Old business software system need replacing? Here’s the smart, affordable solution.

You have a business system that was built for your business. It’s key to what you do and you can’t imagine what you’d do without it. But it’s getting old and slowing your team down. Perhaps it’s built on a platform like Microsoft Access and is no longer fully compatible with your operating system. The other software you use nowadays looks slicker, is faster and is easier to use. And your system is getting slower just when you need it to work faster so you can do more with less people as you grow your business. 

In short, you need to upgrade. But to what? And how? You need something that does as good, and as specific, a job as your old system. But without a massive price tag and massive upheaval.

How we approach a business system replacement

Because we specialise in developing bespoke systems, creating a system that exactly matches your existing one is not a problem. We can copy the functionality of the existing system without needing you to create a complex requirements document or spend days in meetings. But we don’t just recreate the system, we make it quicker, smoother and easier to use – and we support this with personal, old-fashioned service.

How to know if your business system needs replacing

If you have one you’ll probably know! Key indicators:

• It looks outdated.
• It operates slowly.
• Simple tasks can be unnecessarily complicated.
• Errors occur and the system feels fragile.
• You have to switch to compatibility mode and it limps along.  

If your system was built in Microsoft Access then it may not work properly any more on your current operating system. Many SME systems were built in Access when systems were 32-bit, whereas now they are 64-bit. This creates problems, and we often see Microsoft Access systems that no longer work as well as they did. 

The difference a replacement business system will make

The main difference your team will notice is a transformation in usability and a far more enjoyable experience of interacting with the system. But this is only part of a series of changes:

• The new system will look and feel fresh and contemporary – a change that has a surprisingly profound impact on the user’s satisfaction.
• Although the new system will follow your existing processes, tasks will be streamlined and quicker and easier to carry out.
• You can control user access better. For example, subcontractors will only have access to the areas that they need to use rather than the entire system.

But won’t a new bespoke system cost the earth and create major disruption?

If you have already shopped around, you can see that this could be a big headache and a big cost. Maybe this has prevented you from replacing or renewing your system years ago. 

It’s true that configuring an off-the-shelf system can be a very large, time-consuming task. ERP systems are immensely powerful and flexible, but configuring them can be a huge job, and subscriptions cost thousands or tens of thousands of pounds a year. And an ERP still won’t do exactly those tasks your old system does. 

We can reproduce your bespoke system for a one-off price — which could be as low as £15k. But that’s not all. We will also make the process as streamlined and easy for you as possible. We meet with you, observe your users, gain a detailed understanding of the existing system, and then recreate it, with added efficiencies. In other words, we do the work while you carry on running your business.  

Once it’s built, you will own it. There won’t be monthly fees for the privilege of using it. It’s yours, ready to support your business for another 10 or 20 years.