Summary
Lots of legacy enterprise product suites are being re-platformed to become updated SaaS offerings and offer richer, responsive, device agnostic experiences. While the benefits of such initiatives are many for the business and their customers, it also comes wrought with many major challenges in strategy, technology, time to market and managing change and disruption for the existing customer base. This talk will present a case study and 10 learnings from a 4-year long re-platforming journey of UKG Ready, a HCM product suite. As we follow the journey, we will also learn from UX strategy and contributions at each stage.
Key Insights
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Re-platforming is a multi-layered process that can include re-hosting, re-architecture, and re-platforming.
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Successful re-platforming requires flexibility and adaptability in response to evolving business needs and objectives.
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It's vital to consider the entire ecosystem, including user personas and their unique challenges, during re-platforming.
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Engaging power users and understanding their needs is critical to avoid pitfalls in user adoption.
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Change management should be integral from the beginning of the product design process, not treated as an afterthought.
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Effective communication and alignment across cross-functional teams help mitigate customer resistance.
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Collecting feedback closer to the point of use helps identify and address user pain points better than relying solely on community forums.
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Understanding SaaS metrics and adopting strategies like feature tours can significantly improve user onboarding and adoption rates.
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Maintaining team morale during lengthy re-platforming projects is essential to sustaining productivity and motivation.
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Designers should prioritize user experience to remain focused on providing value despite the myriad of other considerations.
Notable Quotes
"Re-platforming is not just about the user experience, it's about technology, business, and market drivers."
"The journey is not necessarily a linear upward path but rather a circular one that involves continuous adjustments."
"Don't lose sight of the experience amidst other considerations like speed to market."
"It's important to distinguish real pain from initial resistance and not take immediate action based on loud voices."
"Change management should never be an afterthought; it should be woven into the re-platforming strategy."
"Managing resistance is crucial, as change can cause discomfort for users accustomed to legacy systems."
"Don't forget about your power users—they are the ones who can greatly influence successful adoption."
"Listening is key, but differentiate between initial resistance and genuine feedback to guide improvements."
"The ultimate goal is to help customers through the transitional roller coaster with empathy—this earns their loyalty."
"The re-platforming journey is deeply transformative for both the product and the teams involved."
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