Date
Monday, July 28, 2025
Time
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Location Name
Room 300C
Name
Advancing Software Implementation in a World of Uncertain Guarantees
Track
Other/Special Topics
Description
| The integration of software into critical organizational programs is increasingly central to modern engineering and project management practices. Software solutions provide opportunities to enhance efficiency, optimize workflows, and improve decision-making. However, adopting new tools often presents significant challenges, particularly when time constraints, evolving requirements, and competing priorities limit opportunities for comprehensive preparation, collaboration, and refinement. Successful implementation in these environments demands not only rigorous planning but also flexibility and strategic problem-solving to address unknowns. The Cross-Contamination Program Updates (“the Project”), performed in the State of North Carolina, offers a case study of how these challenges were navigated in a high-stakes environment. This initiative transitioned from a custom and more controlled GIS-based solution to an off-the-shelf software product to manage survey, inventory, and testing results. The Project faced compressed timelines, dual responsibilities for technical scope and digital implementation tasks, and limited opportunities for stakeholder engagement during early phases. These constraints required innovative strategies to maintain quality, meet deadlines, and align with the client’s evolving expectations. A major challenge arose from the need to initiate field activities before the team could fully understand the software’s functionality or complete comprehensive training. This accelerated timeline required an early data migration approach, introducing challenges with data quality and system configuration. By leveraging ITIL 4 Guiding Principles and prioritizing progress over perfection, the team adapted to these challenges through rigorous documentation, targeted interventions, and phased oversight during project closeout. Sub-task work plan memos proved invaluable, allowing the client to manage data quality, user experience, and training as they prepared for long-term software maintenance and operational sustainability. This presentation will detail the methods and strategies employed to overcome these constraints and deliver meaningful results. Attendees will gain insights into balancing competing priorities in software implementation, addressing data quality challenges under time pressure, and fostering collaboration across multidisciplinary teams. Lessons learned from this Project will provide actionable guidance for professionals facing similar implementation challenges in complex or resource-constrained environments. By focusing on key decision points, adaptable strategies, and measurable outcomes, this presentation highlights how engineering teams can successfully navigate software transitions to achieve innovation and reliability in organizational programs. |
Speakers