Post Author: Dave Gordon
May 17, 2012
We’ve discussed in past blogs how important organizational Change Management is to deploying SaaS. There are other elements, however, that must also be part of the consideration set when preparing to deploy a SaaS solution. As a leading implementer of Workday’s SaaS solutions, we’ve seen the impact of these elements play out rather consistently in various projects. Based on our experience working with customers to replace “legacy” ERP systems with SaaS, here are some of the items we see as critical deployment considerations:
- Legacy Data Readiness. Many organizations don’t discover that they have missing or out-of-date records until they try to move to a new solution. Key takeaway is being familiar with your data, its interdependencies and what is truly important to bring forward.
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Post Author: Carroll Ross
November 11, 2011
I’ve noticed a lot of blogging and knowledge exchange recently centered around the elements of a successful Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) deployment, so I thought it relevant to provide our perspective on this topic. I frequently hear about “speed to value” when discussing SaaS. The notion of “speed to value,” however, is not a new concept in IT. Any organization embarking on an enterprise software implementation or an upgrade effort strives to plan and execute their project to get the most valuable or “game-changing” capabilities in place in the shortest feasible amount of time. The end goal, of course, is to start realizing the planned benefits and the promised return on investment (ROI) as soon as possible. For as much as this concept is a rallying point at the beginning of projects, it often becomes a measure of failure by the end of them.
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Post Author: Julia Hutchings
October 27, 2011
I’ve spent a lot of time writing about how awesome Workday is, how great the culture is, and how impressed I am with their interactions with customers and partners. One might say (and this is a common Workday expression) I’ve been “drinking the Workday Kool-Aid.” While this is true, I’m also aware that there are things Workday could do better.
On the last day of Rising, we had a few more morning sessions before the Collaborate & Close session with Dave Duffield and his team. Jim Bozzini, Senior Vice President, Workday Operations and Services, shared the list of concerns from last year, talked through Workday’s progress on those concerns, and then raised several personal concerns and committed to improving those, too. He clearly stated that customer input was critical and that he was very appreciative of the dialogue with customers this week. That’s another prevailing theme, not just of Rising, but of Workday’s operational objectives.
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Post Author: Julia Hutchings
October 27, 2011
It’s true that we live in a culture of celebrity. While I’m sure I’d get giddy if I found myself face to face with Hugh Jackman, one of my favorite actors, or Mikko Koivu, one of my favorite hockey players, I don’t think any of those people could affect me the way that Captain C.B. “Sully” Sullenberger did at the Day 2 keynote address at Rising.
People who innovate, people who realize that great outcomes come not from Me but from We, and people who live their best lives based on deep core values and a strong belief system are just a few of the kinds of people that not only impress me, but inspire me to rise up and meet the challenge presented by the example they’ve set.
Sully is one of those people. While not born to be a public speaker or a celebrity, the “Miracle on the Hudson” captain was thrust into the spotlight after the events of US Airways flight 1549 on January 15, 2009. I looked around the room while he spoke. Some people had tears in their eyes, but everyone was spellbound by his story and his message. The biggest takeaway I had from that was this quote: “Avoid complacency. Remain vigilant.” The reason being, so you can face your biggest challenges head-on and overcome them. It’s easy to fall into a trap of being comfortable. It’s easy to think that because you’re on top, you don’t have to work as hard to stay there. It’s easy to think that just because a task has become routine, that it doesn’t deserve the highest level of professionalism and training to be done right.
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