Unlike a popular belief, you don’t need intricate software to successfully drive effective IT innovations. Often, simple solutions are enough. As long as you can customise them to cater for your specific business needs. In this article, we will be focusing on why customisation options are among the most important software features.
Although the market is brimming with digital solutions and the common saying suggests there’s a perfect fit tool for every business, it would take ages to find it. This is why the ability to adopt a tool and effectively turn it into what your business needs is incredibly valuable. In other words - customisation. Not only is this meant to save time, but also puts you in control of tailoring your and your team’s experience when utilising the tool. Additionally, it can also affect the experience of your clients and other outside communications too.
But how is software customisation related to IT innovations? The answer is very closely. If anything, we dare to say it’s at the heart of it. In this blog, we will talk about its effects on your company’s security, reputation, processes and ultimately growth. While this may seem like a lot to unpack, we won’t ramble and instead will be focusing on sharing actionable tips you can begin implementing right away.
Can Out-of-the-Box Software be Customised?
Yes, absolutely. Most out-of-the-box solutions offer varying levels of customisation. The extent of applicable changes and what areas can be customised will depend on the vendor. Usually, the end user can build their own dashboard, reports and automation routes.
In fact, not only is customisation possible, but also strongly encouraged for the best results in achieving successful IT innovations.
Customisation is Crucial
We cannot repeat it enough. No tool will be fully effective if you use it in the default settings. In fact, some vendors actually make their tools entirely unusable unless some basic customisation was put in place. Of course, there are plenty of reasons as to why customisation in held in such regard, but we want to focus on a couple of key moments.
Fulfilling Your Unique Needs
No business is the same, meaning the need for features will also vary. It depends on your existing processes, your goals, the working style of your team and many others. What we are trying to say is that there is no one-for-all solution that would accommodate every company. Setting one up is meant to be the process during which you choose the right configurations that are mostly intact with the job you expect the software to do. Naturally, the more options for customisation you have, the closer you’ll be able to bring the tool to behave exactly in the ways you need it to.
The beauty of highly customisable software is that you are in control of shaping and building it around what you already have as opposed to changing your existing processes to accommodate its functionality. And even if your closest competitor uses the same solution, the chances of it looking anything similar are pretty low. The results, therefore, will naturally vary too. In other words, customisation is bound to bring you success in the way you choose it.
Branding and Consistency
Another benefit of being able to customise the software you use is the ability to make it look like part of your company. Whether you use it internally only or to maintain communication with the clients, it's in your best interest to make the experience seamless. For example, if the tool has email features integrated, you want the correspondence sent through it to be the same as it would look if done otherwise - or else whoever is receiving it may become suspicious this is spam and someone is impersonating you. In the worst-case scenario, this could be the other way around and due to the lack of distinct branding, the receiver may mistake a spam email for a genuine one.
Generally speaking, correct branding and consistent experience through all types of communications is a sign of a trustworthy and professional business. As discussed above, it can help ensure the security of your team and clients, not to mention it overall makes your business look more credible. However, don’t get too hung up on visual aspects only - while they’re important, the shouldn’t take too much time to set up.
Getting Ready for Implementation
The process of software implementation is pretty much synonymous with customisation. It is, ultimately, a series of actions taken to configure the base settings of the tool to ensure it adapts to your company’s processes. It is also there to make sure the new software fits into your existing strategy, enhancing it down the line.
Outline Your Needs
We’ve discussed how different setups will make the same piece of software run different operations and cater to different needs. That said it’s crucial to understand what your needs are in the first place. We understand that in most cases when it comes to IT innovations companies feel like scrapping the existing processes to replace them with the new ones, but this is something we strongly recommend against. Instead, try and fix or optimise what you already have in place. Simply put, even if your processes aren’t as effective, they’ve still been recording some data you can base your decisions on.
Starting from scratch, on the other hand, means having to wait until any data is collected. And we are sure you don’t have time to spare. So, to understand your needs and give them a clear definition, audit your processes. And then sort the issues you find by their severity and difficulty. You might be tempted to start fixing the most glaring bits first, but we suggest starting small. Chances are those smaller, less significant problems are directly feeding into the big ones.
Check the Existing Stack
Unless you’re literally starting your business from zero, you most certainly already have some tools in your possession. Before you throw any new software into a mix, remember that the core of IT innovations is not about having the newest and coolest tools but rather how you utilise them. And one of the best ways is to ensure they are all connected and therefore work in tandem with one another as opposed to being siloed. So, if you have your eyes on a potential new tool, it’s advisable you check if it integrates with other solutions you have.
An integrated tech stack is not just a ‘new shiny thing’ to have because it’s popularised - it is actually a useful asset that will help you build smoother, quicker processes. Not to mention, when you already have other solutions as a foundation, setting the new tool up becomes both easier and faster. Moving forward, an integrated stack also works as one well-oiled machine, saving you time in manually transferring files, unlocking new automation options and offering insights you’d otherwise have no access to.
It’s Okay to Ask for Help
We understand that change is often scary, and sometimes you simply don’t know where to begin or how to proceed. There is no shame in that. After all, the innovations are, as the name implies, new and unknown lands. You don’t have to explore them alone, and if you’re feeling overwhelmed - you can always ask for help.
Trust the Specialist
Often, the vendors are self-aware that setting their platform up to one’s specific needs can be complicated. However, it’s also in their best interest for you to succeed using their product. For this reason, most software companies have designated implementation teams that are ready to run the setup for you and answer any questions you may have. Depending on the company, this may be a free service or will cost a fee.
Even if you’re confident in your abilities and tech-savviness, we still recommend working with an allocated specialist. Simply put, they know the ins and outs of the software and can introduce you to features you would otherwise not find. In addition to that, instead of poking around to find the optimal way, you will be set on the right track from the get-go. It will significantly cut the time required for you to start utilising the tool fully, meaning success will come to you quicker as well. In other words - if the specialists are there for you, it would be a waste not to use them.
Summary
The ability to customise software is one of the most important things when pursuing IT innovations. Given the majority of out-of-the-box software can be optimised to an extent, you shouldn’t miss out on it. The ability to add your personal touch to your company’s processes brings a lot of benefits such as consistency, optimisation and security.
Although there is undeniably a perfect fit solution for every business, no one has time to spare on spotting it in a constantly growing market. Instead, the option of tailoring a solution to meet your needs is more viable. It also helps achieve brand consistency in both internal and external communications. What’s more, integrability with other solutions also falls under the umbrella of customisation, putting you in control of creating your own unique tech stack to run intricate processes with just a couple of clicks. And in most cases, you won’t be left to work it out on your own - most vendors are happy to help as they prioritise your success.
Ready to customise for innovation? We are ready to help.
