Time to future proof your IT
Without technology, you can’t make a difference in any industry nowadays.
Without technology, you can’t make a difference in any industry nowadays. In all aspects of business, technology is involved. Client-facing, operational, finance, HR, design and so on all require technology to thrive.
Therefore, you must set up your IT to be future-proof. Over the last five years, the number of software applications being used within business has doubled. Secondly, the behavior of employees and customers has changed. They are accustomed to systems and expect businesses to constantly change to meet their requests.
Therefore, you must have the proper foundation to meet the constantly changing needs of clients and employees.
Your market is constantly evolving
Your market is constantly evolving. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, technology has become even more prominent in every industry.
Technology can be of great help within the industry, like Building Information Modeling (BIM), forecasting projects, monitoring the supply chain and supporting the business with automation.
However, one of the challenges with the amount of technology is how to ensure you add value and prevent creating too much complexity and dependencies on certain systems.On average, companies use 100+ software programs to carry out their day-to-day operations. Most have great advantages individually, but combining and integrating can be hard. Secondly, every organization is different and, therefore, has different processes.
Using software provided by multiple companies never really fits, and supportive processes, excels and complex approval flows are added to the mix. As a construction company, you want to build; you don’t want to manage multiple applications. You need a solution that can meet your needs and evolve over time.
''Using software provided by multiple companies never really fits, and supportive processes, excels and complex approval flows are added. As a construction company you want to build;, you don’t want to manage multiple applications''
Customers and employees are more demanding than ever; they expect that your solutions fit their ‘new’ behaviors, like connecting to their phones, integrating them with their devices, and developing new features that make their lives easier. Therefore, you need to be able to cope with that demand . However, the question is how?
If you’re active in the world of IT, you know it can be challenging to change your core IT systems and create flexibility around them,let alone convince a business to invest in a new system entirely. Outside of flexibility, dependencies on IT is a significant concern, with the risk of IT systems going down and causing massive delays to your operations. .Therefore, it’s imperative that those systems are reliable, resilient, and always available.
How is IT organized?
Creating a trusted and reliable foundation for your business is essential. You need the option to leverage solutions for new opportunities and, therefore, require flexibility within your working method and tools.
Based on your budget and company strategy, you decide on what systems you use. However, flexibility is essential, but you want an IT foundation you can rely on since you can’t have systems that fail. You generally need to choose between off-the-shelf software and custom software.
Off the shelf software
Pros of off-the-shelf software:
- Cost- effective: Lower initial costs.
- Quick implementation: Ready availability for swift deployment.
- Regular updates: Ongoing support and feature enhancements.
Cons of off-the-shelf software:
- Limited customization: Less flexibility for unique needs.
- Compatibility issues: Potential integration challenges.
- Vendor dependency: Reliance on vendors for updates and support.
Custom software
Pros of custom software development:
- Tailored solutions: Customized to specific needs.
- Scalability: Adaptable to business growth.
- Full control: Complete autonomy over features.
Cons of custom software development Custom Software Development:
- Higher initial cost: Elevated upfront expenses.
- Extended development time: Longer time for implementation.
- Maintenance challenges: Ongoing upkeep and support required
Worst case scenarios
As an IT executive, it’s your job to find the right mix of software within your department. You want to use standard software to ensure you have the features to support the business without upgrading it with new features. Secondly, you want customization in your IT landscape to meet your unique organizational requirements, which cannot be achieved with off-the-shelf software.
- Limited major vendors with standard software
- Both vendors are in control of your new features, cost-effective but not customized to your needs
- Hard to integrate, which results in siloed data
- Offer expensive modules which do not meet your needs
- You’re depending on expensive consultants for customization
- Too many vendors
- Great products, but hard to integrate to gain an advantage over your entire supply chain.
- A lot of overheads are required to manage all vendors.
- Does not give the desired flexibility and cannot (or is hard to) customize
- Siloed data
- Only custom applications that fill your organization’s needs. However, it is expensive to maintain.
- No scalability and speed
- A lot of specialists are required to maintain & develop new features.
- Highly depending on IT professionals and subject matter experts (SME). If an SME leaves the company, you have a problem.
Solution
Every organization is unique; therefore, you need to find the right balance between off-the-shelf and custom software. We follow the following principles, displayed in the figure below, to help achieve a cost edge and which have the required adaptability, all with the aim of achieving a competitive advantage.
Resilience
You need a system of record within your organization that holds your core IT data.
These solutions offer stability, and the key to these systems is the capability to integrate with them.
Otherwise, your data is locked in, which is not helpful for the flexibility you need.
Customization
Some of your organization needs custom solutions. If a custom solution can lead to a competitive advantage, you should consider this. Every company needs a way to create custom software. No-code, low-code or traditional coding. Not all off-the-shelf solutions will solve your problems.
Learn more about the different types of software in our recently published article: What is no-, low- and highcode?
Agility
Ensure you can create rapid innovation within your organization. You need the right tools to create solutions together fast with the rest of the business. Rapid innovation is a core factor in gaining a competitive advantage.
Alongside the right tools, you need the right people and methods.
Learn more about our service and how we achieve this: About us
We are leveraging low-code. Low-code enables you to create custom software with speed and flexibility. You can use low code to create custom solutions for unique business needs, which is cheaper than traditional coding. Secondly, it can give you the required agility you’re looking for to stimulate rapid innovation throughout your organization.
Principles
- Create an IT landscape with a solid foundation for your core processes. Leverage standard software that is cost-efficient.
- Make sure you have an integration layer between all applications. Therefore, no data is locked in, and applications can use data from each other.
- Use a robust system of record(s) for your core processes.
- Choose custom code (low-/high-) for the areas in which you want to gain a competitive advantage, giving you greater control over mission-critical components and features that drive competitive advantage..
- Look for technology to support your IT and business to create innovative solutions in less time, while remaining agile
We've helped numerous companies achieve a future proof IT landscape with our low-code Mendix solutions.
Over the last 20 years, we created more than 300+ applications for 50+ clients
Here are just a few examples:
“Creating a competitive advantage – enhancing the customer journey”
About CAPE
With our APAC office in Sydney, we help organizations to digitally transform. We work with you to solve business problems that rely on proven technologies and our battle-tested methodology.
We are a partner for the long run, and we don’t leave you after delivering a project. We’ve succesfully completed more than 350 IT Projects over the last 20 years.
Are you up for the challenge to become ready for the future?
Frequently asked questions about Future proofing your IT
What does it mean to future-proof IT systems?
Future-proofing IT systems involves designing and implementing technology solutions that can adapt to changes in business needs, technology trends, and market conditions.
This ensures that your IT infrastructure remains relevant, efficient, and capable of supporting your organization’s growth and innovation over time.
Why is it important to future-proof your IT infrastructure?
Future-proofing your IT infrastructure is crucial because technology is continuously evolving, and businesses must keep pace to stay competitive. By preparing your IT systems to handle changes in software, employee expectations, and customer demands, you ensure long-term stability and operational efficiency.
What are the challenges of using multiple software applications in a business?
What are the pros and cons of off-the-shelf software versus custom software?
Off-the-Shelf Software:
Pros: Cost-effective, quick implementation, regular updates.
Cons: Limited customization, potential compatibility issues, vendor dependency.
Custom Software:
Pros: Tailored solutions, scalability, full control over features.
Cons: Higher initial cost, extended development time, maintenance challenges.
The choice between off-the-shelf and custom software depends on your organization’s specific needs, budget, and strategic goals. Off-the-shelf solutions are ideal for common business functions, while custom software offers tailored features and scalability for unique requirements. Balancing both can often provide the best results.
Read more about this in our blog: Off-the-shelf vs custom software: Advantages & Disadvantages
What is the role of low-code platforms in future-proofing IT?
Low-code platforms enable rapid development of custom software solutions with minimal coding. They offer flexibility and agility, allowing businesses to quickly adapt to changing needs and innovate efficiently, all while being more cost-effective than traditional development methods.
What should be considered when building a future-proof IT architecture?
Resilience: Ensure that your IT systems are stable and capable of integrating with other solutions.
Customization: Use custom solutions where necessary to gain a competitive edge.
Agility: Implement tools and methods that support rapid innovation and adaptability.
Integration: Integration allows different software applications to communicate and share data, which reduces data silos, improves efficiency, and enhances decision-making. A well-integrated IT landscape ensures that all parts of your business are connected and working harmoniously.
Are you ready to be accelerated and start making an impact with IT?
CAPE specializes in creating future-proof IT solutions by leveraging low-code platforms like Mendix to deliver custom applications efficiently. With over 20 years of experience and more than 350 successful projects, we provide the expertise needed to build a resilient, agile IT infrastructure tailored to your unique business needs.
To start your journey toward a future-proof IT landscape, contact us to schedule a consultation with our digital transformation experts. We will assess your needs and develop a tailored strategy to help you achieve your IT goals and drive business success.
