequence?
• Are there unnecessary loops or backtracks?
• Can decisions be made earlier?
• Are handoffs minimized?

Roles and Responsibilities

Who does what?

Before:

After redesign:

Decision Rules

What logic governs choices?

Explicit decision tables make design clear:

Information and Data

What information flows through the process?

Tools and Technology

What systems support the work?

Implementation Planning

Design without implementation is just a nice idea. Plan carefully to make the transition successful.

Implementation Approaches

Planning Elements

A solid implementation plan covers:

Scope and Objectives

• What exactly will change?
• What does success look like?
• What's explicitly out of scope?

Dependencies

• What must happen before implementation?
• What other systems or processes are affected?
• Who needs to do what, when?

Resources

• Who will do the work?
• What budget is allocated?
• What tools or equipment are needed?

Timeline

• Key milestones and deadlines
• Realistic durations for each phase
• Buffer for unexpected issues

Risk Management

• What could go wrong?
• How will you detect problems?
• What's the rollback plan?

Change Management

Process changes affect people. Plan for the human side:

Key activities:

• Communicate early and often - Explain the why before the what
• Involve people in design - They'll support what they helped create
• Provide training - Don't assume people know how to change
• Support during transition - Extra help when learning new ways
• Celebrate successes - Recognize progress and wins

Common Implementation Challenges

Scope Creep

As implementation proceeds, people want to add "just one more thing." This delays completion and increases risk.

Prevention:

• Clear scope documentation
• Formal change control process
• "Good enough for now" mindset
• Parking lot for future ideas

Resource Conflicts

The people needed for implementation are also needed for daily operations.

Mitigation:

• Dedicated implementation team when possible
• Realistic resource planning
• Protected time for key activities
• Temporary backfill arrangements

Resistance to Change

People may resist even beneficial changes.

Approaches:

• Understand the concerns (often legitimate)
• Involve resisters in problem-solving
• Address specific objections
• Show early wins
• Don't dismiss or override—engage

Technical Surprises

Systems don't always behave as expected.

Preparation:

• Thorough testing before go-live
• Realistic test environments
• Rollback procedures ready
• Technical experts available during transition

Real-World Implementation Example

Situation

A company redesigned their expense reimbursement process to reduce the 14-day average processing time to under 5 days.

Design Changes

Implementation Approach: Phased Pilot

Phase 1 (2 weeks): Pilot with IT department (tech-savvy early adopters)

• Deploy mobile app
• Electronic workflow for IT only
• Gather feedback, fix issues

Phase 2 (4 weeks): Expand to headquarters

• Include finance and HR
• Refine based on pilot learnings
• Train additional users

Phase 3 (4 weeks): Roll out to field offices

• Regional training sessions
• Support resources available
• Monitor adoption metrics

Phase 4 (ongoing): Stabilize and improve

• Address remaining issues
• Gather metrics
• Plan next improvements

Results

• Processing time reduced to 4.5 days (68% improvement)
• 92% user satisfaction with new app
• Manager time on approvals reduced 60%
• Finance processing cost down 40%

Implementation Checklist

Before go-live, verify:

• Design is documented and approved
• All stakeholders are informed
• Training is complete
• Systems are tested
• Data migration is validated
• Rollback plan exists
• Support resources are ready
• Success metrics are defined
• Communication plan is ready
• Go/no-go criteria are clear

During implementation:

• Monitor closely for issues
• Respond quickly to problems
• Communicate progress
• Document issues and solutions
• Capture feedback
• Celebrate milestones

After go-live:

• Measure results against goals
• Address remaining issues
• Recognize team contributions
• Document lessons learned
• Transition to operations
• Plan continuous improvement