Streamlining the Waiting Experience: How Queue Management Systems Improve Patient Flow

The hospitals, clinics, medical and health facilities have to deal with large footfall, overcrowded lobbies and waiting areas on regular bases. The patient often have to face long waiting time which makes them more frustrated and make it difficult for the staff to deliver a good experience. The poor queue management or queuing policy can lead to dissatisfaction and distrust which can severally harm your clinic, hospital or medical facility’s reputation. Furthermore it is important to consider that when patients are visiting any healthcare or medical facility, they are already in stressful condition, if you hospital or clinic is failed to deliver them a good experience they will get more stressed, that is why an efficient queue management system is needed. The patient experience mostly depends on how quickly they get served attended and then the next important thing is how the staff handle them. If you have crowded waiting areas and unhappy patients, the staff will have a lot more work to do, which will definitely hinder their performance. Altogether these all factors will harm the patient experience and will add to their dissatisfaction which is very bad for your reputation. In this blog we will sum up how an effective queue management system can streamline the patient flow at hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and healthcare facilities.

Streamlining the Waiting Experience: How Queue Management Systems Improve Patient Flow
Streamlining the Waiting Experience: How Queue Management Systems Improve Patient Flow

See Also: 3 dimensions of Queue Management System for Hospitals

How Patient Queue Management System is Different from other Queuing Systems?

The queue management system is a very complex tool and it is built on a highly smart AI-based algorithms, this complexity allow it to effectively implement a business or organization’s queuing policy. Now if we talk about an ordinary queue management system it is used to facilitate multiple customer routes, include a variety of different services and sets of priorities, etc. When it comes to the patient queue management system the important thing to understand is that the patient who are visiting hospitals, clinics, medical facilities or healthcare establishments are mostly anxious, stressed and in sometime could be in pain. This demands all healthcare facilities including hospitals, clinics and testing facilities to ensure all patients receive adequate service based on their condition too and also as quickly as possible. No one wants to wait in long queues at hospitals, clinics or healthcare facilities, neither patient nor their families, everyone wants to get the treatment or service as quickly as possible. Therefore the waiting time is the most crucial factor in queuing management which can only be minimized when the patient flow is streamlined and the entire system works with highest level of efficiency and efficacy. This is what makes patient queue management system slightly different from regular queue management systems.

See Also: What are the Different Types of Queue Management System?

How Patient Queue Management System is Different from other Queuing Systems?
How Patient Queue Management System is Different from other Queuing Systems?

What are the Important Features of a Patient Queue Management System?

Businesses and organizations operating in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and other cities of UAE are using a variety of different queue management system depending on their needs and industry standards. However, for the healthcare sector the queue management system should include most modern features which can help them to improve patient flow, their journey and also the performance of the staff to ensure a better patient experience. Usually hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities doesn’t implement a customized queue management system which is exclusively designed for the healthcare industry.

See Also: Queue Management System Features you Need for Modern Queuing

Virtual Queuing Features and Remote Channels

The inclusion of virtual queuing and remote channels is one of the most important feature for the patient queue management system. The virtual queuing is a modern form of queuing which enables the patients to remotely sign-up for the queues even if they are not at the facility. The patient queue management system integrates remote channels such as mobile apps, online web portals, SMS, WhatsApp, etc. This allow the patient to sign-up even prior to arriving to the hospital or clinic or any healthcare facility. Furthermore the queue management system can also allow the patients to view the current queuing status and the system can also share live updates with estimated queue time. All these features help patients to plan their visit and also minimize the wait time. Since the patient have full view and live coverage of the ongoing queues, they can easily plan their visit and arrive only when their turn comes. This feature can literally minimize the waiting time to none and help improving the patient experience. The queue management system mobile apps and online portals can greatly enhance patient experience and help reducing the workload of the staff by preventing crowd formation and empowering them with additional administrative control.

See Also: What Is Virtual Queuing? A Guide to Virtual Queues

Patient Queue Management System: Virtual Queuing
Patient Queue Management System: Virtual Queuing

Third-party System Integration

The patient queue management system is not limited to virtual queuing and appointment booking tools, but it can also be integrated with patient data and other third-party systems using secure web services or APIs. The integration help offering a personalized patient experience. The patient queue management system can analyze the patient history and provide them most suitable time for their appointment, it can also give suggestions to patients about available or alternate doctors or even the schedule as per their needs which makes it easier for patient to choose the most convenient time for their visit. If the patient are at the hospital, clinic or testing facility, the patient queue management system can provide them the accurate wait time for their particular service based on the previous data and current queuing stats. The patient queue management system can be integrated with mobile apps, appointment booking portals, and internal management system which allows it to provide the real-time updates about any change in schedule and help patient book the right time for their visit. Based on patient’s history and current service request the patient queue management system can automatically set the priority level for the patient and put them on the right queue. All these features not only enhance patient experience, but also help reducing wait time and improve overall patient flow.

See Also: Must have features of Queue Management System

Patient Queue Management System: Third-party System Integration
Patient Queue Management System: Third-party System Integration

Announcements and Notification Center

When a patient sign-up for the queue either using virtual queuing or on-premises ticket dispensing interactive kiosks, they patient queue management system should be able to send them alerts and important queuing information. If the patient are signing up remotely or booking an appointment, the patient queue management system should provide continuous alerts and notifications. These alerts and notifications can be sent across multiple channels, for example, the queue management system mobile app can have push-notifications and in-app alerts along with live queuing information and update to keep patient informed. There should be alerts after short intervals to ensure the patient didn’t get late or miss out their turn. When the patient are at the hospital, clinic, or medical facility there should be large digital signage displays with live queuing information displayed on them. Furthermore the audio announcement system and patient calling should be provided. Along with that the SMS alerts can be very helpful, because in such situations people tend to spend time on their mobile phones, so the SMS can quickly alert them. Furthermore since the patient queue management system is integrated with central information center and any other relevant third-party system, it can identify if any change is made in schedule or any delay is expected, and automatic alerts can be configured to update the patients about these changes.

See Also: Manage Patient Appointment and Journey with Queue Management System

Patient Queue Management System: Announcements and Notification Center
Patient Queue Management System: Announcements and Notification Center

Data Collection and Reporting

The patient queue management system software can collect a wide range of business intelligence data from as simple as number of patient to AI driven deep insights, based on your requirements. As a patient queue management system is also a digital system so it can collect data from each and every touch point of the customer journey. This data can help hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities to improve their patient journey, highlight the areas of improvements and monitor performance. Since the patient queue management system offers multiple channels hence the data can also be collected from and integrated channels. However, the important thing is that the system should be able to collect valuable and accurate data which can be later analyzed and converted into actionable reports which can guide management in making informed decisions. The patient queue management system also offers in-built analytical tools which can further enhance the reporting and help management produce customized reports as per their needs and share different data types with different decision makers and stakeholders. The patient queue management system can also collect patient feedback. Multiple channels can be utilized to collect patient feedback such as on-premises tablets/kiosks, mobile apps, online portals, etc. The patient feedback is very important and can help management further improve their services and processes to align them with the patient needs.

See Also: 6 Benefits of using Queuing System in Hospitals

Patient Queue Management System: Data Collection and Reporting
Patient Queue Management System: Data Collection and Reporting

Conclusion

Patient and their families coming to hospitals, clinics, laboratories and other medical facilities are already anxious and at an un-easy position, which means they want to get the treatment or service a quickly as possible. In such situation waiting in long queues or in crowded waiting areas can further deteriorate their experience. That is why healthcare sector is rapidly adopting and implementing modern queue management systems to enhance patient experience and to drive performance. When it comes to a patient queue management system there are tons of different queue management systems available in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and other parts of UAE. This can be very frustrated for the management or decision maker, therefore we have enlisted the important features and aspects of an effective patient queue management system in this blog. A good patient queue management system is exclusively designed for the healthcare sector to cater to their unique business needs. A patient queue management system can greatly minimize average patient wait time by improving patient flow and automating several processes. If you want to learn more about the subject or if you want our help to design and implement a customized queue management system for your healthcare facility, please feel free to contact us through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.

See Also: What is Queue Management? Beginner’s Guide to Queuing Systems

Badr Al Samaa Group (Oman) Acquired RSI Queue Management System

Badr Al Samaa Group (Oman) Acquired RSI Queue Management System
Badr Al Samaa Group (Oman) Acquired RSI Queue Management System

The Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals and Medical Centers is a well-known, well-reputed, and one of the largest medical and healthcare facilities in Oman, with a strong presence in several other countries as well. The Badr Al Samaa Group has more than 20 centers, 400 highly qualified and experienced doctors, and an army of nurses and support staff to ensure that patients receive extraordinary care and an exceptional experience during their visit to any facility of the Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals and Medical Centers. The Badr Al Samaa Group has deployed some of the most modern and technologically advanced equipment at all facilities to ensure that patients receive the highest level of healthcare. The Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals and Medical Centers started as a polyclinic in 2002 but has gained huge popularity and built a strong reputation across the GCC due to its extraordinary quality and standards in diagnostic, curative, and preventive medical care. Technology plays an important role in achieving success, which is why the Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals and Medical Centers is always proactively seeking modern solutions and technologies to improve existing workflows, processes, and patient experience. Therefore, the management recently decided to implement a brand-new patient queue management system at their facility to improve operations and streamline patient flow.

Patient flow and quicker service delivery play a crucial role in patient experience. Most patients coming to healthcare facilities are already anxious, worried, sometimes stressed, and even in pain. To comfort patients with different needs, any healthcare facility requires a highly efficient patient queue management system. A patient queue management system not only improves patient experience but also helps to drive efficiency and elevate staff performance. The Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals and Medical Centers shortlisted top queue management system providers and finally awarded the project to RSI Concepts. Our technologically superior queue management system and track record helped us win this project. The goal of the project was to implement a highly advanced patient queue management system to help the management gain better insights into patient journeys and aid administrative staff in improving their productivity and performance.

Our patient queue management system is exclusively optimized for modern healthcare and medical facilities, with a proven track record of successful implementation in many GCC countries. In recent years, we have implemented our system in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and several other GCC cities, which has helped us to further refine and update it. The system we have deployed at the Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals and Medical Centers is equipped with smart software, digital signage, counter display units, interactive ticket dispensing units, and advanced audio announcement and customer calling features. The customer calling and announcement system is multilingual, and the system is also equipped with an advanced reporting module that can collect valuable business intelligence data and produce customized reports, further empowering the management and helping them to utilize the insights in decision-making processes.

Here are the remarks of our Senior Project Manager, Mr. Shehzad Asghar, who is the master architect of our queue management system and he also led the team that deployed our modern patient queue management system at Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals and Medical Centers:

“It was one of my best experiences working with the Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals and Medical Centers team. Both the management and teams are highly professional and super cooperative. Their cooperation helped us a lot in delivering the complete project on a slightly tight timeline. The initial response and user acceptance testing (UAT) were excellent, and the Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals and Medical Centers team admired and appreciated the features of our advanced patient queue management system. We will keep working hard to improve our services and solutions, and we look forward to extending our collaboration with the Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals and Medical Centers.”

Collaborating with Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals and Medical Centers, Oman’s foremost healthcare service provider, has been an absolute delight. Our commitment to each project is to tailor our services to meet the unique and very specific needs of our clients, ensuring that their requirements are not only met but exceeded.

Why Off-the-Shelf Solutions Fall Short: Advantages of Custom Software Development

The customer demands are rising, the competition is getting tougher day by day. Businesses are seeking tools and ways to gain competitive advantage to stay relevant in the market. UAE in particular is a highly advanced nation, with almost 99% of the population having access to internet. Businesses operating in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and other parts of UAE are well-aware of the importance of the digital experience. Whether it is your customers or employees, the digital interaction and platforms are dominating the modern day business landscape. Businesses wants to grow continuously and they want to optimize their operations and expenses to maximize the performance. High performing businesses not only grow rapidly but also achieve higher profitability. With the rise of technology the software have become an essential part of a business’s day-to-day operations. It is hard to comprehend if a business can survive on manual paperwork and management practices in this modern day and age. Typically any business tool or a software requires updates or upgrades after a few years, in some cases some software applications are entirely replaced with new more robust and innovative solutions. This is an ongoing ordeal, businesses regularly have to face situations where they need a new software application.

See Also: Custom Software Development Trends

Why Off-the-Shelf Solutions Fall Short Advantages of Custom Software Development?
Why Off-the-Shelf Solutions Fall Short Advantages of Custom Software Development?

What is the Difference between Custom Software and Commercial Off-the-Shelf Software (COTS)?

When a business needs a new software they have two options, either they chose a ready-made commercial off-the-shelf solution or they get a custom software exclusively developed for their business needs. The custom software are the software that are developed for a particular user group or for a particular business, these tools and apps are developed to meet the design and functionality requirements of the business. However, the COTS or commercial off-the-shelf software are designed for a broader user-base, typically these software are general purpose or designed for a specific industry only. This is why when it comes to aligning the business needs with the features of the COTS, the ideal scenario is to choose a software that matches your 80% of the needs. The COTS can be purchased as a one-time charge or on a subscription based plan. The off-the-shelf software have comparatively less initial cost, and they are can easily deployed. A business can have a commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS) solution running within a day or two. However the custom software solutions are difficult to build, require research, have longer development time and could require months to test and deploy for the end-users.

See Also: Why the Custom Software Development is Good for Your Business?

What is the Difference between Custom Software and Commercial Off-the-Shelf Software (COTS)?
What is the Difference between Custom Software and Commercial Off-the-Shelf Software (COTS)?

What are the Advantages of Customer Software Development?

Now the question arises why the custom software development is gaining popularity and why businesses are preferring bespoke solutions over the commercial off-the-shelf solutions? Here are the key advantages of the custom software development which make them superior from off-the-shelf solutions.

Advantages of Customer Software: Unlimited Customization

One of the biggest advantage of a custom software development is that it offers unlimited customization. The COTS offer limited functionalities and in some cases there are different packages and plans with a different set of functionalities. Sometimes for just one or two additional functionalities a business might have to purchase a higher tier which also comes with a lot many other features which are not required or never utilized, but still the business will have to pay for them. The custom software development on the other hand is very flexible and offers unlimited customization, a business can have any features they want and as many features they need. There is no limit or restriction with custom software development, which enables businesses to build innovative features and align their software applications with their needs. The entire solution is built around the very specific business needs and requirements. Hence there is no gape left and the business can leverage the full potential of their software application. Adding a new features, or customizing an existing feature is not a problem at all. Businesses have full control over customization and they can also make the GUI aligned with their needs which also increase effectiveness and performance of the custom software.

See Also: Why custom software is more cost efficient in UAE?

One of the biggest advantage of a custom software development is that it offers unlimited customization.
One of the biggest advantage of a custom software development is that it offers unlimited customization.

Advantages of Customer Software: Flexible Upgrade and Scalability

The commercial off-the-shelf solutions are owned by the vendor or service provider, they only update them when they want. If your business grows and you needs increases you will either have to pay additional cost for scaling your software up or in some cases you might have to switch to an entirely different solution. This could be very expensive and problematic. However, the custom software development offers a great advantage, the entire software is built exclusively for your business hence you are the one who owns it, the entire software, and source code belongs to you. So, a business can have full control over it, they can customize it, scale it up, expand features, and upgrade the software whenever they need or want. You don’t have to bear hefty fees or you don’t have to switch to entirely different solutions in order to meet the increasing demands. The COTS are designed for a large user-base and they are designed as per industry standards, hence unless there is a large demand from most of their customers, they usually don’t make huge changes in their software. That is why sometimes when businesses are growing their needs are expanding and they need certain features they will have to migrate to entirely new software. Which is very time and effort consuming and also have huge cost.

See Also: How to Choose the Right Software Development Vendor for Your Business

The commercial off-the-shelf solutions are owned by the vendor or service provider, they only update them when they want.
The commercial off-the-shelf solutions are owned by the vendor or service provider, they only update them when they want.

Advantages of Customer Software: Easy Integration

One of the biggest challenge in implementing any new software application is the integration. The modern businesses rely on a highly integrated IT infrastructure and digital eco-system where information and data can flow seamlessly and made available for all users when then need it. The integration allow different software applications to communicate with each other in real-time and ensure all the users have the information they need and whenever they need. This is why the integration is usually one of the most crucial aspect of software development. When a business goes for a commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS) solution the integration options are always limited. This is why businesses sometime have to migrate and synch data manually which slow down several internal processes and it can interrupt various work-flows. However, with the custom software development the entire source code is in your control, you can mold it in any way you want and you can customize it to align with your integration needs. The capability of easy integration makes custom software far more superior than the COTS. Furthermore businesses can also customize their software whenever they are adding a new tool or software to their digital eco system which increase the compatibility and lifecycle of your custom software application.

See Also: How to Develop a Custom Software in Dubai?

One of the biggest challenge in implementing any new software application is the integration.
One of the biggest challenge in implementing any new software application is the integration.

Advantages of Customer Software: Data Privacy and Security

In today’s modern world the data privacy and security is one of the most important aspect of any software application. Any data leak could completely destroy a business, and we have witnessed huge enterprises falling and bankrupting after serious data breaches. From the customer standpoint if a business is unable to secure their data and is vulnerable to security breaches, they will immediately lose trust. Which could be devastating for your business growth and even it could jeopardize your business’s survival as well. When we think about the commercial off-the-shelf software solutions, we know that these solutions are offered by large and multinational service providers, who have top-notch security experts and tools at their disposal. However, the history has proven this wrong, we have witnessed mega security breaches and attacks on large enterprises in past. This is not due to negligence or any wrong doing at their end, usually the biggest reason of such breaches is that these large software are available for masses all over the world, which somewhat exposes their structure and make them more vulnerable. However, the level of exclusivity offered by custom software makes them unique, which means no one outside your team will have access to the important sections of your software. Above all your data will be stored with you and will not be hosted on a remote server which might be located on the other side of the world. This is what makes custom software more secure and offer higher levels of data privacy and protection.

See Also: Common Mistakes to Avoid in Custom Software Development Projects

In today’s modern world the data privacy and security is one of the most important aspect of any software application.
In today’s modern world the data privacy and security is one of the most important aspect of any software application.

Conclusion

Software are an essential part of modern day business operations. No matter which industry you belongs to or what is your business model, you must be using some kind of software applications to boost efficiency and productivity. Even the Microsoft Office we used on daily bases is a commercial off-the-shelf solution. The modern day businesses need to be proactive in order to meet the rapidly changing markets and ever-increasing customer needs. For that businesses needs a lot of different software applications and digital solutions. With the passage of time the businesses grow, hence they need highly scalable solutions to support their growth. Furthermore every business have different needs, different preferences and unique culture which requires unique solutions. When a business decides to implement a new software, they have two routes either they can chose a commercial off-the-shelf software solution or commonly known as COTS, or the business can acquire the services of a software development agency in Dubai, and go for the custom software development project. The custom software development offers many advantages such as the software is fully aligned with the business needs, it is exclusively built for the business keeping the user-preferences in mind, and furthermore the custom software offers flexible integration, scalability and unlimited customization which makes them ideal for the modern businesses.

In this blog we have discussed a few advantages of the custom software development and why the off-the-shelf solutions fall short on certain aspects. If you want to learn more about the subject or if you want our help to build a custom software application for your business, please feel free to contact us through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.

See Also: Guide to Custom Software Development

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Custom Software Development Projects

The modern businesses are highly tech-driven and rely on multiple technological tools and software programs. A modern business operating system can consists of 10s of different software programs. That is not all the technology moves on a very fast pace, the techs which are considered top-notch today might go obsolete in just 3 or 4 years. This means a constant demand for technology and software. Furthermore a common consumer in UAE is very tech-savvy. Above all, businesses operating in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi or any other part of UAE know that the UAE is one of the most competitive market in the region. This is what compels businesses to build excellent customer experience, highly productive organizational culture and cost-efficient operation. The modern technologies and software applications help the management to improve performance. Businesses can greatly improve their performance and growth by implementing right software solutions. The technology not only help improving the work-flows and internal processes but a right software solution can greatly help you enhance customer experience and gain higher customer satisfaction, which is a key to long term success.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Custom Software Development Projects
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Custom Software Development Projects

On an average a business might look up to replace or upgrade an existing software application after just 3 to 4 years of time. The upgrades and updates are a constant process, businesses regularly keep updating their software ecosystem by simply tweaking existing tools or adding new software apps. There are different types of tools that are most common for all types and sizes of businesses:

  1. ERP – Enterprise Resource Planning Software
  2. CRM- Customer Relationship Management Software
  3. Inventory Management Software
  4. Communication Management Software
  5. Asset Management Software
  6. Social Media Management Tools
  7. Accounting Software
  8. Production and Operation Management Software

See Also: Which Software Development Trends Yield Success in 2023?

These software tools and countless like these are used by millions of businesses all around the world to drive efficiency and productivity in the day-to-day operations. When it comes to implement a software solution, there are two ways to do so. One is to acquire a commercial off-the-shelf software or the other is to go for a custom software development project. The biggest problem with the commercial off-the-shelf software or COTS is that they are designed as per industry standards which means most of your competitors will be using them, above all the COTS never fulfill 100% of your needs. Mostly businesses have to compromise on the features they can get, the cost and many other factors. However, the custom software development allow businesses to find a 100% solution of their unique and very specific needs without compromising on anything. That is what made custom software development so popular. In this blog we will discuss the common mistakes that every business can easily avoid in their custom software development projects to maximize the impact and ROI of their software application.

These software tools are used by millions of businesses all around the world to drive efficiency and productivity in the day-to-day operations.
These software tools are used by millions of businesses all around the world to drive efficiency and productivity in the day-to-day operations.

See Also: Why the Custom Software Development is Good for Your Business?

What are the Common Mistakes to Avoid in a Custom Software Development Project?

Although the commercial off-the-shelf software doesn’t always fulfill your all business needs, but these tools can be deployed very quickly, in fact most of the times the vendor can make them up and running within a day or two after acquiring them. However, the custom software development is a long process, it requires a lot of research, sufficient knowledge of technology stack and frameworks your software will be based upon and a lot of time to develop, test, and deploy them. That is a lengthy process and most of the times businesses can make a lot of mistakes which not only prolong the development process, but it also increase the cost and sometimes those mistakes can greatly undermine the performance and efficacy of your custom software application. Here are some most common mistakes that business can easily avoid in their customer software development project:

  1. Poor or Incomplete Project Plan
  2. Misinterpretation of Requirements or SOW Document
  3. Lack of Knowledge of the Required Resources
  4. Strict Deadlines and Rushing for Completion
  5. Sub-Standard Project Management Practices
  6. Poor Communication and Lack of Documentation
  7. Lack of Feedback or Ignoring the Feedback
  8. Lack of Testing Framework

See Also: Why custom software is more cost efficient in UAE?

Custom Software Development Mistakes: Poor or Incomplete Project Plan

Most of the time when it comes to custom software development projects, the biggest reason to failure is the incomplete planning. A custom software development is a lengthy and complicated process, each and every step has to be planned thoroughly in order to stay on track. A proper plan ensures the final product is delivered as per the expectations and in timely manner.

Poor or Incomplete Project Plan
Poor or Incomplete Project Plan

Custom Software Development Mistakes: Misinterpretation of Requirements or SOW Document

For every custom software development project the requirement document which is also known as the SOW or the Scope of the Work document is very crucial. It serves as the road map for the complicated applications and ensures all features are designed as per the expectations. Poor choice of words, lack of technical details and generic language in this document can cause serious problems at later stages.

Misinterpretation of Requirements or SOW Document
Misinterpretation of Requirements or SOW Document

Custom Software Development Mistakes: Lack of Knowledge of the Required Resources

It is software development agency or team who is majorly responsible for the research but most of the time the software development team doesn’t spend enough time on researching for resources rather they hurry to start the development phase as quickly as possible. It is extremely important that businesses have some basic understanding and knowledge of the resources, tech stack and frameworks to be able to ensure the development team is choosing the best tools for your custom software development project.

Lack of Knowledge of the Required Resources
Lack of Knowledge of the Required Resources

See Also: Modern Trends in Custom Software Development

Custom Software Development Mistakes: Strict Deadlines and Rushing for Completion

This is one of the most common mistake businesses made by pushing the development teams to meet all the deadlines, and rush for the completion and delivery of the project. However, this could seriously undermine the quality and efficiency of the product. It is important that you prioritize the deadlines, but leave some space to accommodate delays to let the project complete in the most natural way possible. When the team will work comfortably they are most likely to deliver outstanding quality.

Strict Deadlines and Rushing for Completion
Strict Deadlines and Rushing for Completion

Custom Software Development Mistakes: Sub-Standard Project Management Practices

There are two most common reasons for poor project management for a custom software development project. First is that usually the development teams doesn’t include the project manager or coordinator in all communications, and the second is that the project managers from the business also doesn’t want to involve in such communication, this can undermine their visibility on the development process.

Sub-Standard Project Management Practices
Sub-Standard Project Management Practices

See Also: Step-by-Step Guide to Custom Software Development

Custom Software Development Mistakes: Poor Communication and Lack of Documentation

The communication is said to be the backbone for the any successful software application. Most of the time there is not proper communication between the development team vendor’s and business’s project managers which seriously undermines the progress and also cause problems disputes and disagreements at the end of the project. Hence a proper communication framework and documentation at each and every stage has to be done to make the project execution smooth and aligned with your business vision.

Poor Communication and Lack of Documentation
Poor Communication and Lack of Documentation

Custom Software Development Mistakes: Lack of Feedback or Ignoring the Feedback

Most of the time both businesses and the development teams doesn’t pay much attention on the importance of feedback and incorporating it in the project. The custom software development project consists of multiple stages, at each stage the developers must take feedback and the business must provide detailed feedback to refine the product and to rectify the problems. This will keep your custom software aligned with your needs and it is much better than doing it afterwards or at the end.

Lack of Feedback or Ignoring the Feedback
Lack of Feedback or Ignoring the Feedback

Custom Software Development Mistakes: Lack of Testing Framework

The testing phase is the most crucial for any software application. Keep it in mind that later on the users of the software would be your employees or your customers and a bad user experience will directly impact your business. Furthermore the security and technical testing is also crucial as it may handle sensitive data. Most of the time businesses doesn’t have a proper testing framework, and by framework I mean, a proper plan for who will participate in UAT, who will use the beta version, how the feedback will be gathered and how it will be utilized to improve your customized software? All these things should be planned thoroughly to ensure the supreme quality of your customer software development project.

Lack of Testing Framework
Lack of Testing Framework

See Also: How to Choose the Right Software Development Vendor for Your Business?

Conclusion

The UAE is considered to be technologically much advanced than any other nation in the region. This is due to the government efforts, tech-savvy population, technology-oriented work culture, and highly competitive markets. Businesses are on a constant need to improve their operations, processes, customer services, products and communication. That is not all, the performance and productivity is a key to a sustainable long-term success. A business does need improvements but at the same time it also needs to minimize it operational cost or to optimize the overall expenses. This is what can only be achieved with the right technology and tools in your arsenal. The software plays a crucial role in any modern-day business’s success. Businesses of all types and sizes use multiple software and application to perform their day-to-day tasks and to effectively run their operations. This means that businesses need up-to-the mark software and tools in order to effectively operate. When it comes to the software, there are two major routes a business can take, one is simply acquiring a ready-made commercial off-the-shelf software solution or you can have a custom software development project which can help you build solution for your very specific and unique business needs.

The custom software solutions are great at full filling the needs of the business and they can also provide a great competitive advantage due to their exclusivity. If we consider the long-term ROI the custom software solutions are proven to be much more cost-efficient than the ready-made software tools. However, designing and developing a custom software solutions is not as that simple, a business needs to team up with a professional custom software development company in Dubai, or anywhere in UAE and they need to have adequate understand of the process in order to develop a high-quality product. In this blog we have listed the most common mistakes businesses made during their custom software development projects. Avoiding these common mistakes will enable you to develop a high-performing and reliable tailor-made software for your business needs. If you want to learn more about the subject or if you need our help to take care of your custom software development project. Please feel free to contact us through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.

See Also: How to Develop a Custom Software in Dubai?

Building a Successful Email Marketing Funnel with Email Marketing System

Businesses in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and all across UAE have witnessed huge rise in conversion by implementing successful email marketing funnels with advanced email marketing system. There is a common misconception about the email marketing and email marketing systems, that there is a universal or standard framework which every business can follow to get the desired results. However, that mindset is the biggest cause of failure of email marketing strategies. According to several global studies, the CTR (click through rate), Open Rate and the conversion are consistently increasing since past 5 years. Here it is also important to understand that not all emails are intended to make a sale, most of the email that businesses send to their customers are to build and nurture relationships or for communication. When we talk specifically about the email marketing, it is considered the most cost-efficient marketing channel with almost $40 USD generated against every $1 USD spent on email marketing. That is staggering, but for different industries the benchmarks are different. Furthermore each business have a different personality, a different audience and a completely different preferences and goals. That is why an email marketing system is essential for managing building modern email marketing funnels.

Building a Successful Email Marketing Funnel with Email Marketing System
Building a Successful Email Marketing Funnel with Email Marketing System

What is an Email Marketing Funnel?

The email marketing funnel is basically an email campaign consists of a series of different emails designed specifically to mature a lead into conversion by nurturing it and communication the right message according to the targeted audience throughout the entire customer journey. In fact it is a tactics to effectively manage customer journey. The funnels are designed not only to convert but to retain and make them loyal customers. That is why it is a long-term strategy consisting of following stages:

  1. Brand Awareness – Present your products/services and the value you offer
  2. Consideration/Engagement – Identify the problems and position your products/services as the right solution
  3. Conversion – Nurturing relationship and facilitating onboarding
  4. Loyalty – Ensuring your customers are satisfied with your brand
  5. Retention/Advocacy – Strengthen relationship, make improvements, offer new solutions

The email marketing funnel is not a standard framework with a set of rules and standard practices. It is in fact different from each business, based on the targeted audience, business type, and even brand personality, the email marketing funnel could be built to maximize the outcome. Every business need to set their goals and acquire insight to understand their targeted audience before setting up their email marketing funnel. Furthermore there is always a room for the improvements. That is why an exclusive email marketing system is essential for designing a successful email marketing funnel. The email marketing system will help businesses quickly set up and execute their campaigns, it also help automating several repetitive tasks and can automatically handle different audience segments. The email marketing system is a great tool to quickly tweak and fine-tune your email marketing funnel to maximize the results.

What is an Email Marketing Funnel?
What is an Email Marketing Funnel?

How to Build a Successful Email Marketing Funnel with Email Marketing System?

The email marketing funnels can be built easily with an effective email marketing system. The email marketing software help businesses to easily laydown and execute their plans and derive strategies which returns maximum ROI. Furthermore the email marketing systems are based on a powerful software which can be integrated with various internal systems and process. The integration allow management to easily execute their strategies and measure the effects. Without a proper email marketing system it is extremely difficult to build an effective email marketing funnel. Here are a few simple steps to build a successful email marketing funnel while using an effective email marketing software:

Email Marketing Funnel: Research and Planning

For any successful strategy the planning is a must, and for planning you need proper research. For email marketing funnel the very first step is acquiring insights, doing research and understanding your needs. The research and planning should include:

  • Acquiring Insight: Starting with acquiring insight, gathering data and understanding customer needs and expectations. It is important to build a comprehensive record of changing customer preferences over the time and then plan your communication accordingly.
  • Customer Segmentation: You cannot simply send a single email to all of your customers. You should segment them on the bases of their demographics, product/service preferences and also geographical data. Segmentation will help you catering to the needs of your targeted audience.
  • Customer Journey Mapping: The customer journey mapping is extremely important. Usually businesses doesn’t pay much attention on building customer journey maps. The customer journey map is simply a visual and simplified representation of the steps that your customers had to take form the very first interaction or brand awareness stage to converting into a sale. Different customer segments usually have different needs and also take different route to convert.
  • Building Email Lists: For any successful email marketing campaign the absolute essential is the right email list. Every business should build an email list. For that you can build opt-in forms, subscription forms, and lead capturing forms. This will help you with segmentation too.
  • Setting up Goals: It is extremely important that your goals align with the high-level organizational goals and objectives. If your goal is to generate more sales your emails should communicate the value proposition, if you want to build loyalty, your email marketing funnel should be able to engage with customers to increase their satisfaction and gain trust.

Building a successful email marketing funnel requires targeting different customer segments and catering them a variety of different products, services and communication materials as per their needs. Which is only possible if you have an effective email marketing system in place.

How to Build a Successful Email Marketing Funnel with Email Marketing System?
How to Build a Successful Email Marketing Funnel with Email Marketing System?

Email Marketing Funnel: Chose the Right Email Marketing Tool

The success of any email marketing funnel depends on how you target the audience, what message you send to them and the right message at the right time is the key to success. This is nearly impossible without using a fully or semi-automated email marketing system. When it comes to email marketing tools there are tons of options available in UAE. Businesses often rely on cloud based services as well, however, there are several factors that you should consider while choosing a right email marketing tool for your business. It is extremely important that you use a very effective email marketing tool to build you email marketing funnel. Here are the most important factors that you should consider while choosing a right email marketing tool for your marketing funnel:

  • Features
  • Price (Initial and Operational Cost)
  • Integration
  • Customization
  • Security and Privacy

When it comes to the features of an email marketing tool, the most important features are the tools to create the email template and the automation tools. Usually all email marketing systems comes with two basic content creation tools, a text editor, and an HTML customizer. Some email marketing tools also comes with a drag-and-drop type content customizer. It all depends on your needs, the HTML editor is the most preferred and commonly used template creation tool.

The success of any email marketing funnel depends on how you target the audience
The success of any email marketing funnel depends on how you target the audience

The integration is one of the most important features, which could have different challenges with different off-the-shelf email marketing tools. The integration helps automating the email campaigns. For example if you are planning to send post-sale emails with follow up surveys or any content, you can integrate your email marketing system with your ERP, or customer database and sales management system which will send a trigger when a new sales is made and the email marketing tool will automatically sends a pre-set email template to the customer. You can personalize emails for customers and automate the entire funnel, you can send occasional greetings, newsletters and follow up emails, automatically. The customization is another important factor which allow you to keep up with the market trends and enables you to adopt to new practices and add features that suits your needs down the road. Most of the off-the-shelf solutions doesn’t allow any customization and the ones who allow it, offer very little and very expensive customization. If you are using a third-party email marketing tool or a cloud-based solution your data and content is hosted with service provider, you will have limited control and authority over it.

The integration is one of the most important features, which could have different challenges with different off-the-shelf email marketing tools
The integration is one of the most important features, which could have different challenges with different off-the-shelf email marketing tools

However, if you are using a customized email marketing system you can avoid all these problems, you can customize is as per you needs, you don’t have to pay hefty fees for upgrades or customization. You are not bound to a single service provider, you can host your data and content with yourself and as you may please. The custom email marketing system is a software which is exclusively designed for your business needs. You can acquire the services of a custom software development agency in Dubai like RSI Concepts or you can have in-house team to develop the custom email marketing tool as per your needs. The ownership rights belongs to you your business, you are not bound to service provider for anything, you can have another team to maintain, manage and customize your bespoke email marketing system. The final and most important thing is the cost. The cost of a ready-made email marketing system is usually higher, as they are providing you the platform and also the email server which you are using to send email. If you are a small business, you might not require a separate email server. If you are a mid-sized or large enterprise you can easily acquire a third-party email server to utilize with your custom email marketing tool. Altogether the ROI of a custom email marketing system is much higher than a commercial off-the-shelf or cloud-based email marketing tool.

A custom email marketing system is a software which is exclusively designed for your business needs
A custom email marketing system is a software which is exclusively designed for your business needs

Email Marketing Funnel: Brand Awareness and Building Lists

Now that you have a clear goal and right tech in place, it is time to start implementing your strategy and plans. The very first step of any email marketing funnel starts with brand awareness stage. At this stage you communicate your brand message, acquire subscribers and build lists. The prime objective of brand awareness campaign is to get as much contacts of your prospects as possible. If you communicate your brand values and produce enough appeal in your content, you will get higher conversion rate at this stage. There are different tools and channels which can be used for brand awareness campaign. You can embed email subscription in your website and mobile apps. You can set up pop-up forms to collect lead data and you can run adverts on digital platforms to collect as many leads as possible. Because on later stages you will be nurturing these leads to generate sales. You should use lead magnets in your digital campaigns, whether it is a landing page, YouTube display ad, Google search ad, Facebook Ad or Instagram Reel, the lead magnet strategy will help you to collect more leads. A lead magnet is simple an incentive or appeal to attract prospects and to compel them to take time to fill in the lead form or to provide you their email address. Once you got that start with the welcome series emails where you introduce your brand, different solutions you are offering and present the value your products and services can provide.

The very first step of any email marketing funnel starts with brand awareness stage
The very first step of any email marketing funnel starts with brand awareness stage

Email Marketing Funnel: Consideration – Nurturing Your Leads

With a successful brand awareness campaign now is the time when your prospects are seriously considering your brand and comparing it with their existing brands and any other available solutions they can avail. This is a very crucial stage. At this stage you should build trust by positioning your products, services and solutions as the ideal solution for your prospects’ problems and needs. This is the time when your emails will tell your prospects the true value of your products, services and solutions and what made your brand and your solutions unique and better from other competitors. Your emails should communicate your value proposition, unique selling point and ROI of your solutions. At this stage your communication should build a sense of urgency to encourage your leads to quickly convert, and also address the most obvious concerns they could have. Ensure your prospects you will provide them good support and service. Studies have revealed that more than 80% of the prospects genuinely consider the rating and reviews of the other customers and this can greatly influence their decision. That is why it is important to include user-generated content, testimonials, customer rating, case-studies and even some free resources which will help you building gaining their trust. You should also include comparisons of your products and services with your leading competitors to give confidence to your prospects.

At this stage you should build trust by positioning your products, services and solutions as the ideal solution for your prospects’ problems and needs
At this stage you should build trust by positioning your products, services and solutions as the ideal solution for your prospects’ problems and needs

Email Marketing Funnel: Conversion and Onboarding

The most important stage in customer journey is the conversion and onboarding, because that can also be counted as the first comprehensive experience your customers will have with your brand. This is where you should be able to utilize the advance customization and template creation tools of your email marketing system. It is extremely important to make your onboarding simpler and quicker. You should also design a series of emails which share promotions, offers and you can bundle them with freebies and special discounts to encourage your prospects to convert. Here an important thing to consider is that if your emails are too much pushy then it will repel your customers. It is better to use professional language, eye-catchy graphics with an adequate topping of urgency. Creating urgency is crucial, it will help you keeping your customers focused and not leaving them enough room to do comprehensive research which might change their mind. The onboarding process should be simpler, do not include long forms and complex steps in the onboarding process. Your email should be able to provide a clear and easy-to-follow path to conversion with adequate information and resources which can help your customers to convert conveniently. Any obstacle or complication at this stage will cost you a potential customer.

It is extremely important to make your onboarding simpler and quicker
It is extremely important to make your onboarding simpler and quicker

Email Marketing Funnel: Building Loyalty

The customer journey doesn’t end at conversion, in fact a marketing funnel must include a comprehensive series of emails which are designed to keep your customers engaged. It is important to have a proper loyalty program in place. Your email marketing funnel will help you to achieve more customer loyalty with your loyalty program. You can share regular promotions, exclusive offers for customers, personalized communication, and loyalty rewards to obtain your customers’ loyalty. At this stage your communication should keep your customers engaged for example, you can create and share content which help your customers to effectively utilize the features of your products, services or solutions. At this stage collecting customer feedback, encouraging them to participate in polls contests and draws will increase their engagement. The customer engagement drives customer loyalty and help strengthening the relationship between a brand and its customers. Your emails should convey the message that you value your customers and how important they are for your business, you can do so by appreciating their loyalty, offering discounts or special deals, etc. An email marketing system will help you set-up scheduled campaigns and it will also help you personalizing your emails which are more effective than generic emails.

You can share regular promotions, exclusive offers for customers, personalized communication, and loyalty rewards to obtain your customers’ loyalty
You can share regular promotions, exclusive offers for customers, personalized communication, and loyalty rewards to obtain your customers’ loyalty

Email Marketing Funnel: Increasing Retention

Customer retention is somewhat similar to building loyalty. However, the core difference between the two is that in your customer retention campaigns you include both your new customers and existing customers as well. The customer loyalty is an ongoing process, you will have to keep nurturing your relationship with your customers in order to retain them and get repeated business from them. The customer retention is not only important for getting repeated business, but it will also help you establish a strong and positive brand identity. The customer retention campaigns will help you maximizing the customer lifecycle which will maximize your ROI. The customer retention campaign is also more targeted, you must segment your customers on the bases of their purchases/subscription, their preferences, interests and demographic data. A good email marketing tool will help you setup multiple email templates for multiple customer segments. You should also focus on the active customers rather than each and every contact is your list. When you will focus only on active customers the chances to get another sale are very high. The customer feedback also plays very important role in customer retention. You can integrate your email marketing system with a customer feedback system and execute a closed-loop customer feedback campaign which will further help you strengthening the relationship with your customers. When you increase customer engagement, share useful information, offer them personalized and exclusive deals/discounts, and keep them up to date your customer retention increases.

The customer retention campaigns will help you maximizing the customer lifecycle which will maximize your ROI
The customer retention campaigns will help you maximizing the customer lifecycle which will maximize your ROI

Conclusion

The email marketing is one of the oldest digital marketing method and still it is one of the best digital marketing method. According to studies a business can generate up to $40 USD on each $1 USD spend on email marketing. However, simply just sending emails to your customers or prospects is not enough. The business operating in Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi or anywhere in UAE are actively utilizing emails to communicate with their customers. However, most of the businesses are unaware of the impact of a successful email marketing funnel. In this blog we have discussed what an email marketing funnel is and how businesses can easily build a successful email marketing funnel with the help of an effective email marketing system. The email marketing system is a very powerful software tool, which is used to streamline email communication and marketing for a business. The email marketing tools help automating email campaigns and also enable businesses to send hyper-personalized emails to maximize the impact and ROI.

There are two types of email marketing tools, the commercial off-the-shelf tools and the customized email marketing systems. The custom email marketing tools is much superior as it will be designed exclusively for your business and according to your needs. You can also start with a cloud-based system and build your email marketing funnel. If you want to learn more about the subject or if you want our help to design and develop a customized email marketing system for your business, please feel free to contact us through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.

How to Develop Custom Performance Appraisal System in UAE?

The custom performance appraisal system in UAE are not very common. Usually businesses rely on cloud-based or commercial off-the-shelf solutions. The biggest problem with ready-made or stock performance appraisal system is that they are standardized for a particular industry, hence they are not as that flexible. However, every business is different and unique, and all businesses develop a completely unique culture and have different goals, needs and preferences for the performance management. Using a stock or commercial off-the-shelf solution can never fulfill such needs. Therefore businesses start looking into the possibilities to develop a custom performance appraisal system. For that businesses have two choices either they get it done by the internal software development team, which is very less obvious, and most of the time businesses doesn’t have IT teams who can deliver that kind of sophisticated application. The other choice is to acquire the services of a professional software development agency in Dubai or anywhere else in UAE who is experienced in HR solutions and performance management systems.

However, even if a business acquires a professional service provider or vendor, they must still have adequate understand of the performance appraisal system. In this blog we will discuss the important factors which will help businesses to get a high-performance and impactful performance appraisal system in UAE.

How to Develop Custom Performance Appraisal System in UAE?
How to Develop Custom Performance Appraisal System in UAE?

What is a Custom Employee Performance Appraisal System?

An employee performance system is a set of methods, techniques, tools and framework used to evaluate employee performance and progress against a pre-defined objective and it helps identifying the weaknesses, strengths and areas of improvement. The prime purpose of the employee appraisal system is to ensure that all the available resources are progressing in the right direction and their efforts are fully aligned with the high-level organizational goals and strategic objectives. The performance appraisal system is a foundation stone for growth and stability. Only by leveraging the full potential of the employees, a business can sustain and grow in the highly competitive and fast-paced markets like UAE. The employee performance appraisal system provides a comprehensive framework to collect employee performance data and feedback and transform this into actionable insight which helps management and HR department to take informed decisions and progress towards their high-level organizational goals and vision. When we say custom employee performance appraisal system the only difference is how the system is developed. A custom employee performance appraisal system is developed exclusively for a particular business as per their exclusive and very unique business needs. That is why it is called a custom employee performance appraisal system.

See Also: What are the Features of a Best Performance Management System?

What is a Custom Employee Performance Appraisal System?
What is a Custom Employee Performance Appraisal System?

What are the Benefits of Using a Custom Performance Appraisal System?

An effective performance appraisal system help businesses drive the productivity, it helps them minimize the problems caused by the lack of technical or behavioral competencies. The employee performance appraisal systems are not a tool to scrutinize the employees, but it is a comprehensive framework which lifts up the performance of the employee, increases employee engagements, and over the time strengthen their technical and behavioral competencies. A good employee performance appraisal system can have massive impact on a business’s growth and success. That is why it is important that the employee performance appraisal system you use is fully aligned with your business needs and resonate with your unique organizational culture and priorities. Here are the key benefits of using a custom performance appraisal system:

  • Elevating and Enhancing Communication: The communication is the backbone of our modern business ecosystems. All business functions should have a fraction-less and instant communication enabled in order to boost the operational efficiency. The lack of communication between employees and managers could devastate the performance and efficiency. It frustrate employees, fuel hopelessness and it kills productivity. The performance appraisal system help managers communicate the goals and objectives, and help employee understand the success criteria. Hence the employee are more motivated to progress in the right direction.
  • Appreciate High Performance and Improvements: One of the biggest concern of employees and managers is with the outdated appraisal practices is their efficacy and accuracy. A modern custom performance appraisal system help building trust and ensures the high performance is well appreciated while the areas of improvements are also noted accurately. Rightful incentive and appreciation not only boost employee morale but also encourage others to do well in the coming performance cycle. The reviews, feedbacks, and evaluation are done with a systematic framework which help employees and managers to understand what has to be improved and how, which also help raising the morale of low-performing employees.
  • Impactful Training and Development: Businesses who are actively offering training and development programs tend to perform well in UAE. A custom performance appraisal system does the heavy lifting and help the HR in many processes, which also enables them to design high-impact employee training and development programs. A well-organized performance data and intuitive reporting provide a better insight and help the HR to identify the training needs. The employee performance data can be analyzed by multiple angles and can be plugged-in into various other systems to ensure the maximum impact of training and development activities. The same can also be used to convince employee to participate in those programs and help businesses make the most impact of their efforts.
  • Guiding the Right Path: Studies have shown that the biggest reason of employee quitting form a jobs in UAE is the lack of clarity of their career path. A custom performance appraisal system provides you a wealth of performance data, when this data is coupled with employee data the HR can easily identify the suitable path for the employees and guide them with their long-term goals and career path. Such guidance is crucial, it help employees boosting their morale and confidence and it gives them a sense of importance and valued. When employees are guided to a right career path with a better scope and success in future, they become more loyal and satisfied. Happy and satisfied employees always tend to give their best.
  • Raise Employee Satisfaction: A modern custom performance appraisal system is a great tool to maximize the employee engagements. The employee appraisal system provides a systematic approach to engage employees at various levels and decision making processes. The digital aspect increase their trust, successful training and development programs raise their loyalty and satisfaction. With transparent evaluation practices, reward and recognition programs and frequent feedbacks and interactions the employees gain more confidence and become more satisfied with their job, knowing they are important and their concerns are addressed and their voice is heard. The employee engagements can greatly reduce the employee turnover too.
  • Help Under-Performers: Here in UAE business leaders and HR specialists are agreed that the under-performers are the employees who can seriously undermine the organization’s overall performance. A custom performance appraisal system helps HR to accurately identify the under-performers, closely monitor their performance and the impact of coaching and training and give them a fair chance to improve. The performance appraisal system is very much capable of identifying the reasons of poor performance which greatly help HR to address the real issues. It also help managers to provide right guidance, coaching and mentorship to encourage under-performers and to boost their morale.

See Also: Performance Management System: Best Practices

A good performance appraisal system not only align employees with the organization goals and objectives, but it also help developing and nurturing a highly productive organizational culture where the employees can improve and grow over the time.

What are the Benefits of Using a Custom Performance Appraisal System?
What are the Benefits of Using a Custom Performance Appraisal System?

How do I design a custom performance appraisal system?

Most of the time when businesses decide to adopt a custom performance management system they think it is a very sophisticated and time-consuming task. However, designing a custom performance appraisal system is not difficult at all. It is a very simple process, all you need is to consider following important aspects of performance appraisal and you can design a high-impact custom performance appraisal system:

  1. Understand Modern Performance Appraisal System: The modern performance management is way too different than the traditional/annual appraisals. More than 80% of the employee, business leaders and HR experts have shown distrust form the annual appraisals, as they majorly focused on the most recent events, and progress. However, the modern performance appraisal system facilitates more frequent and even continuous performance monitoring. Another drawback of traditional appraisals is that it is very time consuming. However, the modern performance appraisal systems leverage digital technologies and software based tools. Which ensures continuous monitoring, more contextual and comprehensive data, and highly accurate reports.
  2. Set Your Goals and Objectives: Whenever a business is acquiring a new system or implementing a solution they have clear goals and objectives, what they want to achieve with that system. Same is applicable here too, if you are designing a custom performance appraisal system you should set goals and objectives for that, it would be simply what you would want to achieve by implementing that system, such as getting better and deeper insight to employee performance, communicating the expectations, increase employee performance, driving efficiency and reducing redundant work, reducing the time, effort and cost of the appraisal process and so on. Setting up clear objectives for the system will help you maximizing the ROI as well.
  3. Define Benchmarks and Setting up Standards: It is important to do some research on industry standards and define benchmarks and set up your standards accordingly. It is very important to include the most effective elements and features in your custom performance appraisal system. In order to understand the impact of different strategies and features the market research is the key. Furthermore the case studies can help you understand different features of the performance appraisal system and accordingly you can vision your custom performance appraisal system. Studying market trends is equally important. That is why it is crucial to do some research and consult experts to define the scope of your system.
  4. Develop Metrics and Establish Success Measures: Since you already have a clear understanding of what you would want to accomplish with your custom performance appraisal system, it is absolutely essential to setup metrics and establish clear success measures. So, you can gauge your performance against your objectives. Furthermore establishing success measure will also help you to evaluate the efficacy and impact of your custom performance appraisal system. It is not as that complicated as it may sound, let us take an example of a goal which is ‘improving employee performance’ for that your custom performance appraisal system should be able to communicate what is expected from the employees, it should have tools to measure employee performance against pre-set goals and it should have features to ensure employee alignment with goals.
  5. Evaluate Your Current Appraisal Processes: It is important to scrutinize your existing performance management and appraisal processes and practices. This will help you identify the areas of improvements and missing tools or features which you can include in your new custom performance appraisal system. It is also important to collect user feedback, in this case the employees, supervisors and managers are your audience. You should conduct interviews with a sample from different audience/user pools and consider their recommendation as well. The next step is to analyze that data and revisit your success measures and ensure your success measures and goals are fully aligned with the benchmarks you are planning to achieve with your new custom performance appraisal system. We are still in the planning phase so any step can be revised and adjustments can be made if needed.
  6. Establish the Scope of the Project: Above all steps are mostly part of the planning. Forming a clear scope of the project is what you will hand over to the development team and get the system done accordingly. It is important to understand that the scope of the project is a high-level technical guideline or in fact a blueprint of your custom performance appraisal system. Make sure you add enough details and also expected outcomes. This will help the development team to build the features and functionalities in your custom performance appraisal system. At this stage you can also engage IT/Technical teams to make this charter more contextual, descriptive and technically understandable for the development team.

See Also: How to Design a Modern Performance Management System?

How do I design a custom performance appraisal system?
How do I design a custom performance appraisal system?

How to Implement a Custom Performance Appraisal System?

Once you have a completed the planning phase and prepare a detailed scope of the project with all the features you need. Now is the time to appoint a custom software development team to execute the project. Remember the employee appraisal system and performance management is not just a method or strategy, but it is actually a very powerful software application which lifts the heavy load and enable the HR to effectively implement their employee appraisal and performance management strategies. This requires a powerful software engine which can collect performance data, analyze it as per your needs, and produce intuitive reports to let the management understand the performance status and provide them administrative dashboard with required features to acquire insight and take informed decisions and then effectively implement their decisions and action plans to course correct and take measures to ensure the set-goals are achieved at the end of the performance cycle. The software development team will follow the scope of the project document, and build that software engine for you. You can hire in-house team to build custom appraisal system for your business or you can outsource it to a well-reputed and experienced vendor who can further help you refine your system and provide required training for the system to ensure maximum impact can be created with it.

See Also: Benefits of Implementing a Modern Performance Management System

How to Implement a Custom Performance Appraisal System?
How to Implement a Custom Performance Appraisal System?

Conclusion

Businesses who are operating in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi or any other emirate of UAE are well aware of the fact that the employee retention is one of the biggest obstacle in growth. The overall UAE market is very competitive and it is relatively easier to switch the job. In such scenario retaining good talent is quite difficult. Furthermore the markets are very competitive and the businesses have to ensure their customers are having a satisfactory experience and excellent service which is nearly impossible with your employee performing with optimum level of productivity and efficiency. Therefore businesses tend to implement various different types of performance management and employee appraisal systems to ensure they achieve their high-level organizational goals. In order to achieve your organizational goals and strategic objectives, the employee must be aligned with your goals, satisfied with their job role, motivated, guided, trained and engaged. This all can be achieved only when you implement a systematic framework to measure and monitor your employee performance and offer them a highly transparent and fair appraisal system.

A business have two choices, either they can acquire a commercial off-the-shelf solution or they can develop a custom performance appraisal system. The bespoke solutions tend to deliver more comparing to standardized off-the-shelf solutions. In this blog we have discussed how a business can develop and highly-effective and most impactful custom performance appraisal system. If you want to learn more or if you need our help to develop a custom performance appraisal system for your business in UAE, please feel free to contact us through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.

See Also: Choosing a Performance Management System A Buyer’s Guide