Is Your Business Software Evolving?
I heard someone talking to a non-techie recently in a thriving small business. They were trying to illustrate the importance of software in the business, so they asked the question
“If I took away your software, how would your business run?”
The person was suitably shocked with the idea of running the business with all of the computers rendered useless.
It got me thinking about an obvious follow on question that was never asked;
“If I improved your software instead of taking it away, how would your business run?”
I think this goes some way to illustrating the importance of making sure that your software moves and evolves with your business. If you want it to be, it can be a vital part of your strategy and even a differentiator when clients come to choose between you and one of your competitors. This is only possible with constant reviews and constant challenges along the lines of
“Does my software still work for my business as it looks now, rather than as it was when I started?”
Imagine the scenario where you and a competitor have started out at roughly the same time, you offer roughly the same service at roughly the same price, and you are both good at what you do. There’s not much there for a buyer to make a decision on so you probably stand a 50% chance of getting the business at best. If you take that a stage further and imagine that you are both using the same software to manage your office and operations and maybe even to deliver your service, there’s still nothing to choose between you.
The right software development partner can make sure that you can work efficiently thus cutting your costs. They can make sure that you offer a flexible service instead of being bound by the rules of your software package, and they can ensure that your systems change as you evolve your business model. They can even help you to make your offering unique and therefore stand out in the marketplace on something other than just price.
Food for thought when every penny counts and every contract should be fought for. Effectively embracing software as part of your strategy should more than pay for itself in terms of value to your business otherwise you have the wrong partner.
