I was on a site visit recently with a fabrication business owner. Good turnover, solid team, decent reputation. He'd invested in simPRO about 18 months ago. The software was there. The licences were paid. But nothing had really changed.
"The lads don't really use it," he told me. "They've got their own ways of doing things."
Sound familiar?
SectionThe Software Graveyard
Every engineering business I work with has a graveyard of abandoned software. CRM systems that never got populated. Project management tools that lasted three weeks. Time tracking apps that the team "forgot" to use.
The problem isn't the software. The problem is that we treat software like a magic wand. We think buying the tool will automatically create the change.
It won't.
SectionSoftware Is Just a Container
Here's the truth that software vendors won't tell you: simPRO, Xero, Monday.com—they're all just containers. They hold your processes. They don't create them.
If your processes are broken, software will just digitise the chaos. If your team doesn't follow procedures, giving them an app won't suddenly make them compliant. If there's no accountability in your business, no software on earth will create it.
SectionWhat Actually Drives Change
Real transformation in an engineering business comes from three things:
1. A Compelling Vision
Your team needs to understand where you're going and why it matters. Not just "we're implementing simPRO"—that's a task, not a vision. They need to feel like they're part of something bigger.
As I told my client: "We need to create an exciting environment where we're all in this together and we all want to be going in the same direction."
Without that shared vision, every new system feels like another burden from management. Another hoop to jump through. Another thing to resist.
2. Clear Ownership
Who owns the implementation? Not who bought the software—who's responsible for making it work?
In successful implementations, there's usually someone in the office who becomes the champion. Often it's the office manager. They understand both the admin side and the operational reality. They can bridge the gap between what the software can do and what the team actually needs.
3. Consistent Follow-Through
This is where most implementations die. The initial enthusiasm fades. The old habits creep back. The software becomes optional.
You need weekly check-ins. You need to catch problems early. You need to celebrate wins and address resistance. You need someone—whether that's you, a coach, or an internal champion—holding everyone accountable.
SectionThe Real Implementation Checklist
Before you buy another piece of software, ask yourself:
- •Do we have a clear vision of what success looks like?
- •Does the team understand why this matters to them (not just to you)?
- •Who will own the day-to-day implementation?
- •What happens when someone doesn't use the system?
- •How will we measure whether it's working?
If you can't answer these questions, don't buy the software yet. You're not ready.
SectionMaking simPRO Actually Work
If you've already got simPRO (or similar) and it's gathering dust, here's how to resurrect it:
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Start with one workflow. Don't try to implement everything at once. Pick one process—maybe logging new leads and creating quotes—and nail that first.
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Get the chart of accounts right. Link your Xero nominals to simPRO cost centres. Without this, your job costing data is meaningless.
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Make it the only way. If there's a workaround, people will use it. The old spreadsheet needs to go. The paper job cards need to disappear. simPRO becomes the single source of truth, or it becomes nothing.
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Train in context. Don't do a big training day and expect people to remember. Train people on the specific workflows they'll use, when they need to use them.
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Review weekly. Look at the data. Who's using it? Who isn't? What's working? What's confusing? Adjust and improve.
SectionThe Bottom Line
Software is a multiplier. If your business has good processes and an engaged team, software will multiply that effectiveness. If your business has chaos and resistance, software will multiply that too.
Before you blame the software, look at the culture. Look at the vision. Look at the accountability.
That's where the real work happens.
Ready to implement systems that actually stick? Book a free discovery call and let's talk about building a business that runs on systems, not heroics.