Part 2: Implementation

So your organization has decided to step up the billing game and make the shift to an intelligent billing platform. Congratulations! This is a huge change that will empower continued growth and evolution and streamline processes.

But once you’ve made the decision to switch, how do you make it happen? At Gotransverse, we’ve developed a 21-step process to adopting, implementing, and launching your new, usage-based billing solution, and we’re walking you through that process in a three-part blog series. We recently covered steps one through seven: the strategy phase. Now, let’s take a look at the next phase.

Steps 8 Through 14: Implementation

8. Gather Product Requirements

Implementation starts with a comprehensive understanding—by both your team and your vendor’s—of exactly how you need the new platform to function. In this step, your implementation team will be working with the vendor to finetune solution design, architecture, and project scope.

9. Develop an Iterative Timeline

Next, make a plan for launch. The goal here is to deliver value quickly while keeping risks minimal. Consider the right order to implement features, when to sunset the old system and how to ensure internal users are comfortable with the system as you roll it out, avoiding gaps in functionality or user knowledge that create problems for customers or errors in reporting.

10. Take a Phased Approach

Rather than trying to configure every piece at once, plan an approach that starts from the ground up. First, tackle required elements and scenarios to ensure core functionalities are ready to go. Then, handle value-adds and other nonessential features.

11. Create a Project Plan

All of this — your requirements, timeline, and approach — should roll up into a detailed project plan that allows the implementation team to track tasks and measure progress, adapting as needed should surprises come up.

12. Build in End-to-End Integration

Your agile monetization platform will have the capability to integrate with existing systems, which will do wonders for your front- and back-office efficiency. So as you implement the new platform, be sure to configure those integrations, testing at regular intervals to catch and fix any connectivity issues before the new system goes live.

13. Set Up Regular Reporting Intervals

Once your new platform is up and running, you’ll have access to deeper consumption and customer-behavior insights than ever before. In order to take full advantage of that data — analyzing it and making product or service adjustments in response — you’ll need to set up frequent reporting processes, including critical metrics you’ll use to drive growth.

14. Recognize Milestones and Achievements

Internal buy-in from the full team is critical for the success of your new system, so during this phase, be sure the implementation team is communicating with the rest of the users, sharing successes, and demonstrating time-saving features to prove value and create internal investment.

Steps one through seven ensured that your switch to an agile monetization platform began with a strong strategy, and the seven steps in the implementation phase set you up with a concrete plan to bring that strategy to life, creating internal buy-in and ensuring every feature and function will work as it should. Next week, we’ll talk about the final phase: the rollout. But none of these phases will live up to its potential unless the right vision is in place from the very beginning. We encourage you to look for a vendor that doubles as a strategic partner, helping your team define the goals, requirements, and success metrics for your new hybrid business model and billing platform.

If your organization is ready to adopt and implement a transformative new billing platform, contact us today to learn more.