Technology: Why Adapt to “Survive?” Adapt to Thrive!

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.”
― James P. Lewis

It’s one thing to “keep up” with the constantly changing battleground of the business world; in fact, it’s necessary. But we should be looking at that as only one element of the solution. Why not take it a step further and make our business flourish in this highly competitive environment?

Adopting the best business automation technology available is a cost-effective way to reach that goal. And cloud-based technology systems not only get the job done in the office, but keep you automatically ahead of the game because your provider is making sure the solution is always ahead of the game. But there’s one caveat to that last statement: you need to be very careful when you select solution providers – they’re not all created equally and some will quietly allow you to fall behind your competition. In many cases, clients aren’t even aware that it’s happening. With due diligence you’ll be able to select from a list of providers with proven track records.

A great way for companies to thrive is to look at software platforms that allow business users to drive efficiency and productivity. By combining business process management, project management, and information management into one easy to use tool the user can create their own solutions. With such a platform, it is easy to develop and deploy solutions that streamline business processes and solve real world problems which directly impact customer satisfaction, employee productivity and profitability.

Some key features to look for in a platform include:

Short Development and Deployment Time
The best platforms radically reduce “time to pilot” and “time to value.” Simple process pilots can be ready for implementation in hours and in production within days.

Flexibility
Business users require the flexibility to route, comment, revise and track progress of the project to accommodate the variability and unpredictability inherent in knowledge work.

Standard Intuitive Interface
Users love simple intuitive interfaces with standard features allowing the user to focus on the process instead of how the application works. This means that little or no training is required, thus dramatically reducing the time and cost of deployment.

A “Learn by Doing” Approach
The focus is on learning the optimal process through feedback from rapid deployment rather than a customized and expensive development of complex process maps and workflow design that anticipate every possible contingency that may or may not occur.

With the best platforms creating your own solutions couldn’t be simpler: once you identify a process that you’d like to automate, you use an intuitive interface to create a solution for the process. That’s it. Your organization can then streamline internal processes, gain greater visibility into transactions and improve operational efficiency. A flexible platform lets you easily bridge the organizational and geographic boundaries critical to your business. Thriving in this business environment has been made infinitely easier with the right technology at our fingertips.