When systems stop working: is it the software, or how it fits together?

When admin starts to feel messy, with multiple different tools requiring daily attention, the first reaction is often to replace them all with a single ‘all-in-one’ style piece of software.

Something more powerful.
Something flashier.
Something better.

And sometimes, that is the right decision.

If the existing software is falling short – missing core features, requiring hacky workarounds or no longer aligning with how the business operates – switching to a better-fitting platform can solve the problem. However, if the improvement is short-lived, it’s often a sign that the tools weren’t the root of the problem.

To begin with, processes may feel smoother, admin quicker and your staff are happier. But before long an edge case appears, and the new platform doesn’t allow the staff to handle it the way the old, more specific tools did. So someone deals with it manually, outside the platform. Just this once.

Soon, ‘just this once’ becomes ‘regularly’ and data ends up split between the new platform and people’s individual files.

At this point, the realization hits that the old tool performed the task better, it just didn’t link well with your other tools.

The real distinction to make

When troubleshooting your software issues, there are two key scenarios to consider:

1. The software doesn’t do it’s core job well

In this case, replacing it is the right answer. Some tools just aren’t the right fit for your business, no matter how much connecting and configuring you do.

2. The software does it’s core job well – but only in isolation

This is a really common cause. You have multiple tools that do their intended tasks perfectly, but moving data between them and keeping them in sync manually becomes a real headache.

When the tools work, but not together

In many cases, businesses already have software that they like and trust – accounting systems, CRMs, scheduling tools, etc. 

What they really need is a way to automatically and reliably transfer data between them, so that all tasks can be managed from one central point. Information that only needs to be entered once, data that all comes from the same source of truth and most importantly, that doesn’t get lost in people’s private spreadsheets.

In these cases, the focus should be on integrating the existing platforms with each other.

When a new system really is the answer

Sometimes, integration isn’t the problem.

If a platform:

• Struggles with core tasks
• Forces constant workarounds
• Can’t support edge-cases
• Has been outgrown by the business

…then connecting it more tightly to the other platforms won’t fix the issue.

This is usually the point where a new platform – or even a bespoke system designed specifically for your workflow – is the best course of action.

A good system should feel boring

A good sign that things are working well is that none of your staff are talking about the platform. There’s less to manage, less discrepancies and errors, and less time trying to guess which number is the correct one.

Often, the hardest part of knowing how to solve your software problems is understanding which situation applies to you. That’s where stepping back and reviewing how your systems behave in practice can bring clarity, helping you decide the appropriate next steps.

If you need a helping hand getting to the bottom of your platform troubles, email us at [email protected].