The signs that you’re being left behind
Tech is always changing.
And the business world can struggle to keep up.
Generally, small business tech has lagged behind consumer products.
After all, businesses take longer to invest in and implement solutions.
They are less flexible and agile than individuals.
As such, it can be easy to fall behind with your suite of business tools.
This article will look at the weaknesses that many small business software tools display as they age and become obsolete.
If your tech is displaying these signs, it may be time to think about upgrading to smarter solutions.
Siloed functions
Modern businesses make decisions based on information from across their areas, divisions, and departments. You can do that effectively if you have different tools in different parts of your business that aren’t contributing towards the bigger picture.
Make sure your tech is useful across all areas of your business so that you aren’t producing ‘silos’ of data that can’t be used more widely.
Can’t handle multiple locations
Many businesses these days can be run from all across the world. And it’s common to have a mix of physical and online stores as well as geographically diverse teams. Your tech needs to be able to handle that.
Can you create appropriate divides to manage your data across your locations? For instance, Findmyshift uses location tracking in its time clock feature so you can see when staff check in for their shifts at any site.
No mobile access
In this day and age, we get a lot done with our phones. Modern managers often need to make decisions on the go and have access to the right data at the right time.
Tools that don’t allow you to complete work via your mobile are slowing you down. You risk missing important updates, schedule changes, and much more while you are on the move.
Out of date data
The business world changes fast. Trends come and go, markets adjust, and consumer preferences can flip at the drop of a hat. On a smaller level, your employees have their own lives, and unexpected emergencies can drag them away from work at the last minute.
Having a real-time scheduling platform allows you to respond to short notice changes in your schedule and still manage cover effectively.
Relying on gut feel over insights
Managers need to make informed decisions on a daily basis. Lone gone are the days of simply going with what ‘feels right’. We work in a competitive world, with businesses just waiting to steal customers away from you if they aren’t satisfied.
Each decision you make should have intent behind it and a way to track its success. Launching a new marketing campaign? You bet you’re going to want to track the ad spend and the revenue it brings in. Changing suppliers? Be sure to track the savings alongside the cost of any issues. What good is going cheaper if they mess up orders regularly and lose you money that way.
Data is the key to making decisions that you can back up. Ensure your tools give you access to it so you can do what’s right for your business by the numbers.
Manual errors
If any of your business processes still use a pen and paper, there’s a chance of errors creeping into your work. Paper schedules are the obvious culprit, but there are plenty of others out there too.
Switch to smart digital solutions and you’re bound to cut down on human error and reap the rewards.
Limited integrations
It’s all well and good having a tool that’s great in isolation, but most modern businesses are connected ecosystems where a lot of systems need to be able to talk to each other.
With managers and owners keen to use data to make informed decisions, it’s important that these systems can integrate to collate that data. Consider the duplication of effort that occurs if your timesheets didn’t feed into your payroll system and you’ll understand the importance of this!
Security loopholes
Cyber criminals are a sad fact of today’s connected world, and businesses need to be confident that their digital perimeter is secure. Customer data, business records, and intellectual property are all at risk if appropriate security measures aren’t taken.
Ensure you invest in the right tools for your business, update them as needed, and keep up with the pace of the business world. Good luck!