For organizations from small businesses to large companies, integrating new software is a major decision. Several things can go wrong, leading to software that doesn’t help or even makes things worse. Time and time again, a company will invest heavily in workflow software only to find employees frustrated, productivity flatlined, and significant time and money wasted.
Workflow software automates and streamlines a repeatable sequence of tasks, ensuring they are completed in the correct order. Most businesses invest in this software so their employees can focus on higher-value work. When used correctly, it increases efficiency, reduces costs and improves productivity by automating repetitive tasks. It can help businesses manage processes such as new-employee onboarding, tracking social media posts, managing gym attendance and more. However, despite the benefits, it can increase problems rather than solve them if it is not implemented correctly.
The Rise of Workflow Software
In today’s world, businesses are constantly turning to automation and digital tools to reduce time and streamline processes. While workflow tools can transform operations, success depends less on the technology itself and more on how companies prepare for and implement it.
It has also gained popularity because it supports remote and hybrid work by providing a centralized system for managing processes, regardless of employees’ locations.
Businesses often use project management tools such as Asana and Monday.com, as well as CRM systems such as HubSpot and Salesforce. Implementing this software can cost thousands of dollars, and, since every business has its own unique workflow and needs, they often want to integrate custom software to fill gaps or prefer it altogether. However, this can be counterproductive if not done correctly.
Integrating workflow software fails nearly 68% of the time. There’s a common misconception that this software can be implemented in the blink of an eye. Many business owners believe they can simply tell a software company what they want and it will be implemented, but the truth is it’s a lot more complicated than that.
Many people think that once this software is implemented, all their problems will be solved. However, it’s important to remember that software is a tool. It is there to help individuals do things, not to do things for individuals. When people say they’re going to get new software, they may think that as soon as it’s implemented, it will automatically adapt to their processes. It’s not going to do anything for them; they need to work with it.
Businesses need to spend a lot of time nailing down exactly what they want. Implementing software is supposed to save thousands of hours a year. But businesses need to invest a lot of time and commitment to implement it.
Include the Team
Before even thinking about adding new software, businesses must discuss it with their employees. Software is often integrated in ways that don’t fit the company’s workflow. Everyone who is going to utilize the new software needs to be included in the integration process, no matter how big or small the company is.
The last thing business leaders want is for the software to go live only for an employee in accounting to panic because the feature that lets her copy and paste has become a multi-hour task. Before deciding on software, it’s wise to ask her how much time it takes her to do that copying and pasting; perhaps it can be simplified to a new process that would take her only a couple of minutes.
In fact, it’s wise to interview all members of the company. Ask them if something would be helpful and have them go into detail as to why or why not. Taking an hour to interview each person about their workflow may seem an extensive amount of time, but implementing the proper software that genuinely helps the employees will pay off in the long run.
It’s also important to include employees throughout the entire process. The process involves decision-making stakeholders. Talking to the software company about testing prototypes enables everyone to see how it works. Business leaders can miss crucial details when they don’t involve the entire team. The day it goes live, there should be no surprises for anyone.
Know the Business’s Workflow
Additionally, business leaders should know their company’s workflow like the back of their hand before they even think about implementing software. That way, if things are happening simultaneously, they can find a way to simplify it.
Many companies implement software without a clear understanding of the workflow. When people integrate workflow systems, they need to recognize that while it may be automating one thing, other things may be happening or need to happen at the same time.
For example, if a construction company wants to roll out software to automate logging safety inspections, they need to ensure a process is in place for what happens after an issue is flagged. While the inspection reminders might run smoothly, the hazards would still go unaddressed because the follow-up tasks weren’t built into the workflow. If a business is relying on two different systems hand in hand, they will likely not be happy with the outcome; in fact, it can make tracking harder.
Data Quality and Choosing the Right Software
Data quality is another common pitfall that can make or break the integration process. It’s crucial that all data is complete and in one place, with no duplicates. Every company starts implementing software with data first. No workflow system is going to fix bad data. It uses the data the business provides to help that business’s workflow. If a business does not have data, there’s no point in software.
It’s vital to not choose the wrong software. People often forget little details in software. It needs to match the team’s complexity. For example, a gym might invest in a management platform that’s supposed to handle scheduling, billing and member communications. However, once it’s implemented, the staff may realize there’s no easy way for trainers to adjust class rosters. That missing feature may seem small, but it creates friction in daily operations.
When working with a software company, it’s important to change course as soon as it feels like things are not going right. The answer may be that the business doesn’t need software yet. The software should never be the first solution a business leader reaches for; it should be the right solution at the right time. Adding a new system can make things worse if the team is still figuring out workflows, responsibilities or data organization.
When implementing software, business leaders should think long-term: Don’t answer today’s problem but rather the issue the business will face in three years. Making sure it’s flexible will allow the software to change as the workflow and company evolve.
Software is like buying a car. When people buy a car, they can compare vehicles based on a million different things. But at the end of the day, they buy a new car because one thing on their old car keeps breaking and they don’t want to deal with it anymore. Software is the same. So, don’t think about the current problem. Think about the future and what will make the family happy or you’ll end up with the wrong car.
Alex Radulovic is the founder of PurpleOwl in Scottsdale, which specializes in building custom software for small and medium-sized businesses. Purple Owl has been helping business owners across the country build software for nearly a decade.
