Tips for Maximising Your Software Investment

There’s no question that software products have transformed the way businesses operate today. The solutions they provide serve to automate and streamline various business processes in countless ways. As a result, they've improved the ability of companies to respond effectively to ever-shifting markets and efficiently scale up following growing demand. 

Your company is no exception. As a business owner, you need to explore solutions that give you a competitive advantage. These solutions include software products for inventory management, invoicing, expense management, marketing, and more.

Keep in mind that you may have to make significant changes to your processes, habits, and hardware to maximise the benefits you receive from your software investment. Consider these potential changes when comparing prospective software solutions to ensure the implementation process has minimal impact on your uptime. Today, Andy's Mobile Computing Service presents some smart tips that can help you maximise your software investment.

Investing in Business Software and Services

As Psychology Today points out, aversion to change is a part of human nature. People often prefer the status quo — even when change offers the potential of a better future for a business. If your business relies on distribution and warehousing, for example, one of the most significant changes you may be contending with is automation. 

The thought of taking the leap and making a substantial investment in software or services may excite you and provoke a sort of apprehension. You need not be nervous, provided you get professional support and prepare your employees well for the change. But it’s critical that you incorporate some essential types of software. Some software your business can benefit from include customer relationship management (CRM), payment processing, cybersecurity, project management, and inventory management software. 

You want to maximise the investment you make in purchasing new software or replacing your current software solution. To do so, ensure your employees are well-trained and well-informed. Second, give preference to software providers who offer full support throughout the implementation process.

A Well-Trained and Well-Informed Workforce

Employees often want to know why an employer is investing in new software. Help them understand why automation is essential and how it benefits them. Prepare them well for the transition. Provide your workforce with a timeline of how long the implementation will take and how it may impact their workflow.

Entrepreneurship in a Box suggests choosing turnkey solutions in which the software providers support the entire implementation process. Ideally, the provider should assign a project manager to your company to guide your in-house team through the implementation process. This support ensures the transition is as seamless as possible.

Comprehensive training for employees is a crucial part of implementing a turnkey solution. All staff members who'll use and maintain the software solution should complete training for it. Leading software providers typically offer full support and service via an on-site representative to ensure the implementation is successful.

You should be training your staff for other technology updates, too. For instance, if someone on your team shows an interest in coding, direct them towards helpful online content and training that will help them get started. Having someone on hand who understands even the bare basics of coding can really come in handy!

Proper Support and Guidance During Implementation

Among the main concerns of business owners when purchasing or replacing software is the potential disruption to daily operations. You want a solution that fits the unique needs of your business and enables it to maximise uptime during the implementation process.

Review the service level agreements from prospective software providers to determine whether they can tailor their solutions to your use case. Find out whether they'll provide repair services or preventive maintenance. Check whether the support they offer is remote or on-site and if it’s via phone or email.

You can’t predict all eventualities, so you want to know your software provider will be there for you in case things go awry, as they often do in any business. Like many businesses today, yours may operate round-the-clock. Find out whether prospective software providers offer 24-hour support that helps avoid unnecessary downtime.

Empower Your Staff with New Tech

The prospect of automating your processes is exhilarating when you have proper support and guidance throughout implementation. Train your employees effectively and keep them well informed to ensure a seamless transition and favourable outcome when putting in place a new software solution.

Andy's Mobile Computing Service is here to offer the technology solutions you’ve been looking for. Questions? Don’t hesitate to ask!

This post was written by Eleanor Wyatt, a career consultant from Remote Work Wellness.