Image credit: Unsplash

Nowadays, to remain competitive, businesses have to continually work on new products, build top-notch customer service, grow the effectiveness of their marketing approach, and optimize conversion.

Software products help companies in reaching their goals. However, often even the most promising piece of software ends up causing more problems than positive outcomes. Companies have to change business processes to keep up with the logic implemented in the system, or combine several tools that only provide the desired result when used in a bundle.

Previously, we have covered the importance of developing the right approach to open tools. When done right, this approach allows the adaptation of the software to the needs of the business. Today we will speak about another important topic — how to make maximum use while keeping the users’ interests.

New software vs. users

Users are the critical success element of any software implementation project. It is doubtful whether shareholders would be happy if new software was implemented to overall productivity decreases combined with the grumblings of unhappy employees.

The main thing here is that every new piece of software introduces changes to a daily routine; people have to learn something new. If the user does not understand the benefits they might get by using the new tool and the software itself is not friendly, flexible, and adjustable, such situations rarely end well. Most often in this situation, people get angry and try to avoid using the tool, and this means wasted budget and wasted time for the company.

To avoid such problems, you need to implement software that provides flexibility and takes into account the goals and aspirations of the people who use it every day. Here is how you can identify such software.

Customizable UI

After the implementation of the new software, there will be two groups of people: those who understood the pros of the new tool, and those who doubt whether it will deliver any positive results, and therefore stick to using the old tool. Often the second group is significantly more prominent than the first one.

This should come as no surprise: people rarely like change, and they remember where to click, the number of rows, keyboard shortcuts, etc.

But if you manage to provide them with a tool that can be set up to look similar to the old one, it will make things a whole lot easier. This is why 1C:Enterprise allows custom UI set up. Users are able to hide the elements they do not need, and make the interface look more familiar.

Often, it is important for companies to preserve corporate coloring even in the interface of the software they use. To meet this challenge we’ve added an opportunity to create unique coloring styles. Administrators can not only create unique UI elements — for example, useful when software is used on a sensor screen — but also set up design styles using corporate colors that can be applied to all users in the organization.

Flexible data representation

The way the data is presented in the software is crucial, as well as the number of ways it can be accessed. For example, imagine a situation when a sales rep is analyzing a sales report document. The employee may want to know what partner provided a particular product, or what supplier provided the largest amount of supplies for the current year.

If the accounting software can only generate a report regarding sales volume over the specific period, it won’t allow the solving of both tasks of the employee. This is why in 1C:Enterprise there is a report editor which can be used to compose a unique report, and even better, share this template with colleagues.

Step-by-step automation

When it comes to software, it is always better to be iterative and move step-by-step. If you try to automate every business process simultaneously, the friction will be too high. The opportunity to automate processes one by one is crucial for winning the loyalty of users , first by demonstrating to them the benefits the tool provides, while also keeping other processes the same for some time after.

For example, in our platform, companies can choose what segments they want to automate: procurement, sales, payroll, manufacturing control, accounting, etc. Though the platform contains all necessary features from the beginning, you can activate subsystems one by one when you need a particular function.

Final thoughts

When dealing with new enterprise software, it is crucial to think about users first. You need to provide them with tools that will make the migration less painful. Customizable UI, step-by-step automation and flexible data representation will help to solve these issues

We have built 1C:Enterprise following these principles. Use our demo database to test the software and get some insights on how this tool might work for your business.

Learn more about enterprise software assessment and implementation: