Inspired by The Rocky Horror Picture Show, this post covers five key tips to help you take advantage of your EHSQ SaaS provider’s technology enhancements and avoid doing the time warp… again.
Time is Fleeting
Let’s face it. You’re busy. Really, really busy. You barely have time for lunch – forget trying to keep up to date with the latest functionality included in your EHSQ provider’s new release.
So you can’t see me, no, not at all
One of the greatest value drivers you get from selecting an enterprise SaaS solution (rather than an on-premise one) is the seamless upgrades your company receives. An enterprise software provider’s secret to longevity and competitiveness is continued innovation and sharing these enhancements with you. However, industry accepted practice is to require clients to “turn on the feature”, which means that these changes are often not apparent to the end-user. This is done to reduce or eliminate confusion for end-users and allow clients to determine how best to take advantage of these new features. As a result, many updates go unnoticed – left waiting for you or your team to turn them on. The impact? You and your organization may be unintentionally missing out on enhancements to workflows, user interface and design update, and new efficiencies that can drive real change, improve ROIs, and optimize performance or application adoption within your organization. And you’re stuck in a time warp. So, what can you do?
The cast of the Rocky Horror Picture Show doing the Time Warp
With a bit of a mind flip
Effecting any change takes a bit of planning and a change in behavior. Here are five tips to help you take advantage of solution enhancements:
1. Embrace the Release Calendar
Most SaaS software providers will share their annual release calendars in advance. Take a moment to note these days in your calendar with a prompt to download a copy of the release highlights in advance. Your provider should also send out an email or two reminding you of the upcoming release and sharing highlights with you.
2. Create a Change Management Team
In a recent client meeting, Cority’s VP of Product Management, John Easton, recommended that clients establish a team within their organization to assist in the adoption of the new technology. Team members can include those from IT, the EHS functions, end-users, management, and even members from your SaaS provider’s Success team. A coordinated effort that takes into account multiple stakeholder needs while creating advocates for change can then be used to buffer any resistance you may encounter – especially when coupled with a strong project plan.
3. Take advantage of free learning / continuous learning
In addition to the release calendar, enterprise software providers typically share multiple overviews of their latest technology. Check out their client webinar schedules or login to their user community to participate in active discussions on the new functionality. In our user community, the Cority Success managers post short videos that highlight new release functionality.
4. Engage the experts
As a valued client, you might also be assigned a Success or Service Manager. Take a moment to review the release highlights in advance and reach out to them. Your Success Manager knows your organization intimately and can assist you in prioritizing what functionality to adopt and when. They can share their learnings from other clients and have access to training materials that can help with enterprise launches.
5. Attend User Group Conferences and Roadshows
There is so much you can learn from others while building a network or even securing some continuing education credits (CEC). I recall one of our most popular talks at Cority Connect in 2017 was how a national grocer had leveraged our out-of-the box incident management solution, business logic engine, and reporting functionality to configure a solution that monitored return to work costs and processes. Needless to say, the room was packed and when word got around, those attendees were some of the most popular at the conference!
It’s just a jump to the left and then a step to the right
When it comes to keeping up with the latest in EHSQ SaaS technology, take advantage of the all the resources available to you from your provider – user community, roadshows, on-demand webinars, newsletters, help desk, annual user conferences and much more. It’s also important that you develop a process that includes:
1. Educating yourself and your team on the new functionality
2. Prioritizing the roll-out of the functionality (by effort and impact)
3. Supporting the roll-out with a detailed project plan to ensure success
It’s the best way to ensure you’re getting the most out of your software investment and keeping your organization from doing the time warp.
And, as the cast in the Rocky Horror Picture Show sang… “I felt a change. Time meant nothing, never would again…”
Learn More
To learn more about how to get the most out of your EHSQ SaaS solution, read our eBook The True SaaS is Out There.
