The Fastest Deployment of an Automated Balanced Scorecard Framework I’ve Ever Seen

I very recently helped a client fully deploy an automated balanced scorecard framework from start to finish within just two months. The client has their scorecards built, data loaded, they’re holding effective business reviews across the organization using the framework, and they are self-sufficient moving forward. 

You're probably thinking: "But this is impossible! Many organizations implementing scorecards/ performance management don’t get that far in a year." Really? Just ask Seven Hills Foundation.

So what’s their secret?  They weren’t small (they have 3,000 employees), they weren’t simple (they provide services to 28,000 individuals with disabilities and life challenges through programming at 150 locations), they didn’t have any more extra free time than any other client (Seven Hills was right in the middle of budgeting season).  But Seven Hills did have what I'll call all 5 keys to a rapid, successful deployment:

1. Availability – just scheduling time with project participants (from executive users, to decision makers on strategic content, to data experts) can often take weeks.  But in Seven Hills’ case, they were ready to meet the day the contract was signed and management had made it clear that participants should prioritize time over other items.

2. Skills and Authority – those learning about the software had the skill set to absorb the information, those learning about the methodology had the skill set to appreciate the concepts, and those making decisions on content and direction were given the authority to make those decisions.

3. Scope that Mattered – the client chose to build the first scorecards for affiliates (businesses) that had a burning need immediately.  As an example, one affiliate team needed the automated scorecard solution to score highly on their 3 year CARF accreditation coming up in a matter of months (CARF is an accreditor of health and human services providers).  Though the drill down in some measures was very deep (i.e. thousands of measures), the total number of scorecard-level measures was low -- they focused on what was pressing.
   
4. Content Ready to Go - this client had already picked the measures they wanted to see.  More than that, they had understood what the measures meant, where the data was coming from, and had approval from management to set targets and ownership.
   
5. Reviews – with the scope focused on what was pressing and scorecard teams that had a reason for using the scorecards immediately, we worked quickly to create views and variance reporting that would immediately suit their workflow and live use needs.  The day the scorecard was complete, the affiliate teams were using their scorecards in business reviews and locking in the software skills they had learned.

The result? Seven Hills was reaping benefits from their automated scorecards starting on day 1. Watch for updates on their impressive story soon.