Changing demands have been driving some of the most significant advancements in CCM software products. CCM software upgrades are packed with exciting innovations and enhancements for customer communications, which increase efficiency, usability and performance. With the new upgrades, organizations can get enhanced support for containerized deployments, business user management of charts and visualizations, improved automation and orchestration capabilities, and expanded integration options. Implementing these software upgrades is vital for organizations to improve performance and business continuity is ensured by upgrading to the latest versions. Although competitive advantage and service levels will stay the same using yesteryear's software for the time being, it's more about usability, which has become the central theme across all CCM technologies. Thus, the question becomes when to upgrade to the latest release of CCM tools. Our answer is the time is now.
Let's discuss 6 critical things to consider before upgrading CCM tools.
1. Organizations should check compliance and security threats
Upgrades with advances in the automation of governance policies means you can control and secure a much larger pool of information, including both structured and unstructured data. Your software should maintain customer information confidentiality, facilitating compliance with privacy, security, auditing, and record-keeping mandates and sending high volumes of emails with improved delivery and performance. Upgrading your existing CCM software should help ensure the right approved content is used according to effective dates, jurisdictions, regulations, location and other criteria. Today's threats are more potent than ever and organizations need robust CCM software to defend data from both internal and external malicious attacks. This infrastructure and a disciplined approach to information governance fundamentally reduce the organization's risk profile.
2. Software reaching the end of life (EOL)
When the software's EOL date is announced, you may have some time to prepare, but it's strongly recommended that you begin planning immediately. Complications can arise for those who don't prioritize upgrading. If unchecked, software reaching the EOL can pose various major security threats because when a piece of software reaches its EOL phase, manufacturers no longer supply patches, bug fixes, or security upgrades. Identifying and removing any instances of EOL software is the only way to ensure hackers won't exploit vulnerabilities within the software. We recommend an upgrade if you are using any EOL versions, as manufacturers will no longer support them.
3. Proper planning method
Once you have decided to go for a software update, the next step is proper planning. Develop a budget and timeline. Pricing is integral to any business decision, but it shouldn't be the only factor to consider. If you base your decision solely on price, you may not ensure your company is getting the best value. Remember that the price of software does not always correspond to its value.
Plan the upgrade process by considering the impact it will have on your existing infrastructure, resources, and operations. You should also review the latest version's release notes and known issues. Since upgrades often require multiple activities, consider dividing your project into stages to make it more manageable and time efficient. Prioritize the most necessary changes before drilling into the details and customizations. Throughout the upgrade, always keep tabs on your company's requirements. This will help you to achieve your targeted goals and stick to the agreed-upon timeline.
4. Adoption of new technology
Due to technological advancements, the cloud environment has undergone significant transformation, with businesses now accepting protected data in the cloud. Moreover, it can be controlled in a number of formats, including public cloud settings. Regardless of the size or volume of your communications, cloud technology has developed to the point where CCM can fully benefit from cloud features like scalability, microservices, and high availability. A recent Forrester Consulting study revealed that 64% of organizations that store all their content on-premises believe they're at a competitive disadvantage. In reality, migrating even some content to the cloud is vital to staying competitive and resilient. Organizations must be able to make changes faster and more flexibly in a digital world. New software versions have been updated for cloud delivery and are designed to help customers be more flexible and agile by offloading the burden of infrastructure investment and administration. This can be the easiest way to reduce the cost, time, and resources required to maintain your CCM tool. Organizations can gain the agility and flexibility of cloud content management, accelerate digital transformation, and free up resources for creativity and innovation.
5. Improve user experience
Determine if there is a need for an omnichannel presence. Upgrading to the latest software version can enhance data usage and optimize omnichannel communications to deliver an improved overall experience that is essential to your organization. Upgraded versions offer increased adoption and a better user experience. In addition, updating the software can increase productivity with smartly designed features that enhance customer engagement through customized, flexible, and automated communications. The latest versions also simplify and automate the creation and delivery of previously manual customer communications, including invoices, letters, statements, and bills.
6. Interoperability
Upgrading software versions can also enable organizations to better integrate CCM solutions with other systems and applications, streamlining their operations and improving their overall efficiency. Upgrading can also improve the overall performance of CCM solutions, making it faster and simpler for organizations to manage their customer communications. CCM software upgrades promote interoperability between different software and hardware platforms, making it easier to exchange data with other organizations and systems that serve to create an interoperable set of technologies that can be brought together to create applications and workflows to achieve CX objectives.
The last word
Communicating with today’s customers requires new tools, as information and collaboration are no longer constraints. Companies can boost loyalty with less time and cost by investing in upgrades with a customer-first mindset and investing in the right tools and partners. As the leader in CCM tool enablement, BelWo can help you choose and integrate software upgrades that are in line with your business goals and strategies.
