It happens to most businesses. They invest in a quality software product and want to stick with it for the long haul. In the beginning, your software probably worked like a charm – making your team more efficient and making your jobs easier. Like anything else technology related, however,software can become dated and obsolete over time. Not only can outdated software slow you down, but it can actually harm your business. Here are five specific things to look for that may indicate it’s time for a change.
Costly Outages
Software crashes happen. When that software is outdated, however, they can occur much more frequently. When your system is down, you can’t do your work and the business suffers as a result. Think about it – the ultimate purpose of having software in the first place is to streamline operations to make everything run in the most efficient, effective way possible. When you’re dealing with frequent outages, the opposite occurs.
Steep Learning Curve
One of the nicest things about newer software is that it is designed to be easy to implement and use. That means simpler training and a faster deployment. Older, antiquated software was clunky and often complicated, making it challenging to train new employees. The result is a tremendous waste of time and resources that could be better spent on other, more important things like increasing sales and growing your business.
Lack of Features
What technology could accomplish a decade ago is far less impressive than what it offers us today. If you’re still using the same software you invested in several years ago, it’s extremely likely that you’re missing out on a number of key features that newer property management software products have to offer. This places you at a distinct disadvantage amongst your competitors.
Inadequate Support
It’s happened to the best of us. The representative to your old software provider is practically attached to your hip….that is, until you closed the deal. Then, just as quickly as they swooped in to schmooze you and win you over, they’re just a distant memory. If you’re dealing with this lack of support, it’s probably time to upgrade to a newer product. More importantly, it’s time to choose a partner that offers solid after-sales support.
Non-Compliant
Last, but most certainly not least, working with old software often means dealing with a product that was designed with outdated regulations in mind. Our industry is one which is fraught with rules, regulations and laws that are constantly changing. If your software isn’t regularly being updated to account for these changes, you could find yourself facing a hefty fine in the event of an audit.
In conclusion, not only can using old, outdated software slow your business down and make it difficult to compete; it can actually cost your organization in the long run. If you’re still using the same old product, don’t waste another moment. Request a free product demo today and see for yourself how the right software product can help bring your property management business to the next level.
Find out what more you can do to boost the productivity of your property management business. Download a free copy of The Property Manager’s Guide to Maximizing Productivity.
