This article first appeared in our monthly Jacksonville Daily Record Industry Insights Column
Help your team (actually) work smarter, not harder
A few months ago, I was on a call with a company struggling to keep up with demand. Their team was growing, their projects were scaling, and yet, they were constantly playing catch-up. The culprit? Not a lack of technology—they had too much of it.
With a project management tool, a CRM, a homegrown system, Slack, and others, their team was constantly getting lost. Because their software couldn’t capture all the nuances of their workflows, their tools were making work harder.
Sound familiar?
Most businesses don’t struggle because they lack software. They struggle because their technology isn’t aligned with how they work.
More Tools ≠ More Productivity
A 2023 Gartner study found that the average enterprise uses over 1,000 applications across departments. Productivity isn’t about how many tools you have; it’s whether those tools fit your people and your processes. Here’s the hard truth: Off-the-shelf software plays a critical role, but it’s designed for mass appeal. When it works, it’s brilliant. When it doesn’t, it forces teams to create workarounds, leading to frustration, inefficiencies, and lost time.
The good news? You don’t have to overhaul everything. The key is knowing when to work with what’s available, when to integrate existing tools, and when to build something that fits.
When Off-the-Shelf Works—and When It Doesn’t
Prepackaged software is a great place to start. Routine, standardized workflows—think accounting, HR, or simple task tracking—can be the perfect fit. Where businesses run into trouble is when their work doesn’t fit into a standard model, causing teams to start “hacking” their way through.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Manual workarounds— copying data between systems because they don’t sync.
- Spreadsheet chaos— tracking key business functions in Excel because software is too rigid.
- Approval bottlenecks— delays because decisions happen outside the system (in email, chat, or meetings).
These inefficiencies don’t just slow teams down—they create hidden costs. That’s where custom-built solutions make all the difference. They don’t replace great tools—they enhance them, fill in the gaps, and ensure that systems work with your team, not against them.
Tech That Works the Way Your Team Does
So what does “custom” mean? It’s not about reinventing the wheel—it’s about making the wheel roll smoother. Here are a few ways a custom system can help.
1. Centralized Document Management: Find What You Need, Fast
Nothing kills momentum like spending 20 minutes searching for the right file. A well-structured document management system ensures a single source of truth. No more duplicate versions or Slack messages asking, “Where’s that report?”
2. Workflow Automation: Less Waiting, More Doing
A McKinsey study found that employees spend 20% of their week searching for information or tracking down approvals. How frustrating! That’s an entire workday lost—every single week.
A made-for-you- team workflow automates routine processes, nudges tasks forward, and ensures that work gets done without endless follow-ups.
3. Productivity Dashboards: Visibility Without Micromanaging
Good leaders don’t need to chase updates, they need clarity. Custom dashboards provide real-time insights—who’s waiting on what, where bottlenecks exist, and how to optimize workloads. The best part? They pull from tools you already use!
Build a Smarter Workplace
At the end of the day, technology should help your team work smarter, not harder. The best setups are all about how well your tools fit your team. When software aligns with the way people work, productivity happens naturally.
So take a moment to look at your workflows. Ask your team where friction exists. If your tools are working—great, but if your team is spending more time fighting software than using it, maybe consider a smarter approach.
Want to make your tech work better for your team? Let’s talk. Reach out to my team and I at Valyr (hello@valyr.com). We’d love to be helpful.
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