N° and issue date : 40101 - 12/01/2004
Circulation : Unknown
Frequency : Monthly Page : 44
MISUK_40101_42_10590.pdf Size : 100 %
Web Site: http://www.misweb.com
'FOR ,' , . ,
s
''
PANIC USER GROUPS out strategy a company might be better served by finishing
"
,.
just two of the emotions that flood
ear and panic are the roli out and then taking on another software package
F
, , ', , .
'
"
through your systern when you are in the middle of a major suggests PRTM Wawszczak if vendor acquisition happens
.,,. '
application roll out and you fine that your supplier has just early in roll out cycle a quick decision to go with the second
a
been taken over After ail that aime spent analysing vendor from the short-list might be an option By then data
'
technology need wooing the board into approving wiil be clean most of the process decisions will have been
the cost wading through the tender process , choosing the made and just need to be validated or adjusted The roll out .
,
s
supplier managing the roll out to haif a dozen
planning and will then continue with the new package and in the very last
business units you are back to square one and uncertain v ld
, oendor
wave the package can then be converted to the
, . "
,
about the future for your precious software new one he says
,,
"
in the worst case scenario phone cails soon arent , speculation
Of course in the press about their product '
,
,
returned and planned release schedules are dumped without future only serves tu make users feei worse none more so
any replacement An acquiring vendor normaily keeps a than the continuing war of rhetoric surrounding Oracles bid
skeieton crew to fix bugs but that being a dead-end job for its rival PeopleSoft . "
PeopleSoft has a strong brand but 1
, , ,,'s ,, , ,.
means they iose this very important crew to betterconsulting know the pain of impiementing any kind of large-scale
offers and chaos reigns
"
says Jakub Wawszczak director of .
application For me just the prospect of change would be
technology ,
group Atiantic Region for US management immense
"
says Bowne International s
director of corporate
consultancy Pittiglio Rabin Todd & McGrath ( PRTM ) an old , systems Simon Maddan and a long-time PeopieSoft user
hand at managing client roll-outs who has been through a Although trying hard to play it down the
PeopleSoft is
,
series of product migrations himself . banter between zhe two companies is currently overshadowing
'acquisition
:
the tricky business for PeopleSoft of integrating its latest
KEEP YOUR HEAD into the companys product family .
,
"
Keep calm
"
says Graham Stubbins Aberdeen City Council According to PeopieSoft CEO ,
Craig Conway some customers
"
principal accountant and head of the local authority special have needed réassurance in the wake of the Oracle saga The
,' - .
' , ',
,.
interest group for financial software company Cedar which has moue was !ntended to cause such a concern that it would
amalgamated product unes from Cedar Software QSP and freeze our business It had the opposite effect Customers .
s'
Walker among others
"
.
Identify what risks there are which are have not largely been apprehensive about moving ahead with
applicable to the project and use the user group to provide purchases
"
he says with confidence .
s ,
',
you with a vital communications conduit for your concerns to For now nudged ahead on points thanks
PeopleSoft has
, ,
.
,
"
the vendor he adds to some sound financial results and promises of new
"
Cedar ,
early days its focus was more on expanding .
development initiatives PeopleSoft '
UK and ireland User
s'
In
's ,
buying in additional products and perhaps losing sight of what Group remains stoic in the face of the shenanigans to affect
its cure product was and
in the process its users The the company so :
publicly t "
There hasn been a great deal of
company has now identified that these are critical
"
. reaction to the latest ,
developments aithough we kept the ve
, . " "
'in .
chief executive of lT user body The
David Roberts users as informed as possible he says There no fixed
Corporate lT Forum tif agrees
" Most
( ,:
large organisations
) routine we go through when new product fines corne on board
should be weli aware of the possibility of a vendor take-over but user concerns are raised with us and we provide them
.
,
and take the necessary steps to protect themselves factoring with a sounding board There not a lot we can provide to
this into their product and vendor viability and risk users about PeopleSoft 's
future strategy but we do offer
.
assessment process Best-of-breed products in widespread use
are probably not going to be an immediate problem It 's support and get as much detail from the company as we can
to find out what its plans are , "
.
he adds
"
,
We gauge the
, , , :,
rationalised
unlikely they will be the short term and there feeling within the user group about the product fine and
will be a third party which will be able to provide technical provide PeopleSoft with feedback about keeping the users
,
.
,
.
support However there is the risk that the price for such a informed We also put users with similar issues in contact with
.
,
"
service could be extortionate and longer term support or each other information and concerns
so they can share
,
"
product upgrades will become issues he adds . At the end of the day confidence is down te good
s s
"
Roberts also suggests that software from a small communications again It depends whether you feel you can
vuinerable vendor may require the insurance of escrow as it is establish a certain amount of trust with the vendor and
more likely that the supplier might fail commercially fait to likewise them with the user groups
"
says Aberdeen City ,
deliver technical support for the product yet you will want to Council ."
Stubbins If there are broken promises poor
continue using the product despite the supplier status ' . communication then you would have greater concern over
Just do not panic
" With a
.
good implementation and roll how things could .
progress
"
3/4
Copyright (MIS UK N° 40101) No reproduction without authorisation INFORMATION BUILDERS
N° and issue date : 40101 - 12/01/2004
Circulation : Unknown
'
Frequency : Monthly Page : 45
MISUK_40101_42_10590.pdf Size : 100 %
Web Site: http://www.misweb.com
. ,
, ,. 'mature
strike an equilibrium between both parties After all does admit there has been some debate
.
it is useful for suppliers too User groups are a good
.,
over issues like Windows XP client version of
a
way of communicating product direction and Oracle 9i which he says the user group demanded
.
getting feedback on plans And these people are only and got
.
human too Good success stories inspire everyone What he does not want to talk about is a much
about the potential of the technology in question .
more spectacular success In June last year Oracle
, ,
,
There has to be awareness of course of the flavour announced it would shut down support for version
.
of that communication
"
Users won corne if they
"
't io .7 of its applications suite arguing the ,
think ifs going to be another sales forum points client /server architecture was outmoded and that
out Construction Software Services 'Rule
. users needed to be on version ii .
Neither will they if they feel it is going to be an
a ,.
- nd
But customers protested unhappy about being
,
excuse to bash the vendor daim the next forced to upgrade it seems a majority were
generation user group .
leaders Gillett :
says still on this version anyway The tussle continued
'de-support group,
"
'
Pressure on PeopleSoft is more likely to corne at through the last six months of aooz with the users
the international user group level where there is a forming a
if .
and
' offering to
,
mechanism for feedback on specific issues and support each other necessary In
January Oracle
.
how things do get changed " Rule adds " The user :
s.
caved in extending support for at least another year
't
,,
group just isn the right forum for discussions in the form of online technical documentation and
,
.
about pricing anyway That much better done ,
current patches though not for new functionality
, ' .
,
"
oneon-one with the supplier I think or future discovered bugs
So it does seem that user groups are on the way User power not dead it just seems in need of
s
- parked
s
back by a realisation that there is still .
revival Unlike flares perhaps ^ ?
value in face-to-face meetings to hear war stories
understand vendor direction and ask direct See www .misweb .com /uk for more articles on user
questions on strategy and the recognition the web groups .
has a place but is not the be-all and end-all for user
It. ,
information gathering . Gary Flood is a freelance contributor to MIS UK .
, , Comment on this article at misuk@fairfaxbm .com
USER POWER
'
But having said all this there is still at least one WHAT MAKES A GOOD USER GROUP
, s It
. -
,
Networking
,
example of old-fashioned user power You may find Main benefits peer group benchmarking of successes or
:
the candidate surprising it is the Oracle user difficulties with the product better understanding of where the product is going .
.
group It surprising given the fact that at least one
is -
Money is fine to get initial funding from the vendor and possibly ongoing
or two senior applications user group heads have logistical support But as soon as practical suggest members pay some kind of
switched sides and ended up working for the . ,
fee The PeopleSoft user group for instance charges ^200 per event
.
vendor But any suggestion of too cosy a delegates argue it saves the training budget elsewhere .
relationship with Larry Ellison empire is rejected -
Participation is the saure as running a sports club or any other kind of
Simeon Lando membership and marketing ,
voluntary organisation you need marketing and event management skills The .
. e
'W
by
,
manager for the Oracle UK user group are an vendor should also appoint a liaison person neither too sales or too technical to
- oo
T .
'
independent voice which represents Oracle users help foster relationships
.
. ,
needs We are not afraid of getting up and telling Frequency frequent events and people will not come too far apart and ,
. :
,
Oracle at these meetings about our problems and
.
people think it has stopped being viable Best at least two events a year no ,
demanding answers
"
more than four .
The UK user group is one of the most - ome
S
Location user groups use the vendor offices which can ease overhead
. .
. ,
successfuluser groups going It is ioo per cent for meeting room hires Others prefer locations close to motorways links eg in
owned by the membership
and runs three
,
bas no less than
,
Io ,ooo member contacts a strong events team
meetings year in zo topic areas
suggested by users
"
People ring us up and ask if
they can be added to the database which as a
a
,
-
-
or near Birmingham or London so they are easy to get to from ail over the
t
country
Ask your vendor
Do
'Let
web services or
Don
64-bit
to talk about technology roadmaps
?
them sell to you ail day and repay the courtesy by not moaning at
, eg where are you on
marketeer let me tell you is not exactly usual says
"
them ail day or using up time discussing your particular beef There are other .
.
Lando He is surprisingly cagey when it cornes to venues for both of those and aiso it is inconsiderate to fellow user group
revealing what power the organisation wields . He members .
4/4
Copyright (MIS UK N° 40101) No reproduction without authorisation INFORMATION BUILDERS