Small business software implementations are inherently unsuccessful. Sure, a company may boast a flashy new software package, but too often they have to abandon the same software when the going gets tough.
Before signing a vendor agreement, it’s important for small businesses to consider what a successful software implementation actually looks like. This can be difficult in an industry that tends to push the latest fads in technology and upsell customers with powerful software they might never dream of using. Moreover, the environments around generative AI are becoming increasingly crowded and difficult to navigate.
Small businesses need to look beyond the software’s features to determine what makes them successful, and instead focus on the processes the software improves. This also needs to be done dynamically. If a company stops moving forward, it’s underwater. The same goes for software distribution.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when purchasing software:
“What problem are we trying to solve?”
Ultimately, the success of a software implementation is not something that can be determined immediately. It takes time for users to kick the tires and test their limits, adaptability, and overall purpose. Even the most perfectly functioning software is of no use if it attempts to solve a problem the company doesn’t have, or if the problems the company faces are too basic for the software to handle.
Before considering software as a solution, every small business must undergo a critical thinking exercise focused on process. I’ve covered this extensively. my last articleBut in summary, small business owners should aspire to be in business rather than working in business. Essentially, this means owners and managers can step away from day-to-day operational tasks and focus on big-picture concepts like sustainable growth, CX strategy, and industry trends. It is impossible to get a bird’s eye view of the business while passing through the trenches.
Process-oriented thinking involves formalizing how a company does business by focusing on each step one at a time. Small business owners can formulate the goals of each step, who owns the work steps, when important handoffs occur, and what resources are needed to complete the steps efficiently. This will make it clear what the company is doing well and where it can improve. This is important information to guide your software purchasing decisions.
Key to this task is understanding which processes are likely to remain as the business grows and which processes may require adaptation. This helps you target the right software that can address your current needs, while still providing enough flexibility to face upcoming, often unpredictable challenges, as new information has emerged, your company has adjusted the way it operates, or, most importantly, your employees have provided feedback. It is important that adaptive software includes analytics components to support these efforts, giving users visibility into how things are going.
Nonetheless, small businesses must remember that even the most adaptable software should not change just for the sake of change. Each adjustment requires resources that small businesses lack, making any wasted effort at least twice as damaging. The analytics backbone that powers the software enables small and medium-sized businesses to make informed decisions about improving operations with the goal of maximizing efficiency.
The above has the following caveats: Small businesses shouldn’t feel pressured to change what’s currently working! The flashiest and brightest AI cannot compete with established workflows across an organization.
Employees in small and medium-sized businesses are more likely to use AI-based software if AI technology is smartly embedded to enhance aspects of the software that don’t require a steep learning curve. This is especially important in small businesses because they often have developed unique ways of working or have not yet developed workflows at all. These businesses need AI that collaborates rather than creating tension or requiring smaller businesses to make decisions they aren’t prepared to make.
“How are we going to get people to use it?”
Before a small business can repeat software changes, it must have a certain number of employees actually using the software itself. Otherwise, no matter how solid your implementation is, it will fail completely, waste your finances, and above all, your time.
The process of building organizational buy-in begins with conversation. Employees should learn the goals of the software overhaul and be given the opportunity to provide input. The earlier a company engages its employees and the more they can demonstrate that they are listening, the more employees will give new software the benefit of the doubt. Especially knowing that there will be changes along the way.
For best results, small businesses should start with small deployments. They might choose a software or two to implement and ask their employees to participate in a trial period. It will become very clear in a short period of time whether this software will become an essential tool or fall by the wayside. If you can get your employees engaged, your company is on the right track. Involving your employees from the beginning gives them a say in what tools they end up using, increasing the likelihood that they’ll be willing to try them.
Adoptable small business software also allows individual users to customize the way they work. It includes a dashboard that displays important information and highlights mission-critical tasks as they emerge. Simplify communication by providing cross-app integration to ensure messages are never lost, and you can easily turn messages into action items.
Finally, small businesses need to consider how their employees are working these days. While some companies are mandating a return to the office five days a week, many continue to operate in a hybrid model or allow employees to work fully remotely. This means that successful software must offer the same functionality on mobile as on desktop. This allows employees to connect remotely from wherever they are and still get their work done efficiently.
“How do I know if my software works?”
Small business software should make everyone’s life easier, not easier.
It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to get caught up in the weeds of software implementations that promise the moon, the stars, and everything in between, and forget that good software should deliver quick initial value and deliver more value over time. Sure, it may require a bit of setup at first, but software full of bells and whistles doesn’t matter if your company can’t ring or whistle any bells.
For small businesses, it’s helpful to start by defining the problem you want the new software to solve. What are KPIs? When considering the process, based on the issues identified, what are the specific indicators that they have been improved or resolved? For example, how much time did you spend on data entry before the solution was introduced and now? It can be helpful to include hard data in your reports to understand this, but anecdotal reports from employees can also be useful in assessing the impact of your solution.
Clarity about success metrics is essential to understanding what the software is doing well, especially if the work is done behind the scenes. Consider AI, for example. This technology handles basic tasks and calculations that may require significant time and focus upfront, and then makes it easy to place the results where they can be most useful. When AI is integrated so seamlessly into operations, users may not even realize that AI is involved at all. But those who define success will pay closer attention.
AI not only relieves employees of time-consuming tasks, but the consequences are real. AI can help employees take on more important responsibilities that they may have previously put off due to the sheer volume of work they had to do. This allows employees to improve their skills and become more impactful contributors, while reducing the headaches associated with the kind of tedious boredom that AI handles better.
conclusion
Ultimately, the success of a software implementation comes down to the success of the partnership between the small business and the technology provider. A one-size-fits-all solution is not feasible for most small and medium-sized businesses, which resist categorization because of their need to remain flexible. Strict contract terms are also not conducive to the success of small business software. A new company cannot anticipate every single use case that might arise. And if changes are needed that are beyond the scope of your small business, the right vendor will listen to that feedback and provide solutions or add these features to the roadmap.
Small businesses that prioritize finding the right software partner can benefit from technology that is better suited to their needs and grows with their business, and vice versa. Even within the digital space, success requires the human touch.
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