Implementing and effectively using software is undoubtedly a process laced with much frustration and many headaches. Depending on the type of software you use, the purchasing process and the way you work with your software provider can be very transactional. And once the transaction is complete, you’re left to fend for yourself without much support from them. This is where many of the challenges with software begin to come to life.
The report, “Challenges with Enterprise Technology,” discovered that only 1/3 of CRE professionals felt they were getting the most value out of the software they use day-to-day. To maximize the value of the software you use, it is critical to view your relationship with your software vendor as a partnership, not a transactional relationship. You’re not just ‘buying software’ you are beginning a partnership with an organization that understands your goals and wants to help you achieve them by equipping you with the best possible version of their software.
The “Challenges with Enteprises Technology” report also uncovered the largest pain points users feel when getting started and set up with software as well as the ongoing use of it. Much of these frustrations can be alleviated by working with an organization you value and have a strong working partnership with.
Biggest Frustration Getting Started with Software
The three largest frustrations CRE professionals feel when getting set up with software are it is difficult to know what to start working on first, there isn’t a clear and easy processes to get started completing a specific task and the set up requires too much data and work. Working with a software provider as a partner will help with these challenges.
An effective software partner will have a group or person on their end of the relationship who is invested in your company’s success. They will understand what each user or role needs from the software and what would help them have a positive experience while using it. Additionally, many software companies have teams that will educate your users on where and how to easily get started using technology. As software becomes more advanced, we will also see more in-app or in-software education tutorials to make the learning process even simpler for users.
Biggest Frustration with On Going Use of Software
The main irritations CRE professionals noted with the day-to-day use of software was that it is not connected to other software they are using, and it is too complicated to use. Working with a software provider that is committed to continuous innovations and improvements to their product is key to solving these challenges. The software providers you choose to partner with should be open to suggestions and critiques and have a plan on how to address these concerns in the product. Over time, the innovations that are added or updated in the software will create a better user experience and as a result, improve the user adoption of the software. After all, many times we see that improving user adoption starts with the software itself and the experience it provides to the users.
What Would Have the Greatest Positive Impact on Effectively Using Software
In the report we found that the software elements that would contribute to a better user experience varied drastically by role. And this makes sense because each role uses the software in different ways to accomplish different goals. The best way a software partner can help with this pain point is to understand what each user, by role, needs to be able to do to effectively use the software. Whether it’s the need to integrate with other software, collaborate with team mates, or remembering presets for a faster user experience, all of these factors should be taken into account by your software provider and worked into their product roadmap to improve the user experience of the software.
In order to relieve the headaches that you and other software users feel toward the products they use, software providers in the CRE technology space and the users of their software must create stronger, valued partnerships and work together to create a better software user experience. Working together in this strategic way will enable software companies to better understand the true challenges software users feel. Allowing them to put the user experience first, ensuring that software will deliver on its promise of efficiency within all user roles.
To learn more about frustrations with enterprise technology and potential solutions to these challenges, download the full report “Challenges with Enterprise Technology In CRE: Understanding the Data.”
Additionally, two members of our product team discussed these challenges in depth and presented solutions for easing the pain in a recent webinar. You can watch the webniar here:
