
Established real estate companies often rely on established software. Lots of the time these are on-premise systems that have been in place for years or even decades and are used by a workforce that knows every step of the process, is used to a certain routine and already has already come up with their own workarounds to cover technical shortcomings or process gaps in their everyday work. This article gives an overview how to take control of your projects management again. Because using outdated software will cost you in terms of productivity, security, legal compliance & flexibility.
There’s probably also a resource-hungry team of IT experts and external consultants who take care of ongoing operations, software updates and regular maintenance.
But with growing volumes of data, higher user numbers, increased networking, faster markets and new data protection regulations, the ‘software dinosaurs’ are under more and more pressure. “We’ve always done it this way” is no longer a good enough reason to keep muddling through with antiquated software.
Why consider changing software?
Anyone who evaluates existing IT landscapes for efficiency will tell you that, most of the time, it’s best to start afresh. Here are the four important questions to ask when deciding whether to replace outdated software with a more powerful, modern solution.
Which software would you chose?
Finding the right software is vital. Here are the five most important criteria to consider:
- Development speed
- Usability
- Support
- Availability
- Maturity
You should also take Application Programming Interfaces or APIs into account. New software solutions should be able to connect with other systems (eg. your accounting system and your invoicing software) to ensure the easy flow of data, reduce manual work and prevent errors. APIs enable this connection and determine how systems interact with each other.
Reading tip:
How to choose the right software model for your real estate company
Conclusion
- Better efficiency, stronger data protection and more flexibility usually go hand-in-hand with a system changeover.
- The costs of maintaining old systems are often higher than the cost of upgrading and moving to new ones.
- Solid change management planning gets teams and users on board at an early stage and paves the way for a smooth transition.
Of course, no system migration can be planned and calculated down to the last detail. So the decision also hangs on one last factor: the courage and creative will of company management. How’s it looking in your business? Are you in?