Your roadmap to implementing a new payment system

Finding the right payment system to match your needs as a unitary authority is half the battle – now you just need a solid strategy to deploy it.

Careful planning and execution is key to avoid teething problems, inform staff of important changes and hit the ground running from launch.

By contrast, failing to plan ahead will likely lead you to operational risks, potential downtime and reduced efficiency. You may also run into compatibility issues when integrating new systems with your existing tech stack, causing unexpected headaches for IT teams and other stakeholders.

All of this can be avoided with a well-organised software implementation plan that details each stage of the journey before you launch. The purpose of this is to ensure your team can answer the who, what, when, how and why of a project before moving into the execution phase.

We’ve designed this step-by-step roadmap in three clear stages, each designed to unravel the complexity and help your organisation deliver a successful payment system rollout.

1. Knowing where to start
2. Preparation and launch
3. Ongoing optimisation

Step #1: Understand the project scope

Both you and your supplier need to establish a clear understanding of the objectives from the outset. It’s essential that all goals and objectives are communicated to stakeholders before the project is given the green light. Ideally, this should include members from key sections of the organisation, specifically Strategic, Technical, Financial and Operational departments.

If there’s any misunderstanding about the scope of a project between you and the project team, you’re almost certainly headed for trouble. In advance of project launch, make sure deliverables, goals and compliance with PCI standards are clear to everyone involved.

Step #2: Plan out key milestones

A detailed work plan is the constant reference point for everyone involved in the project. It not only details tasks and important milestones for delivery, but also the demarcation and delegation of responsibilities between staff, your provider and any other parties involved. It’s an essential tool that allows project members to check off tasks and meet deadlines.

Generally, the plan would include all essential information, such as responsibilities, deadlines etc, and should be located at a centralised, easily accessible location for all to access.

Step #3: Establish a risk response team

This is a back-up team whose primary job is to ensure that stakeholder needs are safeguarded and that limits any risk to your day-to-day operations. Although you may not need to call much upon your risk response team, having a plan for worst-case scenarios and extraordinary circumstances can be a project lifesaver.

It makes sense to have a risk response team in place, as life shows us that things can clearly go wrong, or unexpected incidents occur along the way.

Step #4: Maintain clear communication

Regular communication around project requirements, updates and important changes should involve all key stakeholders, rather than being confined to management. This is crucial to ensure smooth project execution and prevent any misunderstandings.

It can be easy for communications to become siloed between certain people and teams, particularly when working at pace. It always pays to keep everyone in the loop, ideally through predefined channels used to facilitate project comms and progress reports. This creates a more collaborative environment that promotes diverse thinking and more effective teamwork.

Step #5: Keep an eye on potential risks

Risk identification is an integral part of project tracking and monitoring. This is where your risk response team can help by providing a clear methodology for risk management — from identification and verification, through analysis, monitoring and control.

Potential risks may include anything from data migration challenges and compliance issues to succession planning in the event that key personnel involved with the project are not available. Once you’ve checked all these boxes, you’ll be in a much stronger position to launch with more peace of mind.

Step #6: Track your progress before and after launch

Switching to a new payment system provider is a significant undertaking that involves many moving parts. It’s likely that multiple tasks and variables will be progressing at the same time, so it can be a challenge to maintain an accurate view of project progress.

Once you’ve launched your new system, it’s still important to maintain these processes to monitor progress at regular intervals. This provides an effective way to spot and react quickly to any issues that may crop up.

Step #7: Conduct a post-implementation review

Once the project has been completed, it’s a good idea to hold a post-implementation review meeting to log successes and failures. The meeting is a great opportunity to discuss what went well and perhaps not so well – but more importantly, how things can be improved in future projects.

Instead of holding post-implementation review meetings in isolation, make sure to follow up with regular account review meetings with your provider to monitor up-time, transactional through-put and keep an open forum for new suggestions and service enhancements. By addressing these key elements, you can ensure a successful implementation of new payment solutions, delivering them on time and within budget.

Step #8: Refine procedures

Your post-implementation meetings should bear out feedback that can be used to implement practical measures and improvements. This ensures your payment system always operates at its highest level of efficiency while continuing to meet the evolving needs of users.

Regular updates and process improvements also help to optimise performance, enhance user satisfaction and ensure compliance with new regulations and standards.

Step #9: Develop new approaches and services

Is there a payment option you’re not currently offering? Or perhaps you’ve noticed a gap in your income management processes or compliance obligations that needs to be plugged.

Your provider should act as a trusted advisor to your organisation, keeping you informed of latest tech developments and changes in best practice. Your system should be agile enough to evolve with the times, scale with growth and ensure the best possible payment experience for your staff and local communities.