With the increasing use of cloud-based technologies, there has been a heightened focus on data security, and Project Genetics helps organizations understand and mitigate any potential risks associated with implementation of digital solutions. Consider taking these steps in order to protect data security during ERP implementation.

Protecting Data Security During ERP Implementation

Risks can come from internal or external sources, ranging from malicious actors looking to gain unauthorized access to confidential information to mistakes made by personnel within the organization who do not have sufficient knowledge about data privacy laws and regulations.

To ensure proper protection of this sensitive information, organizations should conduct a security audit of their current system before embarking on any new implementations. This audit should include identifying existing weaknesses and vulnerabilities as well as assessing whether existing IT infrastructure can handle the new requirements adequately.

Plan and Implement Appropriate Data Security Measures

Once any potential risks have been identified, organizations need to plan and implement appropriate data security measures for their specific needs. Such measures could include two-factor authentication for all users accessing critical resources, using strong passwords that are regularly changed, and creating encryption algorithms for stored data.

Businesses should ensure that only authorized personnel have access to confidential documents. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing an identity management system that allows them to easily control user access levels and track user activities on a granular level.

Train Employees on Data Security Best Practices

As part of the training process, there should be an emphasis on topics such as understanding data privacy laws and regulations, recognizing common social engineering tactics used by malicious actors, and avoiding suspicious links or emails.

Employees should also be enlightened on the importance of backing up files regularly, properly disposing of confidential documents, avoiding writing down passwords, and never leaving computers unlocked or unattended. Additionally, they should be taught how to respond when confronted with a data breach so that they can take necessary precautions in order to minimize any losses incurred from it.

Regularly Test Data Security Measures to Ensure They Are Effective

Organizations also need to keep checking if their implemented data security measures are effective enough by regularly testing them against different attacker scenarios and evaluating their results accordingly. By doing this, organizations will reduce the chance of becoming the victim of sophisticated cyberattacks, thus ensuring that all confidential, business-related information remains secure at all times regardless if deployed on-premise or hosted remotely over cloud platforms.

Additionally, keeping hardware and software updated is another key component in reducing the risk of cyberattacks. These updates usually contain critical patches which address known vulnerabilities in systems or applications that malicious actors could exploit otherwise.

By taking steps to harden endpoints and ensuring that technology infrastructure is secure, you can help protect your business from potential attacks. At Project Genetics, we help businesses integrate technology solutions with best practices to streamline their digital transformation implementation. Contact Project Genetics today to learn more about how we can help keep your data safe during and after software implementation.

With the pace of technological growth rapidly increasing, businesses need to be agile. However, traditional project management approaches often put projects on rigid rails that don’t allow for flexibility. The solution is to integrate modern technology into your project management office. Enterprise Project Management systems make it easier for your team to collaborate on projects while helping upper management measure progress and address obstacles. EPM also boosts your data analytics capabilities. To implement EPM, you’ll first need a roadmap.

Enterprise Project Management: Determining Your EPM Roadmap

Start With Pain Points and Goals

Before you rush to buy a license for the top-rated EPM software, pause to consider what you’re trying to accomplish. A roadmap is not only meant to plan out the steps to deployment. Roadmaps include objectives and measurables so that you can determine if you’re on your way to a successful deployment. So consider your pain points when it comes to project management and execution. What obstacles do you routinely face?

Then, set goals that will help you determine whether your EPM implementation is actually benefiting the company. We recommend targeting specific KPIs so that you can measure performance using data. You may also set some larger goals, like increasing the number of projects successfully executed or reducing the overall time it takes for projects to reach completion.

Choose the Right Tools

Knowing what you want to accomplish with your EPM system is vital since it will guide your next and most important decision. What EPM tools should you acquire for your company? There are many options on the market, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. They also vary wildly in terms of pricing. Some operate on a per-user subscription basis, while others may charge based on the volume of activity on the platform or the specific features you select.

Choosing the right tools for your specific needs and goals will help you keep your implementation from going over budget. In addition, your staff will have an easier time using a system that was acquired with their specific needs in mind. Furthermore, the time it takes to implement an EPM system also varies from one product to the next.

Set Deadlines and Start Implementation

The next step is to focus on deadlines. Implementations take time, so don’t try to rush. However, you still need to have reasonable deadlines to ensure the deployment arrives on schedule. Systems engineers will be most involved in the early stages. Set a date for when the first working version will be ready so that you can then start testing the software with key team members. Expect changes during testing. Set another deadline for the final release.

Pilot and Perfect

Once your EPM system is ready for use, have your PMO draft a pilot project using the system. This first project will help you find possible problems that can be fixed before asking everyone to use the platform. The pilot group can also put together a list of best practices to help their colleagues adapt faster.  

An EPM implementation can be a complex process. At Project Genetics, we make it simple by providing expert assistance every step of the way. Book an intro call with Project Genetics to meet with one of our representatives face-to-face.

Customer relationship management (CRM) refers to the process companies use to administer interactions and relationships they have with customers. There are many CRM software and hardware options available today, and among these options, there is an ongoing debate about whether to implement cloud-based or on-premise systems. Let’s take a deeper look at whether cloud or on-premise CRM implementation is better for your company.

Cloud vs. On-Premise CRM Implementation: Which Is Best for Your Organization?

Cloud CRM System Characteristics

Cloud-based CRM systems typically use the software as a service (SaaS) model, where a company pays a subscription fee to a software provider for access to its CRM software. This means your company data is stored online rather than using an on-site server, and users access the data they need through the internet. Cloud-based solutions are often designed with integration features that make them easy to blend with existing software and platforms.

Cloud CRM is typically less expensive as the provider manages all updates, backups, and maintenance. You won’t have to pay for expensive equipment, and plans can be scaled according to your budget. Another benefit is your team members can work from any location with an internet connection, providing great flexibility for today’s mobile workforce. Since everything is online, you’ll always be working with the most current versions of all documents.

On-Premise CRM System Characteristics

On-premise CRM requires on-site hardware and servers to store and provide access to company data. Software is installed either on the servers or on individual user machines, meaning the system can function without an internet connection. With the on-premise model, companies typically purchase a license that gives them ownership of the CRM software. This means it can be customized to suit the unique operational needs of each business.    

Since on-premise CRM is completely contained offline, there are some inherent security advantages. This is particularly true when it comes to system updates and maintenance, as performing these offline avoids the threat of bugs and cyber attacks. On-premise CRM does, however, require a company to perform frequent backups to a physical server to avoid potential data loss.

Comparing Cloud vs. CRM

When it comes to deciding between cloud-based and on-premise CRM, it mostly comes down to three factors: cost, customization, and security. Other key variables include the size of your organization, whether or not you have remote employees, and how vulnerable your company is to cyber threats. Large companies, for instance, are sometimes more concerned with maintaining internal control of potentially sensitive data, which favors on-premise CRM.

Purely on a cost basis, Cloud CRM systems are typically less expensive, as they charge on a per-user basis that can be scaled up or down as your company evolves. You’ll also avoid the personnel costs associated with maintaining IT personnel to manage servers and system infrastructure.

These are some of the factors that will help determine whether cloud-based or on-site CRM is a better fit for your organization. Contact Project Genetics to learn how we can help implement CRM and other solutions to help maximize your company’s potential.

Project management is changing. With so many communications tools at our fingertips, it is more important than ever to bring stakeholders in early on projects and keep their perspectives in mind throughout lengthy projects. That is why stakeholder-led management strategies are growing in popularity today.

What Is Stakeholder-Led Project Management? 

Simply put, this style of management means putting the stakeholders’ needs first. While other forms of management may ask stakeholders what they would like to see happen, oftentimes the implementation team is left to their own devices to try and solve problems without direct and continuous input from the people who will be most impacted.

In a stakeholder-led system, stakeholders have the chance to provide feedback at every stage of the process and engage in problem-solving alongside the implementation team to ensure that proposed solutions actually work.

Why Let Stakeholders Lead? 

For one, it’s more efficient. Instead of guessing at the root of problems your team is facing and trying to solve them independently, you have a direct line of contact with the people on the ground. Their feedback at every stage of the project ensures that you can pivot quickly when something isn’t working instead of waiting until after the solution has failed.

In addition, by bringing stakeholders into the process early, you are more likely to get positive engagement and feedback. Too many companies go ahead with projects without consulting stakeholders, only to have those stakeholders resist the new system at implementation time. This causes headaches and confusion for everyone involved.

How Does It Work? 

Like any project, stakeholder-led projects can be broken down into multiple stages. From the conception of the project all the way through the follow-up, you should be listening and adjusting your plan to meet the needs of the people who are most affected.

Identification and Analysis

Stakeholders provide a direct line of contact with the problem area. Asking pertinent questions can lead you to quickly identify the main pain points in the existing system and give you some starting ideas for how the problem could be solved. This is the shortcut to analysis you’ve been needing to save time and money.

Planning and Proposals

At this stage of the project, you have a chance to use stakeholders as a sounding board. Present your ideas to them and determine whether or not the solution fits their needs. They will be able to tell you immediately if the solution will increase or decrease the resistance in their jobs.

Implementation 

Now is the time to listen to feedback and stay on top of problems as they arise. Other projects fail when they fail to take feedback into consideration at this stage.

No matter how big your project is, stakeholder involvement should be a priority. You can save time and money by going straight to the root of your project’s goals and engaging with the people who really have a vested interest in seeing the project succeed. Before you plan your next project, contact Project Genetics to learn how we can help you find the solutions you need.

Customer relationship management, or CRM, is an aspect of doing business that has received plenty of attention in recent years. Improving the experience that a customer gets when interacting with your business can give you the edge over your competition. However, CRM implementation can be a difficult and time-consuming project that drains your resources if not managed properly. Here are some tips for improving the success and efficiency of your CRM project.

5 Reliable Ways to Speed Up a CRM Project

1. Develop a Clear Plan for CRM Implementation

As with any facet of your business, successful implementation of a CRM system is as much about the planning as the execution. If you don’t have a clear idea of what you want your customer experience to be like after the project is complete, it will be difficult to measure the success or failure of your plan. Set clear, measurable objectives so that you have a clear view for how to bring your project forward.

2. Implement the Plan in Phases

Even a project that seems daunting in scale can become much more manageable when they are broken down into smaller phases rather than taken as a whole. Discerning what each stage of your project looks like will make it clear for your entire team what needs to be done to see your project through to completion.

3. Standardize Internal Practices

It’s only logical that work will go faster and more smoothly if everybody involved in a project is on the same page when it comes to everyday procedures related to their work. That’s why one of the most important steps you can take towards improving your project’s efficiency is standardizing the internal practices your team works from. Consider every detail that goes into the work so that everybody is clear on the standards they must work towards.

4. Clarify the Project’s Leadership Structure

People look to the leaders of a project for guidance on what they should be doing and as an example that they can be following. Having either too many or no project leaders can detract from this clear sense of direction that strong leaders create. Make sure that it’s clear who the leader of your project is and that there aren’t so many leaders that the project is being pulled in several directions at once. The chain of command, and who has final say on various aspects, should be clear.

5. Test Your Results in Real-World Scenarios

Ultimately, your CRM project’s success or failure depends on the results that your customer-facing team members get when using the system you implement. Involving this part of your team in the implementation stage can help you find problems you might miss when working from the outside looking in. This will allow you to test the CRM you’re implementing in real situations with your customers.

Helping businesses turn their project plans into tangible realities is something that our team specializes in. We’ll help you develop a clear plan for your CRM project and then assist in executing that plan to perfection. Contact Project Genetics today to learn how we can help make your vision of success a reality!