6 Steps to Successfully Implement Mosaic

Over the years, we’ve onboarded hundreds of companies on Mosaic. We have gained valuable insight into the do’s and don’ts of introducing new software. In this article, we will explore six strategies for an efficient and effective Mosaic implementation:

1. Communicate why you need Mosaic
2. Treat Mosaic’s implementation like any other project
3. Understand that training isn’t one-size fits all
4. Make Mosaic a weekly habit
5. Focus on ongoing improvement 
6. Commitment, focus, and determination

1. Communicate why you need Mosaic

A key to a successful implementation is explaining the “why” to the people in your organization—the reasons why you purchased a Mosaic subscription. They need to understand the challenges and the benefits of using Mosaic. Getting early buy-in from your entire organization will foster a sense of purpose that will sustain the motivation until habits are created. Establish your "why," and clearly explain it to your team, early and often.

The majority of organizations rely on outdated systems that silo their operations and workforce, dramatically limiting the collaboration necessary for informed and effective decision-making. The result is low efficiency and a lack of control over project schedules. Modern technology impacts an organization's performance so significantly that modernizing your technology is no longer a choice—it's survival. It must be a key part of every organization's operational strategy. The world is rapidly changing, and we must move forward or be left behind. 

This is the purpose for implementing Mosaic and other technology platforms —the long-term survival of the organization. A business is only as strong as its operating system, which must be repeatable and scalable. The importance of the software implementation must be conveyed to your entire organization. The best motivator for change is clearly defining the reason and purpose of the change. Outline how this solution will positively impact the day-to-day responsibilities of each team member. Early buy-in across the team will drive the momentum required to make the change and generate the support needed to overcome hurdles throughout the change process.

Detail the need for change, the issues the software will solve, and the long-term benefits. Lean on Mosaic’s website, articles, and sales collateral to highlight the benefits and share the information with everyone involved in the implementation. They need to understand that outdated systems are the root causes of the lack of control over work and schedules and that using Mosaic will allow them to better manage their workload and prevent stress and burnout.

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Here are some challenges that most companies experience and how Mosaic helps.

If you are converting from spreadsheets to Mosaic for resource management, it’s important that your employees understand the inefficiencies of spreadsheets and how they are being held back.

Mosaic has built-in training and best practices that have been created through collaborations with hundreds of companies just like yours. Mosaic creates standardized processes for project, resource, and workforce management that will result in positive daily impacts for every team member.

Sharing Mosaic’s ROI can also help your team gain an understanding of how project planning and resource management software can impact every aspect of your business. For example, some of Mosaic’s Top Benefits include:

• Cumbersome spreadsheets and ERP processes are costing you $4,000-5,000 in additional billing per employee. With the efficiencies created by Mosaic, you can bill an extra week per billable employee per year. 
• Mosaic helps you get paid for scope creep -what Deltek calls the #1 threat to project-based businesses.
• Mosaic’s Project Templates help you control the quality of work to prevent costly mistakes and let you improve your process from one project to the next. 

2. Treat Mosaic’s implementation like any other project

Even though you’ve made everyone aware of the benefits and the ROI, getting everyone in the company to fully utilize new software requires organization and determination. To be successful, software implementations require a strategic approach. Leadership should establish project goals, milestones, timelines, and roles.

Additionally, leadership should closely examine the team to identify individuals who will embrace the change and promote its benefits throughout the lengthy implementation process. Known as project "champions",  these individuals will use their belief in the software, positive attitude, and desire for change to motivate their teammates. Leverage your tech-savvy employees to assess existing tech capabilities and assist with loading information and integrating your other software with the platform.

Each division or department involved in the implementation should have a manager appointed. There is no better way to organize this project than by using the Mosaic platform to plan, manage, and track the roll-out progress. Project schedules in Mosaic can help establish clear expectations and goals for project completion. As part of our platform services, your Customer Success Manager at Mosaic can help set this project up during the onboarding process. Be sure to introduce the contacts on Mosaic’s Customer Success team to your team.

While the implementation process may consume your schedule, it is vital that everyone views the rollout as a high-priority project. With Mosaic streamlining and automating your operations, profitability will be significantly boosted and any short-term loss will be recovered many times over, year after year.

For further support and a completely tailored strategy, reach out to learn more about the expanded support and training services that we offer for Mosaic. Mosaic Advisors are in-house professionals who are trained in project management, resource, and business management. They're experienced and passionate about solving the unique software and business challenges you're facing.

3. Understand that training isn’t one-size fits all

Even with Mosaic’s intuitive features and ease of use, training will be required to make sure your team gets the most out of Mosaic. During Mosaic’s onboarding process, your Customer Success Manager will explain how Mosaic will fit into your company’s everyday workflow and answer any questions. They’ll direct you to an extensive library of help documentation and videos. 

It's important to have training options that accommodate different users and learning styles. For example, some people will only need to watch a single training video, while others will require personal instruction to work through their questions. Offer multiple means of training and allow users to choose what is best for them. Our in-house experts will help you create a strategic implementation plan that meets your company’s unique needs. A library of written help docs and how-to videos that will fit any learning curve is available in the bottom right corner when logged into Mosaic.

Empower tech-savvy team members to help throughout the training phase, even if they are in junior roles in your organization. Once they know their way around the software, they can lead training sessions or simply serve as internal resources for those who need extra help. Having more Mosaic experts on hand expands training options and encourages engagement by creating an environment where people can ask questions without judgment. Your schedule should also include time to check in with staff to review progress and address any challenges with leadership to improve your training program. 

4. Make Mosaic a weekly habit

Most companies think the challenges in implementation are only within their company, but in reality, the early adopters are only about 16% of the population. When rolling out Mosaic, you should focus on them and enlist their cooperation in order to expand the implementation to a total of 50% of your organization. The “late majority” will then become your focus for conversion, followed by laggards—individuals who are often uncomfortable learning and using new tools —who will be the final 16% and will use familiar software as long as possible. Understand that the only means to drive change for them requires completely eliminating other options and closely monitoring their progress. 

Change can be overwhelming and difficult for some people, leading them to resist the adoption of the unfamiliar. The Power of Habit and Atomic Habits teaches us that the key to successfully implementing any new process or system is to introduce it alongside existing habits. Begin by using Mosaic during weekly collaborative planning meetings. Mosaic is designed so that information can be quickly entered during your meetings so it's ok if someone didn't do their homework. You can easily drag and drop schedules or tasks, duplicate, and update information in real time rather than making post-meeting changes to your spreadsheets. Mosaic’s activity tracking even keeps the meeting minutes on the changes, allowing you to go back and track who made the edits and updates. 

It’s important that meetings happen at the same time each week, are treated as mandatory, and clear that they are not cancelled or able to be rescheduled. People need to rely on them to happen, understand the level of importance of the meeting, and know they must schedule around them. While we recommend making your initial collaborative planning meetings an hour or longer to get everything entered, our data from hundreds of companies shows that once a company is in maintenance mode, its planning meetings typically average 15–20 minutes for teams with 20–30 members.

5. Focus on ongoing improvement

While Mosaic offers the promise of improving everything about your organization, it’s easy to lose sight of the long-term benefits during the short-term challenges of implementation. Sustaining motivation throughout the process calls for a growth mindset. Stay positive throughout every issue that the process presents and view each challenge as an opportunity to learn and improve. Positive reinforcement is always more successful than punishment. 

Try setting up an incentive reward system to generate cooperation and momentum throughout the implementation. An effective reward system should provide a range of ways to motivate your team. Some will prefer cash bonuses; others might prefer public recognition, a change in status, more challenging projects, or a promotion. Leaders should be responsible for determining the best types of rewards. In addition, provide regular progress updates to your organization to illustrate the results of their group efforts.

The successful implementation of Mosaic isn’t just about onboarding; it includes the ongoing effort to improve how your organization uses and benefits from the platform. Continue to keep track of user feedback and report it to our Mosaic team so we can incorporate it into the product and help your business continue to grow. We are constantly improving our platform and helping our users, so stay current with updates, as they make a big difference in what you get out of the software. 

We recommend starting with one or two core functions of Mosaic and suggest starting in the Workload, Planner, or Project Space. If you’re already planning projects, you can begin planning projects in Mosaic. If you’re not, or if you have shorter projects, we recommend starting in the Workload Space, and focusing on assigning Work Plans to people. PMs can begin building Task and Scope lists, which will improve your control of projects. Again, the best way to start is in a meeting with everyone.

Once Work and Project Plans are ready, you can start digging into Project Budgets. Everyone wants to start with the fun stuff and get their hands on the data, but remember, you need your Mosaic built-out to get the benefits of the data, so don’t get distracted by the shiny features. Later on, you can start learning about Mosaic’s Reporting features and building out Dashboards.

6. Commitment, focus, and determination 

Having trouble finding your way around? Frustrated? That's normal. Learning is a state of confusion, and change is hard. 

Implementing a new software system and driving successful adoption will always hold challenges. Recognize that it's all part of growth, and it’s imperative to push through all obstacles, especially in the beginning. Focusing on your “why” and the ultimate value the implementation will deliver are key to staying on track. Like most things in life, reaching your goal comes down to commitment, focus, and sheer determination. 

Let Mosaic’s Customer Success team guide your implementation for a hassle-free rollout. With years of hands-on training, our in-house coaches have learned the best practices for implementing software and are here to help your team with a successful implementation. We can help you educate your team regarding the importance of modern software systems like Mosaic and work to create a tailored roadmap to success for onboarding and implementation.

Our goal is to help you manage your firm in a way that makes your employees healthier and clients happier while significantly increasing your organization’s profitability. If you think you need more help than our standard onboarding, our expanded support by Mosaic's Advisors can help you get the most out of your implementation.

Ready to see how Mosaic can transform your company into a high-performing team? Book a demo with a sales consultant today.