In our previous article, we raised 2 important questions for identifying a need or opportunity for change. As we continue this theme, we provide 3 more important questions to help identify whether a particular action or change is the right response for you, and link back to our own recent change to improve and update the goCabinets ordering platform.
With so many solutions and “solutions” out in the market, it can be difficult to identify the correct option for you. It can be easy to become distracted by buzzwords and bonus features when you’re exploring options. You don’t want to end up with a new solution or system and discover that your core problems still exist. Hence you should always ask and answer this next question...
Will this particular change achieve my identified improvements?
When weighing up a specific change, it is important to keep in mind the specific problems or opportunities that you identified previously, and making sure this available change will address them. For an exaggerated example, if you identified that your customer service was resulting in poor reviews online, purchasing a new machine wouldn’t likely affect this. In the case of the goCabinets portal, there were a number of beneficial improvements that had been identified, and there was a clear method for addressing them. Programming would be required to action the new capabilities and changes. The implementation was the factor which had a few alternative routes, and it was the question below which helped identify the best choice.Will I be greatly disrupted by making this change?
Obviously, any change can have immediate effects, both positive and negative. It can take time to learn a new system or become proficient with new equipment, so you need to be realistic and take into consideration how you may be disrupted by your selected change. Are you likely to see a short-term loss of efficiency, production, or profit and can you manage that loss? After investigating this, you should look into ways in which you can best address or navigate any negative effects or maintain normalcy during this change. For goCabinets' platform improvements, it was decided to create a new and separate version of the platform in isolation to the existing, live platform. This allowed for thorough testing of the new features and capabilities, and ensured existing users wouldn’t have disruptions to their regular ordering. Additionally, with the launch of the interface, users can currently switch back to the classic interface at any point in time. This allows users to learn and take advantage of the new interface in their own time, while conveniently being able to revert to their familiar processes if needed. Looking back to your own available changes, if you find that the initial disruption from your identified change will be large, it is important to ask the following question to allow you to effectively make your decision.Will I be better off in 1, 5, or 10 years time by making this change?
This may seem a silly or obvious question. You would definitely hope that any change you implement will make you better off in the future. However, depending on what you have determined from the previous question, it is very important. If you determine that there will be some initial negative impact from your change, it can be easy to disregard the change as not being worth it. This is where you need to weigh up the long-term benefits of the change to determine whether it is likely to outweigh initial negative experiences. Looking to the updated interface of goCabinets for a final example, we’ve already received numerous responses from users and partners praising the improved ease of use and functionality. This change has involved a great deal of effort, but internal testing and recent user feedback has indicated that the change will allow more users than ever to find success with goCabinets. Ultimately, we want the most people possible to benefit from our platform, so this revolutionary change has been more than worth the effort.
The new interface of goCabinets is live and accessible now! Upon your next log-in you will be prompted to make the switch. Feel free to contact the team at Info@gocabinets.com.au with any feedback.
