Every business needs a website and an app these days, right? Well, yes and no. On one hand, companies have to be represented online to stay afloat, especially in the age of massive digital transformation. On the other hand, just being present online doesn’t do the trick.
This post is about the times when just having an app won’t fix the situation and one needs to go deeper. We provide software development services at HUSPI, but at the same time, we have had several projects, where the main task, when we have dug deep enough, turned out to be a complete rehaul of the business processes.
How to dig deep enough?
The thought process of many of our clients goes like this:
- I need an app (because I have seen a similar one)
- How do you make it and how much does it cost?
- Here’s what I want this app to do.
It’s quite straightforward, right? However, there are a ton of apps and websites out there that offer the same stuff. How do you stand out or how does your business become more efficient?
In one of his most famous TED Talks (translated into 48 languages and watched over 50 million times), Simon Sinek has mentioned the principle of Why, How, and What.
If Apple were like everyone else, a marketing message from them might sound like this: “We make great computers. They’re beautifully designed, simple to use, and user-friendly. Want to buy one?”
“Meh.”
Instead, here’s how Apple actually communicates. “Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use, and user-friendly. We just happen to make great computers. Want to buy one?”
“Yes, please.”
People don’t buy what you do; people buy why you do it.
In this article, we’ll reverse the way of traditional thinking as well, by putting the Why first.
WHY DO YOU WANT TO IMPLEMENT ANY CHANGES?
The “why” is the key. Why do you want to change your business? Why would you like a new app? Why do you think that an app for iPhone needs adjustments or your CRM system needs to be integrated with that particular technology?
Here are three things that can be helpful to identify the Why:
- Analyze the available metrics. Is your sales revenue where you would like it to be? How about customer retention?
- Identify the pain points. For example, you notice a bottleneck in the CRM process or a lot of your users are switching to another app.
- Think about the things you’d like to change and why. For example, a bottleneck in the customers’ relationship management might be lowering the speed with which you can welcome new clients and they leave. Or, you have invested a lot of money in purchasing new equipment for your business and it’s not as efficient as possible. Or, you would like to help students spend more quality time online to help them prepare for their exams better.
Allow yourself to dream a bit. Think about what you would like your business to be like and how you would like it to work in a perfect world.
HOW DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE BUSINESS?
Now that you have had an opportunity to dream about changing the world (or at least a part of the world), let’s get to the How. List all things that can stand in the way of reaching that dream.
- Can some processes be changed with the help of consulting, i.e. when someone takes an outside look at your processes and helps you identify the bottlenecks?
- How can you tweak some of the processes in such a way that your metrics improve?
- How much does it cost to implement the changes?
We have had a case at HUSPI where the client invested a lot of money in technical equipment for this business and yet the investment wasn’t paying off. He came to HUSPI for IT consulting because he thought he needs a more complex IT system to be developed.
When our experts started to get deeper into the problem, it turned out that due to the bottleneck in one of the business processes, the new equipment was running on a 10% workload. As a result of deep technical consulting and transformation of the business processes, we were able to help our client start using the equipment at a 99% workload.
Therefore, by the time we got to work on the client’s initial request for more complex IT system, the foundation has been built and the system actually helped to streamline the processes instead of making it even more complicated and mind-boggling.
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO REACH THE GOALS ABOVE?
So… finally, we are getting to the question that most people start with. What can be done to improve the business processes and streamline them to earn more money?
- Is it a mobile app?
- Is it a web application?
- Is it a terminal for management?
- Is it a dashboard for admins?
- Can something be done on the non-IT part?
Our primary business at HUSPI is software development. At the same time, we don’t limit our clients to purely IT solutions because we ultimately want them to succeed with our help.
In another case, our client initially came to us with the request for a mobile application to track orders and availability of products at the restaurant. As we began to delve deeper into the reasons why the client decided he wants an app, turned out the problem was much more extensive.
The requirement for the app remained, but the technical task gained an additional administrative dashboard and an online showcase website for customers, where they could place an order. Along with this, we also worked with the business owners to streamline the internal processes to make the system work as it should and not just provide an app for the client to deal with on his own.
SUMMARY
In the business world, when you invest money into something, you expect the results to have a good ROI. Therefore, instead of just rushing off to get a website just because your competitor has it” or app “because having an app is trendy”, spend some time with professional IT consultants to identify what kind of software can benefit your business the best.
Correct instruments lead to correct monetization. Correct monetization brings more money into the business. Therefore, correct instruments = more capital for further investments.
Business processes adaptation is never easy because besides adjusting the tech side, you also should retrain your employees to think in a different direction. However, the fruits of such work are good.
- Need extensive IT & business processes consulting? We’re here for you.
- Need a mobile app with geolocation and augmented reality? We’re here for you.
- Need a comprehensive admin dashboard integrated with payment technologies and CRMs? We’re here for you.
People don’t buy what you do; people buy why you do it. Let’s discover your Why, How, and What together.