Software Is the Last Step, Not the First
New tools get blamed for failures they didn't cause. A short field guide to sequencing process, people, and platform.
Most failed rollouts we've seen were fine products dropped onto undefined processes. The tool then gets blamed for surfacing the mess it was supposed to manage.
Sequence it
Define the decision. Assign the owner. Run it manually for two weeks. Only then buy or configure something to carry it. Software should be the last thing that changes, because it's the most expensive thing to change twice.
Adoption is a behavior problem
People don't skip the new system because it's hard. They skip it because the old path still works and nobody notices when they use it. Close the old path deliberately.
Choose boring tools
The best platform for a fifteen-person shop is usually the one the team will actually open on a phone in a driveway with one bar of signal.