How Many Team Members Should be on Configuration Calls?
The short answer is as few as possible. Generally, one to three team members is all that is needed for configuration meetings. The reason is simple – too many team members create unnecessary complexity, ambiguity and chaos in the process. The key to effectively managing time and budget is to control the process.
Having too many participants on configuration calls is like having too many cooks in the kitchen. Cooking takes longer, is messier, and creates more frustration for the team. Most kitchens have a head chef (decision maker/approver), a sous chef (operation manager) and various team members with functional specialties. While the kitchen specialists may provide input to the sous chef, they are not part of the decision-making process.
So, who really needs to be on configuration/implementation meetings? It can depend on who has the required expertise within the business.
- Decision Maker – this can be the business operations lead, CFO/Director of Finance, or Program Manager. The key is that this person has knowledge of the overall business and the authority to make operational and final decisions.
- Finance Lead – this team member knows the intricacies of the business , including historical knowledge, current state and required improvements to support future growth, compliance and reporting.
- Program or Technical Lead – this is generally an internal systems administrator or Program Manager. The key focus is to know the tools and software currently used, the gaps or limitations of current tools, and the changes needed to support better productivity, reporting, compliance and profitability. This role also has knowledge of the setup requirements across all the programs.
- Connect Stakeholders – if Unanet connects (HR, payroll…) are part of the configuration, then it is also recommended to include the HR or payroll stakeholders in the process and data mapping calls.
For small to medium organizations. It is common for these roles to overlap or be provided by members who wear multiple hats. There isn’t a one size fits all, but having a smaller project team is a best practice. In addition, not all members need to be on every call. For example, an operations project manager doesn’t need to be on a call when discussing accounting and finance configuration and vice-versa.
The implementation process requires both direct and indirect synchronization within the business. The configuration team will be working behind the scenes with management, external consultants as needed, and the functional leads to provide input, data artifacts, and answers to detailed questions from the configuration team. These efforts build buy-in on the new tools and process from the boots on the ground leaders. In effect, these functional leaders will become the champions and supporters of change within each of their areas.
For more guidance and support of your next project, contact BOOST – the full-service government contractor business partner!
