Why post-project development and expert support are key to business software effectiveness

At Balkan Services, we believe that a successful project is not just a technically accomplished one, but one where you use the implemented business software to improve and grow your business every day.

Once the solution is implemented, its “life” continues and evolves with the changing needs of your business. If you don’t dedicate dedicated resources to the subsequent development and expert maintenance of the system, you run the risk that at some point it will not fully perform its core functions.

• What happens after business software implementation?
• Why is post-implementation development and expert support of the implemented solution key to its effectiveness?
• Who on the system and who to trust for its implementation?

The answers to these questions and more tips on the topic will be discussed in this article.

Business software after implementation

After implementing the chosen business software – ERP, BI, CPM software for finance or other, and starting to work with it (the so-called Go-Live), users begin to adapt to the new way of working and go fully to work with the new system.

After final system configurations, if any are required, the business software implementation project is considered successfully completed and the solution enters the post-project development and expert support phase.

Even technically sound implemented business systems need expert support, upgrades, development to more accurately meet your changing needs, which may be:

• Your business is growing and the system needs upgrading;
• software users need new functionality to meet new obligations and requirements, including legal ones;
• the system has a new, better version (with cloud solutions, new versions are automatically installed);
• users need assistance with a functionality;
• for some reason the business software gives an error;
• you have ideas for new ways to optimize your business processes;
• key users change and need support when introducing new ones;
• and many other similar situations…

Read more: 4 business software implementation challenges – what do the experts advise

When does post-project development and expert support of business software start?

In general, the basic lifecycle of developing a business system can be divided into 3 basic stages:

1. Pre-project, in which the customer’s need is assessed;

2. Project stage – preparation for the project is carried out, the business software is developed and/or adjusted according to the needs defined in the pre-project stage.

3. Post-project, which includes problem solving and case studies, system enhancements, development of new functionality, updating with a new version of the software, training of key users, etc.

Post-project development and expert support of the business system takes effect after Stage 2 (Project) or from the date on which you later decide that you need professional help to develop the implemented software.

When establishing a contractual relationship for post-project development and expert support, you should identify those of your employees who will have the authority to log cases or so-called tickets – problems, change requests and enhancements. These users are directly involved in the process of identifying problem causes, needs and requirements for change or improvements through timely and proactive communication with the support team.

Who takes care of post-project development and expert support of the business system?

As well as the implementation of the business software itself, the subsequent development and expert support is best carried out by competent consultants who know the system and are aware of the specifics of your chosen solution implementation project.

By establishing a contractual relationship with a team for follow-up development and expert support, you have allocated monthly hours with which you can rest assured that case studies and refinements will be completed in a realistic timeframe relative to the priority of the task.

In these fixed hours, the team, who are familiar with your business and the cases that arise, are responsible for incident defect resolution, change management and follow-up development of the implemented system.

Read more: Quality management – how important is it and how do we do it at Balkan Services?

Post-project development and expert support services we can help with

The services that go into the post-implementation phase of system development depend on the type and specifics of the business software. They can be broadly summarized as:

1. Work on registered requests for:

– Problems that include inability to open applications, server problem, browser problem, error messages, malfunctioning modules, etc.;

– Changes or enhancements to the system;

– System optimizations and enhancements;

– Granting or changing user access to the system;

– Installing the system on new devices, adjusting settings, and providing database connectivity (excluding cloud systems).

2. Regular monitoring for proper functioning of the implemented solution.

3. Consultation on specific business case and offering solutions within the scope of the system.

4. Change/refinement analysis and evaluation;

5. Training.

6. Preparation of documentation.

7. Recommendations for improvements.

8. Administrative services.

4 criteria for selecting a team for post-project development and expert system support?

At Balkan Services, we have and develop teams for the post-project development and expert support of the solutions in our portfolio:

• BI solutions Qlik Sense and QlikView
• NetSuite ERP
• Soft1 ERP
• CPM solution for finance LucaNet
• AMANA software – part of the LucaNet group: XBRL Tagger, Smartnotes, XBRL Auditor, XBRL Portal

From our 17+ years of experience in the business software implementation and support industry, we can distinguish several key characteristics that a post-project development and expert support team should possess:

Experience

It is important that the team is made up of technically trained and in some cases certified consultants with experience in implementing, ensuring effective operation and development of client systems from multiple domains.

Dedication

It’s a good idea to have consultants working on a client’s cases to deepen their knowledge of your business and the specifics of your system.

Time zone, location, language

Ideally, the post-project development and expert support team would consist of local consultants whose working hours mostly coincide with yours, be localized at least in the same country, and be able to communicate in at least 2 languages – Bulgarian and English.

Communication channels

It is recommended that the consultancy company uses a special customer service system, the so-called Ticket system. It optimizes communication and response of both parties, as the system provides the possibility to register, classify and communicate cases, track their status and keep a history.

It is important that the system’s post-project development and expert support team is easily accessible through other communication channels such as MS Teams, zoom, phone, etc.

In summary

A successful project is not just not just technically executed. The implemented business software continues to evolve after implementation, responding to the changing needs of the business to the fullest extent.

We recommend that companies implementing a new business system in the organization establish a long-term relationship for post-project development and expert system support with the implementer or another consulting company. This gives them the peace of mind that they have a team of professionals they can rely on and that the system will best meet their needs.

No business nowadays can grow and be competitive without the use of IT systems. Choosing the right software solution and implementing it is a complex, difficult but critically important decision.

At Balkan Services we have expert knowledge of business, technology and legislation, and we speak all three languages. We will listen carefully and advise you on choosing the right business system for your needs.

Balkan Services has been supporting businesses on their digital transformation journey since 2006. We have already helped over 390 companies to digitize their business through the implementation of established software solutions and IT infrastructure management.