When it comes to rolling out new initiatives across multiple sites, the excitement of seeing your vision come to life can sometimes overshadow the less glamorous side: the costs. And while most organizations budget for the obvious expenses like equipment, materials, and labor, the hidden costs can creep in, threatening to derail timelines and budgets. Here, we uncover the common hidden costs of rollouts and offer practical tips to avoid them.
Rollouts often involve complex logistics, whether you’re managing retail installations, product merchandising updates, or updating digital signage. By addressing these hidden costs upfront, you can keep your project on track.
The Hidden Cost: Miscommunication or lack of communication can lead to delays, mistakes, and rework—all of which can drive up costs. For example, unclear directives or last-minute changes might mean teams on the ground aren’t aligned, leading to wasted resources.
How to Avoid It: Establish a centralized communication platform to ensure everyone has access to the latest updates and directives. Regularly scheduled check-ins can help identify and resolve misunderstandings early. Project management software or collaborative platforms like Microsoft Teams or Slack can streamline communication across teams.
The Hidden Cost: Failing to conduct thorough site surveys can result in unforeseen challenges like incompatible infrastructure, requiring additional equipment or modifications that weren’t budgeted for.
How to Avoid It: Conduct detailed pre-rollout site surveys for each location. This includes verifying measurements, ensuring infrastructure compatibility, and accounting for any site-specific challenges. Partnering with an experienced team like DAVACO can help uncover and plan for these issues before rollout begins.
The Hidden Cost: Compressed or overly optimistic timelines often lead to rushed work, higher overtime costs, and even burnout among teams—potentially impacting the quality of the rollout.
How to Avoid It: Build a realistic project timeline with buffer periods for unforeseen delays. Engage experienced project managers to help map out phases and establish achievable milestones.
The Hidden Cost: Changes made after the rollout has begun can lead to material waste, increased labor costs, and shipping fees for rush orders.
How to Avoid It: Plan meticulously during the design and pre-rollout stages to minimize the likelihood of changes. Establish a clear approval process for any adjustments, ensuring all stakeholders are aligned before implementation begins.
The Hidden Cost: Insufficient training for on-site teams can lead to improper installations, customer dissatisfaction, and the need for costly repairs or corrections.
How to Avoid It: Invest in comprehensive training for all on-site staff before rollout begins. Provide clear, step-by-step guides and videos, and ensure ongoing support is available for troubleshooting. This is especially important for retail installations and product merchandising efforts where precision is key.
The Hidden Cost: Overlooking the intricacies of logistics can lead to issues like delayed deliveries, equipment shortages, or inefficient deployment of personnel—all of which can increase costs.
How to Avoid It: Work with a partner experienced in logistics and multisite rollouts. They can help coordinate schedules, manage inventory, and optimize shipping routes to minimize delays and costs. For large-scale rollouts, careful coordination is critical.
The Hidden Cost: Neglecting to plan for post-rollout maintenance can result in higher repair costs and reduced lifespan for installed assets.
How to Avoid It: Develop a post-rollout maintenance plan as part of the initial rollout strategy. This ensures long-term ROI by keeping assets in optimal condition. Consider partnering with a facilities maintenance provider for ongoing support.
Navigating the complexities of a multisite rollout can feel overwhelming, but with the right preparation and expertise, hidden costs don’t have to derail your budget. Whether it’s retail installations, product merchandising updates, digital signage installations or something else, DAVACO specializes in helping organizations plan, execute, and maintain rollouts efficiently. We help avoid common pitfalls and deliver on-time, on-budget results.
Explore how we've conducted successful multisite rollouts of digital display installations for one client, self-ordering kiosks at over 5,000 locations for another, and EV charging kiosks for a third.
Contact us today to learn how we can help make your next rollout a success.