Information Technologies Systems are the backbone of all organizations today and they present avenues to improve productivity and process efficiencies. The CKC’s legacy APPX system (old CKC IT system) received increased demands over a 30-year time frame as the CKC modernized from a 100% paper-based to an IT-based organization.
The Failure of the Old System Failed its Members
Eventually, the legacy APPX system became frail and unsupportable and needed to be completely replaced.
Additionally, our members wanted modern self-serve capabilities and to have on-line access to their CKC records. This required a modern and highly complex IT system to replace the failing APPX system.
Due to complexity and production delays on the part of the IT vendor, the replacement system has taken longer to complete than originally planned. In addition, components of the legacy APPX system did fail, forcing the CKC to launch the new IT4YOU system prematurely.
This confluence of circumstance contributed to a massive backlog of registrations and show results, put undue pressures on the CKC staff, and understandably, resulted in a high degree of member dissatisfaction due to delays in processing service requests.
The New IT4YOU System Can Deliver Savings and Better Experience
The new system has the potential to reduce significant costs to the budget by reducing the amount of lease space. Read more here: Developing the Future Work Place.
In addition, with the organization less dependent on data entry tasks due to increased self-serve and on-line service efficiencies, CKC staff resources would be redeployed to more strategic tasks, delivering greater value to the organization, and greater focus on delivering enhanced member service.
Where We Are At Today
With the CKC staff continuing to reduce the backlog of registrations, and with members continuing to adopt the new IT4YOU system and the benefits of their on-line portals, member satisfaction is improving.
- We now have more functioning registration capabilities wherein members can complete registrations on-line.
- The registrations backlog has been significantly reduced and is expected to be back to normal levels over the coming several weeks.
- Confirmation Events are now complete and up to date
- Members can access their personal CKC portals to view all of their member records, registrations, and Conformation show results on-line, with access to features and capabilities not previously available to them.
What’s Next
The CKC has a defined plan to complete the remaining modules and to continue to enhance the IT4YOU system to deliver more features and to offer more benefits to the members over time. The CKC is well underway to complete the Shows and Trials modules of the new IT4YOU system. Performance Events well under development and other CKC events are in the queue for completion.
As the registration backlog reduces, CKC staff will become more accessible to respond to member requests in a timely manner, which will also contribute to member satisfaction.
In addition, the new system will reduce data entry tasks due to increased self-serve and on-line service efficiencies. This will allow CKC staff to focus more on delivering enhanced member service.
Risk Management
Any significant deviation to the plan would cause more delays and introduce additional risk and costs to the project. Members should look forward to more features and capabilities from the CKC that will be delivered as the IT4YOU system matures.
Our best course of action is to closely monitor progress against the commitment for completion and stabilization of the IT4YOU system.
It is my intention in running for re-election, to see the IT4YOU project through to its successful completion and stabilization, and to work with CKC members and CKC staff to create and develop new features that will benefit our members and deliver greater value to the organization as a whole.