You're facing budget constraints for system upgrades. How can you manage end-users' expectations effectively?

Managing end-user expectations effectively requires clear communication, prioritization, and strategic planning. Here are some steps based on my experiences: 1. Assess and Prioritize Needs 2. Communicate Transparently 3. Focus on Quick Wins 4. Leverage Existing Resources 5. Engage End Users 6. Plan for Future Investments maintaining open communication, you can effectively manage end-user expectations while navigating budget constraints.

Prioritization is key, it separates the must haves from the like to haves. It allows for rationalization and sequencing to adjust to the new budget structure.

Hay que hacerse preguntas como: Qué podemos dejar de hacer? Qué tareas se pueden simplificar o eliminar? Hay algo que podamos asumir internamente? El inventario de las tareas o actividades son controladas internamente? Hay duplicidad de roles? Al momento de priorizar las necesidades es importante hacer una mesa de trabajo entre quienes controlan el PPTO, el área responsable y el área de Compras para alinear esfuerzos y expectativas y luego dejar plasmados los criterios producto de esta simplificación en un Requerimiento técnico depurado y limpio. Hacer borrón y cuenta nueva para evitar sesgos y poder obtener otros puntos de vistas que se traducirán luego en más ofertas

While constructing the priority list, besides ranking different upgrades based on criticality, one also needs to consider two factors: - Do any of the upgrades complement each other to give even higher gain if implemented together? - The cost of each upgrade, as there may be a number of medium priority upgrades that are extremely cheap and quick to implement, which may be implemented earlier than their ranking as they do not impact the budget spend with much significance.

It is very important to collaborate with users directly so that system expectations can be met, but it is necessary and very mandatory that someone understands for sure and provides solutions as a substitute if there are some obstacles in creating these expectations. If the user is in a free state, you can be sure that you will not find a good system certainty, there will be a big failure in the middle of the process that cannot be fulfilled later. In collaboration 2 things are important: 1. Listen to the needs 2. provide education solutions according to needs

Communication is key. Frequently management assumes it knows what it is best, when they have never asked. You end up with race-car drivers getting new basket balls. Ask, ask, ask. It does not mean that you would take all their answers and bring them to fruition. It takes you back to #1, priority.

Offrir aux utilisateurs des solutions performantes et qui répondent à leurs besoins est nécessaire au bon fonctionnement d'une entreprise. Pour cela il faut savoir recueillir les besoins impérieux et adapter son choix quant aux applications à utiliser. Il faut pour cela se tourner vers les acteurs du secteur concerné et impliquer l'ensemble des équipes afin d'apporter la réponse adaptée.

A melhor maneira de deixar o time alinhado em relação as expectativas de usabilidade de um sistema é mantê-los atualizados e cientes das limitações da ferramenta e o que é preciso fazer de fluxos e processos para contornar as etapas ainda não eficazes da ferramenta. Deixar claro que neste tipo de demanda é de suma importância controles objetivos e práticos e rotina para duplo check de informações. Nem sempre o desenvolvimento da ferramenta anda junto com a demanda prática de prazo que a operação faz necessária pois, as vezes o viés financeiro fala mais alto e supre alguns retrabalhos e recursos a maior de time para compor..

Eschew obfuscation. Great play on words for avoiding communicating in language that no one wants to decipher, even if they are native speakers. Short, concise statements, spaced so that the communication invites people to read it. Have your staff, or friends review your communication and see if it is clear enough. Approach business communication like journalists write articles. Every word and every sentence communicates value. If not, cut it.

Convoque a equipe: Organize uma reunião específica para abordar o tema. Seja direto: Explique de forma clara e concisa a situação orçamentária e a necessidade de priorizar as atualizações. Use linguagem simples: Evite jargões técnicos e utilize exemplos práticos para facilitar o entendimento. Abra espaço para perguntas: Incentive a participação dos colaboradores para esclarecer dúvidas. Exemplo: "Equipe, como vocês sabem, estamos passando por um momento de ajustes no orçamento. Para garantir a continuidade das nossas operações e o crescimento da empresa, precisamos priorizar as atualizações dos módulos mais críticos do nosso sistema. Isso significa que, por enquanto, algumas outras atualizações terão que ser adiadas."

Before spending, assess what you have first. That will tell you if you really need an upgrade. Are and/or your staff and/or end users taking full advantage of what the technology offers? Do you consider low-tech solutions? Sometimes printing out documents for a team to work on over a table can as effective as trying to get enough screens in to share the document electronically. Is it really necessary? Could training on what you already have be as effective compared to new applications and the time it takes to learn them and integrate them into your system. Make training a fun option and build your team's skills. You are making them better abled and investing in them. That can translate to employee retention.

Utilize your team strengths to build a good workaround to maximize efficiency in current system upgrades while researching and educating yourself, as a manager, to make sure the systems do what it needs to do to get the job done. Putting in efforts to be creative on enhancing current resources. Not all process need an expensive upgrade. Sometimes you just have to collaborate with others, educate, and focus on what is important to improve processes.

Il est parfois possible de s'affranchir de solutions propriétaires onéreuses et de migrer vers de la solution open source. Cela nécessite souvent plus de technicité et moins d'offres de support mais cela peut s'avérer plus rentable à terme. Il est possible de mettre à jour des applications payantes petit à petit et de manière intelligente sans attendre de trop afin d'éviter les mauvaises surprises (incompatibilité diverses, etc)

Use the model of a 3-way win for upgrades. How will the company win if the stakeholders embrace the upgrades, how will the stakeholders become winners if they embrace the upgrades, and finally, how will the upgrades be a win for the users, the customers, the community, and more? People can be more inclined to embrace upgrades when they see how they will benefit. It adds impetus to the proposal when they see how others can benefit too. If it requires a cost, demonstrate a willingness to share the cost so the burden is spread out and allows all to benefit from the long-term growth from the upgrade.

I tend to frame system upgrades as a first step in a series of improvements. I explain that the initial implementation is phase 1 in a long-term commitment. Every two years or so, there will be another phase of refinement based on: a) the organization's familiarity/comfort with the system; b) informed user priorities for additional refinement/improvement; and c) business needs. This makes any implementation less of a success/failure proposition.

Bringing stockholders to the table create an opportunity to come up the other options and also help come up with a well defined budget that is driven by stakeholders short and long term needs.

To minimize upgrade costs you need to take the product as close to “as is” without modification. Modifying to duplicate user experience to what you currently have is expensive initially and usually expensive everytime you do necessary version upgrades. The counter argument is user training costs or lost of user effeciency during training. You need to set user mindsets from the begginning and explain why we need to learn the new system. Keep modifiations to a minimum.