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September 08, 2005
Seven Lessons Learned From Outlook/Mailsite Migration
This summer, I helped migrate our firm to Interwoven's Mailsite/Worksite Web product, magically turning our KM into a matter-centric maven. Here are seven lessons I learned, in short snappy form.
- In order to understand why we force change, you have to understand the big picture. However, some roles in a law firm require focus only on the small things.
- There is no perfect solution. There is no perfect set of software that will work exactly like every single one of us wants.
- Patience is a virtue.
- Once the stakeholders are behind you, everyone else will simply have to accept it. But that doesn't mean there won't be screaming. My ears are still ringing.
- A successful software rollout may be defined as one in which most of the software works as expected and no one responsible loses their job. Measure twice, cut once.
- You will have to go to each individual computer and hand-modify at least one thing, even if you're good.
- If you're going to do it, you need a good manager who gives their life to the project. Handling the politics, the management, and the technicalities demands ability and sacrifice.
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I just stumbled across this post from a fellow IT geek as I was looking for things to do in Tennessee. He hit the nail on the head.
In order to understand why we force change, you have to understand the big picture. However, some roles in a law ... [Read More]
Tracked on September 22, 2005 02:51 PM
Comments
You hit the nail on the head. I've been through this myself and I couldn't have put it better if I'd tried.
Posted by: Jim Phillips at September 22, 2005 02:54 PM
Thanks for the kind words, Jim. It was my first big project of that type, and it's what I came up with in processing what happened ex post facto.
Hope you found some ideas of what to do here in Chattanooga from my blog. If you need some help in our fine town, drop me a line.
Posted by: Noel at September 23, 2005 05:20 PM