While the typical focus on technology upgrades tend to focus on end user workstations –operating systems and productivity apps like Office – it is important to take inventory of all applications within your business each year. . There is value in upgrading legacy applications, particularly in streamlining manual processes and improving outdated workflows that are stuck in the past because of technology limitations.
Spreadsheets
Many organizations implemented Excel spreadsheet-based solutions to financial or data management challenges. Often, Excel was the “quick and dirty” solution at the time and simply became the status quo because the “slower, clean” solution was never invested in. While Excel is great for handling data and analysis one user at a time, a data-driven web application is often the better option for use across teams. Converting Excel spreadsheets into a more flexible web application with a backend database has gotten much easier than it used to be, especially with cloud platforms or existing SaaS solutions
Reporting
Many organizations thrive on reports delivered to various team members from various systems in the organization. However, when someone requires a change to one of these reports or needs to drill down into the data, the wheels often come off. With modern reporting platforms like Tableau, Tibco and others, it’s never been easier to deploy a highly flexible and adjustable reporting platform in your company. Take a look at key reports where the business folks may already be requesting “the data behind the data,” and remove those manual queries being run by IT. Today, business users should be able to “look for themselves” with a modern reporting engine.
Financial accounting
Internal accounting systems often “get comfortable” in a business and the case to upgrade is often times marginal. This is often associated with the comfort felt by users who have become experts over time. However, today, with so many options in modern accounting platforms that integrate neatly with payroll, CRM, and HRM platforms, those integrations are critical. A simple way to test for this is to ask how many systems have to be updated manually when an employee comes or goes.
Need help assessing legacy applications in your business? Please contact Superior Technology online at www.superiortechnology.com or by phone at (845) 735-3555.
Comments are closed.