Third in a four-part Office 2007 migration series.

It needs to be said: Finish what you started.

In part one of this series, I highlighted the reasons an estimated 50 percent of enterprise-sized IT departments are running mixed Microsoft Office end-user environments. Part two offered information on how to complete the migration with minimal downtime. This post lays out a project timeline and readiness checklist.

You want successful transition to Office 2007 and early ROI. In order to meet those goals, you need to keep your employees informed and trained before, during and after deployment. With a plan in place, you will minimize or eliminate dips in productivity and give your workers confidence to use the tools they rely on every day. This is what you should expect from a migration partner:
Before

• Educate employees about what’s to come via e-mail, newsletters or the company intranet
• Create an employee education campaign, with live, expert training and support
• Offer instructor-led, Web-based training
• Provide access to a self-service learning portal with hundreds of Office 2007 audio and video tutorials
• Train internal IT staff on basic, intermediate and advanced Office 2007 frequently asked questions
• Alter voice response unit (VRU) message to address specific migration calls

During

• Continue employee education campaign, with live, expert training and support
• Offer instructor-led, Internet-based training
• Provide access to a self-service learning portal with hundreds of Office 2007 audio and video tutorials
• Provide immediate, expert support on Office 2007 applications, 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• Deliver “type 2″ and related topic training to all employees during and following support calls
• Offer live, Web-based training sessions covering specific applications: Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook; beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Select group, individual or customized sessions

After

• Continue employee education campaign, with live, expert training and support
• Continue to offer instructor-led, Internet-based training
• Provide access to a self-service learning portal with hundreds of Office 2007 audio and video tutorials
• Solution-based call details, productivity measures
• Call analysis identifying targeted training needs
• Quality assurance program measuring user satisfaction, call complexity reporting and downtime analysis
• Monthly e-mail newsletter featuring Office 2007 tips, tricks and shortcuts

If you were surprised by the amount of work that goes into a migration, remember that you are part of the way there. It’s not a simple upgrade, but it can be done with minimal pain.

Stay tuned for part four, our free, downloadable Migration Assurance Program Kit.

MORE INFO IN: Office 2007 Migration Case Study | Office 2007 Migration Assurance Program | Migration Readiness Checklist | Migration Competitive Analysis | Contact PC Helps

Second in a four-part Office 2007 migration series.

It needs to be said: Finish what you started.

In part one of this series, I highlighted the reasons an estimated 50 percent of enterprise-sized IT infrastructures are running mixed Microsoft Office end-user environments. This post offers information on how to complete the migration while minimizing downtime and frustration.

Most IT leaders realize that an Office 2007 deployment requires coordination, planning and oversight. As a result, many bring in a third party for migration assistance.

The support options and partnerships are abundant, including training companies, consulting firms, domestic and offshore outsourcers, and certified Microsoft Office 2007 migration launch partners.

Whichever partner they choose, IT leaders need to keep in mind that, to prove ROI, they need to place a priority on early adoption levels, limiting downtime, maintaining productivity and cost expectations. What’s more, providing on-demand, expert support and training to information workers before, during and after deployment is critical for a successful migration.

Below are four Microsoft Office 2007 myths and realities to keep in mind:

Myth No. 1: Migration support needs disappear completely after a few weeks.

No, no, no. Microsoft designed the new interface to make it easier for users to find features that were available in older versions, but were buried in an elaborate menu structure. It’s working, too. Months into a rollout, your employees will be finding tools they never knew existed — and they will need help learning how to use them. To expect IT generalists to know how to use long-hidden features is downright unreasonable.

Myth No. 2: Migrating to Office 2007 is like every other migration.

Two words: no menus. Two more: no toolbars.

Many users will not even be able to open files without help. Office 2007 is a complete overhaul of the user interface. In previous upgrades, knowledge of how to get to features in the previous version got users where they wanted to go 95 percent of the time. With 2007, it’s zero percent.

Myth No. 3: Handling a migration without outside help will give my staff a chance to shine.

Don’t turn your IT staff into scapegoats. The scale of end-user need when Office 2007 hits a desktop guarantees your IT department will be overwhelmed.

Myth No. 4: I have smart employees. They’ll have no problem figuring out how to use Office 2007 on their own.

An employee does not call the general help desk when he can get the answer from a colleague who sits near him. If none of his colleagues know how to use Office 2007, and he calls a generalist at the help desk, how much expertise will he find there? ♦

Stay tuned for Part 3: The Readiness Checklist. Click here to read Part 1.

MORE INFO IN: Office 2007 Migration Case Study | Office 2007 Migration Assurance Program | Migration Readiness Checklist | Migration Competitive Analysis | Contact PC Helps

Part one of a four-post Office 2007 migration series.

It needs to be said: Finish what you started.

According to a leading industry source, more than 50 percent of enterprise-sized IT infrastructures are running mixed Microsoft Office end-user environments. The reasons are many.

The Recession: During the past two years, IT budgets were cut and some employees were let go, leaving Office 2007 deployments incomplete.

Misjudgment: IT leaders were unaware of the amount of work that went into a migration. A dearth of internal resources to handle increasing call volume and demand for training halted phased rollouts.

Choice: IT leaders who weren’t mandated to deploy Office 2007 to the entire company chose to migrate in more of a “drip” fashion. Only those who requested the upgrade received it.

It’s not just user frustration you have to worry about either. Managing a staff that is running two versions causes pain for the company in other ways: compatibility issues, limited return on your Office 2007 investment and a semi-knowledgeable internal help desk.

Below is a sampling of the most common Office 2007 issues for end users.

All Apps:

1. Completing basic tasks such as opening and closing files, applying formats, printing and setting application options.

2. Inability to customize the ribbon and Office bar.

Excel:

1. Sorting and filtering data in a completely changed interface.

2. Applying conditional formats in a completely changed interface with many more choices.

Outlook:

1. Confusion due to partial implementation of the new interface and changes in the parts that resemble the 2003 interface.

2. The difference between opening and previewing attachments.

Word:

1. Formatting changes in documents both on conversion and in compatibility mode.

2. A thoroughly revamped mail merge feature.

PowerPoint:

1. Custom animations created in earlier versions not working properly.

2. Changes to the way templates, masters and slide layouts work.

The pain doesn’t need to be great, however. With a plan in place, you can cost-effectively finish your Office 2007 migration while minimizing the end user and help desk learning curves.♦

Stay tuned for part two, which will give you the information you need to get it done.

MORE INFO IN: Office 2007 Migration Case Study | Office 2007 Migration Assurance Program | Migration Readiness Checklist | Migration Competitive Analysis | Contact PC Helps

Not everyone knows what a mouse is, or what a gigabyte is, or how the Internet works.

To people who have used computers since the 1990s, this is an unnecessary dialogue. Doesn’t everyone know what a mouse is?

No, not everyone does. Nor does everyone know what a gigabyte is, or how the Internet works, or what a virus does, or the difference between Office 2003 and Office 2007. It’s called the digital divide, and it’s still an issue.

Granted, the digital divide really isn’t an issue in most office environments — you can expect your colleagues to have experience with computing and the Internet. But the fact that it still exists, even when computers are so inexpensive and ubiquitous, should remind us that we are not all at the same level, and it’s not always for lack of interest or aptitude.

I’m on this kick because I recently had the opportunity to spend a few hours with a half-dozen senior citizens teaching them basic computer skills*. We covered a range of topics, including search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo; e-mail, including attachments, replies, forwards and address books; and how to avoid being scammed.

While explaining e-mail, I mentioned in passing the utility of spam filters. Spam naturally led to mentions of phishing, malware, spyware and CAPTCHA programs. But I was way ahead of myself. I had to stop, back up. I realized they didn’t know what spam was. The challenge was explaining in a way that was jargon-free, and not condescending.

In a post I wrote last week, I talked about the importance of help desk staff knowing how to explain technical terms in plain language, and how such a skill can can encourage IT/business alignment.

Here’s what I think should be mandatory for all IT personnel: Spend a day or two teaching people who have never, ever used a computer. It would do wonders for IT/business alignment — plus give staff some much-needed perspective.

*I found the opportunity through the nonprofit Greater Philadelphia Cares, which uses volunteers for dozens of projects. For information, visit the organization’s web site (www.philacares.com).

MORE INFO IN: Desktop Application Support | Contact PC Helps