4 signs you’ve outgrown your business technology

While your current business management software probably worked perfectly at one point, it may be time for an upgrade.

Technology is always advancing, and your business has grown and evolved since you first implemented your current system. Holding on to an aging system could be holding you back in ways you don’t yet realize — ways that are costing you time, money and opportunity.

While the idea of replacing outdated systems might sound overly expensive, the benefits far exceed the price tag. In a Forrester study, researchers found that updating from legacy software saved some organizations as much as $10.6 million in legacy licenses, maintenance, hardware and systems administration costs over the course of three years.

Take an objective look at your current enterprise resource planning software (ERP) to get a sense of how it’s performing. How is your team using the system? What are you paying in maintenance fees? Is your system keeping pace as your business grows?

Here are four signs that it’s time to replace your legacy business management system.

Your legacy system isn’t playing well with other systems.

A good ERP software solution isn’t cut off from your other software solutions. Rather, it integrates. Integrating your data and software avoids the dreaded silos and brings teams together in a collaborative, effortless way. Access to key analytics will be better and easier, and holistic decision-making will become a joy rather than a challenge. In fact, the analytics and business insights you’ll gain with a modern, integrated solution offer big benefits when it comes to productivity and growth.

The costs to maintain your current system keep going up.

At first glance, paying more for a modern ERP can seem like an unnecessary expense. Still, consider what you’re currently paying, and what you’re getting for the cost. If you take a deeper look at ERP deployment fees and maintenance, and compare it with what you’re getting (or not getting) in tools and tech, it may be evident that your current system just isn’t keeping up with smarter solutions out there — and that you’re paying too much and not getting enough in return. Note that upgrading may not require a complete ERP overhaul, as there are systems that allow you to combine the processes that are working and update the ones that aren’t. Take some time to consider if you should move to the cloud, keep your ERP on-premise, or invest in a combination of both.

Your team is constantly seeking workarounds.

One of the most glaring signals that your business software is out of date is that your team is constantly looking for workarounds to get things done. One study showed that workarounds add as many as 10 hours to the typical work week, meaning that employees are wasting time and energy on coming up with alternate processes when the ERP doesn’t match their preferred processes.

Your current system is not growing with you.

Has your current system kept up with you as you’ve as grown and added more staff, clients and business processes or entered into new lines of business or markets? An ERP solution should allow your company to thrive while seamlessly meeting increasing demands. If your software has become too sluggish to handle the work you need done, it’s limiting your growth potential.

If you find yourself dealing with one or more of these issues, it’s time to consider a new solution.

One answer is to move to a Cloud-based solution such as Microsoft Dynamics 365. Moving to a Cloud-based ERP will speed deployment, eliminate legacy-system disruptions and smooth out pain points while expediting processes. You’ll find greater efficiency through optimized systems, automation and predictive analytics, all of which can drive better decision-making. What’s more, your staff will be more productive and better able to put their skills to use on more valuable tasks, such as problem-solving and improving the user experience.

It’s time to identify the limitations of your current system and move to something that serves you — and your customers — better.

Learn more about upgrading your ERP.