Whether your business is on the fast track and growing by the day, or it’s struggling to reach its targets due to lackluster productivity, upgrading your software could be the difference between failure and optimal success.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70% of all businesses with employees fail within 10 years; and while there are several causes for this, one of the most prevalent is the “failure to create the proper business systems.”
If you have a fairly cookie-cutter business, then chances are, a pre-packaged software solution might do the trick for you. But, if your organization is unique, a one-size-fits-all software package probably isn’t the best fit; that’s where custom software development comes in. It can be as simple as adding a new feature or two to your existing software, or building something from scratch, tailored to your unique requirements.
But maybe you already have software systems that are working just fine, but they’re not working together. If that’s the case, systems integration might be what you need to get your productivity where it needs to be.
What is Systems Integration?
Let’s say you have two or more software systems that fit your needs, but they’re not talking to each other and your spending valuable manpower getting data from one and transferring it to the other–then you need systems integration.
While each software system is productive on its own, imagine how much more efficient it would be if they were linked and all of the data and all of the intelligence in the systems were shared.
With systems integration, your software systems work cohesively as one unified solution making it a beneficial and integral part of your operations’ productivity:
- Streamlined Processes: When your systems are integrated, your processes can run from end to end without employees having to go from one application to another, thereby eliminating wasteful steps and reducing the possibility of human error.
- Reduced Errors: People make mistakes, it happens. When employees are spending their time manually cross-referencing data from one system to another, mistakes will occur. And when that happens, they can cost you more than you think.
- Cost Efficient: When your software applications are integrated working as one, you have one robust software solution that streamlines your processes, boosts your productivity increasing revenue, and is more efficient thereby lowering operating costs.
What is Custom Software?
The idea of “custom” software may seem daunting–after all, it’s software that’s made especially for you. However, it is as big or as small as you’d like because it’s built to fit your needs. It can be as simple as adding a new feature to software you are already using, or something brand new built from scratch.
When you use pre-packed software to manage your processes, your processes have to fit the software, when it should be the other way around. But when software is tailored to your unique requirements, your processes become automatic and streamlined, reducing errors and increasing efficiency.
How to Decide
If your organization is using two or more software systems that fits your needs, then system integration is most likely right for you. We can link those systems so they share data and save your business valuable time and resources.
But, if you’re unable to find a software solution that is truly compatible with your business and its unique processes, custom is the way to go. Keep in mind, customizing software to meet your needs doesn’t have to be difficult; it just needs to be right for your team.
No matter whether you choose to integrate your systems or to develop a solution customized to your needs, remember that your business cannot grow if your processes are hindered by inefficiency. It’s time to work smarter, not harder. Contact our team and we’ll chat about what type of solution is best for your business.
