Steve Tymikiw, ADD Systems’ Customer Support Manager, discusses the importance of annual software upgrades, using a test database, and scheduling during less busy times. Steve explains that thorough preparation and collaboration with project managers, especially for first-time upgraders, is key to a successful implementation.
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Brian Cohen: Welcome to ADDcast. I’m ADD Systems Multimedia Specialist Brian Cohen. Joining me today is Steve Tymikiw, Customer Support Manager at ADD Systems. Steve, thank you so much for joining me today.
Steve Tymikiw: You’re welcome. Thank you for having me.
Brian: Steve, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at ADD Systems?
Steve: Oh, sure. I’m an employee of ADD Systems for over 25 years. I have a background in the oil industry. So I did come from an oil company. But now I am the Customer Support Manager here at ADD Systems. Prior to my being the manager, I was on the implementation team for over 20 years. So that is my background with ADD Systems.
Brian: So, Steve, today, our focus is on upgrading your back office software. And I’d like to start by asking you, what should clients consider when deciding whether or not they should upgrade?
Steve: Well, we publish new software once a year, and you do want to stay current with your software. So we do suggest to upgrade at least once a year to stay on the latest and greatest because there are enhancements constantly being added to the software by programmers, by the user group, and just because we need upgrades to make it better.
Brian: So, Steve, are upgrades required when you’re running ADD Systems software?
Steve: The stance of ADD System is not to require companies to upgrade. But there are benefits to upgrading such as the major releases – there are highlights of what’s new. There are also enhancements that are requested by the ADD User Group, which many customers are members of. And they get all the enhancements based on what the user group is requesting. And then there are just general enhancements that anybody benefits from. And last but not least, there are fixes to known issues that they may have had on lower versions.
Brian: Now how would you recommend a client prepares for an upgrade?
Steve: Most customers, what they want to do first is they want to have a test database. And this test database is what is typically upgraded. So they can play, they can weed out, they can check to make sure what they wanted to see before they go live with their users. They can play for a matter of weeks; they could play for months. But the whole idea is to test it before you go live.
Brian: Are there any upgrade best practices you could share?
Steve: Like I said, the best practice would be to have a test database set up and put it through its paces to make sure it is functioning the way you want it to function. And then looking at the What’s New Document to compare and see what is out there that may benefit my company. And try to make sure that it works the way you think it should work before it’s implemented in live.
Brian: For those listening who might not be familiar with the What’s New Document, that’s the list of enhancements and new features we share with clients each time a new release becomes available. Now, Steve, how long does the actual upgrade process take?
Steve: That is a very tough question to answer because depending on the size of your database, it could take longer if you’ve been on the system with a lot of history, or it could be shorter based on the amount of history that is not there. But there’s also depending on which version you’re coming from and version you’re going to. If you’re going from a version that was from last year to this year, there are less enhancements that have to be loaded. But if you have waited multiple years to upgrade, it’s going to take longer to upgrade based on the fact that there’s more applications that have to be loaded to get it up to the current version.
Brian: Steve, is that a reason why ADD Systems suggests upgrading every year?
Steve: Yes, because we don’t want the upgrade to take longer than it has to because, if the version is newer, it theoretically should not take longer to upgrade.
Brian: Are there certain times of the year that companies choose to upgrade or does it vary?
Steve: It kind of varies but based on the fact that the oil industry basically deliveries in the wintertime, most of our customers prefer to do upgrades in the less busy time, which usually is spring or summer time. So, in anticipation for the fall, they’re ready to hit the winter season up and running on the most recent version of the software.
Brian: And how about the day of the upgrade? Are there certain days of the week that you’d recommend over others, maybe weekdays or weekends and then time of the day? Does that play a factor?
Steve: We recommend doing it possibly in the beginning of the week. If you do it first thing in the morning is the best time to do it.
Brian: Do customers typically have a testing team, or do they have each of the functional areas tested?
Steve: Typically, it’s the functional areas that do the testing because most people don’t have a separate training or testing team. So, it’s usually people within their specialty will get asked to do testing of a day-in-the-life process to see if it functions as it should.
Brian: Steve, how would you recommend that a client prepares their staff for an upgrade? Because I’m sure there’s some changes for them that they’re going to need to be aware of as well.
Steve: You know, the staff has to be prepared for change. They’ve got to have a positive attitude, and know that this exercise will benefit them in the long run because they will see enhancements that are out there in the new software.
Brian: Steve, if you were to think about one of the smoothest upgrades that you were a part of, what were some of the key steps that led to that smooth completion?
Steve: I would say to make it a smooth completion that I can remember is the customer was aware from the what’s new, what to expect with the upgrade. They reviewed all of the bullet points, or all the issues that were addressed. And they diligently went through and tested those to make sure that that is what they wanted. And that was the smoothness that it happened.
Brian: Are there any interface challenges when it comes to upgrading
Steve: Well, one of the other things you want to think about upgrading is also your third parties that you interface with. A good example is your outsource. If you’re outsourcing documents, there may have been changes to the outsource layout that you need to share with your outsourcer. So, these are all things that you want to work with, your third parties that you’re working with, to prepare them for potential changes to the software.
Brian: What advice would you give someone upgrading for the first time?
Steve: Patience! No, you have to understand the steps. It’s not just one person that is typically involved. There are multiple people technically from ADD Systems, because in an upgrade, you may not just be upgrading your E3 software, you may be upgrading your E3 server, your application server, your credit card server, your Raven, your Pegasus. So, there’s multiple pieces potentially with an upgrade, not just E3. So, prepare to be in contact with a project manager who runs the show, but also individuals that are designated in their individual area of expertise to upgrade their compponent that you’re upgrading to.
Brian: Now, if somebody is interested in learning more about upgrading, can you walk them through what they should do to make that happen?
Steve: First thing you want to do is contact your sales representative that you’re looking to upgrade from a lower version to the newer version, They will then work out a quote to give you a rough idea of the timing and the amount of effort it would take to upgrade from a lower version to a newer version. There may be potential for new hardware because maybe the version of software that’s running the operating system is no longer supported or it’s being phased out and you may need to get new hardware. So that’s why you need to talk to your sales representative on all the needs to get you to the latest, greatest version.
Brian: Steve, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today.
Steve: You’re welcome. Thank you.
Brian: To keep up with the latest happenings at ADD Systems visit addsys.com/blog or connect with us on social media by following ADD Systems on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter/X. If you have any questions about ADDcast, feel free to reach out to us at addcast@addsys.com. Thanks for listening and have a great day!
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