The path to a successful deployment

The path to a successful deployment


The path to switching to even radically better software can be fraught with pitfalls. In this article, we will cover the most common issues that companies must overcome for a successful deployment.



New software is exciting. It brings promises of increased functionality, improved efficiencies, a better customer experience, and a more robust business. However, change is hard, and there are pitfalls during the transition process that are important to understand. This article will discuss these concerns that you need to be aware of before making the decision to switch. 

Embracing the Challenges of Change 

We have worked diligently to build better software, streamline the transition process, develop a more accessible training program, create a robust on-demand library of support videos, and establish a support team dedicated to your success. While this will make your move easier, it won’t make it easy. 

Anytime you have a team accustomed to using a particular solution for an extended period, they become comfortable with it. They know which boxes to check, which buttons to push, and how to retrieve the data they need. When you change solutions, part of that change involves relearning these tasks and regaining the confidence they had in the old system. This often results in pushback from those trying to learn new ways to do what they used to do effortlessly. 

The Road to Increased Efficiency and Profitability 

The promises of increased efficiency and profitability will come, but initially, the transition creates many inefficiencies. These include working between two systems as you refine migrated data, learning how to perform tasks in the new system, and evaluating internal business processes that may need to be rethought, rebuilt, or removed due to the old system's shortcomings and TBN’s updated tools and processes. 

There will also be a period where you learn to utilize TBN’s tools that didn’t exist in your old system or were underutilized. Features like driver portals, payroll, instant pricing, automated emails, and ELD integrations may not be live on day one but will be gradually introduced as you become more familiar and comfortable with them. This means your team will not only be building and operating trips but also learning and deploying new tools that will ultimately make their jobs easier, despite the initial challenge. 

“It takes me longer in the new system” 

A common concern during pre-launch and immediately post-launch is that tasks may initially take longer than they did with the old system. This is typical and should not deter your commitment. A new system will always take longer to use until your team has the same confidence and familiarity as they did with the old one. Remember, the efficiencies of the new system will become apparent as it is fully deployed and refined. Expecting employees to be as confident and competent in a new system they have just learned isn’t realistic in the days immediately before or after deployment, but given a few months, they will see those promised efficiencies that will make their jobs easier and your company better.  

At first, I hated the idea of new software. It took longer to do almost everything, nothing felt like it was in the right place, and tasks that used to take seconds sometimes took minutes. Looking back, most of my issues stemmed from wanting it to stay the same as it had been for the past 13 years. Now that we have completed the transition and I am comfortable with the system, I can’t say enough good things about TBN! The system makes my job easier every day. It is faster, even with its little quirks, and it keeps getting better and better. I am a huge fan and will tell anyone who asks that they should make the switch, power through the hard stuff, and put it to work. Trust me… BETTER!!!!
Every software on the market has a different structure, leading to potential frustrations, especially for management and accounting teams working to visualize and report on data. TBN tracks data differently than other legacy providers, offering new and exciting opportunities for data roll-up that were previously impossible. These changes can initially cause confusion and concern, but rest assured, our team will train and support your team to find the necessary data. 

Sales and operations managers, accountants, and owners are often accustomed to data being presented in specific ways, such as reports created and sent via PDF or specific data points compiled in pivot tables. These practices have become cultural and business norms within your company. However, transitioning to TBN will require you to evaluate your current reporting methods to identify more efficient ways to obtain and streamline this data. Consider whether dashboard reports might be more effective than exports and pivot tables. We have worked hard to provide a robust set of reporting tools that make many traditional tasks unnecessary and redundant. 

Adapting to a Better, Not the Same, System 

Our passion is building tools that allows you to run a better, more connected, efficient, and profitable operation. You will likely experience an initial reaction as you begin to learn to push us to make things more familiar, asking us to effectively "make this more like my old system." However, we pride ourselves on being different because that allows us to be better. We have a near-perfect track record of users reporting increased efficiency and profitability once they learn and deploy all our system has to offer. 

Embracing Web-Based Advantages 

True cloud-powered software offers powerful advantages, including a consistent work experience from any computer, enhanced data security, redundancy, and location flexibility. However, if you are moving from a locally hosted server, you may experience slower data return times initially, influenced by factors like internet and computer speeds. Despite these initial differences, the long-term benefits of cloud-based systems far outweigh these slight changes. The solutions to slower than expected load times may require addressing internet speeds and computer performance issues to see the full performance benefits that TBN can offer.  

Expect the Unexpected and Be Prepared 

In most customers' minds, a "bug" is an unexpected outcome when using the system. While some bugs can be fixed programmatically by TBN, many unexpected outcomes are related to other issues, such as data migration inaccuracies. Our support team is here to work with you anytime you see an unexpected behavior in the system and to help get to the bottom of if it may be data related issues that will be solved on your end once you update migrated data or if there are things TBN needs to do to help resolve the issue.  

The Importance of Resolve in Change Management

Change management requires unwavering resolve. Even minor changes, like switching from “Pizza Fridays” to “Taco Tuesdays”, would inevitably face resistance. In this case, you're altering the core operating system of your company, changing how people perform their daily tasks, and requiring them to learn and adopt new methods. There will be pushback. You will inevitably hear concerns from your most trusted employees, such as “this is so much slower than the old system,” “we are going to create issues if we keep doing this,” and “we don't have time to do this.” All of which will test your resolve. 

Rest assured that these issues will dissipate once the system is deployed and adopted. You can also be confident that these same employees will eventually appreciate your determination as they see the benefits of the new system unfold and become comfortable with it. Many of TBN's most passionate advocates were once skeptics, and you will almost certainly find the same in your operation. 

Our company transitioned from a homegrown system to RBS, then from RBS to Distinctive, and finally from Distinctive to TBN. We were very happy with the switch to TBN; it was easier and better executed than any of our previous transitions by far. Their support team was there every step of the way to ensure we had what we needed, even advising us against delays, which we are very glad we avoided.

Keys To Success

Have a Clear “Why”  

Be clear about why you are switching and the long-term benefits for you and your customers. Make this list, publish it to all involved, and ensure everyone maintains the vision during challenging moments. 

Build a Plan and Stick to It  

TBN will help you outline a plan for your switch. Once you have the plan and buy-in from your team, stick to it. Compressing the transition period reduces the duration of discomfort, leading to a quicker and smoother adoption process. 

There will be times where you or your team will want to “pull back” or “delay” or even “stop”Falling back on the benefits and staying the course will get you where you want to be and help you accomplish the goals you have set out to accomplish. 

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