Keeping up-to-date with the modern technological landscape isn’t something you should put off until later.
It’s a necessity in order to stay competitive.
Whether you’re improving communications between team members or making it easier for customers to meet with you, your software should support all areas of your business.
Discover the latest innovations in business software and how you can stay ahead in your industry.
How is the changing world shaping software usage?
By now, it’s clear how the world has changed since the onset of the pandemic.
The transition to remote work practices in 2020 transformed the ways employees work together and businesses run their operations.
In 2021 and 2022, the Great Resignation and Rebalancing continue to drive changes in the job market, forcing employers to stay competitive if they want to attract and retain talent.
The US Department of Labor reports that 4 million Americans resigned from their jobs in July 2021, and almost 4.4 million resigned in February 2022.
So how can you reduce turnover in your organization with improved systems?
One way to attract talent and boost employee retention is to create an optimal work environment.
By leveraging remote technologies and the best software features, you can help your team stay productive, connected, and fulfilled in their roles.
What features should modern business software include?
With the right software features, you can save time for your team and enable them to be more productive.
You can also run your business more successfully and remain competitive in the changing landscape.
Unified communications & collaboration
No matter whether your team works at home or in the office, you need to have the right systems in place so they can collaborate seamlessly.
Your business software needs to not just support, but foster streamlined communication.
Creating proper communication and collaboration methods is the biggest improvement you can make right now.
Office 365 is one productivity suite that allows users to share and edit documents simultaneously. Google Workspace is another frequently used platform.
You can also take advantage of instant messaging, email, video conferencing, and more – all within the same synchronized solution.
Proper project management and task management are also important to ensure you stay on track and complete projects on time.
One helpful feature is a streamlined discussion space that saves time, creates greater context, and keeps your team organized.
Plus, the more you can integrate your office productivity software with your project management software, the better.
Above all, make sure that your team can work together well and understand what needs to be done.
Remember that great communication and collaboration isn’t just about being able to talk to your team.
It’s also about leveraging the platforms and their features so your business can grow.
If you’re not using your current platform to the fullest, take time to investigate how you can maximize its value.
Business intelligence solutions
BI & reporting is a key aspect of any business software solution.
With the right data, you can improve decision-making and gain greater insights into your business.
One frequently tracked KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is employee performance.
Before the pandemic, it was easy to gain a sense of employees’ performance, well-being, and job satisfaction. If you worked in an office, you could check in with your team daily and see who was focused, productive, and making strides in their career.
With remote collaboration, it’s more important than ever to evaluate the performance of people who aren’t sitting right next to you in the office.
This is where BI software comes into play.
Building specific processes and tools can help you get a clear idea of how your teams are doing. You can also monitor results and share relevant progress to keep everyone on the same page.
With this kind of scoreboard, each team member can understand the overall goal and how their individual success plays into achieving that goal.
A BI tool can create alignment among team members no matter where they live or what time zone they work in.
The right BI solution can also connect to your HR goals by helping you evaluate talent, understand your top performers, and learn how to retain them.
Plus, business intelligence can help you discover ways to find new employees, review your recruiting process, and determine how your company can continue to grow.
HR software tools
Besides making sure your software supports employees in their daily tasks, ensure you have features in place to streamline the recruiting and onboarding process.
Including HR tools within your business software system can help your employees easily access important information and save time for your hiring team.
HR tools can also improve the recruiting and onboarding process when it comes to sharing documents, signing forms, and completing training.
For example, providing live welcome and informational sessions as part of the onboarding process can help foster employee engagement and connection.
Recording and sharing these sessions can also give employees the ability to review important information as they progress in their careers.
If you have great tools that allow your employees to work together well and access the information they need, it will be easier to retain them.
What software features are important for my industry?
The features mentioned above are beneficial for any business in any industry.
For certain industries, however, the use of specific technologies can quickly highlight the differences between a business that’s falling behind and a business that’s staying ahead.
See how the following features can demonstrate your commitment to keeping up in your industry.
Scheduling features
Scheduling systems aren’t just a nice-to-have, add-on feature. Today, many customers expect these to be in place.
Keep in mind that younger generations aren’t the only ones taking advantage of online scheduling systems. Older generations are becoming equally savvy at creating appointments online and making adjustments when necessary.
Besides making it easy for your customers, an online scheduling system can free up time for your staff.
Whether you run a medical practice and want patients to schedule their own appointments or need a seamless restaurant reservation system, the right scheduling software can be extremely helpful for your business.
Provide the best experience possible by knowing exactly when specific clients are coming and the preparations that are necessary.
Touchless technologies
Another feature that has emerged recently is the use of mobile technologies for accepting payments and sharing vendor information.
Many stores accept phones as a form of payment and have touchless payment options – no check, cash, or card necessary.
In addition, more and more businesses are finding innovative ways to leverage QR technologies. Restaurants have started taking advantage of QR codes to share food and drink menus. Though many still provide paper menus, digital menus provide a sanitary and modern ordering experience. Other businesses are utilizing QR codes to market promotions and events, hold contests, share manuals, and register products.
There have been countless ways other companies take advantage of mobile technologies to inspire and attract customers.
Consider how your business can use touchless technologies to create more opportunities for customer interaction and satisfaction.
How will I know when it’s time to improve my software?
Every organization should proactively look at the changing world and figure out how they can leverage innovative opportunities.
Some companies are making changes because of necessity. They may have to transform their business in response to changes occurring in the world, such as the pandemic. Or, they may recognize that they are falling behind their competitors and need to catch up.
Others are looking ahead and seeing how they can take advantage of growth opportunities for their business.
For example, a proactive organization might notice how comfortable their team has become working with people all over the world. They may look into ways to leverage their office productivity suite and expand those networks.
On the other hand, a less proactive organization wouldn’t make changes until they needed to – if their productivity suite no longer supported their needs or if competitors were expanding their reach around the world.
What steps should I take to improve?
Completing a SWOT analysis is a great place to start and assess your needs.
By evaluating Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats as they relate to your business, you’ll be able to create a strategy for success.
If you already have R&D practices in place, those can be a helpful resource to drive your decision-making as well.
Consulting with experts is another way to help you improve your software and grow your business. These individuals can offer a different perspective on your challenges and goals, and provide clear recommendations about how you can improve your daily operations.
Our consultants have in-depth industry knowledge and are available to help with any of your business technology needs.
Be the business that stays ahead of the curve
It’s not possible to anticipate all changes in your industry and in the world.
But with proactive research, reporting, and analysis, you can get a much better idea of what the future may look like.
Once you have a solid understanding of the current landscape, you can evaluate your current software and see how it compares.
Start taking advantage of these software features and continue to stay up-to-date with the latest solutions.
Need an outside perspective when it comes to improving your software? Our experienced consultants are available to help.
