Allison Martyn

July 27, 2020

I’ve Got a Small Query for You*

(*Can you find all 11 Hamilton lyrics hidden in this blog post?)

So you’ve purchased Malbek, you’ve completed implementation, and you are live.  Congratulations!

As Hamilton’s King George says: “What comes next?”

Successful Malbek users plan not only for their implementation, but for the next steps too. We’ve laid a strong foundation, then we’ll pass it on to you and you’ll be in charge. This seems obvious, but it can be a problem if you didn’t plan for it.

Malbek recommends a few steps for your post-go-live world:

1. Identify a CLM admin because you’re going to need a right-hand man.  A CLM admin will ideally:

   1. Be involved in the set-up process and understands business requirements
   2. Have experience with your company’s contracts and workflows
   3. Be the go-to person in case of problems
   4. Be the primary communicator with Malbek
2. Develop a communication plan. It’s easy to dash off some emails and think that would be enough, but you will spread your message more effectively if you plan ahead. A communication plan defines the who, what, when, and how:
   1. Who should be given what information? Not everyone needs to know everything, so tailor your message to your stakeholder.
   2. When should that information be delivered? Timing is everything. If you send a major announcement to the team at quarter end when their world turns upside down, they might miss it.
   3. How will we communicate the information? In person meetings, Zoom meetings, emails, Slack channels. Pick the room where it happens.
3. Keep talking to the users. It’s easy to push information at them, but talk less, listen more. They’re the ones using it every day, and they can tell you what’s working and what isn’t. So ask them “What did I miss?”
4. Continue reevaluating and never be satisfied. Nothing is ever right on the first try, and no matter how hard you worked on it, there will be something that can be better. That’s Ok, that’s just the nature of new program development. Remember Malbek customer support will continue to be available to you to answer questions and help you work through any sticky technical challenges.

Once you’re live, take a moment to look at where you are, look at where you started, and congratulate yourself. Maybe have a glass of Malbec!

Did you find all 11 Hamilton lyrics in this post?