There’s an inverse relationship between technological advancement and business requirements – and it becomes exponentially more critical to understand this relationship as a business grows. Many of the greatest assets to a modern, successful business are the simplest and most easy to qualify; smart technology, smart employees, smart systems.
By focusing on how to remove the complications from complex projects and processes, businesses can more accurately and effectively control their outputs and better set their targets.
All Systems Go.
Modern businesses can learn a lot from the old Apple slogan ‘it just works’. The ideal end point for most tech-related business decisions is that technology is seamless and able to be integrated without too much investment and ongoing cost. For a system as integral as accounting software, it’s also important that the chosen platform and mode of access suits the business, and doesn’t require the world to move around it.
The ideal software solutions for business are generally customisable, easily accessible, and able to be accessed from anywhere and at any time. More often than not, the modality that most fits this brief is cloud-based software, as its framework and delivery method allow businesses to customise how they display their information and data.
Keeping It Clean.
Legacy software and technology often provides businesses a nasty surprise down the track. The upkeep required to maintain proprietary software and technology can be critically expensive, as well as requiring expert knowledge and ongoing training and upskilling. For modern business, this can sweeten the decision to switch to systems which are easily maintained and learned – such as industry standard, online programs.
These types of programs help to keep ongoing costs down through the availability of common training materials and programs, and allow new employees to become expert users without the steep learning curve or the outrageous proprietary vendor charges.
Make Working More Simple.
Another hallmark of modern business is the focus on greater flexibility in working arrangements, whether that’s through the provision of part time, contract, and casual working arrangements, or allowing employees to work remotely from home.
Decentralised working environments provide the opportunity for businesses to reduce overhead costs on facilities by decreasing daily headcounts. It also offers businesses a way to protect valuable employees by offering enhanced working solutions, at a time where they may otherwise resign.
Lean Into It.
Lean. Agile. Progressive. These one-word tags are driving huge changes to businesses, and in the rush to appear modern and connected, even traditionally minded organisations are undertaking transformations to trim the fat and better focus their operations.
Simply speaking, a ‘lean’ organisation is now divorced from the original lean principles. A lean organisation is one which minimises waste through driving efficiency cycles, and through undertaking projects which encourage continuous improvement. This can be as simple as conducting regular checkpoints to understand where work sits in a pipeline, and whether or not to undertake a task based upon a cost/outcome analysis at multiple points of a project.
The goal of these efficiency drives is not only to increase productivity – it’s to simplify the overall structure of business so that processes can become finessed over time through the use of quality data and metrics.
Modern businesses have more tools available than ever for their use in the quest for greater profitability and productivity. In many cases, it can be a case of choosing which systems NOT to use, and which processes are the least like to be effective in order to find the simplest and most sustainable solution for the business.
By choosing smarter technology and by providing employees with more flexibility, businesses can simplify and streamline their approach, and ensuring their ongoing relevance and competitive advantage for years to come.
