I like to joke that back in the ‘bronze age’ of business ERP software, even one of my well-trained dogs could sell it. Yes, years ago, buyers had no idea what they needed and the developers had no idea either. So implementations were long because oftentimes everyone was developing software as they went along. Check that. Implementations were really long. And so was the bill, of course.

Fast forward to the current day—surprisingly very little has changed. A typical software implementation still takes a long time and costs easily spiral out of control. Why does this still happen? Quite frankly it is because software vendors benefit from this model much to the detriment of their customers. Just like in the old days, they get drunk on billable hours. The conventional wisdom for software vendors is to get as much from you as they possibly can in the way of up-front services prior to go-live. It is no wonder that historically 70%+ of these style implementations have failed.

But things are starting to change. And SimplyFood is leading the charge to offer software deployments in a much better way. Cloud software subscriptions instead of up-front on-premise purchases have gained popularity. Increasing demand for cloud services has also lowered the cost of monthly subscriptions, thereby enhancing the value of cloud ERP services for customers.
 
Back in the day, software vendors were lucky to get more than one or two enhancements into a product in a year, or sometimes, even two years. Now, cloud vendors like SimplyFood are packing new releases with dozens of useful enhancements twice per year. However, it is important to note that being able to utilize new tools and enhancements requires a service provider partner that does the same.

 

The new SimplyFood model includes everything as a service (yes, that is an actual thing). This means that software licensing, consulting, services, and support, are all rolled up into one reasonable monthly payment—and ongoing support is an absolute necessity.

How ‘ongoing’ will these services be? Well, I mean…ongoing. The days of getting to the go-live, congratulating everyone with a pat on the back, and sending you off to support are gone. You will need a partner that is there for you for many years past the go-live date. Software is moving fast and that requires someone to help you guide your company through the best path forward to reach your business goals.

As we like to say to our SimpyFood clients: You stick to making and selling the food and leave your software to us. A true partnership.

 

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