The majority of businesses, large and small, can benefit from using some type of business automation software. Business software can eliminate repetitive tasks, create timesheets for your employees, keep proper electronic records, automate IT backend processes, and more. No matter what industry your business is in, it’s important to have the right software and processes in place to achieve optimal performance.
If you already have business software within your organization, it’s important to schedule regular reviews of your automation systems to make sure your goals are being met by your current software capabilities. Take the time to interview your employees to uncover any issues they have with your software, and gather information about the performance and cost of all software being used. However, we understand that many companies simply don’t have time for a lengthy software evaluation. If that’s the case, watch out for the following signs that your business has outgrown your business automation software.
1. Decreased competitive advantage
If you feel like you’re losing your competitive advantage due to inefficient ways of processing, recording or reporting business artifacts, it’s a sign you need to upgrade your software. Keep up with news from your industry, join conferences and seminars, and pay attention to what the competition does. If your competition talks about their data science team when your company is still making business decisions based on Excel reports, you may need to up your analytics game and invest in new technology that could become a part of your business automation software suite.
2. The cost of maintaining your current software is increasing
Like a car getting older, your current systems will need extra attention and money as they age. While it’s tempting to use easy, quick solutions that will just keep your business processes afloat, these fixes will end up costing you more in the long run. Most of the time these short-term solutions are not properly documented and their implementation is sloppy, causing a string of software inefficiencies down the road. This reactive type of software management can make moving to new software more difficult, and more expensive in the long run.
3. You can’t scale
If you’re considering expanding your business, a thorough review of your existing business software is required. Is your backend database up to the task? Can it now process a hundred times more records than before? What about your timesheet software? Does your current setup allow for enough licenses for the fifty new employees you plan to hire? These are just a few of the questions you’ll need to ask to make sure your software is ready to expand along with your business. If the answer is “no” to any of the questions above, it’s time to rethink your current business automation software.
Contact Clear Measure Today
At Clear Measure, we’ve worked with companies large and small, and bring Fortune 500 software capabilities to growing firms. If you’ve noticed any of these red flags within your organization, contact us today for a free consultation.
