You’ve just implemented a wonderful new Workforce Management system and you’re wondering: how long before I have to start thinking about an upgrade?
If you’re a smart organization, you realize that when it comes to technology, upgrade plans start coming together the moment a new system is in place. Unfortunately, not all organizations look at the upgrade process in that way.
Bob Clements, Axsium Group’s senior principal, said far too many organizations have a blind spot when it comes to WFM upgrades, putting themselves into a situation where it takes much longer, and costs much more money, to keep their system up to date.
Clements said many organizations start thinking about WFM upgrades for two main reasons. First, they found out that the software they are using is outdated and will no longer be supported by its vendor. And second, a compelling new product has come along, generating interest. Although both scenarios are quite different, they share a common outcome, Clements said.
“Both of these scenarios tend to create very large, complex upgrades,” Clements said. “And they create huge delays in getting the systems up to speed. The fact is, the longer between upgrades, the larger the upgrade. And sometimes, it’s so big it feels just like the original implementation and just as expensive.”
Why do organizations avoid upgrades? Clements said the causes are varied, but sometimes it is a consequence of a very long, very stressful initial implementation. “Sometimes, you’re just exhausted from the initial roll-out and it’s just too hard to think about upgrading when you’ve been through an experience like that.” Other times, it’s a reflection of organizations that have trouble facing strategic challenges, and “don’t think about critical issues like this until it’s too late.”
When should organizations consider a possible upgrade? It’s a good practice to investigate an upgrade on an annual basis, even if the actual upgrade isn’t undertaken that often. Clements said an annual upgrade review allows an organization to keep tabs on developments with the vendor software, including new products and decisions on decommissioning certain products. This is critical for some vendors that make it difficult to leap over generations of their software. That can be costly because upgrades often cost less than starting over with an entirely new generation of software. In these scenarios, it may be necessary to keep pace with newer versions as they come out to avoid having to rebuild the entire system, Clements added.
How do I know if the vendor is offering me a real upgrade, or a dolled up version of the system I already have? The most important step is to get objective, third party advice on which upgrades are worth pursuing and which ones are little more than rouge and lipstick on the original WFM system. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell if the new release is worth the time and effort. In those moments, it’s going to be important to have someone on your side to give you the straight goods.”
In the final analysis, every organization that undertakes a WFM implementation is concerned about return on investment, Clements said. The only way to ensure a solid ROI long term is to make continuous, smaller upgrades to the WFM system. This is the hallmark of a successful organization, Clements said.
“In our experience, the most sophisticated organizations build continuous upgrades into their WFM plans. And that saves them time and money in the long run. You get maximum ROI from continuous improvement.”