Do: Script the client installation and use application launcher to automatically push the client install to the desktop. Groupware client installations have several questions that affect the installed settings. Your users don’t need to answer those questions (or bother you with questions about how to answer them) if you script the install to do the work for them.?

Don’t: Don’t try to do too much at one time. Use a phased approach — especially in a large environment. Roll-out to one post office or one department at a time. That way if issues are reported, only one group of people is affected and problems can be corrected before the next group receives the product.

Do: Have a rollback plan. This suggestion applies if you are upgrading or changing from one system to another. If something during the implementation doesn’t work out, you need to have a way to restore the previous service until you are ready to try again. Notify users in advance so they will be prepared in the event a problem.

Don’t: Don’t use any compression provided by the file system storing the data. This might seem obvious, but many people overlook this concept. Most groupware systems have built in compression tools. Using an additional form of compression is a quick way to corrupt databases. Look for other file system settings that may interfere with the groupware system such as NetWare’s Transaction Tracking System (TTS). Novell recommends that TTS be turned off for groupware systems. Other groupware systems and other networking platforms will have similar suggestions that will prevent data problems down the road if they are addressed at the time of implementation.

Do: Use client/server configuration. Some groupware systems give you the option of using client/server and some require it. Having the server do most of the work is fast, reliable, and safe for databases. Fewer hands in the database mean fewer chances for corruption. With client/server functionality, access to critical data is controlled.