Grand ménage du printemps technologique
Spring has sprung and what better time to reorganize and tidy up our IT infrastructures and systems! Sometimes, a little spring cleaning can help us see more clearly and better plan the next steps or challenges we want to undertake. COVID-19 forced businesses of all sizes to quickly come up with a business continuity plan, so they could continue their operations in the short term and be able to assume the impacts of a potential economic downturn down the road. Some strategic planning is most likely already taking place in your company, so why not go one step further and create or update your IT corporate plan? Why not take this opportunity to evaluate your technological position on the market, and make this slow-down period a lot more profitable than anticipated?
Where to begin?
IT assessment usually means creating an exhaustive list of the requirements to be met as well as the issues to be addressed in the short, medium and long term. So, while you are at it, why not carry out an audit of the software tools you currently have installed, their costs, their rate of use and their actual impact on efficiency and productivity? We strongly recommend searching for comparables on the market for each of the tools you use. Technologies are evolving so fast these days that a best of breed tool in a certain category could easily be replaced by a newer and more efficient one in the span of a few months!
Here are some examples of templates you could use:
Food for thought
To help you begin your analysis of the technological tools available on the market, here is a non-exhaustive list of some of the platforms you probably already use and certain criteria to consider. Your breakdown, just like your choices, will obviously have to be personalized and adapted to your reality.
Accounting system
- Perform accounting entries in a single place and reduce the risk of errors and loss of data;
- Have the possibility to choose the options and functionalities according to your specific requirements.
Mobile application
- Increase your B2C, B2B and B2E presence, visibility and accessibility for an increasingly mobile-savvy clientele;
CRM
- Automate and centralize sales management throughout the entire client lifecycle.
Web site
- Show off your company, your offer of service and/or your portfolio to stand out and differentiate yourself from the competition;
- Gather sales opportunities (lead generation);
- Offer an optimal user experience.
E-commerce platform
- Increase sales and reach a greater number of clients anytime and anywhere on the planet;
- Foster customer loyalty.
Self-service portal
- Keep in touch with your clients, suppliers, partners and employees;
- Improve communications and the exchange of information;
HRMS (Human resources management system
- Centralize information to be greener, but also simplify and streamline HR processes;
- Help managers support their employees through performance management, evaluation and feedback tools;
- Ensure data confidentiality.
Collaboration platforms
- Facilitate communications and collaboration within your organisation;
- Use tools such as video conferencing, instant messaging and telephony;
- Store your data in the Cloud and always have a backup of this data.
Enterprise resource planning system
- Improve your overall efficiency thanks to central system for all your business data;
- Save your data on a single system.
There is no need to change all your technological tools at the same time. Simply sort, prioritize and make sure you fully understand the impacts of the desired implementation and/or technological changes. Create your plan.
Remember to stay focused on business performance. When in a market that moves as fast as ours, those who manage to differentiate themselves will be the ones who have properly understood the market, evaluated their competition, made quick decisions, or have been, dare we say it, opportunistic. The time you will have invested in a serious analysis will allow you to equip yourself and take the leap at the right time.
