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Is your software still aligned to your business goals?
Blog //21-06-2021

Is your software still aligned to your business goals?

by Kevin Reed, Freelance journalist and consultant

In our 2021 Annual Trends Report, we highlighted that 57 per cent of employees have seen limitations in their organisation’s current technology to support changes in work practice during the pandemic.

Considering the extent to which Covid-19 has affected business and life in general, it’s no surprise that moving forward there is uncertainty and apprehension about how businesses should be operating and the software they will need to support them..

The ‘new normal’ has shown that we can operate in a more pragmatic way, incorporating WFH brings challenges around thinking how to make the best use of existing software  - and what new software / module might be needed to support the different ways of working for example a possible additional module on teams is PSTN. Public Switched Telephone Networks allow you to receive and send calls to landlines and means your connection on teams isn’t affected by bad internet. More on how we can help with this here.

This brings the question; are you setup to be making the most of today’s opportunities with what you have currently?

Uncertainty around current consumer behaviour means that in order to stand out, businesses need to be in top condition if they are to get ahead of the competition. But how can you judge whether your software solutions are still aligned as closely to your business goals and objectives?

Software health-checks can assist you. They include a lot of different things, so let’s break down a few ways that they can help:

Refocussing your technology towards your business goals
Identify what you want to achieve with your software and take a look at the bigger picture to see what can be done to get maximum value out of your solution. This may mean taking an additional module on your software to achieve your goals quicker or restructuring the way your solution works with other software, so they interact seamlessly.  

Help your employees get the most from the solution
Get better value from your technology by ensuring that your employees understand how to use it effectively. This may involve things like eLearning to keep people up-to date with the software and best practice guides.

Tuning your software solution
Sometimes there is a bottleneck with software, you may have experienced hiccups in performance or inconsistency. This can be caused by many different factors which might not be able to be diagnosed without looking deeper under the hood. You may need more server space because of increased server traffic for example. Tuning your software to meet your own demands improves the value you are receiving from it.

The pandemic has brought about a big shift in the way businesses operate. Software that was designed for times pre-Covid may not support what your business needs going forward. There is an opportunity now to look closer at your technology and see how you can make it an increasingly valuable tool in your future success.

Blog IT Services
Kevin Reed

Kevin Reed

PUBLISHED BY

Freelance journalist and consultant

Kevin Reed is a freelance journalist with more than 20 years' experience covering professional services. He is a former editor of both Accountancy Age and Financial Director, including a period covering accounting technology. Kevin has also written for the management consulting and financial services markets. Current roles include consultant for Foulger Underwood and chair of the Women in Accountancy and Finance Awards.

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