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Software sprawl is all too real, especially when organizations buy a different tool for every job. These software solutions are powerful individually, but collectively, they can be costly, especially when paying for countless licenses over time.
SaaS sprawl not only balloons subscription costs but also complicates workflows, communication, and collaboration. It’s like having an overflowing toolbox where you have to dig for a specific tool every time you want to do something. You’re quickly weighed down, slowed down, and unsure why you even have so many tools.
With enterprise budgets tightening and an increased emphasis on efficiency and productivity, companies are reassessing their tech spending. They’re looking for smarter, all-in-one solutions that bring everything together and make work easier.
It’s time for a new approach. Your business needs comprehensive apps that solve multiple problems, integrate with other tools, and make data access and sharing easy.
Going From Single-Purpose to Multi-Purpose
As consumers, we’ve witnessed an evolution from single-use to multiuse products, like swapping plastic bags for reusable bags at the grocery store. While this change is good for the environment, both types of bags are single-purpose tools: They hold groceries.
Now consider your smartphone. This is a multiuse tool that can last years — and serves multiple purposes. It’s a phone, but it’s also a camera, GPS, internet browser, music player, and much more. This focus on versatility and efficiency mirrors a shift we’re seeing in the business technology landscape.
In the business world, many companies are doing the software equivalent of swapping plastic bags for reusable bags. Whenever a business problem emerges, they look for a single-purpose point solution. Yes, the immediate problem is solved, but over time, your business spends more money, suffers from a fragmented tech stack, and increases the burden on IT and cybersecurity teams.
Over-relying on point solutions magnifies the challenge of managing applications — each requiring its own login, interface, and update schedule — and contributes to “SaaS fatigue.” Front-line employees and IT departments become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of solutions to use or manage, which harms productivity, employee satisfaction, and operational efficiency.
Other business problems emerge, too. Most of this software requires a subscription, often on a per-user basis. Data is inputted and collected across a variety of applications that don’t talk to each other, preventing institutional knowledge from being collected and potentially creating security issues. These data silos impede decision-making and stifle innovation.
So, what should companies do? Look to replace many of those point solutions with multipurpose solutions. With a platform like Acterys, you gain a multipurpose tool that can match the functionality of the point solution you formerly used.
But that’s not all. Consider your colleagues and the problems they’re facing. It’s likely they have different business problems that they can also apply Acterys to instead of many more point solutions. Suddenly, this multipurpose tool can generate astronomical savings and efficiencies. Crucial business data is all in this one tool rather than scattered across the enterprise.
Your IT and security teams will thank you, too. With fewer solutions in use, there are fewer points of vulnerability, reducing risk and freeing up time. Enforcing uniform data standards, policies, and procedures becomes easier. Regulatory compliance is also more manageable with fewer tools and systems to monitor.
Fewer Tools, More Functionality
To apply a multipurpose outlook to your tech stack, rethink how each piece of software serves different parts of your business operations. Instead of grabbing at the first available point solution, think about how well such a tool fits into what you’re already doing. Most importantly, think about whether you already have a tool that can perform the same function..
Look for software that integrates with existing tools and simplifies your tech stack. A platform with a range of functionalities reduces friction between tools and minimizes the learning curve for employees.
Perhaps you already know about the benefits of software that does multiple things well and reduces tech bloat, but you’re not sure where to look. That’s where Acterys comes in, providing a platform that adapts to the needs of every department — finance, HR, sales, IT, and more — and challenges the perceived wisdom of SaaS specialization.
Simplify Business Transformation
Whether you’re starting with a gradual integration or aiming for a broader initial rollout, the focus of multipurpose platforms remains clear: simplify processes, cut unnecessary costs, and make collaboration easier.
Don’t be afraid to start small. A pilot project can bring immediate impact with minimal fear of commitment. For example, you might start by consolidating data or making reporting more efficient. With this foundation, you can learn pain-free lessons, win buy-in, and prepare your company for more sophisticated capabilities — like augmented business solutions or extended planning and analysis (xP&A) tools.
Acterys’ apps for financial teams are one example of this, as they address the challenges of financial reporting and data consolidation. Your team gets real-time data, plus the ability to create dynamic, eye-catching reports and dashboards in Power BI and Excel without deep technical knowledge. With automated data consolidation, meanwhile, you can streamline financial operations, including month-end closures. This is especially valuable for SMBs that typically struggle with these resource- and time-intensive processes.
Acterys’ Augmented Business Solutions suite offers predictive analytics and trend analysis to provide deeper insights into business operations. Reveal previously unknown opportunities, anticipate trends, and make better-informed strategic choices. For companies looking to steer through uncertainties and seize new market opportunities, this added intelligence is indispensable.
The Acterys xP&A suite offers an expansive tool kit for advanced planning and analysis across the entire organization. Address all areas of operations, spark collaboration across departments, and build a unified strategy for the entire business.
This holistic strategy syncs up business units while improving your ability to budget, forecast, and create strategy. With the xP&A suite, businesses can pivot on a dime while always keeping day-to-day operations aligned with big-picture goals.
As you integrate Acterys further into your daily operations, the advantages become clearer. Picture your data as a single source of truth, accessible to everyone in the company. Work is easier, the data is clearer, and decision-making is sharper and more strategic. From here, building custom apps or integrating with other leading tools is a breeze.
Develop custom applications with Acterys technology for even more competitive advantage. Acterys adapts to your needs, whether streamlining a niche process or embedding analytical capabilities into existing systems. And with advanced analytics and AI insights at your fingertips, backed by the power to directly apply these insights through write-back capabilities, the potential for business transformation is limitless.
When you shift your spending — and thinking — from point solutions to a multipurpose platform that supports all your operations, you’re fundamentally reorienting your strategic thinking. There’s no telling what you can achieve when your technology aligns with your business objectives.
In a world that never stands still, platforms like Acterys will help your company be nimble, resilient, and adaptive. Get the familiarity of Excel and the advanced features of Power BI with Acterys Smart XL.
