5 Questions to Ask Before Implementing New Financial Software in Senior Living

You've decided to implement new financial management software. Before you sign the contract and begin implementation, asking the right questions can mean the difference between a successful transformation and a costly disappointment.

Question 1: Are We Truly Committed to Process Change?

This is the most important question, and the one most organizations don't ask honestly enough. New software is not a magic wand that fixes broken processes. It's an enabler of process improvement, but only if you're willing to change how you work. Senior Living financial software, like Sage Intacct, can transform your business.

Consider whether you're willing to:

• Standardize processes across properties rather than accommodating every variation
• Change approval workflows and responsibilities
• Eliminate workarounds and manual processes
• Trust system-generated reports rather than Excel manipulation
• Invest time in training and adoption

If the answer is "we want the new system to work exactly like our current process," you're not ready for a successful implementation. The greatest value comes from redesigning processes to leverage system capabilities.

To evaluate your readiness, take a moment to walk through Blytheco’s 6-step ERP Checklist to determine if it’s time to migrate to a new ERP. It takes less than five minutes!

Question 2: Do We Have Executive Sponsorship and Change Management Resources?

Software implementations fail far more often from organizational issues than technical problems. Successful implementations require visible executive sponsorship, dedicated project management, staff time for testing and validation, investment in comprehensive training, and tolerance for the learning curve period.

Ask yourself:

• Has executive leadership clearly communicated why we're changing and what success looks like?
• Do we have someone owning project management who isn't already working 60-hour weeks?
• Are we prepared to have key staff spend 20-30% of their time on implementation for 3-4 months?
• Have we budgeted adequately for training beyond initial system training?

Without these elements in place, delay your implementation until they are.

Explore Blytheco’s journey to a new ERP to review the 6 crucial stages of your ERP journey.

Question 3: Is Our Data Clean and Standardized?

Data migration is often the most challenging implementation aspect. You'll migrate problems from your old system to your new one unless you address them first.

Critical data quality questions:

• Is our chart of accounts logical and consistently applied across properties?
• Have we cleaned up inactive vendors, customers, and accounts?
• Are our cost centers and departments standardized?
• Is historical data complete and accurate enough to migrate?
• Do we have a plan for which historical data to migrate vs. archive?

Plan to invest 50-100 hours in data cleanup before implementation begins. This investment pays enormous dividends in implementation success and data quality in your new system.

Question 4: Have We Clearly Defined Integration Requirements?

Your financial system won't exist in isolation. Understanding integration requirements upfront is essential.

Key integration considerations:

• What systems must integrate with financial management (resident management, HR/payroll, banks, others)?
• Are pre-built integrations available, or will custom development be required?
• Who owns integration development, testing, and ongoing maintenance?
• What's our plan if a critical integration isn't available or proves problematic?
• How will we handle integration failures and data synchronization issues?

Integration challenges have derailed many implementations. Understand these requirements clearly before committing to a solution.

Question 5: Do We Have the Right Implementation Partner?

The implementation partner you choose matters as much as the software itself. The right partner brings industry expertise, proven methodology, technical capability, and realistic guidance.

Evaluate potential partners on:

• Specific experience implementing in senior living organizations like Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs), Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), or Memory Care (not just generic experience)
• References from similar organizations
• Implementation methodology and project management approach
• Technical resources for integration and customization
• Training approach and change management support
• Post-implementation support model

The cheapest implementation partner is rarely the best value. Investing in a quality partner like Blytheco with deep senior living expertise and over 5,000 successful ERP implementations dramatically increases success probability.

Bonus Questions Worth Asking

Beyond these five critical questions, also consider:  

• What's our realistic timeline given other organizational priorities?  
• How will we measure success beyond "go-live"?  
• What's our contingency plan if implementation takes longer than expected?  
• How will we maintain momentum through the challenging middle phase?  
• What's our plan for ongoing system administration and optimization after implementation?

Red Flags That Suggest You're Not Ready

Certain indicators suggest you should pause and address foundational issues before proceeding including unclear business requirements, no executive sponsor or project manager identified, expectation of implementation in unrealistic timeframe, insufficient budget for implementation services and training, major organizational changes happening simultaneously, and staff expressing strong resistance to change.

Proceeding despite these red flags significantly increases failure risk.

The Go/No-Go Decision

Implementation success requires favorable conditions. If you've honestly assessed these questions and are confident in your readiness, move forward with conviction. If you've identified gaps, address them before beginning implementation. Delaying 2-3 months to get the foundation right is far better than charging ahead and struggling with a difficult implementation.

Getting Ready

If you've identified readiness gaps, create a specific plan to address them. Secure executive sponsorship and communication, assign dedicated project resources, begin data cleanup and standardization, document current processes and pain points, and build organizational awareness and excitement about coming changes.

Your Path to Success

Organizations that honestly assess readiness, address gaps, and proceed thoughtfully achieve dramatically better outcomes than those that rush into implementation unprepared.

Take the time to ask these questions honestly and address what you discover. Your implementation success depends on it.

Ready to move forward with your financial software implementation?

Sage Intacct is a leading ERP and is a proven Senior Living Financial Software. Blytheco, a valued Sage Intacct Implementation partner, explores your challenges and has recommendations on streamlining your growth and efficiency.

Schedule a consultation with Blytheco's senior living experts to assess your readiness and create your implementation roadmap or reach out to solutions@blytheco.com.