Many, if not most, organisations need additional assistance when it comes to keeping each aspect / department as efficient as possible. This is entirely understandable as each organisation has their core focus and complex departments like I.T. or HR may not form part of it. Because of this, organisations are becoming more dependent on platforms that assist them in managing their different departments. While this might seem like a strategic decision, if too many or platforms are contracted or if the organisations needs aren’t being met through a platform, then the opposite effect may occur.
Below we will discuss key complexities that organisations are likely to face when trying to operate with multiple siloed platforms.
- Operational Complexity: With strict deadlines and expectations in place the last thing that an organisation needs is for their employees to be wasting precious time jumping between multiple siloed platforms as the data that they require exists in parts each scattered across different platforms.
- Integration Complexity: When it comes to siloed platforms those uninformed may say that a cheap and quick-fix is to integrate these different systems / platforms. But if these platforms weren’t initially designed to work together, integration could be impossible or require continuous maintenance and adjustments. In this case an organisation would require a Master platform, and the expertise that comes from its developers, to take all contracted siloed platforms and either replace them or give its users 1 single access into all the data found on those various platforms (Contact us to help, our industry leading platforms can be tailored to your organisations’ needs).
- Cost Complexity: Every service has a cost associated with it and the more you contract the higher the cost of maintenance will be (subscriptions, licenses, training, etc.). In addition to this, if an organisation doesn’t understand and utilise all / most of a platforms’ contracted features they are wasting resources that could be used elsewhere.
Now that we understand the complexities of siloed platforms, let’s look at the benefits of integrated platforms. When it comes to integrated platforms or Master platforms, the upfront costs usually seem daunting but the long-term benefits far outweigh these initial costs.
- Increased Efficiency: When platform integration occurs, employees are able to increase their efficiency as they will be able to find all the data that they need from one source and will no longer be wasting their time data-hunting. This will increase employee morale and make it easier to meet both deadlines and set expectations.
- Increase Quality of Decisions: When data is more easily accessible and a set data-processing and managing standard is set across all relevant data, an organisation will have the ability to make decisions based on more accurate data.
- Enhanced Scalability: As organisations grow or shrink they’ll need their contracted platforms to match this. If an organisation makes use of integrated platforms or a Master platform, this growth or shrinkage can be accommodated for easily and without the headache of renegotiating with multiple platform providers.
While the initial costs of contracting integrated systems may seem high, one should consider the long-term benefits that will be gained. Most often these benefits far outweigh the costs.
Contact us and let us help you make a smart investment in your organisation’s future.
