Stop Buying Software: Why Technology Without Process Always Fails

"Stop. Don't buy that software yet."

I see this mistake constantly: businesses investing in new technology before fixing their processes.

A company asked me to help them implement a new CRM system. They'd already chosen the platform. Budget approved. Ready to go.

I asked one question: "Walk me through your current sales process."

Silence.

Turns out, they didn't have a sales process. Every salesperson did it their own way. No consistency. No tracking. No clear handoffs.

Here's the problem: technology doesn't fix broken processes. It just makes them faster and more expensive.

A bad process automated is still a bad process, it's just now costing you £10k/year in software fees.

Before you invest in new tools, ask yourself:

→ Do we actually understand our current process?

→ Have we documented what works and what doesn't?

→ Could we run this process manually if we had to?

→ Are we clear on what success looks like?

If the answer to any of these is no, fix the process first.

Then choose technology that supports it.

Technology is powerful. But it's not a substitute for clear thinking.

www.hopkinsadvisory.co.uk

#BusinessStrategy #ProcessImprovement #DigitalTransformation #BusinessEfficiency