Have you ever run into a situation when the software prompts you to install an update right away, making you think, do I have to do this now or can it wait?  Then you think, it’s just an update, what could possibly go wrong?

Years ago I had this problem - I fell to the pressure of the Microsoft “UPGRADE” button.  Let us just say things went awry and after a few days of trying to “fix” my issue, which just resulted in more errors, the process accumulated in a final decision to format my system.  I then went into scramble mode as I had to save as much data that I could and pray I had backed up any other data I couldn't find.  Needless to say, this was a stressful time for me and those around me.

As we know, we now live in a fast-paced environment, especially when it comes to the software that we use to run our companies.  Everyone needs to be on the cutting edge, to have better and faster access to client data.  This trend to be on the cutting edge has caused people, in general, to skip the small precautions, that when done correctly could prevent long downtime's.  These downtime's could result in a monetary loss, from decreased profits and/or the extra expense incurred as man hours taken to resolve the issue, all of which could be prevented with a minimal amount of planning.

Having a plan in place is often overlooked since the process seems easy and no one anticipates that there would be a problem with an upgrade.  But during upgrades there are multiple things that could go wrong and without at least a simple plan in place, backing out of an update could cause some issues for your company.  With this in mind, I would like to go over a simple plan that a small business owner could use when upgrading their software.

The simple plan for a small business owner:

• Backup, Backup, Backup
  • We do not suggest just having a backup on your local system (or server) but to have an additional copy on a self-contained media (USB, cloud server, etc.).  As most professionals know, having multiple copies of a backup is good, especially if at least one of them is stored offsite or in a fireproof container (believe me, this has actually has aided a couple of clients that I have helped over the years.) 
    
    
• Ask questions before upgrading
  • Always check to see if your upgrade meets the new minimum system requirements for the software.
  • Do you have an immediate need for the software, for example a payroll that is due in the next couple of days, or a meeting that needs data from software?  If you answered yes to any of these, schedule the update after these deadlines have passed.
  • Find out if the software you are upgrading to is supported by the company.  Too many times clients update from an older version of the software to a newer but still old version that is not supported by the company.  As a result, if you run into problems there might be no support help for you.
  • Do you have to install the update on your PC, or on a server plus all other workstations?
  • Collect all the information you need (Contact numbers, admin login, etc.)  so you aren't  scrambling during the installation.
     
    • Sage 50 Canada/US example
      • You will need your Windows ADMIN login and password for the workstation & server where you are installing the software.
      • You will need the Admin / Sysadmin password for company file (a majority of upgrades require a data conversion).
      • Contact numbers: Support for software and your IT tech
        
        
• Install upgrade carefully
  • Before you start the upgrade, verify you have your backup (yes this is an important one), and all the documentation we discussed previously, handy.
  • Verify that everyone is logged out of the software before you run your update.
  • Have a rough timeline as to when you have to do the update (updates can, depending on software, take up to an average of 30 to 60 minutes).  This also includes conversion of a small business company file.
  • Know when to call for help, this is your judgement call.

 With a small amount of preparation, you can avoid headaches down the road.  After all what could possibly go wrong, right?