infoTECH Feature

October 12, 2015

7 Signs SMBs Have Outgrown Their Software Solutions

By Special Guest
Doug Wilson, Managing Partner of Breakthrough Technologies

For small to medium-sized businesses, it’s vital for management to understand when it’s time to “move on.” Perhaps the firm has outgrown an existing office space, or a product does not have a real market niche and should be quickly adjusted or removed. It’s this sense of timing that is crucial for a thriving business. An area of business that can often be outgrown, but is frequently overlooked, is the company’s software solutions. Some companies might cobble together various solutions over time and might not understand when they need to do a complete re-architecture. Maintaining these resources is a drain on resources and productivity.

How do SMB’s identify when they’ve outgrown their software solution? Here are seven red flags:

  • Simple Changes Aren’t So Simple

Consider a business where management wants to tweak a sales report that is generated once a month. They might want to add annual data as well as the monthly status. If such a simple request will require considerable IT time and expense, then it’s time to reconsider the software platform. Modern solutions are customizable and simple tweaks should be accomplished easily.

  • Data Cannot be Easily Accessed

The modern company relies on instant access to data to make informed decisions and provide customers with personalized experiences. If technology tools do not make it easy for data to be retrieved and shared, then a new solution should be implemented where information can satisfy multiple objectives.

  • Downtime Ruins Productivity

If tech platform experiences significant downtime, then it’s essentially worthless for the business. Antiquated software solutions might not be properly updated or they simply have numerous bugs which can cause downtime. Whatever the case, unavailable solutions destroy business capabilities.

  • Department Heads Complaining

As a SMB grows and begins expanding its number of departments, then the number of technology solutions being utilized also grows. If the heads of various departments start to talk about the pains associated with training and support for an outdated program, then it’s time to reevaluate. Solutions must be able to support the next-generation business users.

  • Interoperability Isn’t Operating

Businesses rise and fall on information. For modern companies, easy access to data is extremely important. Information can no longer be saved in siloes, it must be shared in real time. Solutions that don’t allow the sharing of information or cannot be integrated with other solutions should be cast away. Companies with a wide mix of remote workers, freelancers, and full-time staff need configurable and interoperable systems in place.

  • Mobile Accessibility

The days of companies preventing staff from using mobile devices is certainly over. Employees need to be able to access information regardless of their geographic location or device. Solutions that restrict or prevent such access should be eliminated and replaced with mobile-friendly technology that works seamlessly on any type of device.

  • Collaboration Can’t Happen

The current generation entering the workforce is more wired for collaboration than any other proceeding generation. They used Google (News - Alert) Docs at college, and have an expectation that information can be easily shared and edited among peers. While there are still many workers that don’t expect instant collaboration, there’s definitely a market shift, and companies are increasingly seeing the productivity benefits of collaborative tools.

When reviewing software solutions, it’s prudent to carefully judge how outdated a solution might be versus the costs of a replacement. If just one of these seven warning signs is relevant to your situation, then perhaps the solution can be easily upgraded or the business can adapt. Once multiple and interconnected issues arise, it’s time to quickly move on to a modern solution that encourages simple sharing and collaboration. 




Edited by Kyle Piscioniere
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