ABC’s of TAM application “Run”: have you considered outsourcing too?
In today’s professional landscape - marked by persistent uncertainty and rapid change - application “run” management plays a crucial role. This is especially true for "Time and Activity Management" (TAM) systems in a period of transition. TAM has yet to adopt a reactive, agile approach, holding on instead to traditional (often rigid) methods that are increasingly ineffective in the face of contemporary challenges. This need is pressing, given the accelerating pace of economic and regulatory changes requiring greater flexibility. Embracing agile, responsive practices has become essential for better anticipating market needs and adapting quickly to external swings - something related fields like Payroll have accomplished, so why not TAM as well?
Agility in application management isn’t just an option but an essential ingredient for staying ahead in an environment where innovation is becoming the norm. That requires rethinking internal processes to foster a culture of adaptability and collaboration.
By investing in agile tools and methodologies, companies can not only improve responsiveness but also boost productivity. Transitioning to agility will help organizations better navigate - and thrive in - a constantly evolving professional world.
“RUN” IN AN APPLICATIVE CONTEXT: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Unlike “build,” which refers to the development and implementation phase of a project, “run” designates the production activities carried out on an ongoing, regular basis. “Run” begins as soon as the “Service Verification” phase following go-live - concludes, marking the shift to operational status.
“Run”-related practices center on three main aspects:
- User Support: continual assistance for users, including change management, robust configuration documentation and updated knowledge bases and operational procedures. This ensures optimal user understanding and use of the implemented solution.
- Maintaining Operational Conditions (MOC): a process ensuring the deployed system runs properly. This includes fixing any non-compliance with initial specifications, keeping the tool aligned with its predefined objectives.
- Evolutive Maintenance: adjusting the tool for any necessary changes - whether prompted by new laws, collective agreements or internal company rules - to maintain relevance and effectiveness over the long term.
In short, “run” consists of various essential activities to ensure the tool and processes remain durable and effective once “build” is complete.
AND SPECIFICALLY, IN TERMS OF TAM?
This phase can’t be overlooked, since deploying a time-management software demands substantial financial and human capital. Given that a major TAM software version typically lasts between 2 and 5 years - after which a migration or solution change often becomes necessary, returning the process to “build” mode…
Over time, if TAM software isn’t updated regularly or its features fail to keep up with evolving business requirements, it may lose its relevance. This can erode managers’ trust in the system - originally a centralized solution - leading them to adopt unstructured options like Excel!
We all know the associated risks: a chaotic environment, nightmarish data consolidation and a near-impossible quest for high-quality data analysis.
To maximize TAM software efficiency, regular monitoring and updates that align with user needs are vital.
A steady commitment to optimizing the solution ensures it remains in tune with the company’s strategic goals - while avoiding the drift toward non-integrated systems.
3 KEYS TO A SMOOTH TAM “RUN”…
- Anticipation
It’s crucial for ensuring a successful “run”, and starts during the build phase. A cornerstone is thorough documentation that’s both complete and well-structured. The better the documentation, the simpler the move to operational.
Comprehensive documentation acts as a reference for administrators and managers - and as the main source for building knowledge bases and operational procedures, critical for guiding users through future changes.
Inadequate documentation can pose real problems. If that happens, the run team will invest time and resources in reverse engineering, piecing rules together and writing them down. This can be lengthy and tedious, leaving the team “in the dark” at first.
That in turn hampers efficiency and coordination, slowing tool adoption among on-the-ground users.
In short, proper preparation - particularly via meticulous, accessible documentation - is vital for a smooth, effective shift to operations. This reduces training costs and effort while speeding sustainable user adoption.
- Governance
Governance is key to ensuring effective operational phases in businesses. Its main aim is to coordinate everyone involved, plan what needs addressing and maintain crucial visibility on consistency with strategic goals.
Establishing the right committee structure is essential. Effective governance fosters productive exchanges among different stakeholders: business leaders, IT teams and solution vendors.
Proper governance also manages project risks, resources and costs. It lets you prioritize and make informed decisions. Without it, you face major pitfalls:
- Reaction instead of action: teams simply react to issues rather than anticipating them.
- Team silos: poor governance can isolate teams, limiting cross-disciplinary collaboration and essential information sharing.
- Weak communication: insufficient governance compromises clarity in communications, leading to misunderstanding and inconsistency.
- Poor cost control and inefficiency: lacking a strong governance framework can mean runaway budgets and inefficient resource allocation.
- Operations
This is where teams must have the right resources and skills to keep watch effectively. Quick response when needed is crucial for successful operations. Ensuring peak performance requires properly staffing the run team.
This team should be made up of people devoted to it. The ultimate goal of operations is to keep production processes running smoothly. When you have enough well-trained staff, they can predict and address issues proactively.
Also, remember that poor TAM oversight can greatly complicate payroll, forcing painstaking checks and possible manual corrections. These not only take time but also invite errors.
Hence, achieving operational success requires investing in the right training and tools for the run team. This lets them monitor effectively and intervene proactively for a seamless workflow. Well-executed operations translate to tangible gains in efficiency and fewer administrative mistakes, thereby strengthening long-term production activities.
OR ANOTHER OPTION: OUTSOURCE FUNCTIONAL AND REGULATORY MAINTENANCE!
ACT-ON GROUP and its TAM expertise center (within the HRIS business line) offer a dedicated outsourcing solution for functional and regulatory maintenance of your TAM solution - no matter the platform.
Our experts work from our Functional & Regulatory Maintenance Center (CEMAFORE) - an approach delivering major benefits to clients looking to optimize their software management long-term.
- Take advantage of Enhanced Technical Expertise + a Single Point of Contact
One main advantage of outsourcing is the elevated level of technical know-how at your disposal. You get a single point of contact - a consultant who becomes your daily, go-to liaison.
This person fully understands your TAM solution and manages priority corrective and improvement actions in collaboration with you. They also distribute tasks among the team, accounting for each item’s complexity.
- Forget the extra - and focus on the essentials!
By outsourcing your TAM solution’s maintenance, you can concentrate on strategic priorities. You remain involved in the operational governance, sharing constraints and making calls with your primary consultant.
Once the roadmap is set, we handle all requests while following a continuous-improvement, quality-driven approach, including routine documentation updates. This documentation can even be managed via our “ e-white paper” digital tool, developed by ACT-ON TECHNOLOGY.
- Responsiveness, proactivity, and continuous improvement… Throughout the contract!
We pride ourselves on optimal responsiveness. Client satisfaction is our core mission and we pledge to meet response times while ensuring top quality for every request.
Moreover, we stand out by proactively seeking improvement opportunities, such as adding operational procedures to eliminate recurring requests and enhance overall ticket efficiency.
- Control your costs… and keep your budget in check!
Finally, by partnering with our Functional & Regulatory Maintenance Center, you benefit from an annual flat fee with a results-based obligation, letting you plan for any budget fluctuations based on metrics discussed in Steering Committees.
Our flexible, modular offer adapts service scope to your specific needs, aligned with existing commitments to your software vendor.
Application run for TAM is an essential - and often underestimated - part of organizational operations. Achieving strong performance requires anticipating future needs and staying agile in the face of current challenges.
A well-laid plan helps any company boost operational performance, earn user buy-in on the ground and ensure the reliability and security of payroll data.
Those that recognize the importance of this approach reap not only more efficient resource use but also a notable rise in productivity. Indeed, properly managed TAM run slashes administrative errors, boosts employee engagement and fosters a culture of transparency.
Nevertheless, many businesses remain immature about this, whether organizationally or resource-wise… That’s precisely where our Functional & Regulatory Maintenance Center can make a real difference!
With our expertise and tailored solutions, we help clients stay compliant while optimizing TAM run management.
This partnership enables organizations to deploy more efficient processes that fit each company’s specific needs.
So if you’d like to refine your TAM application run management, the support of our dedicated teams can be decisive, especially if you’re looking to adopt a proactive, informed management style.
In any case, if you have questions or a project in mind, Contact us.
Discover ACT-ON HRIS.
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