If you’re somewhat confused by the title, we don’t blame you: after all, what could picking out a meal have in common with selecting the best financial software system for your needs have in common? Well, the reality is that we, as humans, tend to apply the same approach to both, which is why we can also learn valuable lessons in the process.
When it comes to choosing a meal, we often ignore all the maths that takes place in our minds. We first need to evaluate how much time we can spare on the meal: do I just have 15 minutes to appease the hunger pangs or do I have a couple of hours during which I can sit down, relax, and truly appreciate the food that’s going to be placed in front of me?
This question leads to many others. For example, am I trying to lose weight and should therefore go for something healthy? And, if I’m rushed or even just very hungry, then should I opt for risotto, which takes around 25 minutes to make?
When you do have a broader span of time to enjoy your meal, you may then take your pick of fancier, more expensive restaurants. In this instance, you know the food will be of superior quality, but it does cost more than a burger and it does require a bit of planning. So, is it worth it?
The decisions we take in these instances may not seem like a big deal in the greater scheme of things, but choosing the faster, easier route every time can have a huge impact. After all, eating fast food every day isn’t healthy for you, even though it’s usually more convenient and, often, cheaper than a well-prepared dish made with fresh ingredients.
Of course, a number of these issues could easily be avoided with some meal-prepping, allowing us to stay on course both health- and money-wise...
Picking the right financial software system tends to work in pretty much the same way.
Businesses that are urgently looking for a solution may go for the fast-food version of the software, opting for off-the-shelf options which temporarily fix the issue. Yet this software, which is usually cheaper and requires less of a wait, comes with its own downsides.
For a start, its one-size-fits-all-approach means that you have to work around it. It also means that it will probably not be able to help you with other issues, meaning you have to spend more money to fix other issues that naturally crop up. In other words, just like junk food, off-the-shelf software may seem like a godsend in the moment, but it’ll be a drain on your energy in the long-run.
This is why choosing a company that offers a flexible “menu” of financial software systems solutions over one with a standardised menu, will mean that while you’ll wait a bit longer for your product and spend slightly more, the results will be far better both once you receive the product and for the health of the company.
As developers of custom financial software systems, experience has shown us just how important it is to balance the short-term needs with the long-term views. In fact, one of the first things we tell our clients is to identify how their current goals and issues fit in the context of their long-term vision for the company. You know, similarly to what you would do when choosing what to eat.
So, if you’re no longer happy with standard, off-the-shelf software, and you feel the need to move from the junk food of software to a proper financial software system, we can help. Just get in touch with us to discover how this will work with no obligation whatsoever!