3 Ways to Digitally Automate

How to Save Trees, Time, and Money

In the last post we discussed a discovery process for determining what you should digitally automate to improve your business. Now that you have all these processes that can be improved with digital automation, how should you go about implementing it? That is the question I will provide you with answers to today.

When deciding how to automate a task, you pretty much have three options. You could buy an off the shelf product, purchase a license for a SaaS solution, or build custom software.

There are advantages, disadvantages and contextual considerations that can make a solution more appropriate than others. As I explain these three options I will apply some examples from industry case studies and our experience at Helm offering these solutions. So let’s dive in!

Off the Shelf

This is commercially available software designed for specific applications and can be used with little to no modification. These mass-produced software options are cheaper than custom development. They can usually be trusted to be functional and reliable to execute their purpose.

Advantages

• Cheaper than custom development
• One time purchase fee
• Abundance of features
• Dedicated Support
• High Quality
• Highly Tested

Disadvantages

• Security risk
• Obsolescence
• Organization may have to change to fit the software
• Hard or impossible to modify
• Unique requirement needed for the organization may be missing

Case Study Example:

Over 1.2 billion people across the globe use Microsoft Office as their word processing and document creation software. While it has been the incumbent behemoth of business software, it still faces the same off the shelf security issues and overkill of features.

When to Choose an Off the Shelf:

Any off-the-shelf product works best when the requirements it serves are shared by lots of organizations. The economy of scale means that every customer gets a great product without having to pay for the development of all the features. We wouldn’t suggest, for example, building a blogging platform, or a word processor or an accounting package from scratch. These are problems shared by numerous individuals and organizations around world. Large corporations have built these products, and in most cases they are able to serve the universal need.

Universal problems can be solved with a mass produced solution. However you need to ensure you are not simply basing your decision on a feature by feature aspect. All software investments bring involve risk, and the risks of commoditized software can often be subtler and harder to spot (see the disadvantages list), yet equally as impactful as those of custom software.

At its best, buying Off-the-Shelf software can be an extremely cost effective way of getting the features you need. But at its worst it can be a way of tying yourself to a closed environment that is expensive to customize and hard to migrate away from.

SaaS

SaaS is an acronym for Software as a Service. This is typically a software licensing and delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted. It is sometimes referred to as “on-demand software”. SaaS is typically accessed by users via the internet and is hosted through the cloud.

Advantages

• Use on any computer via the internet
• Can be available on mobile devices
• Highly Scalable
• Secure from a computer crash or natural disaster
• Easy to Upgrade

Disadvantages

• Security (especially with employees access)
• Provider Outages
• Data management regulations
• Performance through an internet connection
• Data mobility
• Challenging software integrations

Case Study Example:

Staying on the topic of word processing, Google apps are quintessential SaaS products from Docs to the Drive storage. Other examples include Salesforce for CRM, Slack for work messaging, and HootSuite for social media management.

When to Choose a SaaS Solution:

As I stated in the intro, the great thing about SaaS products is their low cost and flexibility. However, due to it being a subscription model, the companies you work with will do their best to lock you into year long contracts very early on. Kinda taking away the flexibility you previously loved

Similarly to Off the Shelf products SaaS is great for solving problems that a large amount of companies face. The major benefit with SaaS is that there are no servers or software you need to setup and you can take advantage of the free trials that many of them offer.

But be wary, despite what they may tell you, SaaS products are one size fits all solutions at their very core.

Also, be aware of the pitfalls of outsourcing your data management and not being able to access it outside of the internet. For some large corporations it make make more sense to create a custom solution to control your data and even create a competitive advantage.

Custom Software

The name says it all, this digital automation solution is tailored specifically to your business and it’s unique requirements.

Advantages

• This system should meet 100% of your needs for the function of which you are building it
• Will be uniquely built for you and can provide you a competitive advantage
• Support will be highly personalized
• Adapt the system to your company, not the other way around

Disadvantages

• Will take time to design and develop
• Usually costs more than an Off The Shelf and SaaS solutions

Case Study Example:

Custom websites and mobile applications are examples of this type of software. Bespoke digital products are used quite often when the core product of the business is software. Many companies build internal software to do intricate inventory management and have unique security risks. At Helm we have designed custom software for companies like ACV Auctions, AirExpert, and others.

When to Build Custom Software

Digital channels that are designed and tailored specifically for your business can add an immense amount of value when used correctly. If your website sells products, disseminates content, or involves recurring engagement you will probably need something unique. This will cement your competitive advantage and allow your unique brand to express itself.

Also, bespoke design and development will give you a direct relationship with the software developer, so that if there’s a change that you need or a new piece of functionality you’d like to add, you can have an immediate discussion and a tailored implementation. This is not possible with SaaS software and Off the Shelf products.

All in all…

it’s very important to work with a digital product partner you can communicate well with, whether they are internal or outsourced. This partner has to demonstrate that they understand your business requirements, and can advise you translate them into a practical digitally automated solution. This relationship requires trust and commitment on both sides in order to be successful.

Helm Experience & Design is a digital product and UX studio proudly located in Buffalo, NY.

You can check out our work here and if you’d like to talk more about design, technology, or business just send us an email at team@helmux.com.