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SEAL Systems AG > Blog > SEAL Systems > Updating Your Company’s Processes and Technology
SEAL Systems
06.07.2022
Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Updating Your Company’s Processes and Technology

In this Article

    Successfully Adjust Your Organization’s Processes and Technology

    When a company looks toward a successful future it considers updating its processes and technology. Not only does this improve their overall operations. It also increases the productivity and happiness of its workers.

    On the other hand, improperly applied updates cause problems with long-lasting effects. For instance, the production line could see significant slowdowns due to incompatible technology. Plus, the organization’s employees may feel increasingly frustrated if not provided with proper training.

    There are several recommendations to implement a successful update. Here are a few.

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    Plan Ahead and Constantly Remind Stakeholders

    Always plan for any updates to processes or technology. It’s especially the case when implementing a company-wide solution like an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system such as SAP. Since this changes the way employees handle data, simply releasing the product without a plan leaves everyone in the dark.

    An idea of how implementation should go must occur ahead of time, be tested for potential issues, and be approved by management. Once done, the company needs to repeatedly remind stakeholders about the changes to minimize the risk of worker complaints about the lack of warning when processes and technology are updated.

    Training Is a Necessity

    A comprehensive training program goes hand-in-hand with constant notification. The more workers know about upcoming changes, the better prepared they are. Then, they can smoothly interact with them after the cutover. Still, training needs to be more than a series of online classes.

    Include a mix of live and online instruction in a comprehensive education program. It allows employees to examine the new environment and ask needed clarifying questions. On top of this, the company needs to engage a helpdesk during the initial cutover to help further the workers’ knowledge of the processes and technology.

    Create a Shadow Environment

    When someone buys a new laptop or smart device they also keep the older one to transfer over pictures, apps, and other information. Something similar needs to occur in your company. The goal is to minimize the risks related to infrastructure updates. Plus, you reduce an audit risk when you avoid massive changes to the organization’s budgets and technical roadmaps.

    Problems occur if older operational platforms are taken down when the updated technology goes live. Data loss is a possibility as is a way to resume operations with minimal downtime. The lack of necessary backups reduces productivity which threatens revenue.

    Always keep original applications and platforms active as new ones go into production. Maintenance is required in this shadow environment while departments ramp up processes and technologies. Deactivate the old devices when executive managers and project leads confirm successful operations.

    Updates to your company’s processes and technology should always be on the table to grow. Still, forward-thinking doesn’t equate to carelessness. A proper plan to update the company’s processes and technology is needed to avoid data loss and outages. If done carefully,  the organization will see an immense return on investment.

    Are you ready to take the necessary steps to update your company’s operations? If so, speak with an expert at SEAL Systems to learn how we can improve your manufacturing process to help you cut costs.