Blue Link Buzz

When is it time to replace software?

Have you ever owned a car for longer than you thought you would? Many reliable car manufacturers like Honda and Toyota build cars that allow you to encounter a car living beyond a decade. Personally, I own a 12 year-old Honda Civic and believe it or not, she’s still holds her form and runs like a beauty. I’ve done a few minor repairs over the past 12 years but no major work – oil and filter changes, tire changes, new brake pads.

We all know the importance of vehicle maintenance, so why discount software maintenance? With any car, you’ll need to maintain it to ensure it continues to run smoothly and will be able to reach its maximum life expectancy. In a recent blog post, we’ve mentioned the importance of maintenance in the world of inventory management software.

Minor repairs and routine maintenance is expected and must be done but when do you draw the line between constant repairs to an old car and just buying a new one?

Another example that I see too often is wholesalers and distributors having dated inventory management and accounting software. In many cases, business owners will throw money at their software company to have workarounds built into the software long after the software has become obsolete. Even worse is throwing money into a software system that you can’t see your company grow with. At some point, you’ll need to figure out your diminishing point of return.

Also, it may be a good idea to periodically do a sanity check of your software. One of our clients performs a major ERP software review every 2 years to decide if he’s outgrown the software or can continue investing his resources and flourish the partnership.

Watch this video to hear Pat Chown, owner of Foundation Distributing, describe how he goes about his software check-ups:

Moral of the story, you need to know when it’s appropriate to part ways with your old treasures and be able to make the jump to a better investment for your future.