The business needs of every organisation differ, and therefore system requirements differ. Many rightfully argue there is not one system that meets every requirement your organisation wants or needs, often leading to the desire to customise to achieve a business objective. The thought of customisation to some can be alarming, however it need not be.

 

When customisations have been implemented purposefully, they produce value by making users effective. And, when customisations are implemented with modern business processes, they unlock added value providing longevity in the investment.

 

Customisations that have been implemented hastily, can become a pain point and inadvertently cost your organisation by making users inefficient. When viewed in isolation or implemented to fit outdated business processes, customisations can be deemed expensive, miss the mark and may contribute to an unsuccessful outcome.

 

Customisations do not always need to be large, nor expensive. Sometimes the smallest of changes can provide the biggest impact. For example, an online workflow and approvals customisation to replace a manual form and elongated approvals process can:

 

• standardise the process across your organisation;

• enforce adoption of authorisation limits reducing the cost of management;

• automate compliance to accommodate different jurisdictions;

• accelerate decisions, particularly across different time zones;

• minimise time spent printing, signing, scanning and re-entering information;

• save on printing, stationery and storage costs; and

• eliminate opportunities for fraudulent behaviour.

 

Important to any customisation is to ensure the design helps your organisation to grow and evolve. Standard customisation tools and configuration available in each system should be adopted, retaining the power to adapt your systems as requirements change over time. This also ensures system upgrades can be implemented with little or no impact to the organisation.

 

Broadening your insights on the upside of customisation may change your perspective and ease any apprehension towards customisation.

 

If you would like to learn more, reach out for a chat.

 

Kate McDonald, Senior Consultant, Harriss Wagner Consultants and Advisers