Start by defining your project team. Identify your project’s primary contact, secondary contact, and support roles.  Define clear roles and responsibilities so your internal team is on the same page.

Also define initial project expectations like timeline, project pace, and even norms for communication and collaboration. If you have any special requirements, now is the time to define them.

Write these definitions down in a document so you can share them with the consultant at the start of the project.

It is easy for the primary project contact and the immediate project team to isolate themselves from the rest of the organization during an Apricot implementation or database update project.

Avoid organizational silos. Gather feedback from your various stakeholder groups and include the important and valuable aspects in the project.

At this stage, be sure to gather feedback from end users that are responsible for data entry. Including end user feedback will enhance end user buy-in when the time comes to train those users on the new or updated Apricot database.

We recommend gathering this type of feedback before diving into initial project tasks. That way you know the expectations of all stakeholder groups before you get started.

You don’t need to do the consultant’s work for them. However, it is a good idea to think through the design of your database before you begin an implementation or database update project.

Start by developing an initial Apricot database blueprint and Apricot report blueprint.

What is an Apricot blueprint? An Apricot database blueprint outlines the data you hope to capture with your database and the Apricot reports you hope to generate from that data.

Your blueprint doesn’t have to be perfect.  A simple bullet list of key features, data sets, and reports is a great start.  Even a rough outline of an initial blueprint will facilitate an accurate translation of your vision into your Apricot database.

1. First, the blueprint is in your language and how you understand the database. The consultant can use this to understand how you communicate and the terminology you use. This will help them make the best translation into the software as possible.
2. Second, the consultant needs to learn your programs, services, and workflows. The blueprint can act as an initial discovery tool for that process.
3. Third, the blueprint can help you and your project team remained focused on the components that are most important to you.  As a project progresses, it is easy to forget little details. The blueprint is a benchmark of your vision.

In addition to the functional outcomes of this process, blueprinting will also help you and your project team think through what you want to achieve with your Apricot database. The clearer you are, the clearer your communication will be with the consultant, which ultimately leads to a more focused project.