Preventing Software Implementation Failure through Digital Maturity Assessment: A People-Process-Tools Framework

Abstract

The growing use of digital technologies means software implementation has become an essential requirement in organizational development and competitiveness. Despite its importance, failure rates currently range between 50% and 70%, with research suggesting 31% of the projects are abandoned before their completion while more than halfway were initially budgeted. This can be attributed to different organizational, human, and technological variables and processes, including planning, communication, and resistance to change within the organizational setup. Apart from losses estimated at several billion dollars, failure results in decreased employee morale. The proposed research uses a concept called Digital Maturity Assessment (DMA) as a preventive measure before software implementation. The Digital Maturity Assessment ascertains the readiness of the business within the three key aspects:
People, Processes, and Tools. According to research, 76% of the staff lack required skills in the use of technology, while 57% of the failures can be attributed to the absence of communication. The Digital Maturity Assessment enables organizations to make valuable determinations regarding shortcomings in skills and technology capabilities even before software adoption