How Your Business Can Work Smarter Not Harder with Software

By Jamie Evans

How powerful software is helping businesses achieve smarter workflows and increased productivity. Automating repetitive tasks to streamlining processes, the article discusses how leveraging software solutions can revolutionise business operations for greater success.

Running a business can be a challenging and time-consuming process. In fact, it’s incredibly easy to consider that long hours and gruelling days are the only way to achieve success. Fortunately for many, this is not the case. The latest research from Microsoft Power Platform experts, Pragmatiq, shows that with the right software, businesses can work smarter, not harder,  helping to maximise quality, output levels and ultimately profits whilst avoiding employee burnout.

Utilising the latest technology and software can aid business performance in multiple areas, including collaboration. In fact, studies have shown that firms promoting collaborative working are 5 times more likely to be high performing.

Below, we will explore some of the ways that businesses can benefit from using software to streamline their operations, maximise their efficiency, and increase profits.

Advantages of Software in Business

There are numerous advantages that software can bring to a business by making a positive impact on productivity, efficiency, customer satisfaction, and overall success. By investing in the right tools, businesses can improve their daily operations to gain a competitive edge in their industry.

After analysing workplace behaviours, Pragmatiq has produced guidance on how businesses can embrace digital transformation to work smarter, not harder by using a variety of Microsoft products.

1. Automate repetitive tasks

Repetitive tasks can be a significant drain on employee time and productivity. By using software to automate these tasks, businesses can free up employee time for more important projects and challenges that require human input. Automation’s impact on business is increasing by the day and is predicted to boost global productivity growth by 0.8-1.4% every year. Many businesses are taking full advantage of Microsoft’s Power Automate software, to create workflows that automate data-based tasks, such as approval sign off, file syncing, email and notification automation, data collection and much more to save time on common business processes. In fact, 79% of business owners view automation as the answer to improved productivity in the workplace.

2. Centralise data

Many businesses store data in different locations or on different systems, making it difficult to access and manage. Making use of software to centralise data helps businesses improve collaboration and decision-making processes. A customer relationship management (CRM) system is commonly used to store customer data which can make it easier for sales and marketing teams to access and use the information before making key decisions.

3. Streamline processes

Businesses can benefit from using software to streamline their processes, reducing the time and effort required to complete tasks. Tools such as inventory management software can help businesses keep track of stock levels, automate the reordering process, and reduce the risk of running out of stock and damage to profits.

4. Enhance communication

Effective communication is essential for businesses to succeed, especially with around 87% of workers electing to work from home if given the option. By using software such as Microsoft Teams to enhance communication, businesses can improve collaboration, productivity, and customer satisfaction. By integrating Microsoft Teams alongside project management software, teams can communicate effectively about deadlines and project progress, ensuring all employees involved are working to the same timeline.

5. Provide insights and analytics

By utilising valuable insights and analytics provided by smart software can help businesses to make informed decisions. For example, examining sales data, allows businesses to identify trends, optimise pricing, improve marketing strategies, and develop future campaigns based on gaps and opportunities in the market. In one example, an innovative diagnostic imaging company, medneo, implemented Microsoft’s analytics solution, Power BI. They reported improved visibility and access to information, time savings, enhanced reporting and insights, among the advantages of implementing this.

6. Scalability

Software can be scaled up or down to meet the ever-changing needs of a business. This makes it easier for companies and organisations to adapt to new challenges and opportunities, such as changes in customer demand, market conditions, or business growth. Software as a Service (SaaS) also eliminates the need for businesses to invest in expensive hardware, software, and infrastructure as the cost of implementing and maintaining the software is typically included in a subscription fee.

7. Staff Satisfaction

Working smarter rather than harder by using software not only benefits all facets of business, but it also improves work-life balance and staff satisfaction. By providing employees with tools to manage workloads better, set priorities, and track progress. This can help reduce stress, create a positive and supportive work environment, and lead to greater job satisfaction and employee retention. However, a survey discovered that more than half of employees contacted reported being unhappy at work due to software frustrations, so implementing the right software that supports the specific needs of a business is essential to workforce happiness.

Transforming business through software

Success stories are churning out by the hour for companies who are adopting software that can help their businesses thrive.

Rigour Survey, that provides precision surveys to architectural, engineering and construction clients, were hindered by multiple spreadsheets, SharePoint lists, emails and other manual processes. Searching for key information became difficult, and gaining visibility of project resources was increasingly challenging due to disconnected systems.

A series of IT solutions were implemented to support day-to-day processes and improve the way projects were managed across the businesses. Pragmatiq also worked with the client to integrate other tools, such as Outlook and SharePoint to enhance operations and suit Rigour’s specific needs.

These measures helped deliver:

• Time savings
• Increased user adoption
• Better collaboration
• Improved access to information
• A stable platform for future growth
• Enhanced reporting and insights

By leveraging the power of software, businesses can expect improvements in operations, reduced costs, and achieve greater success.

About the Author

Jamie Evans is the Technical Director at Pragmatiq. Throughout the past 16 years, Jamie has worked with multiple on-premises and cloud solutions. In 2017, Jamie co-founded Pragmatiq, a Microsoft Partner who design, develop and implement bespoke technology solutions leveraging Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform.