Follow a Recipe or Just Wing It?

The Recipe for Disaster: When Large System Implementations Go Wrong

I’ve seen it happen too many times—organizations dive headfirst into massive system implementations, convinced that new technology will solve all their problems. But when change management is left as an afterthought, disaster is all but guaranteed. It’s like deciding to cook a complex meal without following a recipe—skipping steps, ignoring key ingredients, and hoping it all comes together in the end. Spoiler alert: It rarely does.

The result? A mess of chaos, frustration, and a loss of trust that can take years to rebuild. If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a failed system rollout, you know how painful it can be. Let’s take a look at the most common mistakes that turn these projects into a burnt, inedible dish.

1. Change Management: The Forgotten Ingredient

Change is hard. And yet, I’ve seen organizations act like employees will just “figure it out.” This mindset creates resistance, confusion, and outright failure. Imagine baking a cake without bothering to preheat the oven or measure ingredients—you’re setting yourself up for disaster. Change management should be a priority from day one, ensuring employees understand not just what is changing, but why and how it benefits them.

2. Withholding Ingredients: Keeping Employees in the Dark

One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen is leadership thinking they’re doing employees a favor by keeping them in the dark. They assume that limiting information will prevent unnecessary stress. Instead, it creates fear, frustration, and resistance—like leaving a key ingredient off the list and expecting people to make the dish anyway.

Employees need to know:

• What’s changing and why

• How it will impact their daily tasks

• What support will be available (training, resources, help desks)

• The timeline for changes and expectations

When people don’t know what’s coming, they fill in the blanks with their own assumptions—and those assumptions are rarely positive.

3. Unrealistic Timelines: The “Microwave Mentality”

Big projects come with big deadlines. But when speed is prioritized over strategy, things go south—fast. I’ve seen teams forced to meet unrealistic timelines, leading to cut corners on testing, training, and troubleshooting.

It’s like trying to cook a gourmet meal in a microwave—you might get something edible, but it won’t be what you wanted, and it definitely won’t be satisfying. Microwave meals might seem convenient, but they often lack depth, texture, and flavor. Similarly, rushed implementations might check the boxes, but they rarely deliver the seamless efficiency and user satisfaction that were promised.

What’s worse, the expectation that everything will be “ready to serve” quickly creates unrealistic pressure on employees. They are left scrambling to adapt, much like a chef being asked to prepare a five-course meal in ten minutes. The result? A system that is undercooked, poorly seasoned, and destined for failure.

A phased rollout with time for feedback and iteration is always a smarter approach. Just as great chefs refine their recipes through trial and experience, organizations should give themselves the space to adjust, correct, and optimize before serving their final dish to users. Big projects come with big deadlines. But when speed is prioritized over strategy, things go south—fast. I’ve seen teams forced to meet unrealistic timelines, leading to cut corners on testing, training, and troubleshooting.

4. Lack of Expertise: The Wrong Chef in the Kitchen

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen companies dive into system implementations without the right expertise. Instead of bringing in experts who understand both the technology and the business, they rely on overworked IT teams or vendors who don’t truly grasp the day-to-day operations.

When you don’t have the right people guiding the process, you end up with a system that doesn’t work as intended—like letting someone with no cooking experience take over a fine dining kitchen. Employees are left frustrated, trying to navigate a system that wasn’t designed with their needs in mind.

5. Insufficient Testing: The “Just Wing It” Strategy

I’ve seen it too often—companies rush through testing or skip critical steps altogether, assuming they can fix problems on the fly. This is a recipe for disaster (pun intended).

Thorough testing should include:

• End-to-end process validation

• User acceptance testing with real employees

• Simulated stress testing to gauge performance under pressure

• Contingency plans for when (not if) something goes wrong

The importance of testing cannot be overstated. Imagine a chef preparing an elaborate meal for a packed restaurant without ever sampling the food. They might assume it’s seasoned correctly or cooked to the right temperature, but until it’s tasted, there’s no real way to be sure. The same applies to system implementations—without rigorous testing, small mistakes can turn into major disasters that disrupt workflows, frustrate users, and ultimately damage business operations. Moreover, testing should involve those who will actually use the system. It’s one thing for IT teams to run checks in a controlled environment, but real-world scenarios are rarely as predictable. Employees need to interact with the system in practical use cases to ensure it meets their needs. This is the equivalent of having multiple taste-testers to confirm that a dish appeals to a variety of palates before it’s served to the public.

A successful implementation isn’t about hoping for the best—it’s about methodically ensuring every piece works as it should. Just as a great meal requires careful preparation, adjustments, and refinements, a robust testing process ensures the system is ready for prime time before it ever reaches the users.

6. Ignoring Key Influencers: Forgetting the Secret Ingredient

Every company has those go-to people—the employees everyone listens to and respects. When those individuals aren’t involved in the implementation process, companies lose powerful allies who could have helped drive adoption.

Engaging key influencers early is like having a trusted sous chef in the kitchen. They help surface potential roadblocks, create champions for the change, and provide invaluable feedback. Ignoring them, on the other hand, is like leaving out the seasoning—your dish (or implementation) will be bland and unappealing.

Avoiding the Pitfalls: A Smarter Recipe for Success

So how do you prevent these mistakes and set your system implementation up for success?

• Follow the Recipe (Invest in Change Management Early): Make employee buy-in a priority, not an afterthought.

• Share the Ingredients (Communicate Transparently): Provide consistent updates and give employees a voice.

• Don’t Rush the Cooking Process (Set Realistic Timelines): Prioritize a quality rollout over an arbitrary deadline.

• Choose the Right Chefs (Bring in the Right Expertise): Don’t assume your existing team can handle everything alone.

• Taste Test Before Serving (Test Extensively): No shortcuts—thorough testing is critical for long-term success.

• Use the Right Spices (Engage Key Influencers): Turn skeptics into advocates by including them in the process.

Final Thoughts

A large system implementation isn’t just a technology upgrade—it’s a carefully crafted dish that requires the right ingredients, process, and timing. I’ve seen what happens when companies follow the recipe correctly, and I’ve seen the disasters when they try to wing it. The organizations that approach it with strategic planning, transparent communication, and strong change management come out ahead. But those that ignore these factors? They end up with an expensive, frustrating lesson in failure—one that leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.

I’ve learned these lessons the hard way. Hopefully, you won’t have to.