J_K9 @ Linux

The Big SMB Problem: Dropping Microsoft Office

September 15, 2007 on 1:35 pm | In Articles |

Small and Medium-sized Businesses are usually quite keen to consider switching to Open Source IT solutions, and not without reason: Linux and other Open Source tools are mature—often with features that rival and exceed proprietary alternatives in terms of usage and implementation—proven to be secure, low-maintenance once set up and most important of all, free.

Of course, to use the phrase that Robert A. Heinlein popularised, “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” Linux and Open Source software are not entirely free: they have setup costs, maintenance costs and time and productivity costs. The first involves the monetary cost of installing the software and setting it up so that the employees can collaborate efficiently. The second involves the monetary cost of the infrequent maintenance checks and repairs. The latter is the cost not only to the employees but also to the company, for it will take the employees a few weeks to become comfortable and fully productive using the new system and they will, at first, waste a substantial number of working hours finding the functional equivalents of the old system in the new one (unless they are given a full-day, comprehensive migration course). This will also be a cost to the company because their employees will not be working as efficiently for at least a few weeks after the migration.

Despite all of these costs, many SMBs still choose to switch to Linux and Open Source. Why? Because they have come to the conclusion that the benefits of switching over by far outweigh the costs: Open Standards (i.e. improved interoperability), greater security, greater stability and reliability, freedom from the Microsoft Tax and vendor lock-in, their own choice of Open Source solution and software stack provider… The benefits are endless.

However, there is one big problem with switching from Microsoft to Linux which is very difficult to handle, and that is dropping Microsoft Office in favour of an alternative such as OpenOffice or StarOffice. These office productivity suites are very strong rivals to Microsoft Office and are, in most areas, just as good or better than their Redmond-stamped opponent. Yet employees do not care about how good the new office software is or how easy it is to use; all they care about is using what they are accustomed to. They want Outlook for their email and calendar, Word for their document processing and Excel for their spreadsheet needs. They want those programs because they are used to their interfaces and know how to work their way around them. If they want to produce a graph from a set of data, they know how to do it. If they want to mail merge some other data, they know how to do it. If they want to set print ranges and borders, they know how to do it. It has taken them this long to learn how to use these functions without hesitating and now, just when they have begun to consider themselves “online office” experts, they are being forced to learn how to use an entirely different set of programs? How do you think they feel?

As I am still a student, I work part-time as an IT consultant and was recently called into a medium-sized business to build some new computers and update their software, which included updating MS Office 2003 (and 2000) installations to MS Office 2007. If you know anything about MS Office, you will know that MS Office 2007 has a completely new user interface which requires weeks to adapt to. So, as a test, I upgraded just two of the company’s existing desktop computers from Microsoft Office 2003 to Microsoft Office 2007. There was outrage. Both employees told me that they were incapable of using the new software—they couldn’t find features they used to use on a regular basis, they couldn’t print and they found the software completely unusable. They demanded that I reinstalled the old software.

This is exactly the kind of friction and attitude that will be faced in most other SMBs when a switch to another system is made, even if the switch is to a newer version of the same software. Employees do not want to have to get used to a new system if what they’re already using “works just fine.”

So, how do we solve this problem? You are an IT consultant and you are suggesting to an SMB to switch to Linux because you believe, and the company’s Director believes, that the costs outweigh the benefits. However, you know that the employees are not going to drop MS Office willingly. What is the solution? Do you purchase software such as CrossOver Linux so that your employees can run Microsoft Office on Linux? It’s not a full switch, but at least it lowers some of the costs and doesn’t upset the employees. Alternatively, do you carry out a full switch and run migration courses for a few days, demonstrating how to use the new software and answering all the employees’ questions? Or do you just scrap the proposal to switch to Open Source and the company keeps using the current, outdated and costly system? What is the solution?

30 Comments »

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I agree that Office is the show stopper. In my case the problem comes down to Access. As far as I know there is no open source equivalent with the ability to import and export.

CrossOver does not support Access 2003.

Comment by Jim barnes — September 15, 2007 #
Using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.6 on Linux
Back with a bang, eh? Where were you all this while? It’s been months since you’ve been spotted online…

Comment by hari — September 15, 2007 #
Using Mozilla 1.8.1.6 on Debian GNU/Linux
[…] who’s been away for a while is now back with a bang! His new article The Big SMB Problem: Dropping Microsoft Office on why small and medium business prefer Linux as a solution and why there is resistance from […]

Pingback by Hari’s Corner » Blog perambulations - first edition — September 15, 2007 #
Using WordPress 2.2.3
Jim - And I presume that OpenOffice’s Base application either does not suit your needs or is too different and time-consuming to change to, correct?

Hari - Hey! I know, I’ve been practising my disappearance act - apparently it’s working quite well!

Comment by J_K9 — September 15, 2007 #
Using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.6 on Ubuntu Linux
My users do fine with Writer, Calc, and Impress,but not Base. (They are setup to save in the appropriate MS format). Even KDE has not been a difficult transition for my “test group”.

Change is tough, even moving to Office 07, as you well know, creates difficulty. I believe I could sell it if they could directly open and save in Access format, but I haven’t found the answer.

At the moment still using the current, outdated, and hopelessly insecure system.

Comment by jim barnes — September 16, 2007 #
Using Konqueror 3.5 on Linux
We’re in the alpha phase of a conversion. We have Manglement Approval (you say it’s FREE?), we have a great MIS team with linux users and non-users, and the willingness to make it succeed.

We settled on Kubuntu and Evolution, as we’re using Outlook currently. We’re still up in the air over office suites, but I prefer Abiword and Gnumeric over OpenOffice (which has at least gotten faster).

The CIO has signed on as a beta tester. Mind you, this is the same CIO that has been making noise about upgrading to Office 2007. I’d sooner upgrade to linux than face the horror described above.

The main question was why.
My answer is that I have had my last Windows crash, my last large-scale license purchase, and I’d rather be productive than messing with a flawed OS that only wants to be `helpful’ or makes decisions about what media I can play for me.

I am one crash away from running Windows strictly as a VM on my all-linux desktop systems.

P.S. Today’s Dilbert tip: use multiple monitors. No matter what you do with them, people never fail to be impressed by someone with more than one on their desk. If you have more than two, people’s brains cannot comprehend what you must be doing, so they just assume you’re incredibly busy AND incredibly smart. This holds true for bosses (of the non-technical variety).

-lefty

Comment by leftystrat — September 16, 2007 #
Using Konqueror 3.5 on Linux
The solution was found years ago. Don’t tell employees they have to switch to Linux. First let them install Open Office (or install it for them). Let them see how much it is like what they are used to. Say you want them to evaluate it (not a lie). Given MS Office 2007, you can now offer as an advantage the fact that OpenOffice is more familiar than MS Office 2007 is.

Once they are accustomed to Open Office, you can present Linux as just another way of getting at Open Office.

Comment by bumpy — September 16, 2007 #
Using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.6 on Windows XP
“The Big SMB Problem:Dropping Microsoft Office”. Their problem is finding good employees. When you work for a man work for him. If you don’t like his personality, his management style, his working conditions, his wages, then don’t work for him. Go somewhere else. But if you work for him then work for him.

Word processors are word processors and it’s simple to move to another one and adjust to the differences. Any program has a learning curve and you can only learn by using it and using it’s help programs.

These people should grow up.

Bob Lee

Comment by Bob Lee — September 16, 2007 #
Using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.6 on Windows XP
I believe Bob might have something here…

LOL

My name is Ken Starks and am a Linux/FOSS Advocate. Through Lobby4Linux.com and the enterprise we formed to support that endeavor, HeliOS Solutions, we are attacking this problem head on.

A year ago I was hired as a consultant to look at a companies system and recommend alternate measures. Long story short, I was able to switch them to Linux and FOSS exclusively. The motivation is the key here, and the motivation is usually sourced at upper management.

I won’t bore you with the details here. In order to show a bit of respect to this blogger I won’t post that link but suggest you Google “fired for using microsoft” it should be the first two hits. I chronicled much of the change-over in a three part series. Some will ask: “where’s the third part.” Unfortunately, there are some legal issues pending and I am gagged until they are adjudicated.

Employee input is important, yes…but the inmates shouldn’t run the asylum. Again, I will allude to Bob’s response and suggest that his proposal is about the best way to go about this.

Oh, I spoke of management motivation…? The company I switched and ultimately accepted employment from for a year or so had been raped by a BSA invasion. The CEO vowed to wipe every bit of Microsoft code from his 9 city corporation and with Linux, he did just that.

Anger can be powerful when channeled properly…unfortunately, so can fear.

helios

Comment by helios — September 16, 2007 #
Using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.5 on MEPIS Linux
[…] Read more at J_K9@Linux […]

Pingback by FreeSoftNews » Blog Archive » The Big SMB Problem: Dropping Microsoft Office — September 16, 2007 #
Using WordPress 2.2.3
bumpy - That solution does work in many cases, but just because most employees are obstinate when it comes to things like this does not mean that they are idiots. If you’re going to take that approach—which is probably the best way of going about a switch, by introducing Open Source one application at a time—I think it’s best to inform the employees of the advantages and of the switch itself as opposed to keeping them in the dark. It’s true that they will oppose it more strongly once they know what it really is (and without knowing why they are opposing it, apart from basing their opinions on the stereotypes they may have heard), but I think that forcing stubborn employees to switch is easier than forcing stubborn, angry, deceived employees to switch. I do agree with you that that is the right way of going about it, although it’s not a perfect solution.

Bob Lee - I agree, but it’s not that simple. These employees have been working at the company for many, many years. Then, one day, I come in for consultation and suggest a complete switch of their outdated, proprietary system to a more stable, secure, Open Source system. Even with the support of the upper management, the employees think it unfair that they are being pressurised into leaving behind the software that they have grown so used to switch to something which, at first, has no visible productivity advantages. Of course, if the management is strongly for the proposal then the switch will happen anyway, but the last thing that they want to do is unsettle the employees and cause them extra stress which they can then use to fight for a few days off work or a pay rise.

We’re all human. I wonder if there’s even such a thing as a “good employee.”

Comment by J_K9 — September 16, 2007 #
Using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.6 on Ubuntu Linux
It’s up to the upper management to figure out how to manage the process. After all, that’s why they’re managers. It’s all about managing the employees’ expectations. Have I mentioned management?

You are the technical consultant (I assume), not the management consultant. I’d love to be paid as much as a management consultant! You point out the reasons why they need to upgrade to Linux et al., and point out the benefits to the users, and let management figure out how to sell it using those talking points.

Be it team-building exercises, fun competition between fuddy-duddies and power-penguins, or what have you, they will need to build support from the long-existing employees if they (management) don’t want mutiny or outright hostility. This is a human problem, not a technical one.

Which brings us back to DOH. Rather, back to management having to answer this one. It’s up to them, they know their employees best.

Also, if anything goes wrong (and it will), it’s up to the management to figure out backup strategies, exit strategies, rollback strategies, communication strategies (with customers and employees), etc.

Comment by Aasmodeus — September 17, 2007 #
Using Mozilla Firefox 1.5.0.12 on RedHat Linux
Here is one small idea, If the SMB did a TCO and came to the conclusion that Linux lowered there TCO If said SMB were to offer each employee a percentage of the savings for happily going along (give then incentive) with the cost cutting changes in mind. Then the employee would receive a larger Christmas bonus for a year or two…. The SMB would save the difference for the first year or two and all there after.

Simple give your employees incentive to want to switch! And 99.9% of the time it comes down to $$

Comment by Tom — September 18, 2007 #
Using Mozilla Firefox 1.5.0.12 on Ubuntu Linux
Aasmodeus - That is true, but you have not proposed a solution for the management. Team-building exercises and the like are all well and good, but that won’t necessarily make the employees any more accepting of the switch.

I think Tom has offered the best solution to this problem: offer the employees incentives. Whether it’s a bonus or temporary salary increase, or even longer holidays, if the employees are offered incentives for staying on at the company they will almost definitely stay and learn the new system. If, as Tom said, the SMB found that the TCO of Linux would be less than Windows for them then they would be saving money in the long-term and, in the short-term, could use their savings to provide the incentives. So, they would not be losing any money and would provide the necessary advantages for the employees to help them be more partial to the switch.

Comment by J_K9 — September 18, 2007 #
Using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.6 on Windows XP
It all boils down to complying with your client’s requirements. If the big corporations (or government offices) you do most of your business with operate with Word and Excel, most SMB’s are not willing to risk document conversions. It doesn’t matter whether it poses an inconvenience or perhaps looks like a blunder when there’s a poorly converted document. Losing a large client over perceived incompetence is not worth the savings.
Granted, staff re-training on not just the use of the software, but accurate conversion techniques is also a barrier.
Change the big fish and the smaller fish will follow. Better yet, colleges encouraging open source apps will help break the training issue with attrition into the work-force.

Comment by kpdriscoll — September 18, 2007 #
Using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.6 on Windows XP
Enter there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch into Google to quickly discover, definitively, its true provenance. Heinlein said it, sure, but not first, not by a long shot.

Comment by jkl — September 18, 2007 #
Using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.6 on Windows XP
Umm…scuze me? If the boss says “we’re doing X,” and the employees whine, then fire the whiners! This is not difficult, people.

Remember that not so long ago, “everyone” used WordPerfect. Then the bosses came in and said “no, we’re using MS Word now, if you don’t like it, then quit, and if you don’t get with the program, you’re FIRED.” Guess what? People got with the program real quick, since they like getting paychecks.

I know a tech writer that loved WordPerfect. She came to work for our small, MS Office 2000-using company. Every other day, I heard her lament to me “why can’t this be more like WordPerfect? WordPerfect makes so much sense!” I finally got tired of it and invited her to suggest that to the boss. She shut up real quick and got back to work.

The same is true of an OpenOffice.org migration.

–SYG

Comment by Sum Yung Gai — September 19, 2007 #
Using Konqueror 3.5 on Ubuntu Linux
kpdriscoll - With respect to your last comment, that is true, but it will be a few years before the new technological generation occupies a large share of the working sector. I also agree with what you said about document conversion, but I do think that the official converters do an outstanding job converting most files from ODF to DOC and vice-versa. However, if—as you said—the big fish make the switch to Open Source the smaller ones will soon follow, as is happening in Germany and other countries which are converting to Open Source in a top-down approach. Government change is another push factor to Open Source which should not be forgotten.

jkl - My apologies. I have now fixed the citation.

Comment by J_K9 — September 19, 2007 #
Using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.6 on Windows XP
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