In our experience, many organizations miss out on the benefits of repeatable processes for a multitude of reasons. However, we know that eventually, a situation will arise that will force an organization to support a major initiative to embrace business process management (BPM) and business process improvement.
The most common catalyst is the billing software version on which the organization depends has reached the “end-of-life.” It’s the update-or-lose-support ultimatum we all dread even though it’s an inevitability for every organization that relies on software.
How Software End-of-Life Support Impacts the Flow of Business
It’s incredibly rare for organizations to be early adopters when it comes to software platforms. We see companies routinely running one or two releases behind the latest version. We know what they say: “if it’s not broken – don’t fix it.” But with technology, that motto cannot apply.
When the vendor ends support on the older version, the organization will be forced to prepare for the mandatory update. Typically, you’ll have a year or more to prepare, but time is of the essence, because why not improve things if things must change anyway?
A Trigger for Business Process Improvement (BPI)
Take the time to understand and document the processes that are currently in place, look for efficiencies, improvements and automation opportunities within the processes and then make plans for change during the upgrade.
A software system upgrade could sound like a minor issue, but in reality it is a significant source of change in your organization. It will impact the entire organization, its processes, its customers and many times, its revenue.
Stay Ahead of The Curve
It is best to be ahead of the curve and consider new processes prior to the demand of a system update. Rather than bring on new change all at once, consider reaping the benefits of a new repeatable process before it is time to update software. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for a deeper discussion on orchestrating a software update.
BDM Squared is a boutique management consulting firm providing project management and business process improvement on demand. Our mission: help our clients deliver their projects on time and on budget every time. Our edge: real-time access to our constantly updated, comprehensive project dashboard. At any point in the project, know that you’ll have access to every detail – every document – every resource being managed for your benefit.