There must be a point to software updates, argues Harpal Singh, managing director of Conveyancing Alliance Ltd
Technology can often seem baffling one minute you’re completely comfortable with all hardware and software you need to run your business and just a moment later, a clutch of updates and next-generation offerings can make it seem like the systems you operate would be more at home in the 1980s. And the fact that this can happen overnight makes it even more disconcerting.
Of course alongside this technological advancement which could provide vital impetus, save costs and increase income, is a range of new developments which can simply seem like technology for technology’s sake. We’ve seen this state of affairs for many years in the retail computer space where new devices are spewed out into the market almost daily. While we can all appreciate a mobile phone which allows you to check your email can we really see a future where we all read our books on an electronic book reader like the Kindle? I’m yet to be convinced.
In essence there is a danger that we update for the sake of updating and as advisers and firms it can be difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to technological advancement? The complicated nature of this decision can make the status quo seem like the right option. The mindset of ‘I know what we have, I know how to use it and I know how to get the best out of it’ may be okay for a while but eventually it could leave you far behind your rivals and out of step with how the new technology is shaking up the market.
There can be negatives to being an early adopter of technology in that you may be making the mistakes that others will come and learn from and it can take time to integrate new hardware or software into the current business model. However, the positives that can be achieved far outweigh the downsides in terms of, for example, breaking new ground, simplifying processes, stripping out administration, getting more out of the data you hold, delivering added value to clients – the list goes on.
Many of us will received constant communications from our software providers and business partners that ‘new updates are available’ – the temptation is to treat them like spam and delete or ignore them. However, not all updates are the same and as stated there is a huge difference to just adding some bells and whistles and fundamentally overhauling systems to provide far greater interactivity and intelligent design.
As a business which has just completed a complete overhaul of our own system we are fully aware of the work involved and the accrued benefits from having effectively taken the whole system apart in order to understand exactly what we are providing and what we are asking the broker to provide us. This drilling down of our own data requirements and the ambition to make the system much more user-friendly as a result has allowed the business to offer products and services which were simply beyond us with the old system. It also allows us to show to broker users how they are able to streamline their own processes when using the system and, rather importantly, how they can earn greater income from the new offerings we are now able to deliver.
Therefore, it can certainly pay to make sure you take up an update even though it might seem like something of a chore at the time. Be prepared to understand what differences this new updated system will provide and whether this is a fundamental improvement or simply a superfluous addition. Also remember to ask why the update will benefit your business immediately, especially if it is going to cost you to install it. There is certainly no point in having a gilded lily of a system which takes valuable time to learn how to navigate and then provides next to no benefit. Updates must be worth it and those that are should certainly prove their worth very early in the take up.
