Authored by: The SingleStone CCM Team
OpenText Exstream is a comprehensive, integrated platform for enterprise CCM. But as with any other enterprise platform, it requires some on-going maintenance and support to keep it on point. Many firms have trouble with these functions.
One solution for those businesses that are struggling is to invest in a customized OpenText Exstream Training program for their team–ideally one that provides a solid theoretical grounding and robust real-world practice. However, it’s not easy to find an experienced OpenText Exstream Training provider to deliver up-to-date training on a limited client budget. Moreover, as people come and go, a regular training program becomes essential. However, this can be an expensive long-term proposition with no guarantees of a high return on investment (RoI).
That’s why the preferred solution for ongoing OpenText Exstream support and maintenance is to outsource these functions to a professional service provider like SingleStone.
Common Issues With OpenText Solutions
OpenText Exstream is a complex software program that requires some on-going maintenance and support. The best results come from having a team of professionals that know OpenText Exstream inside out to keep it running smoothly. Here are some common OpenText Exstream issues:
Learning Curve
OpenText solutions are complex and have many different tools and capabilities. This can lead to challenges when implementing the product, especially for those who are new to the program. For a new OpenText Exstream user, the learning curve is very steep. It takes time to set up an environment, configure the software, test it, and fix any problems.
All too often, companies don't have the staff or expertise needed to keep a system up and running smoothly. This can lead to downtime, service interruptions, and the risk of data loss. There’s no question that an experienced OpenText Exstream consultant can quickly resolve this issue and help you get up and running fast.
Integrations
There are many opportunities for different applications to interact with each other, and this increases the workload on OpenText Exstream administrators. Many organizations want the ability to pull data from a variety of different applications. Integrations and customizations can be time-consuming and require specific knowledge.
If you want a particular integration, but no one on your team can do it—or if they don’t have the time to do it—you might not be able to get it done. Experienced OpenText consultants can help you integrate effectively with other software solutions and to maximize the return on your OpenText investment.
Affordability
It can take a lot of time and resources to implement, maintain, and update the software program. The expenses associated with OpenText Exstream can add up quickly. Many firms struggle to afford the time and money that’s required to keep up. Having a team of experts can help reduce some of these costs and make your investment worthwhile.
Performance Consistency
OpenText Exstream is a complex software program that has many different tools and capabilities. This can lead to issues with performance consistency across the environment. For the best results, business processes need to be consistent.
It’s best to have a team of OpenText Exstream experts that knows the software inside and out. They can resolve many performance issues quickly and as they arise. This gives your users the best possible experience and ensures that you can depend on the program to perform properly for years to come.
Customization
There are many different ways for organizations to customize their OpenText Exstream environment, but this can lead to challenges. To keep things running smoothly, you'll likely need experienced consultants who know how to keep things going and can help you get the most out of your system.
One of the biggest challenges is that there are so many different capabilities, and many customers don’t have the time and resources to figure out what they need and how to use it effectively. Consulting can give you access to the expertise you need.
The Cost to Outsource OpenText Exstream Support and Maintenance
The cost to outsource OpenText Exstream ongoing support and maintenance can vary based on the complexity of your business processes and needs. The more complex the support and maintenance needs, the higher the cost to outsource the support lifecycle. The less complex your support and maintenance needs, the lower the costs.
It's important to discuss your requirements with the support and maintenance providers you're considering. OpenText support and maintenance providers can typically design a cost structure based on your needs.
4 Reasons to Outsource OpenText Exstream Support and Maintenance
Most organizations outsource support and maintenance for their OpenText Exstream instance for the following reasons:
1) Lack of Strong Expertise
It’s difficult to find qualified, full-time personnel to join and manage an in-house maintenance team. Those who are available may not be willing to work on the company’s limited salary/benefits budget. So the only options then are to a) hire inadequately-skilled professionals and ‘make do’, or b) outsource. The former is more trouble than it’s worth, especially if the company won’t–or can’t–invest in OpenText Exstream training for new staff, or if it relies on in-house training provided by existing staff members. If these skilled employees exit the business, the’ll take their knowledge and expertise with them, leaving the firm and its remaining staff stranded.
2) Higher Cost and Time Investment
In general, the cost and time investment of ‘locking in’ permanent staff can be substantial. This money and time can be better utilized on other more strategic, customer-oriented, revenue-generating activities. Rather than spending time and money on developing in-house resources that may not be needed permanently or continuously, organizations looking for the flexibility to utilize these services on an as-needed basis should outsource. When it comes to full knowledge of OpenText Exstream SingleStone’s professionals bring the right skills, experience and insights, plus up-to-date knowledge of the latest news and insights to help you overcome industry-specific challenges. These are all critical time- and cost-saving advantages when it comes to ongoing maintenance and support.
3) Limited Time Availability of Resources
An in-house team can only be available for a certain number of hours. Unless the organization has multiple teams working in different shifts to cover every user’s CCM needs (and challenges) 24/7, this limited time availability can be a serious drawback. An external agency may be able to provide more hours of support, depending on the contract. This can often be the difference between a CCM that’s working the way it’s supposed to and one that’s not.
4) Slow Response to Downtime and Slow Customer Communication
A prevailing belief among organizations is that downtime problems can be handled and resolved faster by in-house resources. However, this is only true if the in-house staff is experienced and skilled enough to do so. If the firm lacks such experienced personnel, outsourcing is a better option. In this case, problems related to downtime can be minimized by drawing up a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with a response time that’s acceptable to both the client and the provider.
If your organization has successfully implemented OpenText Exstream’s CCM solution, you’re already on the path to customer success. However, as your firm evolves to adapt to the changing business and regulatory landscape, you might find it troublesome (and costly) to maintain and support the solution. Talk to us if you’re currently facing any of the challenges explained in this article.
OpenText OpenText Implementation
Most companies will implement a particular OpenText Exstream solution and have it running smoothly after several months of work. But, as different people come and go from the organization, the system needs regular maintenance and care to keep it up and running as effectively as possible.
Your OpenText Exstream solution is only as good as the team that keeps it running. Without proper expertise, you’re going to have a difficult time keeping things going smoothly and maintaining effective results.