July 2017—NCCCO brought a new candidate processing system online earlier this year. The need was urgent because, while the existing system had worked well in the past, it had struggled in recent years to keep up with NCCCO’s rapid growth. More importantly, the software it relied on was no longer supported by the manufacturer and so its days were clearly numbered.
While the new system, known as “CRM,” has been designed with the utmost care and constructed by leaders in the data management industry, we knew there would be “growing pains” as staff, candidates, employers, and others became accustomed to the new system. It is fair to say, however, that the intensity and duration of that pain took us all by surprise.
Five months on, with a concerted effort by NCCCO staff and its IT consultants, we are beginning to see substantial progress in reducing the processing and reporting times that slipped significantly following CRM’s implementation. Nevertheless, we will not be satisfied until these times are back to those we are committed to providing, and the “full-court press” will remain engaged until that occurs.
The really good news, however, is that, once we are fully back on track, we are confident that the new system will pay dividends in terms of its potential for faster and more comprehensive reporting, data analysis, and quality control. Just as exciting, however, is its compatibility for online interfaces as NCCCO moves toward more Internet-based application and communications. Put simply, we will be able to do things well beyond the capability of the legacy system that CRM is replacing, and its full implementation will propel NCCCO into the forefront of cutting-edge candidate database management systems.
In the meantime, we regret the disruption that has occurred and apologize for the inconvenience that any remaining extended processing times may be causing. Anyone still experiencing major issues should contact NCCCO Director of Testing Services, Marc Hone (mhone@nccco.org), or NCCCO Program Manager, Tara Whittington (twhittington@nccco.org). We thank you for again for your understanding.