5 Signs You’ve Outgrown Your Software
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You know that piece of clothing in your closet that you just can’t seem to get rid of no matter how old it gets? You’ve tried to wash out that stain a million times, you’ve added a patch or two, you’ve sewn on new buttons… anything to keep it “wearable”.
Why? Because it’s comfortable. It fits you just right, and you don’t have to break it in. Even though you love that shirt or pair of pants, the reality is that everyone else who sees you in it knows that it’s old and time to toss out.
The same can be true of the software your business is using. As familiar and comfortable as it is, is it really meeting your needs when you’ve had to cobble systems together and figure out workarounds? Not only is it likely not meeting your needs, it could be preventing you from really growing.
You may be in denial, but here are 5 signs you’ve outgrown your software.
1. Information is hard to find
If you have to go to more than one place to compile the information you need and none of those places is a dashboard, you need to upgrade your software system. Information should be at your fingertips, and you should have a dashboard where you can access your most important or frequently needed information more quickly.
Information that’s hard to find is a sign that your reports are not very intuitive. All of this can mean that you are missing out on important pieces of information and thus not getting an accurate picture of your business. If you’re having a hard time finding information you know you need, what other data are you missing?
2. Simple changes are not so simple
When the software you’re using is not customizable to meet the needs of your growing or changing business … if it’s draining time and resources from your IT department to make a simple change to your software … it’s time to start researching new solutions.
Rather than spending time and money trying to change your current, clunky system, research your options. The answer may be a software solution that has lots of bells and whistles right out of the box or one that starts with the basics and is fully customizable after that. You can bend it to your will to meet your needs, now and in the future.
3. Your systems don’t integrate easily or at all
Good software helps make your processes smoother by integrating with other systems that you use. Does your current system do that or are you manually entering data from one program to the next? This is a huge sign that you’ve outgrown your software and need a new solution. Using multiple systems to accomplish tasks wastes time and resources.
A lack of integration could also mean that you are not capturing the data you need to make sound business decisions.
4. Staff cannot access it remotely
If your staff doesn’t have the flexibility to access your remotely from home or on the go, you’re losing productivity. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, the option to access your system on the go from mobile devices allows employees to be more efficient. Whether it means allowing your sales team to place orders on the go or allowing your employees to work from home when they are sick, your software needs to be accessible, so your team never misses an opportunity or a sale.
5. Your staff constantly complains about it
If your staff can’t or won’t use your software, you are doing your company a huge disservice. Employees must have the tools they need to do their jobs. Not only are you making their jobs harder, you’re losing productivity because your employees are working inefficiently. Not to mention what difficult-to-use software does to morale.
That clunky old piece of software you just can’t seem to get rid of may be holding you back from running an efficient, profitable business. Just because “it works” doesn’t mean it’s working for your business. These 5 signs mean you’ve outgrown your current software and it’s time to find a new solution.