4. Staff considerations

When deciding to upgrade, the effect this will have on staff need to be considered. They fall into two groups

Users.

Users will need training and support for using the new software. If the upgrade is mild such as using a new version of their standard browser, then the training requirement will be minimal.

On the other hand, if they are expected to use a brand new system, there needs to be plans in place to support them.

Example:

A company has been using the classic email setup of a networked mail server with staff using a local client such as Outlook or Eudora to view and create emails. The company has been looking at a cloud computing email service as a lower cost alternative. With a cloud based system, there is no need for the internal mail server, lower mainetance costs and so on. But users will need to be trained to use a web browser as their email application instead of a dedicated client application. This is part of the decision to change systems.

Support staff

These people are expected to install the new software, then provide user support when problems arise. They also need to maintain the software by applying patches and bug fixes as supplied by the vendor.

Therefore the level of expertise of the staff is part of the decision to upgrade - do they have the skills? Do they need formal training in implementing the new software?

This will cost money and time, therefore it will have an impact on the decision to upgrade in the first place.