1. Research

You probably have an idea of what area of the business you would like to enhance, but have you done your research as to why? Does it make sense to invest in a technology solution for this part of the business as opposed to another? Can you invest in more than one area? Sit down and think about what area of the business could utilize a technology enhancement. Write out how you would like this software to act, what features it would have, and how much you’re willing to spend.

2. Search for an Off-The-Shelf Solution First

Before you go any further in figuring out a custom solution, there may be an off-the-shelf solution that could help your business immediately. Do some internet searches and see if anything pop ups. If you haven’t found what you’re looking for, move to step 3; if you have found something similar, move to step 4.

3. Cost/Benefit Analysis

Once you’ve done your research and still haven’t found anything that would seem to meet your needs, conduct a Cost/Benefit analysis for building a custom solution. To assist you in this process and to help determine the costs associated with your desired enhancements, contact a local technology firm. This will allow you to see if the cost outweighs the benefit, or vice versa.

4. Time Investment

All technology enhancements will require a time commitment on your end. You’ll need to plan its implementation, learn how to use it, and establish policies and procedures to help teach others how to effectively use it. Once you get the hang of it, it will be worth the investment.

5. Implementation

Implementation depends largely on the collaboration between your team and the technology firm as well as the complexity of the solution. Developing the solution takes time, time that should be accounted for if you want to enhance your technology. Having realistic goals to implementing your solution is a must.

In summary, preparing for next year’s technology enhancements will take time. Researching, finding an off-the-shelf solution (perhaps), figuring out the associated costs/benefits, accounting for the time investment, and finally implementing the solution is hard work. But, if you want to maximize your potential for growth, following these simple steps will get you moving in the right direction.

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Before reading this list, it’s important you come at it from a prejudice-free perspective. Try to set aside those terrible experiences you’ve had with technology (we’ve all had them) and read this with an open mind to allow you to envision how  technology might fill the exact need you didn’t even know you had. Please note that these observations are offered from a software perspective.

Three Areas in Which You Might Benefit from Technology Software:

1. Productivity – There are times when I’ve stepped back and realized that whatever I was doing could be done faster if the right technology was developed. Sometimes the cost outweighs the benefit, but in other cases, the benefit greatly outweighs the cost. If done right, the technology in which you choose to invest, either off-the-shelf or custom built, will help free up your time to focus on the more “important” tasks. As is the case with any technological investment, it’s important to learn it so that you can fully integrate it as quickly as you can so you can start reaping your return on investment.
2. Transparency – Before the digital age, everything was done on and through paper. Trying to find a document to share with a fellow colleague was much more difficult and time intensive. Not only did this affect your overall productivity, but it made it near impossible to see the “big picture” or overall workflow of what you were working on. Technology, namely software, is helpful in that it not only allows you to see what you’ve been working on, but it also organizes all your work so that you can locate important information with a simply click of the mouse. Envisioning how technology could help your business organize the progression of a project/task/etc. is very helpful for you, your employees, and clients.
3. Measurability – Software implementations with built-in metrics can help you measure progress, or ‘success”. It’s like the old saying, “you can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been”. It’s important to measure performance at the very beginning in order to evaluate your progress down the road. In other words, it’s the only way to tell in which direction you’re moving. If done right, you’ll be able to adjust your business to do the things that make you more money.

These observations about technology aren’t earth shattering by any means, but they are, in my humble opinion, good reasons to at least consider when contemplating whether or not a technology solution is the right choice for your business. Unique needs or problems often require unique solutions, in which case you may want to reach out to a local technology firm to discuss a custom solution to fit your needs.

The post 3 Intangible Ways Technology Can Help Your Business appeared first on Lumis Solutions Blog.

If you were over at our main website, you’ve probably know a little bit more about us. If you haven’t done so, check it out and see how we go through a technology solution engagement, some of our work, and see what Lumis Solutions means to us.

We’re in the business of making your job easier by developing efficient, intuitive, and engaging web applications.  What does that mean? Well, we like to develop software or applications that can enhance the way your business does work. We also make our own software products in hopes to make someone’s job easier by freeing them up to do more of what’s important to them.

We want to use this blog as a board to share our insights (along with others) on how technology can be used to enhance your business, department, and/or yourself.  Stay tuned, come back, and learn something new.

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