Bringing new software into your business can be both an exciting and stressful time. New software is usually brought into a business to solve a specific problem and allow you to be more organized and efficient. However, if you choose a system that doesn’t fit your needs, you can end up creating a whole host of additional problems for your organization, as well as wasting a lot of time, effort, and money.
Here are just some of the problems you might come up against if you don’t make the right choice when it comes to your new software, and why it’s vital to do thorough research ahead of time to avoid these mistakes.
How Will You Support the Change?
If you’re bringing new software into your business, your instinct may be to get going as quickly as possible. While this may seem like a time-efficient solution, and ensure that everyone moves over to the new way of working right away, if you don’t have a proper implementation process then it could make things more difficult for you.
That’s why you must pick a software supplier which offers you a detailed implementation process and a dedicated Implementation team to take you through the whole process. Software suppliers should want to ensure that you are getting precisely what you need from their product, and this starts from the minute you become their customer. If a software provider doesn’t offer a good implementation process, then chances are they are more interested in your money than they are your success as a business.
Did you know Administrate’s Professional Services team has helped customers around the world deploy complex training and learning environments across a variety of industries? Find out more about all the services our team offers, from implementation right through to content creation!
The Risks of an Off-The-Shelf Solution Rather Than a Configurable Platform
An off-the-shelf software solution may seem like the answer to all your problems, but the truth is products like this very rarely custom-fit your business. This means that while it may seem to target some of the issues you’re currently experiencing, chances are it won’t target problems on a deeper level. This may leave you searching for a new software solution again in a few years, as you selected a product which was unable to scale and grow with your business, and support you every step of the way.
A training management platform is a much better option for your business. Not only will you be able to work with the software provider to ensure it’s the correct solution you need right now, but you will also be able to build a partnership which will make it easy to tackle any new problems which may arise in the future as your business grows.
A training management platform like Administrate offers you the functionality of several vital systems you need to be able to manage your training effectively. As well as handling all your course management, it also comes equipped with a robust reporting system, an award-winning LMS, a CMS, a centralized document management system, an automated communications system, and pretty much everything else you could need to run your internal training courses with ease. Having the ability to configure the solution you need means that your software investment is scalable and agile enough to evolve with your business. Your ROI just went up!
Defining Your Support Needs
A help desk located who knows where isn’t always enough to provide your organization with the answers you need to keep your business moving. Beyond implementation, it’s necessary to check the level of support you will be offered once you are up and running with the product.
If something goes wrong or you have a question that needs answering, it’s essential to know that you will have an adequate level of support at all times. If you don’t, this could have a negative impact on your business, as a slow response to fixing problems will slow your team down and affect your productivity.
Administrate’s Support team is there when you need us, and we’re always ready to answer any questions or deal with any problems you have. We recognize how important it is to have team members on-hand to build and maintain a partnership with you, and we want to be able to help you so your business can grow and you can make changes with as little stress as possible.
Do you Need Custom Development to Grow?
Finding a platform that can help you grow and assist you as you scale is vital, but if your new software doesn’t offer custom development options, then you will pretty much be stuck with the version of the software you bought on day one. This will severely impact your ability to grow as a business, and will inevitably leave you looking for a new software option sooner rather than later.
The ideal situation that you should be looking for is a software provider who will work with you to solve any new problems you come across. Maybe there is a part of the platform which will help you that you just haven’t used in the past. Having a close relationship with your software provider means you’ll be able to have that discussion and they can point you in the right direction.
However, sometimes a new problem may come up that your software can’t currently tackle. Administrate Professional Services team offers custom development, meaning we can work with you to meet your specific needs and ensure Administrate is doing everything you need it to do. In fact, we did just this for ForgeRock University when they needed a digital badging solution for their training.
Get to Most Out of Your Software Investment
Bringing new software into your business is a process that needs to be handled carefully to ensure that everything is set up correctly and to make sure you get the most out of the time and money you have spent. Download our ‘Five Steps to Scaled Growth’ guide to find out more tips on how you grow with your new software, and integrate it into your way of working going forward.
How Can Administrate Meet Your Needs?
If you want to find out how Administrate can fit your organization’s specific needs, why not schedule a no-obligation consultation with our training management experts? Set up a meeting today.
