I am working with a client that needs to upgrade their accounting system. We have made many modifications to the system and now have to accommodate those changes into a new system. Note, this doesn’t always work seamlessly…
A mistake that is commonly made is to attempt to enhance the new system to work exactly or as close to exactly the way the old system works. This can be very difficult to do, yet is commonly attempted. A better approach is to start with the objectives of the modification and look to see if there is a better and more simple way of accomplishing the same result. The new answer may be even easier than the old way, therefor enhancing the client’s process on multiple levels.
My challenge lies on multiple levels of this process. As the client’s partner, I need to seek out the “new way of doing things” and make sure it fits the objective. That is not always the hard part. The hard part is showing the client why it can improve things and on what level the improvements will help.
In making changes, I always look for improvement and simplification. Doing something the same way just because it has always been done that way often does not take advantage of the new and improved technology. Challenge the assumptions and make sure they are still valid and not something done based on the limitations of the old system. In addition, show the client the value of making a change in their process in order to make them more efficient.
– Michael Ericksen
WAC Solution Partners- Midwest
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