Driving at 95 MPH on slick roads, down a windy mountain pass with no guard rail, requires different skills than a trip to the car wash. There’s a reason for the “don’t try this at home” disclaimers on high-action car ads.
Commercials are designed to make a car look exciting, yet easy to handle. Apparently some folks don’t know their limitations (the cast of “Jackass” come to mind), hence the warning.
It’s too bad that software and hardware companies don’t take a page from big auto’s play-book. There needs to be a prominent “closed course, professional driver” warning for computer users.
Just because you know how to install software and replace hardware doesn’t mean you should. Put the brakes on until you’ve checked for compatibility for your current systems; a broken CRM system that slows down your sales process is a very bad thing.
I’ve gotten five calls in the last month that “ACT! stopped working.”
- A remote user upgraded to IE 9 and broke his connection to ACT! for Web 2010.
- Upgraded to new Win 7 laptops; their older versions of ACT! won’t run on them. (two calls)
- A customer switched to Web email on the advice of a friend. Whoops, now they can’t use email with ACT!.
- Three computers out of 10 were upgraded to Office 2010. Guess how many can still access their contact management system?
In each case, a little research and planning would have made the difference between improving employee productivity or grinding it to a halt. IT or ACT! consultants can help – please ask us!
If you don’t understand the ramifications of upgrading, you’re heading down that mountain road. The wreck will be less spectacular, but the potential to ruin your day is just as high.
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