Top Signs Your Office Needs New Software

In businesses today, most companies cannot run effectively without some form of computer software. Not only do they need to have a point of sale system, they also need to have CRM and DAM tools and this is just the basics. The software that you use for your computer systems, your tablets, your phones, even your security are all going to work together to make sure that your business is a popular and successful one. If you’ve been using software for an extended period of time, you will easily miss the signs that you need to upgrade or that you need new software entirely. 

CRM (customer relationship management) software tracks and manages customer relationships. It records interactions between a business, its prospects, and its existing customers. CRM software products place all relevant customer data like contact information, history, and transaction summaries into a concise live record.

The point is that you need to be able to recognise when it’s time to make a change. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of signs that your company is in need of new software, and you should really pay attention to this if you are not sure.

Software updates are important because they often include critical patches to security holes. New vulnerabilities are discovered all the time, both by malicious ‘black-hat’ hackers and ‘white-hat’ hackers, who are paid by software developers to find security issues in their applications.

Now some companies prefer to use software such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 in their daily usage, while other companies prefer to remain strong with Apple products. To be honest, it really doesn’t matter what kind of software your company uses;

• Updates have been disabled. One of the most intelligent things about software is that it can be updated and upgraded automatically. If you have this feature switched off you’re not going to notice when things upgrade because they’re not going to do it on their own. The updates don’t just allow you to have the latest and best offer available, but they allow you to have the best software available for security. If you’re looking to make sure that your business life is easy, then you need these updates to be running in the background. If you don’t run those updates regularly enough, you leave the data vulnerable to a multitude of issues.
• You are going to notice considerably more business interruption. If your employees stop working when there is a problem with the software, then you are going to notice down time is going to increase. If it seems like it takes more time to get work completed than it did before, then the software could be the issue. The longer it takes for employees to complete work, the more money it’s going to cost the business, and you really need to consider how this is going to have an impact on you. If you don’t want to have too much downtime and you are getting sick and tired of business interruption, then it’s very possible you need to upgrade.
• Your software speed is slow. You need your business to be efficient, and you need your workers to be productive. Neither of these things can happen if your software is depressingly slow. If there are delays in opening or closing the software, uploading files and data or saving any of that, your software is not going to function correctly. When this happens, there is a need for an upgrade if you want to be able to keep your business efficient. Customers and clients expect a level of efficiency in your day-to-day interactions with them, and it’s important that you understand that before you go ahead.
• You’ve noticed your mobile and your office tech are no longer compatible. Unless you are dealing with sensitive data in your business, you should be able to allow your employees to access programmes and information remotely. Not only that does this facilitate remote and hybrid working, it ensures that your software is going to work well for your employees. If people don’t have access to Wi-Fi, or they need to perform business functions away from the office or while commuting, the software between remote technology and office technology has to be compatible. If the software that you are using does not allow for that, then you need to make a change.

• You are working with software that is not even used anymore. When was the last time you upgraded, and be honest! Did you learn recently that the software company that you use no longer actually produces the software that you use? If this is the case, you’re going to struggle when things fail. You need to ensure that you are keeping your software up to date and that means using a company that is currently and actually actively working on that software and any patches or security issues. New software could be the answer.
• The competition is beating you. If your competitors are attracting a regular and increasingly growing customer base with the best technology, then your business is to keep up. For this to work, it may be time for new software. You want to be able to keep up with the competition so that you could be competitive in your arena. Without that competition, you will notice your customers seem to segue elsewhere.
• You have outgrown it. Overtime, we outgrow everything in business. The software that you have been using for many years may not be benefiting your company the way that it did when you first started out. If your business processes are no longer easier or faster, and you are finding more bugs than is necessary, then you need to take a look at other software options out there that you could be using instead.
• Your user base is growing. If your current software is no longer accommodating the number of users, that is a clear sign that a new system is necessary. It should continue to accept as many new users as you need it too, but this is part of the earlier issue of not updating it when it happens. Updating and upgrading your software is a must, and if you need to be able to ensure that your user base can grow correctly then this is one of the things you have to do to accommodate that.

All of these tips can help you to see that your software needs are changing for the better!