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Enterprise software has a justified reputation for being well - just difficult, difficult to choose, difficult to setup and notoriously difficult to use.
The origins can be traced back to the feature driven strategy employed by software companies for many years, a rigid strategy continually building on the never ending feature list, aimed at catering for every eventuality. Software would groan with the sheer numbers of functions, slow down under the sheer weight of processing power required, and only those with IQs to match the costs could fathom out the functions.
This actually worked well for the software companies; it would guarantee a place on every request for proposal - a successful strategy for selling the software, not so great for using it.
Unsurprisingly, many companies ended up with lots of software, a huge price tag, internal hardware, life time maintenance agreements and not to mention the training burden.
Over the last 10 years web applications and SaaS providers have made huge strides to combat the traditional issues relating to enterprise software. Led by innovators such as Google, Amazon and Microsoft to name a few – have encouraged a change to designing for the user and not the purchaser.
They proved that software provided through a browser, coupled with a simple design approach could indeed harbour sophisticated functionality.
Companies no longer have the additional costs relating to servers, maintenance or upgrades. Adding more functionality came with the caveat that it had to be simple to use and was seamlessly integrated in the simple design methodology.
At SimpleKPI our strategy has always been about providing a ‘simple experience’. We believe that adhering to this simple principal helps to make the jobs of our users easier, reduces the cost to the buyers and helps shatter the illusion of difficult enterprise software.
by Stuart Kinsey
Stuart Kinsey writes on Key Performance Indicators, Dashboards, Marketing, and Business Strategy. He is a co-founder of SimpleKPI and has worked in creative and analytical services for over 25 years. He believes embracing KPIs and visualizing performance is essential for any organization to strive and grow.