A Simple Guide to Choosing the Right Tools for the Office
Software is the Corner Stone of all Modern Businesses
For over 20 years, I have worked in Information Technology in one form or another. Yet it never ceases to amaze me at the level of lousy software that makes the rounds and in particular, continues to be used by many businesses.
At least recently, there has been a better selection of tools. However, nearly all of these are SaaS products which are fantastic for most cases, but not all parts of Australia can rely on a great Internet connection. And sometimes, the requirements call for something self-hosted.
So, what are the signs that technology could be doing more for you? Besides the inspired computer rage.
It just simply isn’t doing the job:
A pretty simple premise. It is also surprising how often I come across implemented software that has not even come close to fitting a customer’s requirements.
Its cost to run and license outweighs its value:
All software will come with a price. Even free software will require support and configuration. But software that costs thousands to license to perform some simple network configuration and file storage for your office is too much.
When considering the cost of licensing and support. Try to estimate what the software is doing for you in the most objective means possible. How many hours/dollars it saves you or how much a piece of software could earn you are both excellent places to start.
Complex, difficult to understand and use:
The software should be built to fix a problem for your office. It shouldn’t complicate the domain it’s been written to solve problems for. A problem trend is that software is being written to perform too many roles. Be wary of software that advertises too many features and functions. This, however, does differ from a well-thought-out suite of software tools.
Can’t be automated to do repetitive tasks:
Nearly all the roles in your office will have some tasks that are endlessly repeated. One of your computer's best talents is doing repetitive things quickly and reliably.
It’s unreliable or Insecure:
Software that requires constant professional intervention to work or be secure isn’t a great choice. When too much time and money is invested in keeping your tools running and secure, it’s generally time to switch.
You don’t own your data:
Your data should always be available in an open format and transferable with no loopholes. This nefarious practice is thankfully becoming less common.
How do we get here?
There are several reasons that lousy software can still be prevalent. The main two are simple enough. And that is a lack of research and simply not knowing that better exists. The lesser two are a bit more nefarious. They involve bad sales practices and, at times, even corruption. These latter two are more common in the enterprise world. Big budgets are utilised to sell software and support packages. Some software also can demo so very well. But in practice, they fall short in critical areas.
How do we fix this?
To save people from the drudgery of bad and unreliable software and to truly unlock the potential of technology, I rely on the following set of rules to choose better software tools for your office and, why not, your life in general.
Think about your requirements now and into the future:
When purchasing or taking the jump into implementing new software. Don’t just think about your current requirements. Try to think past these and how your new software can help you achieve your business goals in the future.
Collaboration is Key:
When it comes to your business, it is always better when everyone can pitch into work towards your business goals. More hands make light work and all that.
Reporting and Auditing:
Security via lockdown is only required in rare situations and will almost always be due to compliance. While the principle of least privilege still holds true, everyone in your organisation should have the power to contribute where possible. Your tools should have a simple way to report activity and other metrics or, at the very least, be able to export to additional reporting, logging, auditing or visualisation tools.
On the flip side, data that can be logged and visualised can be used to measure how your business is going. This sets you up to be able to measure how changes you make can affect your business as well as let you know when something is going wrong.
Automatable:
As mentioned previously, there are always jobs that software can handle all by itself with no human intervention. These can handle particular events, like someone using your contact page for something that is scheduled. An API is a must these days. Good software is good, but good software with an API that can interface with other software is brilliant!
Your data is yours:
Sometimes you might outgrow your tools, or you may find that you need to replace tools with others due to other reasons. Extracting your data from your tools should never ever be a problem for any vendor.
Can’t find the right tool:
Sometimes, the right tool required might not exist yet. Congratulations. You may have just found a potential new product that no one else has thought of.
Remember, when creating any new tools, it can be easy to overshoot and over-invest time and money. Keep it simple start small, build only necessary features and focus on the quality of the software.
