Carry out project kick-off

Overview

Your project kick-off is your chance to engage all employees and build enthusiasm for the Q.wiki rollout. A well-planned kick-off is a critical success factor for your entire project.

Preparation

Set date and prepare invitations

Choose an appropriate date and prepare the invitations.

Plan time for team preparation

Set aside 2–3 hours with your project team for preparation.

Create an agenda

Develop a clear agenda for the kick-off event.

Identify supporters and speakers

Find key supporters – ideally executive management or a steering committee. They should present the goals of the Q.wiki rollout. If that's not possible, your project team or project lead can take on this role.

Prepare goals from the target workshop

Frame the Q.wiki rollout goals in a way that everyone understands, even those who didn't attend the target workshop:

• Answer the question: „Why are we introducing new software?"
• Connect to your company's strategy and values where possible
• Use clear language – avoid internal jargon without explanation

Prepare a feedback mechanism

Set up a way to collect feedback that you'll use at the end of the kick-off (e.g., Mentimeter or Microsoft Forms).

Define additional milestones

Set out the further agenda and key dates, such as the go-live date.

Goals of the kick-off

Your kick-off should convey the following to employees:

• What is planned?
• Why are we running this change project? (emphasize necessity)
• Who is responsible and who will be affected and when?
• Who benefits and how?
• Which milestones will we reach and when? (e.g., „You'll get your Q.wiki access on…") – focus on: „What affects you / Where you need to take action"

Execution

Present the need for Q.wiki

Start by explaining why new software is necessary and what the concrete relevance is for managers and employees.

Communicate objectives

Have executive management communicate the goals based on the target picture.

Present philosophy and Q.wiki

Explain the philosophy behind interactive management systems and introduce Q.wiki:

• Show the structure and process landscape
• Explain the change mechanism and approval workflow (highlight how decentralized process improvement is technically enabled)

Show the live system

Demo the live system:

• Display the process landscape, a sample process, and its linked work instructions
• Highlight benefits and value

Present the project roadmap

Walk through the project roadmap and mark where you are now. Make clear who is affected by what and when training invitations will follow:

„We'll conduct training in large groups. Training invitations will be sent after this kick-off."

Gather feedback

Invite initial reactions. A proven tip: start by asking a respected manager for positive feedback (coordinate with your supporters beforehand) to build momentum.

• Also offer anonymous feedback (e.g., Google Forms or Mentimeter)
• Be clear: many questions will come later – let people know who they should contact

Follow-up

Debrief with your project team

Conduct a post-event review with your team.

Inform absent managers

Brief any absent managers via email on the key takeaways from the kick-off.

Schedule process workshops and training sessions

Plan the next steps:

• Follow the chronological order of your order-to-delivery cycle: start with core processes, follow your process landscape from left to right (beginning with „Win customers", ending with „Deliver product")
• Invite participants to process workshops (maximum 5 people per workshop)