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Focusing on what you can control, sometimes upgrading has a real, positive impact on your bottom line. Growing your firm, going paperless, new cases resulting in  a sharp increase in data storage and processing needs are all business reasons to upgrade your network. Stability may be the prime motivating factor, so workstations do not crash as frequently, network service interruptions are eliminated, and performance is optimized. A stable network yields the happiest and most productive partners and staff, and should be the standard for any IT department.

When adding or upgrading software and applications, look for products that conform to your processes rather than the other way around. Make sure that employees are fully using features currently available, since some product upgrades merely emphasize one toolset over another, while both were present in earlier versions. Any new features should broadly affect the firm and increase productivity, rather than add convenience for a small, but powerful few.

While many IT departments rely on consultants or specialized vendors to manage the design, testing, deployment, and training of a new upgrade, it may be a good idea to involve them earlier to discuss the merits of upgrading. If they truly have your interests in mind, they can help you decide whether an upgrade is right for your firm and help you defend your decision to management. A firm like SAGE performs upgrades for clients all the time, and know the quirks, shortcomings, and issues of an application not only during operation, but during installation and configuration as well.
No More Drama

Answering the upgrade question does not have to be Greek tragedy, as long as there is a clear rationale and a well thought out design and migration plan. If the decision is not forced by circumstances outside your control, carefully evaluate the pros and cons of upgrading. The hidden costs of upgrading—downtime, loss productivity, training, etc.—need to be considered along with the features and perceived advantages. Whichever way the decision turns out, be prepared and passionate in defending your decision to firm management. From time-to-time others may forget, the firm’s interests still come first.

Lisa Johnson heads SAGE's Integration and Engineering services and has led numerous technology migration projects for small and large organizations alike. To learn more about SAGE’s integration and technology migration solutions, please contact Lisa at ljohnson@sagesol.com or call 202.478.7600.