Introducing new technologies into existing business systems comes with all kinds of challenges and preparations. New software solutions can offer advanced features that improve your operation, but that doesn't mean much if the software is not user-friendly.
Excellent usability should always be one of your primary concerns when choosing the software for your business operations. User-friendly software is easier to adopt and can offer results faster than a complex solution that takes months to master. Keep reading, and we'll tell you what features make software user-friendly.
1. Easy Installation and Implementation
Software installation and implementation are the first steps in introducing any new solution to an existing system. You want software that's simple to install and pick up by your team members. If the technology is complex and hard to understand, your employees will be intimidated to start using it in the first place.
The nature of the software doesn't play a role. It can be an operating system or an app, but if it's hard to install and lacks accurate documentation, it's not the best choice. Who wants to spend their time figuring out how to install software, let alone use it to improve business practices?
2. Intuitive Navigation
The user interface can tell you a lot about the quality of software. If it's hard to navigate and riddled with features, the user interface isn't that well-designed. Again, you want the software to be easy to pick up, which means that it needs an intuitive design that helps users adopt the tool.
Excellent software solutions are usually straightforward and can easily fit into your existing systems. Of course, there's always some preparation involved, but the last thing you want is a tool that requires extra training and a few months to master.
3. Automatic Updates
Just like installation, software updates should also be straightforward. If the update requires you to set up the software and go through complicated processes, most users skip it altogether. Failing to update software can lead to bad results, potential security risks, and many other problems.
A user-friendly software has to be simple, and all the work has to be done by the developers. As a user, you let go of some control, but you don't have to think about maintenance, updates, etc.
That's exactly why SaaS applications are so popular these days. Wizata's user-friendly software solution, for example, offers advanced AI capabilities that provide constant updates and new features to its users regularly. That's how user-friendly software should operate.
4. Easy Navigation and Great Aesthetics
Many solutions offer revolutionary features but fail to present them the right way. What good is flexible software if you can't find what you need? A good user experience should always be one of the primary features of any software.
Most user-friendly solutions use drag-and-drop tools and similar features to make usability as simple as possible. Classic drop-down menus and complex feature setups are outdated, so look for solutions where you can find the options you need with a single click.
5. Efficient and Effective
The goal of every new technology is to increase efficiency. Therefore, the best solution has to be able to integrate with existing systems without too much effort. Remember that the goal is to improve your employee's efficiency and productivity. You want a solution that makes their jobs easier, not the other way around.
If the solution takes a long time to deploy, and if your staff has to spend weeks to master how it works, you should probably keep looking for something else.
6. No Need For Third-Party Software Solutions
Apps and software solutions coupled with some type of third-party antivirus, anti-malware, or anti-spyware software often lack the right protection. Even though they work with third-party anti-viruses, cybercriminals can easily slip under the radar and penetrate your system.
The last thing you want from an enterprise software solution is to worry about cyberattacks and potential damages. That's why you need software with built-in security features, as that will make using it much safer.
7. Service Quality
Flagship technologies often introduce new standards and features that get adopted by similar solutions in the future. While that's not a bad thing by itself, you still don't want a solution that has a new approach to problems. What you want to do is wait until those features become the norm.
New software features can have a hard time complying with existing standards, which can harm the user experience and make otherwise simple processes much harder. You want a tool that works with other elements in your system perfectly.
8. Simple Uninstallation Process
Of course, you're not getting new software or technological solutions to uninstall it right away. With that said, you should still consider only those solutions that are easy to remove, just as they are easy to install.
Who knows, you might find a better solution in the future, so you might want to uninstall the one you have right now. If the removal process is complicated and hard to complete, you will probably never reinstall it again.
9. IT Support
Sooner or later, all technologies and software solutions run into errors or simply stop working. That's perfectly normal, but some developers fail to provide support in situations where it's needed the most.
Make sure that you read user reviews first and that the provider offers IT support to users. If you run into a problem with these technologies, you can't really do anything about it. You have to contact support and get them to sort things out as soon as possible.
10. Great at Fixing Errors and Other Problems
This one correlates with the previous point directly. If you run into an error or if the technology stops working, you want the developers to fix things as soon as possible. As a user, you shouldn't worry about fixing and avoiding errors whatsoever.
Well-designed technologies allow you to send error reports directly to developers, who then try to find a way to make things work. Moreover, communication has to go both ways. The dev team should acknowledge your problems and update you with what's going on regularly until the issue is resolved.
Conclusion
New technologies and enterprise software solutions cost a lot of money. However, the benefits they provide can help you improve your operation and increase ROI, making the transition worth your while. With that said, you need a provider that will help you through the entire transitioning process.
A user-friendly software also has to be easy to install, remove, and navigate. If a software or technology has all the features we covered, we can say that it's worth trying. Look hard enough, do your research, and you can find some truly life-changing technologies that will help you grow your company.
