Often, these innovations need to fit within an existing set of legacy systems and processes. Adding new tech to the mix can seem like changing the engine while flying the plane.<\/p>\n
As more and more innovative solutions enter the market, however, its becoming critical to find a way to do just that.<\/p>\n
Siloed tech and data solutions do not provide brands with the unified performance they need to drive results, but these three simple steps will help things go more smoothly:<\/p>\n
1. Understand your goals<\/strong><\/p>\n The road to better outcomes begins with well-defined goals. It can be tempting to think tactically and focus on individual objectives, but instead, try communicating what you\u2019re trying to achieve in the end. This mindset shift allows more flexibility for all parties involved in the ways they can provide support.<\/p>\n Another critical part of goal setting is stakeholder buy-in. To make transitions run more smoothly, it\u2019s important to make sure that the solution works well with the various parts of your business.<\/p>\n Identify SMEs, but keep in mind that while those with hands-on-keyboards<\/em> might not have oversight in budget allocation, they do account for a large part of the success or failure of your integration.<\/p>\n 2. Evaluate current tech<\/strong><\/p>\n The next step in successful integration is evaluating your existing solution(s) against the proposed new tech for gaps and consistencies.<\/p>\n Start by troubleshooting any gaps that may exist in the way your legacy tech will feed data to the new solution. You might consider the way your data is structured, naming conventions, and input fields.<\/p>\n If multiple teams will be leveraging the new tech, it\u2019s particularly important to identify where consistencies exist and establish best practices to ensure your data set is clean on the front end.<\/p>\n By identifying those gaps and consistencies, you\u2019ll be able to level set early in the integration to save time (and oftentimes, money).<\/p>\n 3. Encourage collaboration upfront and feedback afterward<\/strong><\/p>\n In the end, you achieve better outcomes by working together. Stakeholders in tech, operations, and media each have their own core competencies, so it\u2019s critical to lean into those.<\/p>\n By creating an environment that\u2019s flexible and collaborative, people can contribute in ways that make the process run more smoothly \u2013 and may provide ideas that help the new product evolve!<\/p>\n Ensure that open dialogue carries on well after the initial integration by setting biweekly, monthly, or quarterly feedback check-ins. By devoting time to continuing the conversation, you mitigate small glitches that turn into major roadblocks.<\/p>\n Just remember, successful integrations don\u2019t happen in a vacuum. It\u2019s an ever-evolving process that is greatly improved through best practices that leverage the best of legacy tech, more compatible data, and more inclusive workflows. With these tips in mind, you can do more with what you have and utilize developing solutions in a more seamless way.<\/p>\n"}]},"yoast_head":"\n