How Has Your Business Changed?

Is Your Software Keeping Up With Your Business Changes?

Most businesses change and evolve over time.  They may grow in size, adjust and refine their specialties, or add new business models to increase their profits.  After all, the goal of any business is to be successful.  However, often firms are so busy doing the work and keeping up with growth that the software that keeps everything moving and organized gets a little neglected. 

Right now, most of us are working from home or not working at all.  Obviously, for many this is a big change to the status quo of their business models.  But let’s not let the pandemic overshadow the other changes that could signal a need to re-evaluate your software.

1. Location.  Is your software still on-premise and being run from a local server?  If so, chances are it’s time to re-evaluate.  Cloud versions exist for just about any software these days, eliminating the need to maintain expensive hardware and less-secure connection methods, especially with the amount of remote work we’re seeing these days.  Other issues that apply to on-premise packages can include:

• Age.  How long have you been using the software you’re on?  If it’s longer than a year, it’s more likely than not that new enhancements or features have been released that you might be missing.  Check with your software vendor or your consultant to see what’s new. 
• Bugs. Have you been using workarounds to get results you need?  Chances are there’s at least something you’ve had to do differently for a while thanks to a bug in the software, but many firms just continue on the same road because “that’s how we’ve always done it.”  The problem is, that road most likely costs you time you don’t need to lose, because that bug might just be fixed and not updated.
• Parity.  Are you sure that everyone in your firm is on the same version?  When it comes to installed, on-premise software, it can be difficult to make sure that updates and new versions are being installed across all devices, leaving some users without necessary functions or even an inability to use that program until it’s been upgraded.

2. Scalability. Is your software designed to scale up as you do?Scaling can be more than just adding new users.As your firm grows and changes, you may have different needs that aren’t being met by your current settings.Does that mean you need new software?Not necessarily!As we frequently say, ‘your software does more than you know.’It’s quite possible that your existing software can do all the things you need, you just need a knowledgeable consultant to help you find out.

3. Support. How current is your software?  Most on-premise vendors, after a time, retire older versions and no longer support them.  Also as mentioned earlier, newer versions often mean bug fixes and new features that can improve your business processes.  Most cloud packages don’t require regular updates, but they may have integrations that do. 

If any of these scenarios ring true, it’s likely time to examine your software needs and make sure that what you have is meeting them.  If not, or you aren’t sure whether you can get what you want out of your software, let us help.  At Software Analysis, our tagline is:  Because Your Software Does More Than You Know.  Software Analysis Corporation is here to help you with your existing software, as well as provide implementation, training and support to ensure you are getting everything you need from your software investment.

We value your time, so let us help you get back to practicing law.  Visit us at www.SAChicago.com, e-mail jmccomb@sachicago.com, or call us at 630-825-6400.