The 4 ways (now 5) to solve a business management IT problem

You have surely faced problems at work more than once: teams that are not organised, data that ends up lost or duplicated, key dates that get forgotten, or a lack of control over processes. At that point you will have thought about looking for software to solve the problem. You are not the only one, this is a classic. We are talking about business management IT problems.

The logical next step, once you find this kind of problem in your organisation, is to survey the market. You will probably be surprised by all the possible solutions and their different costs and implications. In fact, many customers get in touch with us at exactly that moment, when they need professional guidance.

How to choose the solution you need according to your use case

However many solutions there are, they all fall into four fundamental types. That is why we have developed and analysed the four ways to solve a business management IT problem. We also give you our professional recommendation and practical advice for each case.

1. OFFICE SOFTWARE

It is the cornerstone of business management IT. It works for everything. There are very few problems that cannot be solved, more or less provisionally, with a working method supported by Excel sheets, Word documents, the Outlook calendar, emails and shared folders on a server.

Pros:

• It is cheap.
• You can do it yourself.
• It adapts to the way the organisation works.
• It is very quick to put in place.
• There is a genuine Excel genius in every company.

Cons:

• Solving a problem exclusively with office software usually results in manual processes that require human intervention at every step. They are very prone to error.
• The data entered is not validated, and it is hard to total, analyse and summarise.
• The almighty copy and paste often turns against the user, generating day-to-day errors that are difficult to spot.
• In general, the computer performs few or no important actions for us automatically.

Suitable for: provisionally solving new problems, non-critical processes in the organisation, or cases where the budget is very tight.

2. OFF-THE-SHELF PACKAGES

This is the first big qualitative leap in business management IT. In this category you will find commercial, “ready-to-use” programs that solve specific problems common to all companies and organisations. We are talking about invoicing, document management, accounting, warehouse, human resources or customer relationship management (CRM) packages. Unlike office-based solutions, off-the-shelf packages automate the most repetitive actions of each process as far as possible.

Pros:

• Off-the-shelf packages offer the best value for money in business management IT.
• Unlike office software, they save a great deal of time on repetitive tasks.
• They keep human error under control.
• They let you get an overall picture of your processes at any time, and quickly.

Cons:

• They require specific training to learn how to use them.
• Some are “rigid” (they do what they do and cannot be changed). The user has to adapt to the functionality of the program. Others can be configured by the user without technical knowledge, but that adaptation takes some initial work.
• They may not cover 100% of the peculiarities of the business.

Suitable for: the basic processes of the company such as invoicing, accounting, document management, payroll, departmental workflows, and so on.

Tip: look for off-the-shelf packages with a good ability to import and export information to office software and to other tools (in IT this is called “integration” with other programs). That way you can set up an “ecosystem” of applications that work together efficiently.

R2 Docuo offers off-the-shelf packages focused on different vertical areas such as Document Management, contract management, quote management and generic workflow management.

3. INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS

Industry-specific solutions are business management applications designed to meet the specific needs of a particular sector of activity. They cover the basic functionality of an off-the-shelf package plus whatever is specific to that sector. So you can find industry-specific solutions for translation agencies, language schools, marketing firms, car repair shops, administrative agencies or law firms.

For example, in an industry-specific solution for a translation agency, on top of the basic invoicing or payment control functionality of a standard invoicing package, there is a database of translators with specific fields. In an administrative agency, the program will cover the steps and deadlines for the various procedures, among other things.

Pros:

• If there is industry-specific software for your activity, this solution usually covers the needs of the business very precisely.
• You benefit from the program not being as generic as an off-the-shelf package. The features it offers will feel more familiar and useful, since they are designed specifically for your business.
• Industry-specific solutions usually cover several areas of management (invoicing, projects, treasury, human resources, etc.) in a single program.

Cons:

• Industry-specific solutions usually cost more than off-the-shelf packages.
• Industry-specific solutions are still “rigid” (they do what they do and cannot be changed). Although we software manufacturers offer to “parameterise” industry tools (adjust certain settings) to adapt them as far as possible to each customer, the reality is that an adaptation exercise is always required.
• Very often there is no industry-specific software for your particular sector.
• They require specific training to learn how to use them, usually more involved than for off-the-shelf packages.
• You run the risk of using the same software package as your competitors, which can be an advantage or a drawback.

Suitable for: medium-sized companies in sectors where solutions of this type exist and fit reasonably well with the way they work.

Tip: evaluate the industry-specific solutions most widely used in your sector. Ask the company supplying the software for customer references in your line of business. In some sectors there are packages that are considered almost a standard because they are so widespread.

R2 Docuo offers industry-specific solutions for different industries such as renewable energy, certification and audit, and more.

4. CUSTOM SOFTWARE

Custom tools are the highest rung in business management IT. Although the starting point is usually a set of pre-designed elements or “pieces”, each application is built to measure after a consultancy exercise with the client, in which their needs are studied one by one.

Unlike other types of solution, custom management software requires a development project that starts with gathering requirements and studying how the organisation works. Then the programmers assemble the solution and make it available to the customer within a timeframe that can vary from a few weeks to several months.

When the project succeeds, the result is a unique tool fully adapted to the company’s needs.

Pros:

• Custom solutions are the only tool that adapts 100% to the way the company works, instead of forcing the organisation to adjust to the program.
• The resulting software can be modified and improved over time to adapt it to the organisation’s new needs.
• It can be built to export and import data from other solutions such as off-the-shelf packages, which considerably reduces its size.
• If the project is carried out properly, the overall benefit for management is very high and cannot be matched in quality by any other family of solutions.

Cons:

• Custom software is the most expensive of all the software options.
• Custom solutions are unique and therefore create a strong dependence on the software manufacturer (in practice, only the company that built the software can maintain it).
• Development timescales can slip because of features that were badly sized during the consultancy phase.
• Being a unique product for each customer, it is normal for the solution to have failures or “bugs” that get resolved during the first months of use.
• Although they require specific training to learn how to use them, this is usually straightforward, since the screens and features were designed together with the client.

Suitable for: large companies in sectors where no industry-specific solutions exist, or that want their own way of working to prevail when their processes are computerised.

Tip: make sure the consulting team that will gather the requirements has experience in your sector or in similar ones. If that is not possible, make sure the methodology they use to implement requirements is solid and that deviations and adaptations are foreseen within it. Try to get approximate timescales that, even if they are not fully fixed, come reasonably close to the organisation’s expectations.

5. LOW-CODE TOOLS

In recent years we have witnessed the proliferation of Low-Code solutions, an emerging trend that is redefining how organisations approach the creation and deployment of business applications.

Low-Code platforms allow users with little or no programming experience to build complex applications through graphical interfaces and simple configuration.

This fifth way of solving business management IT problems has gained popularity because of its ability to speed up software development and to democratise the creation of applications.

Pros:

• Development speed: Low-Code solutions significantly reduce development times, allowing companies to respond quickly to changing market needs.
• Accessibility: they empower business users, who know their processes better than anyone, to take an active role in developing solutions without depending entirely on IT teams.
• Cost-effectiveness: by reducing the need for specialised software development resources and shortening development cycles, Low-Code solutions can work out cheaper than traditional development.
• Innovation made easier: by freeing IT teams from more routine and repetitive development work, Low-Code platforms allow greater focus on innovation and higher-impact projects.

Cons:

• Limits to customisation: although Low-Code platforms are very versatile, they can fall short for very specific or advanced customisations.
• Platform dependence: as with custom software, there is a risk of being tied to a specific supplier, which can affect future flexibility and scalability.
• Change management: adopting Low-Code solutions requires a cultural shift within the organisation, encouraging closer collaboration between IT teams and business users.

Suitable for: organisations looking to accelerate the development and deployment of business applications, especially those that need to adapt quickly to changing market conditions or that want to empower their non-technical teams to contribute to building solutions.

Tip: when choosing a Low-Code platform, it is crucial to consider not only the platform’s technical capabilities but also ease of use, scalability and the support the supplier offers. It is equally important to assess how the solution integrates with the organisation’s existing technology ecosystem and its ability to adapt to future needs.

R2 Docuo is a tool built on Low-Code technology that lets users create software solutions without needing technical knowledge.