Question:            When do you start to launch your solution?

Answer:                 As soon as you can.

Remember you are delivering a solution not just software.  A lot of companies make the mistake that they are purely building software and as soon as the software is ready, then they can release.

But the solution is greater than just the software, it is making sure your business and wrap around services are ready as well. This includes:

• Training materials
• Consultants prepared
• Ordering process tried and tested
• Marketing campaigns understood and ready to action. Advocates ready to help with communication, organise your PR
• Sales enablement complete and sales teams trained
• Support Desk trained and the SLA’s (Service Level agreements) and OLA’s (Operational Level Agreements) are in place
• Software ready. Are you going to trial/pilot?
• Solution feedback mechanisms are in place
• All teams are trained and ready to answer customer queries and evangelise about the solution, using the right value proposition

As soon as you have had the approval for the project to go ahead, and you have secured the budget for development, next step is bringing together your stakeholder group from around the company.  They will help you launch internally and to their peers.

Build a checklist of all the activities and add owners from the stakeholder group.  Have the stakeholders keep you updated with the current progress of their actions, you are not to deliver on their behalf!! The success of the solution will depend on the support of the business, so make sure you have it!