For many businesses, it can be tempting to think that more software is always better, but the opposite is true.
As operations grow and business needs and wants develop, new software and new practices can be adopted. Even though each tool might solve a specific problem, by simply increasing the amount used, new operational challenges can appear.
Growing software stacks increase the complexity, not just the capability, of operations, and this can have adverse effects on the way businesses run.
Many businesses still struggle to understand exactly how software bloat happens and find themselves struggling without knowing why.
Understanding why software bloat happens is the first step towards addressing it successfully.
Why software bloat happens
Many organizations don’t create fragmented software environments on purpose.
It is common practice for new tools to be introduced to solve immediate problems as and when they happen. These systems are then put in use, but when another problem arises that it can’t deal with, another system is introduced.
As well as this, in projects that require more than one team, departments start to introduce software for them exclusively, increasing the risk of fragmented communication between teams.
Different teams can also develop their own processes, terminology, and ways of using technology. Without shared standards or sufficient team training, the challenge becomes bigger than the number of tools alone.
Over time, due to a lack of regular software reviews and legacy software being left in place, individual systems create unnecessary complexity.
One recent study found that large businesses in America are using up to 367 different apps and systems to do their work, showing an ongoing issue.
The complexity of having so much software can negatively affect your staff in multiple ways.
Here are just a few symptoms of poorly managed software and why it might be time to reduce the tools:
1. Information becomes harder to manage
One of the first signs your company is suffering from software bloat is that staff are finding it harder to locate and keep the information they need to do their job. A Parseur report found that employees are spending nine hours a week transferring data, highlighting the size of this issue.
When more systems are used, important information becomes spread across multiple platforms and kept separate, leading to information silos.
This leads to employees having to spend more time locating information they need, as well as creating uncertainty and confusion as to what needs to be recorded, leading to a higher risk of missed key details and inconsistent records.
To combat this, businesses should consolidate operational information where possible and establish clear, shared ways of working across teams. The right tools are important, but so are the skills and processes that help people use them consistently.
2. Collaboration becomes more complicated
Another sign of software bloat is that collaboration between teams can be time-consuming and cause friction between the teams.
For teams that have different roles, it is more likely they have separate applications that cannot work together effectively. Teams can find themselves waiting for updates, whilst multiple platforms can cause the updates to be less consistent.
These delays can affect project efficiency and lead to missed deadlines and increased costs. Fragmented systems can also increase the risk of duplicated data entry to meet workflow requirements, creating more low-value workload.
One way businesses can minimize this is by combining workflows in one central platform. Introducing tools like Quickbase makes it easier since teams will no longer need to worry about switching between different systems. This makes collaboration simpler since everyone is working in one place.
A smaller set of shared tools, supported by common processes and standards, can be more valuable than multiple disconnected systems. It gives teams a shared way of working, makes collaboration easier, and helps keep data and workflows consistent.
3. Stagnating levels of productivity
Although tools are introduced to boost productivity and effectiveness, if too much is introduced, it can actually cause teams to be less productive as well as experience other issues.
Every new system introduced is another thing employees need to learn, manage, and incorporate into their existing workflow. When teams are continually adapting to new tools without building strong foundational skills or shared practices, the added complexity can quickly undermine the efficiency those tools are meant to create.
This can mean that the productivity gains from the tools can be offset by the complexity of managing them all. On top of this, the administrative effort and context shifting can transfer effort and productivity away from where it matters most.
To avoid software bloat, it’s important to build an operational environment where each tool has a functional purpose and works effectively with the other tools a team needs to make.
Ensuring each software has a clear benefit and serves a direct purpose prevents unnecessary systems.
The strength of fewer tools
Technology and software remain essential for modern operations teams. The problems many face come from adding tools without proper consideration of how they fit into the wider operational environment.
A deliberately chosen software stack can create a much more effective operational environment, but tools are only part of the equation. Teams also need the skills, shared standards, and confidence to use technology effectively.
Rather than continually adding new platforms, organisations can get more value from investing in a smaller number of well-chosen tools and building the capability of the people using them.
Ultimately, stronger teams don’t necessarily need more software. They need the right tools, the right skills and a consistent way of working.
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