If you’re not a decision maker in your organization, it can be difficult to convince management to invest in a change. This is especially true if your company has already made an investment in complex EPM or BI tools, like on-premises or cloud EPM products.
Implementing the software is half the battle; the other half is getting the proper support for maintaining your applications going forward. The reasons why are probably obvious to you — you can focus on more strategic work and your organization will get the best value out of these complex systems.
Whether or not your organization has an Oracle EPM admin, you can benefit from outsourcing Oracle EPM support for scheduled and unscheduled tasks. In this blog post, we’ll go over how to get your boss on board with Oracle EPM support services.
Quantify the Value
If you’re a finance professional, you’re probably all too familiar with the adage “numbers speak louder than words.” In business, this is especially true. The average salary of an Oracle EPM admin is close to $100,000, according to Glassdoor. Because the skillset to support Oracle EPM is so rare, organizations must offer admins competitive salaries.
Let’s say your organization does invest in hiring an admin. Do you have enough full-time work to justify the salary? When that employee goes on vacation or gets sick, your mission-critical systems can't be put on hold — who will help in their absence? How should you prepare for an Oracle EPM admin leaving, given that the average turnover is a short 12-18 months?
You want your Oracle EPM applications to be a solution to increase efficiency, not a system you have to worry about maintaining that will ultimately weigh you down. If you can show management an estimation of your savings, ROI, and a projection of increased efficiency — the better off you’ll be.
Actionable tip: Use our State of Hyperion Support Services Report for compelling stats, like how much customers have saved with support services.
Refer to Real Customer Experiences
If your organization is new to Oracle EPM support services or has worked with an inexperienced provider, your boss may have questions like "Can these applications be supported remotely?" or "Will a support services provider share our urgency when there's an issue?" If you anticipate and address these concerns before they come up, management will see that you've thought the business case through.
Fortunately, there are many companies out there that have had positive experiences with EPM support services. Using their stories will help paint a picture for your boss, showing them how other companies have benefitted and saved with support services.
Actionable tip: Download stories that align with your company in terms of challenges, industry, or products:
- Case Study: Retailer Cuts Costs While Improving Hyperion Performance
- Case Study: Oilfield Products Company Optimizes Hyperion Performance Remotely
- Case Study: Manufacturer Maintains Seamless Hyperion Support After Admin Leaves
- Video: How Williamson-Dickie Supports Hyperion Planning
Bring in an Expert
A lot of companies are resistant to change, which is why you can benefit from bringing in a Oracle EPM support expert to advocate for you. An outside expert can bolster your business case with examples from the field and customize a realistic plan for your organization.
Actionable tip: Request a 15-minute consultation with an Oracle EPM support services expert to save you time and effort in the long run.
Follow up
If your first meeting didn’t get management fired up about support services, don’t give up. If you don’t follow up, your boss may assume this was a low-priority idea or that you’ve changed your mind. Use your first meeting as a way to gauge your boss' interest and to understand what else they need to know to make a decision.
Actionable tip: Schedule time on your calendar to follow up and be prepared with a budget, timeline, and next steps. Following up will show that you’re committed to this solution and, ultimately, to increasing your organization’s productivity.
Need additional help getting the buy-in from your boss?
Download the toolkit...
