https://www.xperience-group.com/news-item/re-evaluating-business-software/
Far too many companies run on an IT architecture made up of information islands. With different departments and locations using their own software, systems and processes for recording and maintaining business critical data. Instead of regularly re-evaluating business software and processes to ensure agility, many businesses wait until their systems face extinction.
The risk? … Re-keying of data, multiple versions of the truth, delayed decision-making and quite possibly loss of earnings! So, how do you determine if your software is a dinosaur or dino-mite?
Consider the amount of information requests you get from various people throughout the day. How easy is it to obtain the business information, reports and analytics you need? Do you spend a lot of your productive time switching between applications to get what you need?
On average people spend around 40% of their day switching between systems. That’s 3 hours out of a working day… 16 hours per week… 2 full days! How much of your precious time is that eating up? How much is it costing your business?
Task: Take note of how many information requests you receive in a one-week period. At the end of the week, list the different systems you had to access to get the information. Would productivity soar if everything you needed were in one place?
Fossilised: ‘Becoming fixed and incapable of change or development.’
In your personal life, when you need information on the move, you can usually guarantee there will be an app to help. Is the same true of your business software? In an ever-increasing mobile world, you should not be restricted by your business systems. According to Citrix, 61% of workers report working outside the office part of the time AND an average of 3 devices are used daily by employees for work activity. If your software doesn’t facilitate mobility and accessibility, it may be a sign that it is in fact fossilised.
When was the last time you reviewed your internal processes? Do they align with the systems currently used by the business? Do they give your business flexibility and agility? It’s likely you spend the majority of your time working IN the business – which is understandable when you have budgets to keep and targets to meet. But how often do you spend time working ON the business?
Ensuring slicker process has a lot to do with the systems used, and resistance to change means your business could slip behind the competition. Our advice? Start by reviewing your processes to determine what can be simplified with technology. It may be by doing so, you identify areas where software could be consolidated. However, we would recommend you start small, addressing what needs urgent attention first and continue to review as your processes become more streamlined.
“If it’s not broke, don’t fix it” is often the mentality in many boardrooms when it comes to new investments. To some extent, this is true, however if your systems and processes are not evolving, then neither is your business. It’s revolution, not evolution. Process and technology is the solid foundation to a successful business and without continual investment and development, you could face extinction.