How Software Templates Can Expedite ROI

In the midst of an economic downturn, organizations around the world are looking for ways to minimize software implementation time and maximize their return on investment. A cloud-based, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution may be the answer, offering fast, predictable deployment and lower up-front project costs in order to maximize ROI.

Implementation is just part of the ROI calculation, with system performance, availability, scalability and flexibility also playing key roles. Cloud-based systems aside, where else can these organizations look to create additional value?

Added Value

When organizations select software vendors with industry-specific knowledge, they gain additional value through pre-configured templates. These tools are particularly useful in industries where compliance and process requirements are clearly defined. The customer can focus on specific refinements to sync with company terminology and unique practices instead of having to build a solution from the ground up.

The template brings a significant reduction in project delivery time and cost. It also reduces the risk of configuration challenges and — because the vendor knows the intricacies of the template —enables rapid and low-risk modifications to suit the needs of the customer. These templates are fantastic for helping underpin compliance with each country’s specific regulations.

This means a much speedier implementation for the customer and a quicker route to value. Template configuration teething problems are already ironed out, leading to an almost plug-and-play approach for certain industries and enabling the business to hit the ground running. For companies striving to achieve business efficiencies as soon as possible, this is huge. A rapid implementation helps sustain energy and enthusiasm, which makes a big difference when it’s rolled out to production.

Implementation and Beyond

Templates don’t have to be limited to software products and vendor involvement certainly doesn’t end at implementation. Experience and expertise enable leading vendors to offer pre-defined services packages, such as system health checks, process reviews and enhanced supplier management engagements.

Customer training engagements are one of the most popular follow-up activities. The more customers know about a product, the more satisfied they tend to be. Training is a crucial component of any software investment and providing pre-configured training agendas, which align to user experience and appetite for system ownership, ensures customers understand how to best use the product to get the most ROI on their investment.

Template offerings can make a big difference, including:

• Speeding up and helping to de-risk implementations

• Optimizing customer experience through predictable deployment

• Delivering robust ROI from day one by minimizing implementation costs and maximizing business benefits

Any mechanism that can facilitate efficient and effective operations is a boost to organizations. The true value comes with software partners whose experience and expertise is evident in the robust, value-add solutions and services they provide. With more businesses looking to join forces with these partners, it is crucial to understand how you can maximize ROI in your own investments.

For more information on how Aptean Respond can help your business derive optimum value from its systems, contact us. We’d love to talk.