From Good to Exceptional—Go-Live Support

The go-live support segment is an established market where the vendors have fine-tuned best practices over the years. These service firms know what success looks like and can work toward those established goals.

Historically, the go-live support vendors score very high. The difference between the high performers and intermediate performers is very narrow. The Go-Live Support Segment Highlight 2020 report looks at what makes a firm good versus exceptional.

Who Can Be Strategic?

Providers look for strategic service firms that are willing to go above and beyond. One way firms do this is by properly vetting the résumés of the consultants before handing them over to the organization. While reviewing résumés, firms can look for specific skill sets or culture fits for the organization. This critical step reduces the number of replacements that may need to happen, allowing for the go-live to proceed smoothly.

We found a strong correlation between the quality of the staff and the providers’ perception of getting their money’s worth. The more consistent and high quality the staff members are, the more value the clients perceive they are receiving. While all firms can improve in their consistency of staff quality, The HCI Group and Nuance clients reported the most inconsistencies.

Another way firms can be strategic with their organizations is by finding creative ways to meet budget constraints. We have seen firms help save organizations money by implementing a staff roll out plan. The number of consultants is reduced as the weeks progress and as the consultants are no longer needed. We have also seen firms cut down on costs in other creative ways such as bussing in staff instead of using rental cars.  

Executive Relationships Are Key

Executive involvement is the best read on how service firms are managing the relationship with the provider organization. Many things influence how an organization may score a firm in this category. Providers want the firm’s executives to remain connected beyond the initial contracting. Providers seek an executive partner that works with them to understand the specific needs of their organization and to develop plans on how to meet those needs. Then it is important that the executive checks in during the duration of the project to see how things are progressing and to ensure that expectations are being exceeded. 

Providers’ relationships with firms also rely on the providers feeling that they work with someone who is empowered to help address and resolve problems. This partner could be an executive or not. While we see high scores for strong relationships across the board, we found that CSI Healthcare IT, Engage, and Medasource are three firms that particularly excel in this area of executive involvement.  

A Hybrid Approach

As with most markets, the impact of COVID-19 has forced firms to pivot and adjust for this new landscape. Instead of relying on a high volume of folks coming on-site, there may be a reliance on more technology like AI and automated testing for virtual go-lives. Though we have seen firms already approach go-lives with this hybrid approach, we anticipate firms trying to tackle this new frontier quickly and effectively.

To find out more about this market, check out the full report.

     Photo Credit: Adobe Stock, Monkey Business