World Class Solutions CEO Pat Hough
Last month World Class Solutions (WCS) launched a website to help small business owners get the most out of their software. This week they are launching a new service on the site to help owners identify their functional needs and match them to available software.
“Many owners don’t have a technical background and tend to follow the crowd when it comes to buying software”, explained CEO Pat. “However, many of them are throwing their money away. They are spending thousands buying office packages for staff who’ll never use a fraction of the capabilities.”
The problem seems to have got worse with the advent of Windows Vista and Windows 7. “Many of our clients have been using Windows XP for years. However, when they change a machine they get a new operating system and some of the packages no longer work - they are forced to upgrade. Instead of looking around for alternatives they tend to stick to the same package and pay a small fortune upgrading one-by-one.”
However, Hough explains that he’s not just advocating free software in every situation. “If we look at word processor packages as an example, you have the market leader – Microsoft Word – and then you have everyone else. Some of the alternatives are free – I’m thinking of OpenOffice in particular – and that also includes a spreadsheet and a presentation program. It’s a very competent piece of software but that’s doesn’t mean that it’s the right choice for everyone.”
Hough outlines the reasons why free software may not always be advisable. “The first reason is compatibility. It’s very rare to find true compatibility between competing programs. If a small business needs to swap files with their customers – particularly if some of their customers are multinationals - then they absolutely have to use the same program. The second reason is capability – although this is less of an issue. Nevertheless, there may be some missing functions in a free or low-cost package. Any interruption to the office workflow is going to cost money.”
However, many businesses are using industry-standard packages that contain functions that will never be used. WCS estimate that 30% of small businesses have wasted a minimum of €800 per staff member on software that is inappropriate for their business need.
Pat Hough explains that the worst offenders are former multinational employees. “They come from an environment where software cost is not an issue. They have worked with enterprise-class software and they assume that’s the norm. A significant proportion of these owners wouldn’t consider free software – even when it would be more appropriate for their business.
Over the coming months Pat Hough and his team will be addressing this issue. They will show how to develop a realistic specification for all the important business areas including CRM software, accounting packages and payroll software. The new website is now on-line at http://software-
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
