At last, your new Oracle system is live and will be extensively tested in practice during the first period. You have been working towards this moment for so long and under considerable time pressure. However, there is still a list of ‘parked wishes’ which you will take up later. In this blog, Jaap Leeuwis and Jeroen Robben explain why going live with unfinished business is not ideal. What it will bring you if you address and follow up on the nice-to-haves immediately. And why this does not necessarily have to cost a lot of extra time and effort.
We have already emphasized more than once that implementing a new system requires time and attention. From the preparation to an extensive test phase and the necessary support during and after go-live. But the reality is more complicated: due to budget restrictions or time pressure, many companies initially choose to implement the ‘happy flow’ (the basic processes) according to design and requirements and to park the nice-to-haves on a wishlist. The entire focus is on the scheduled “go-live” date, and only blocking issues may postpone that moment. They will handle the rest themselves. In a while. Maybe. But do you realize that going live with an unfinished system can seriously affect the quality of your business? Once live, all attention will go to the issues that arise and must be resolved immediately.
First period as a test phase
During the “hypercare” phase – the first four to six weeks after go-live – everyone is on top of whether or not everything is working correctly. Things that do not go as expected or cause exceptions are quickly identified, analyzed and resolved. This first cycle, preferably including a period close, is considered an extended test period. After that, the project is completed. The system is handed over to your organization’s administrator, and the external consultants move on to their next assignment.
Complaints about unfinished business
The parked wishes are often forgotten. In many cases the list is actually archived or simply disappears. Until the moment your sales or finance department starts complaining about unfinished business: unfinished work that hinders proper use of the system. Such as functions that are impractical or do not work correctly. Or actions that are not well developed and therefore cause problems. For example, reviewing credit limits to put orders on hold or release them in time.
The standard process from order to delivery, invoicing, and payment is well-tested and works fine most of the time. But how about exceptions and special circumstances? If impossible or unacceptable data is entered, will this sound any alarm or does the system crash? And what about the end-to-end integrations with other ERP systems your company works with, are they well managed?
Minor improvements, major impact
Our advice? Don’t leave the list of issues until later, but finish your business immediately. Because adding minor improvements directly after the first period ensures you ‘harvest’ even more within a few weeks. From quick wins to enhancements and embellishments that make your life easier. Of course, it is still possible later on – after a scan and conversation with us.
What it will bring you:
- More ease of use
- Improved efficiency and clarity of your business processes
- More insight through additional reports
- More overview and control through automatic workflows
- Less risk of errors
- Less manual (Excel) work
- Everything in one well-integrated system
Get more out of Oracle with the 4apps experts
At 4apps we understand that you are not waiting for another complicated, time-consuming and expensive project. We use standard services and products for quick and easy improvements. Additions to Oracle that enable you to get the most out of your system, such as:
- Reporting & Analytics: advanced reporting functions and closing tools.
- Monitoring of integrations (links with other systems), for example, through custom or standard Oracle functions (OIC) and tools.
- Scan and track nice-to-haves and (assumed) limitations that were parked during implementation.
- Scan and follow up exceptions, such as “non-happy flow” situations that were not identified and tested during implementation.
With our extensive knowledge and experience, we can quickly help you get a higher return from Oracle for a limited additional investment.
Want to know how you can profit more from Oracle? Contact us, and we will be happy to tell you about the possibilities for your company.
