Software

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Competing With Spreadsheets — The Joy And The Horror!



Bill Gates has a lot to answer for. Every office computer has a spreadsheet application on it. Any task involving numbers is done on a spreadsheet.

Selling contact center technology, I am frequently told, “No problem, they’re only using spreadsheets.”

A professional colleague told me that when people replace existing technology, either they are looking for a solution that does more for the same price that they are already paying, or for something that does the same as their current solution, but for a lower price.

Since everybody’s computer already has a spreadsheet application on it, they see it as a zero-cost application.

How do you compete against a zero-cost application?

Know Your Enemy


Microsoft Excel icon on a laptop

Sun Tzu wrote: “If you know the enemy and you know yourself, you need not fear the result of 100 battles.”

Now we’ve identified spreadsheets as our “enemy,” what are their strengths and what are their weaknesses?

The Strengths Of Spreadsheets


Man on laptop looks at a spreadsheet

Their greatest strength is that they are essentially free. Even if a company does buy your solution, they are not going to give up their spreadsheet licenses. They use spreadsheets for so many other parts of the business, so there is no saving by adopting your product.

Spreadsheets are the legacy solution. People have designed and amended their files over the years to meet their needs exactly. People feel as comfortable using spreadsheets as they would wearing their favorite pair of slippers.

The final strength of spreadsheets is their flexibility. The average Excel user regularly uses about 5% of its full functionality. Spreadsheets’ formulae address all aspects of mathematics and contain many tools for analyzing and processing data. Most software cannot emulate all the different functions that spreadsheets have to offer.

The Holes In The Spreadsheets’ Armor


Empty spreadsheet on Microsoft Excel

Spreadsheets were originally designed to make calculations and save them in files. These calculations could be shared by sharing the file.

More than one person can work on a spreadsheet at the same time, but it has its challenges. The key challenge is that the number of users working on a spreadsheet at any one time is limited for practical purposes, to two or three. If you create a database table in Excel, it’s not possible to have 100 users making real-time changes to it simultaneously.

Security is another headache. Spreadsheets can be password protected, but that password protection cannot be integrated into an identity and access management (IAM) tool. The password is unique to the spreadsheet and not to the user If 100 users use the same spreadsheet, then 100 users know the same password. Alternatively, each user can use their own spreadsheet and then regularly merge the files. This requires a lot of manual work, which is prone to error.

Automation is possible within spreadsheets, but it’s complicated. Not many people know how to write macros in VBA. If your product has a functionality that would need a macro to replicate it, then it’s unlikely that your customer’s organization will have someone who can write that macro. On the other hand, if your customer’s spreadsheets use macros to perform certain functions, it’s pretty unlikely that your product will perform the same function as the macro. I have often worked with customers using spreadsheets with macros. When I ask how they work, they will tell me that the person who wrote the spreadsheet has moved on. No one in their company knows how it works, but they have to keep using it.

Replacing Spreadsheets — Including The Value In (Return On Investments) ROI Calculations


Woman looks at a spreadsheet on her computer

As discussed, people look for solutions that do more for the same price that they are already paying, or for solutions that do the same as their current solutions, but for a lower price.

The trick is to understand what are the units of work being done on the spreadsheet and to attribute a financial value to them based on the manual labor. This is usually based on the time it takes to do the work. If you can show that your product can do the same units of work in a shorter period of time, or with the reduced attention of a human worker, then you can estimate a cost saving.

This manual work can include the costs of someone checking the work, and also the costs of rework to rectify mistakes.

The second way to calculate the ROI is to look at the consequences of non-compliance. Keeping customer data on a spreadsheet is not very secure for the reasons mentioned above. It is likely to violate data protection laws. You can also factor the likely penalties, fines, and legal costs into the ROI.

The wrap-up

If you’re selling to small and medium-sized customers, spreadsheets can be a fearsome incumbent to beat. You need to reveal the effect of the spreadsheet’s weaknesses on the business while being ready to handle objections based on the spreadsheet’s strengths.

Are you competing against spreadsheets? Why are your customers considering replacing them? How are spreadsheets holding them back? What do they hope that your product can do that spreadsheets can’t? How does the value your product creates compare to the value spreadsheets generate?

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Competing With Spreadsheets — The Joy And …

3 Dead Ends When Conducting Business In China



China. Not so long ago, this is the market where any company in software—or any type of technology, for that matter—had to be present, somehow!

To many, the Middle Kingdom seemed to be an economic roaring tiger sprinting its way to the pinnacle of the world economy. According to the World Bank, in 2019 China was still growing at a 6% clip—almost triple the United States (2.2%) and easily surpassing India (4%) during the same period. And albeit it no longer grew at the warp speed of over 9%, it did so from a much larger GDP.

But then, COVID-19 came, and China hit a major speed bump. And today, the news is focusing on the woes faced by the Chinese economy, with some of the key decisions taken by the government to steer clear of the pandemic having wreck havoc on multiple supply chains both domestically and internationally.

Is China passé already?

I would argue here that just as some people were buying too much into the hype before, many are now more than a tad too pessimistic.

China still has a large, increasingly sophisticated market. Albeit its number of bachelor's degree holders is still lagging when compared to the likes of Europe and Japan, it can still count on a relatively educated population, with 35.8% of the 25-34 years old with a two-year degree or higher (by comparison, Austria has 39%).

And for having visited the country many times over two decades, I have witnessed a country that built world-class infrastructures that should greatly facilitate further economic growth.

No one can predict the future. But in all likelihood, China will be a hugely important market for a number of companies. Which begs the question: how can business people ensure the success of their organizations there?

The answer: in part by avoiding some dead ends I saw people engaging in.

Dead End #1: Believe In Chinese Market Stereotypes—Positive Or Negative


Don't let stereotypes block you from the Chinese market.

It seems to me that some people just LOVE thinking of the future in terms of absolutes. Just like a fad would either "change everything" or "completely peter out," emerging markets would "completely eclipse" more established ones or be "a mere mirage."

The 1980s were all about the might of Japan. The 2000s and 2010s were all about China's rise.

Many were subjugated. They had to be involved in the Chinese market. There was a gold rush, Shanghai was the new Eldorado, and fortunes could be made swiftly and easily for those bold enough to move.

Some locals were also quick to cash in on the hoopla. Many times, I had potential partners vaunting just how rich we would become if only we accepted to do business with them. They knew so many people with so much money to spend!

Of course, these were mostly illusions.

Just like in any other country, entering a new market isn't easy. People don't know your company, and thus the level of trust required for business to happen must be built. China is no different than, say, Canada, where Target failed to enter the market.

You should never attempt to enter a foreign market telling yourself that you are in for an easy ride.

But then, others drank another type of Kool-Aid. According to some, China will soon collapse under its own weight, as its economy is fundamentally flawed.

There is always the possibility that some calamity will happen which will throw back the country several decades. But in my view, it is very unlikely to happen. After all, doomsayers have been announcing the end of the China miracle for decades, and yet the country continues to develop at a brisk pace. According to the World Bank, between 2005 and 2021, the GDP in constant dollars has been multiplied by more than 8.

Likewise, in over 20 years of experience traveling to China, I personally saw the country significantly upgrade its infrastructure at a quick pace, sometimes losing my way as things changed too much for me to recognize them. And I am usually pretty good at finding my way around, with or without GPS.

The well-advised businessmen and businesswomen would do well to take a cool-headed approach to the Chinese market.

Dead End #2: Neglect Guanxi


The way to building trust with Chinese hosts often pass through your stomach

Trust is at the heart of all business relationships. How that trust is built depends on the conditions encountered locally.

For instance, in countries like the United States, this trust is often reliant on the court system. Two contractual parties can partially assuage their fears that their counterpart will not live to its obligations by trusting that a third party—a judge—may step in and rectify any violation of the agreement.

In international transactions, it is a tad more complex, more with some countries than others. Trust must therefore be reinforced in other ways.

Make no mistake: your Chinese counterpart also feels nervous about engaging in a business relationship with you.

Enters guanxi, the Chinese word that literally means relationships. In order to build trust, Chinese counterparts will often attempt to develop a personal relationship with you. They will pepper you with questions about who you are, who is your wife or husband, how many kids you have, and so on.

In my experience, this process often takes place around food. Your hosts would treat you to a feast at night, many times with plenty of beers. But it can also happen in much less luxurious settings, such as having lunch with clients in their cafeterias.

This may feel odd or even downright uncomfortable to some Westerners—especially when your host gives you some token of their appreciation, such as a box of tea or ginseng—partially because of the personal nature of the questions, and also out of a concern for the whole exercise being all about bribing you into doing things you should not.

However, usually, this is not the case. Your Chinese hosts are simply trying to build trust. They want to know who you are and for you to feel a personal, moral obligation to deliver on your end of the bargain. And, oh yes, the Chinese also appreciate a good meal!

In my case, I made it a point to take advantage of all these opportunities, including with the teams I built in China. I would insist to go to the same restaurants they usually went to, preferring the more humble establishments with local fares to the pretentious hotels serving Western food.

This achieved two goals. First, I got delicious meals that are hard to find anywhere else. China is basically a continent of flavors in its own right.

Second, I melted the social distance between myself and my hosts. I knew this when local employees would tell me that they could tell me anything because "you understand us," or when a client would tell me they wouldn't bring other foreigners to a humble restaurant serving a particularly hot dish "but with you we can."

And this translated into additional deals.

Dead End #3: Believing That Only Through Partners You Can Enter The Chinese Market


"Show me your cards, and I will show you mine!"

How many times did I hear someone telling me it was impossible to do any business with anyone in China if I did not have a Chinese partner? According to some, potential clients there would never accept to do any business with me.

Complete hogwash. I sold directly to corporations located in China—and I did so initially from the United States, thousands of miles away!

(Granted, some deals required software sourcing houses to complete the international transaction; however, these weren't partners and I did not have to give them any discount at all [even if, of course, they asked for it]. They were paid a fee by the clients.)

This is not to say that partners cannot be helpful. Of course, they can, especially the ones with a real Rolodex of potential clients. If you are a startup without the financial means to fuel expansion through local offices, the right partners may be an excellent way to generate business quickly.

However, the broad conclusion that any type of commercial engagement in China must rely on partners is incorrect. Foreign direct investment (FDI), and even at times direct sales from other territories, can be done.

And how could it be different? I saw many foreign companies working in embedded software with significant activities in China. They sometimes went there to engage in the rapidly expanding market, sometimes to tap the local pool of talent, and most of the time both at once. In many cases, they had budget authority on many projects and would go for the best solution, local partner or not.

What about local Chinese companies? During my time at Vector, they represented a significant portion of our sales, and the same could be said for one competitor of ours. And, truth be told, there the help of local partners can be instrumental—especially if well-managed.

Still, there are plenty of direct deals to be had for those bold enough to open an office and visit it from abroad regularly.

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Executive Spotlight: The Most Important Software Technology Executives Are Using Right Now



Staying on top of software technology is essential, especially if you're running an organization. Are you looking for a new software technology to try as a business leader? We recently asked our leading executives what the single most important software technology they're using in their work right now is, and why it's so valuable.

Here are their responses...

Jim Black, Engineering & Technical Executive


Google calendar

Outlook calendar (or Google, Apple). Without my calendar, I am ineffective. I use this tool to plan my day, allocate time for projects, and keep all my commitments in one place. I add everything there from my personal appointments to my professional gigs. All in one place, all in a concise format, and all at my fingertips. My work calendar and personal calendars are synchronized to ensure a single source of truth! (P.S. I also leave a fair amount of slack time for those events which pop up, and I recommend you NEVER block out 100%).

Jim Black is an engineering professional focused on the development of technical professionals. He is also a professional bass player.

Liam Anderson, Contact Center Technology Consultant


Cloud software technology

​The cloud is going to have the same impact on business technology that the railways had on travel.

Very few people traveled farther than they could walk in a day. Only the wealthy owned horses.

The railways enabled mass tourism to the English seaside. Towns developed whose economies were centered around tourism.

The cloud enables smaller businesses to use highly complex technologies, such as AI-driven analytics.

Before the cloud, companies needed to make a substantial up-front investment to build and operate their own data centers.

Now they can use these technologies on the cloud and pay for what they use and no more. Software companies can set up cloud-based POC demonstrations for a fraction of the cost, and therefore a fraction of the risk.

The cloud is democratizing technology, making it available for a fraction of the traditional on-premises cost of ownership.

Liam Anderson has spent the last 15 years in the contact center industry technology space. He helps customers use this technology to achieve and sustain business success.

Percy Leon,  Digital Media Content Producer


Canva app

I use multiple software every day, anything from editing and copywriting software. However, the most important software I use is Canva.

I love using Canva for creating videos. Canva is the perfect tool for content creators who want to up their game with stunning visuals with easy-to-use editing and graphics tools.

It only takes me a few minutes to upload my footage to the app. Once the video is uploaded, I can resize it to have it fit seamlessly on TikTok, YouTube Stories, Instagram Stories, and even YouTube long form! You can resize your footage for any platform. I can use Canva's multiple graphics, as well as the royalty-free beautiful images and videos that they have available if I want to add some B roll.

When it comes to YouTube, the thumbnail is the first thing people see when they open your video so it has to be eye-catching and unique. I can use Canva to make eye-catching thumbnails, and also to create captivating titles and descriptions that get the user interested in watching what I have to offer.

Canva also offers a content planner that allows me to plan and schedule what content to do for the month.

Percy Leon is a digital media content producer specializing in educational technology and entertainment. He is interested in web3, metaverse, and the use of virtual reality for storytelling.

Dr. Hannah Hartwell, Learning & Development Executive


Employees use software technology at work

As executives, it’s helpful to adapt to the company-provided technology that is available. This approach helps with overall company technology adoption. My team frequently hears me say, “Don’t we already have a tool for that? What can we leverage that we already have internally?” Rather than exploring other tools, I recommend using what you already have. Of course, unless there’s a need that can’t be filled with your existing tools.

As an independent consultant, I recommend the same approach. Companies already have their own tools. Plus, learning a new internal tool adds to your technological fluency and adaptability.

Dr. Hannah Hartwell is a learning and development executive and change management practitioner with 15+ years of business transformation experience in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, higher education, and professional services industries.

Lisa Perry, Global Marketing Executive


metaverse concept

The metaverse has been referred to as the next new internet era and is expected to reach $800 billion by 2024.

The metaverse is a combination of several cutting-edge technologies including:

  • Virtual Reality (VR): Simulated real-world experience interacted with using special electronic equipment (think simulated flight training programs).
  • Augmented Reality (AR): Augments your experience of the real world, enabling interaction in real time with 3D visualization of objects and the merging of virtual and real worlds (think “try before you buy”).
  • Blockchain: A digital ledger of transactions called “blocks” that are securely linked together. Blockchain gives credibility to money transfer and data storage in the metaverse.
  • 3D Reconstruction: Helps create virtual spaces by capturing the shape, look, and appearance of real objects. 3D reconstruction is used in medicine to plan surgeries (3D printing) and to render accurate architectural models (3D cameras) prior to building.

Lisa Perry helps companies build leadership brands, driving loyal customers & delivering profitability. She does this through a process that builds brands consumers love. Her goal is to help companies develop, monetize, and grow their brands.

What's the single most important software technology you're using in your work right now as an executive? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily's Executive Program.

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7 (Critical) Steps To Building A Successful SAAS Implementation Team



Back in the day, I owned a marketing agency that was acquired by HubSpot in 2013.

We were purchased because we had a reputation for being technically strong at the ‘website design’ aspects of the HubSpot tools at that time. Now imagine my team and I showing up on day one and attending a week or so of corporate training to learn the lay of the land when it finally dawned on me: HubSpot was about to launch a new content management system (they called it the COS) and it was going to be our job to move the existing customers' websites (all 7,800 of them!) onto the new platform with as little customer impact as possible. Add to that the casual comment, “Oh, and by the way, don’t screw it up. We’re preparing to go public in 16 months.”

Let’s just say this taught me the importance of having a framework for technical implementations.

Before We Dive In, Let’s First Discuss Why The Technical Implementation Framework Is So Important To SAAS Businesses


SaaS graphic

So much effort, energy, resources, and money goes into acquiring customers for any business. And businesses continually focus on reducing their customer acquisition costs (CAC). To make all the effort on the front side of acquiring customers worth it, it’s important to get the new customers “to value” as soon as possible.

If the customer is not successful with the software they just purchased, the business risks not retaining them therefore potentially missing the opportunity of obtaining the optimum lifetime value (LTV) of the customer. Some SAAS companies call it implementation, some call it onboarding. I typically consider implementation to have a more technical setup aspect rather than onboarding which to me is more about getting users logged in and using the software.

Here Are My 7 Critical Steps To Building A Successful Implementation Team At An SAAS Company


SaaS implementation graphic

1. Understand the Needs of the Customer

First, it’s really important to have an idea of what success to the new customer is defined as. What does the customer intend to do with this new software they have purchased? What is the “job to be done” with the software? What are they trying to accomplish and why? You need to understand what problem the purchase of this software solves in order to successfully implement a new customer into being an active user. You’re going to want to focus on the goals of why the customer wants to use your business's software.

2. Define Success Criteria

Now that you understand the problem that is being solved, it’s important to define the path toward the “aha moment” when a customer sees the value in what they have just purchased. You want this clearly defined and you want to get there as fast as possible. That doesn’t mean that the entire system/instance is set up to its fullest capacity, but it does mean that the software is set up or configured or the correct users are added (whatever it is) and the customer can do something that solves the problem they came to your business to solve. For example, in an email marketing tool, it could be the first email sent, or in a CRM, first contact is added. It will depend on the software.

3. Understand the Steps Required to Get the Customer to Success

This may sound obvious, but it’s going to be important to define the steps required to get to that first value. To reuse the email software example it would look something like this: Add new user, define the email’s content, create email, add email recipient, hit send. That's a super simple example but there will likely be many steps involved and it will be important to outline the concurrent steps in order to make sure that you are organized and get to the time to value in as straight a line as possible. This will also allow you to define the repeatable process.

4. Create a Repeatable Process for the Steps Required

Once we've defined the steps you need to distill this down to a repeatable process. You’re going to want to have this well defined and written down. Some teams I’ve worked with have created a checklist of tasks, others keep it relatively fluid and loose, but I recommend keeping it consistent for the sake of customer experience. I encourage you to try and provide a like kind experience for the customer no matter which person on the team helps time implement their software.

5. Define the Skill Set Required to Staff the Team

Now that you have an understanding of the process it’s time to get familiar with the skills sets required to implement customers. As a first step, a mandatory skill set is willingness to communicate with customers, both verbal and written. Believe it or not I have seen people in the position of implementing customers who did not possess strong customer communication skills and admitted to not ‘liking’ talking to customers. Wow. You want people with strong organizational skills as this person will often be multi-tasking many customers in different stages of the implementation at once. Being that this is a SAAS company and is most like some software mediu to strong technical skills are pretty much a must. However, each implementation will vary from different business to business but it’s required that you identify the technical skill set needs and that you find people with the skill set. For example: at HubSpot I ran a team that was implementing websites so we needed people who had some web development design skills as well as a baseline understanding of DNS settings (i.e. GoDaddy).

6. Get an Understanding of the Volume of Work Required to Implement the Customers

With a clear understanding of the job to be done, that definition of first value, process and skill set needs to be laid out by you. We need to figure out the human bandwidth required to implement customer volume coming onto the software. How many customers will need the implementation? In what timeframe? How long does it take to implement a customer? Is there work that the customer needs to do? Will you be waiting on customers as a bottleneck at times? What is the total time required to onboard a customer? These are all questions to think about when trying to determine the overall human capital requirements to successfully implement the customers. Of time, as the process gets more defined, and the people doing the implementations acquire their tool chest of tips, tricks, snippets, tools. They will speed up. You may even find opportunities to use additional software to decrease the time and effort it takes to implement customers.

7. Set up Clear KPIs

I’ve found that you’re going to want clear and attainable KPIs that motivate the team to deliver successful implementation for the customer. I’ve been most successful when measuring the team on what we call the success of the customer. For example, when we were onboarding customers onto websites, the team’s success criteria was 1) to get the customer’s website live in 2) the shortest amount of time possible. That worked well to motivate the team to be swift (quicktime to value) but also solve for the customer’s goals. I’ve had this go wrong on me once when I had set up KPIs that solved for time to completion of a project and that didn’t always end in the happiest customers.

These are my seven steps to building a successful implementation team. Naturally, the specifics will vary across SAAS businesses but I believe this is a trusty road map to follow. If you’re reading this because you’re trying to figure this out at your business don’t hesitate to reach out to me on LinkedIn. I’d be happy to be a resource.

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10 Questions Successful Enterprise Tech Buyers Ask



When COVID-19 hit in 2020, I didn’t hear any accounts of C-level or enterprise operations executives jumping out of windows, but I did hear their stories about real frustrations and sudden challenges with execution. Many openly admitted a new risk to operations and ultimately financial performance as they battled through low-value manual processes, disparate platforms, and the absence of a remote ecosystem or “hub” where department, division, or enterprise teams could come together to communicate, execute, and manage end-to-end workflows and data to transcend unforeseen events, factors, or constraints for employees.

Enterprise Companies’ Love-Hate Relationship With New Technology (Even When Needed), Their Vendors, & Making Decisions


Love hate keys on a keyboard

Faced with acute business risk and operational difficulty, why didn’t more enterprise companies move to outsource an infrastructure-less SaaS operations or logistics software solution along with its support?

For companies in verticals that were still in growth mode or mostly business as usual after the onset of COVID-19, three obstacles may have impeded a tech/SaaS path to continuity, efficiency, and reduced business risk—two having to do with buyer psyche and the other about the options (or lack thereof) for tech/SaaS and its providers.

Obstacle #1

We all HATE discomfort. Human nature clings to the familiarity of the status quo and skillfully tricks the subconscious into downplaying, avoiding, or outright denying the existence of unpleasant or ineffective circumstances. This saves us the discomfort of reasoning the cause of a problem, its scope, or the inconvenience of having to do something about it.

Obstacle #2

We all LOVE control. Modern enterprise buying happens when a majority of 10-14 cross-functional stakeholders, that may or may not also engage the board of directors, decide to say “YES!” to change as they are helped past their individual risk aversion that is influenced by their performance metrics, professional goals, challenges, underlying biases and motivations to either support or block the decision.

As such, even when presented with a clear, distinct solution that demands change from the status quo, if stakeholders are left to themselves without an objective, insightful, empathetic guide with a strong understanding of their current processes, data requirements, and the technology—teamed up with an internal champion as a collaborative partner to help instill new insights, influence, clear obstacles, and gain consensus—one of two things is most likely to happen for these folks:

  • Stakeholders will lose sight of the fundamentals of real value achieved with the solution and instead commoditize options and the decision down to the smallest, least cost, and least exposure option. Whereby producing a lowest risk decision for the stakeholders, but not necessarily the best overall decision for the organization.
  • Subconsciously, underlying biases and fear of losing autonomy causes stakeholders to defend a personal status quo which culminates in creative efforts to block a decision. This presents itself in a variety of excuses or objections to the change, efforts to frustrate the investigation and decision progress wherever possible, or a gleeful vote to “do nothing.” Again, this may stave off change, but may not be in the best interest of the organization.

And the third obstacle that may have prevented enterprise companies from creating a needed communication and operations execution superhighway for their teams:

Obstacle #3

We need confidence in our partners. Lots of it. When the vulnerability of continuity became obvious in 2020, enterprise technology options were still pretty clunky. Choices included older platforms still on-prem, partial, or rigid workflows that required daisy-chaining disparate platforms together or retraining, they offered limited reporting, low data mining and analytics, no advanced predictive capabilities, few simple integrations with other major business systems, and long backlogs when custom dev was necessary. This meant vendors and their platforms were of limited use, painful to deal with, and the ratio of bad reviews to good reviews was high when measuring the rate of adoption, realized value, and the overall customer experience during implementation, when using the platform, and when support was needed.

Ditch Old School, Rigid, And Unresponsive Tech Options For The Modern Virtual Work “Place"


Woman uses virtual reality technology at work

What’s different today? There is good news for enterprise SaaS buying holdouts! A new generation of “Service as a Solution” (SaaS) enterprise software designers have emerged with intuitive, adaptive, integrated, perpetually evolving solutions. This has jettisoned adoption with stakeholders and users alike as solutions are now blending into the business with flexibility to resemble comfortable, native workflows, simply integrate with most business systems, and deliver sizeable benefits relative to op-ex fees.

This new virtual work “place” brings employees, external partners, and various business systems together via simple integrations into a community to accomplish major workflows with simplicity and agility. Some of the benefits:

  • Naturally compile & archive internal and external correspondence, quotes, documents, invoices, BOLs, validations, authorizations, and receivings by project, customer, or vendor
  • Collaborate
  • Plan and assemble projects
  • Mirror and execute existing daily operation workflows
  • Operate with 360-degree visibility

With artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) now in production, in development, and in dev roadmaps, SaaS developers are also infusing deep insights, visibility, and predictive decision making into their functionality with advanced:

  • Data mining
  • Trend and predictive intelligence
  • Highly trained observation, inference, and conclusion capabilities

As such, enterprise SaaS software spend is up 14% in 2021 per Gartner’s reporting, with an estimated $700 billion on the way for 2022. Another 11% increase.

10 Questions To Set Your Buying Team Up For A Successful Tech Buying Journey


Enterprise buying team works together

Buying technology is complicated! For enterprise executives who are ready to appoint a buying committee to select your next tech solution, this article will help you:

  • Quickly strip options down to a short list of solutions and vendors for deeper evaluation
  • Clear obstacles that can prevent your buying committee from reaching a value-rich buying decision
  • Reduce the chances of your buying committee spending valuable hours, only to get stuck in the evaluation process or cling to the status quo and do nothing (believe it or not, this happens in at least 5/10 complex buying decisions)
  • Avoid solutions that exclude new observatory, predictive, conclusionary analytics that exponentially elevate business decisions and bottom-line outcomes

To set the stage for your buying journey, make sure you have a qualified guide to lead your buying team through organizational requirements, vetting and qualifying, and the complex behavioral science maze of the numerous stakeholders chosen for your buying committee.

Next, here are (10) initial questions to strip down your vendor list and clear away common obstacles for stakeholder personas throughout the organization:

1. Does the software provide a full end-to-end solution to execute and manage the entire workflow process for the departmental / division / organizational application?

2. Will the software have long-term application for your operations, despite workplace and technology advancements, and what is the partner’s roadmap for ongoing development and investment?

3. Does the software enable users the flexibility to mirror familiar workflows already intuitive to your operations without forcing a new workflow and retraining?

4. Does the potential SaaS partner provide a simulation of the platform’s operation with your workflow or application or environment to validate its efficacy for your company’s specific needs?

5. Do they have case studies that demonstrate a great buyer and user experience with the product, implementation, training for each level of user, and support?

6. Is the platform available in a SaaS model without a cap-ex spend or on-prem hardware?

7. Are ready integrations available for your major systems and apps to offer a low-coding, low development & engineering implementation, especially if you don’t have unlimited internal technology resources?

8. Is data import and configuration relatively simple?

9. Does the simplicity of the solution and the tech partner’s support mitigate the need for IT to acquire additional skillsets to implement or support?

10. Do they publish ample ungated content about their solution to research and evaluate before contacting their sales rep?

For additional insights and help with navigating the enterprise technology buying journey, please reach out to me on LinkedIn or at [email protected]

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10 Questions Successful Enterprise Tech Buyers Ask

Biggest Challenge To Cross-Border Cloud Implementation



Despite what the industry pundits are saying, many firms don't have a cloud strategy or a complementary Analytics-as-a-Service Strategy (AaaS). Approximately 20% to 25% of companies have successfully integrated their data, analytics, and cloud strategies.

One of the biggest challenges for companies with cross-border entities, mainly in APAC and the Gulf countries, is how to improve data platforms and cloud maturity while navigating restrictive regulations that constrain the use of cloud data strategies. Without access to cloud capabilities due to information security challenges and fears, the company or institution is limited in its ability to use big data capabilities and other high maturity functionality such as machine learning operations.

What Does This All Mean?


Person works with cloud technology

Let's say you are a company operating in a country or across multiple countries that don't allow housing your data in the cloud, particularly if this is outside the country or the country bans the use of the cloud.

This prevents regional entities from building a responsive single source of truth or mining large data sets in the cloud, thus restricting data monetization and digital transformation. Connecting with customers requires connecting organizational data across countries, regions, business units, and products.

As A Company Leader, What Options Do I Have?


Man works with cloud technology

Whether your issues are in the ingestion space or processing or serving and consumption, cloud platform companies have a variety of on-prem and cloud-based solutions to help you deal with your data in various regulatory compliant environments. Whether the data is structured, semi-structured, or unstructured, you have solutions. All it takes is a well-thought-out integration of data architecture, data strategy, and infrastructure design.

Facts to consider as you and your leadership team develop your strategies:

  • Cloud big data platforms can handle all your data at any scale regardless of structure or format: SYDAI (Store-Your-Data-As-Is) has become a reality for most cloud providers.
  • The power of streaming data cannot be ignored in the context of monetization.
  • It is a myth that big data platforms are only for unstructured data. You can move SQL or traditional data warehouses into the cloud by using integration tools provided by the platforms. This myth is often a barrier that blocks strategic thinking about SaaS (Software-as-a-Service), AaaS, and other cloud-based solutions.
  • Newer data lakes have some of the most advanced security and encryption ever designed. Secure data zones can be set at the user level and field levels.
  • If moving your data to the cloud is not possible, you can still use many of the cloud functionalities in an on-prem cloud solution.
  • Some cloud-based SaaS and AaaS solutions allow you to run your data through cloud-based software, allowing for ML operations, data operations, business intelligence, analytics, and model building without storing your data in the cloud.
  • Database service providers can provide architecture and design to support your company as it builds the strategies to take advantage of cloud and analytics software while still keeping your data on-prem and within your region.
  • Some regulators are not fully conversant with all nuances of current technology and desired use cases. Educate them and bring them along your cloud journey. You may be surprised by the outcome.

The Net Message Is...


Wooden blocks representing cloud technology

Don't give up on your cloud strategy because of regulatory issues—compliance and cloud strategy are compatible! We just have to be creative with the strategic design of our systems.

Every organization has its own set of hurdles when attempting to leverage the benefits offered by cloud technology. We've only touched on one external aspect in this article, the regulatory environment. However, from over 20+ years of working in this arena, I'm convinced that the singular reality for every company on this journey is that change is difficult. The biggest internal challenge is an organizational commitment—the realization that transitioning to the cloud will benefit all company stakeholders and not just an elite few...but that's for another article!

I look forward to your thoughts on this topic.


Lead photo from iStock (purchased by author)


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Biggest Challenge To Cross-Border Cloud Implementation

Zapier Continues To Build Its Global Workforce



Zapier is a top-ranked company that aims to simplify the work process for businesses of all sizes. As a 100% remote company, Zapier could be an appealing job for a job seeker looking for a remote position at an incredible company.

How Zapier Simplifies The Work Experience


Members of the Zapier team.

Zapier is a productivity tool that connects over 1,300 business apps, such as Gmail, Dropbox, Slack, and MailChimp. Zapier helps to automate routine processes and repetitive tasks without the need for coding or technical resources.

"Zapier is on a mission to make automation incredibly easy and accessible to everyone at work," according to the company's mission statement. Quite simply, Zapier eliminates busy work.

Zapier was founded in 2011 and has over 3 million registered users around the world. Some well-known companies that use Zapier include BuzzFeed, Invision, Spotify, and Adobe.

Applying For A Job At Zapier


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While Zapier is based in Sunnyvale, California, the company's workforce is 100% remote and employees can work from anywhere in the world! The company's workforce is currently spread across 17 time zones in 30 countries.

Zapier has job openings in accounting & finance, business operation, decision science & analytics, design, engineering, marketing, product, research & development, recruiting, and support.

Zapier's interview process varies by job position but it typically starts with a phone screen with a recruiter. Applicants who are deemed a good fit will then get a 45-minute to 1-hour interview with the hiring manager. The next step in the interview process includes a skills interview or a take-home skills test.

Throughout the interview process, Zapier makes it a point to get back to applicants quickly, and then commits to being in touch with applicants once per week while they're going through the hiring process.

3 Facts About Working At Zapier


Zapier employees at a company retreat in Orlando, Florida.

Zapier is a leader in building a remote workforce.

At Zapier, remote work isn't just meant to be a perk. Rather, it has been the company's reality from the start. As such, Zapier considers itself a leader in running a remote workforce and often shares information and insights about remote work best practices on the company's blog.

Those who work at Zapier are given a remote equipment budget and allowed to choose the equipment they need for their home offices. Zapier employees are also encouraged to take advantage of the freedom and flexibility that comes with remote work (as long as they're in communication with their teams about tasks and deadlines).

Zapier is also committed to building one of the strongest company cultures for a remote company.

"100% distributed doesn't hold us back from building bonds—daily conversation in chat includes non-work topics like #fun-cooking and #fun-scifi, weekly posts to our company blog show off pictures of pets and hobbies, and twice-annually, we come together for an all-team retreat that includes activities like crafting, basketball, karaoke, and rock climbing. We make space for whatever your flavor of fun," the company states on its website.

Past all-team retreats have been held in Vancouver, Minneapolis, and New Orleans. In addition to the twice-annual all-team retreats, departments and teams within Zapier sometimes get together to work on projects and have fun.


Employees like working at Zapier.

Zapier has a ranking of 4.9/5 on job review site Glassdoor and is gaining recognition throughout the tech industry. Zapier ranked #1 for mid-stage companies on Wing Venture Capital's "Enterprise Tech 30" list that recognizes startups "poised to transform enterprises at all stages of maturity" and the company is also featured on Forbes' "The Cloud 100" list.

Zapier prides itself on being a global workforce that lends itself to diverse backgrounds and experiences. Diversity, inclusion, and belonging is a major area of focus at Zapier and all employees that are hired agree to the company's code of conduct.

"We're building a global community—one that's safe for people of all backgrounds. We have regular open discussions on topics like gender equality, unconscious bias, and celebrating our differences," the company states on its website.

Benefits and perks at Zapier include:

  • Unlimited vacation
  • Profit-sharing
  • 2 annual company retreats
  • Professional development allowance
  • Great healthcare + dental + vision coverage (available to US, UK, and Canadian employees)
  • Retirement plan with 4% company match (available to US, UK, and Canadian employees)
  • 14 weeks of paid leave for new parents

5 Zapier team values that lead to a successful employee:
  1. Default to Action - "Most decisions are changeable. It's better to deliver something real today over something maybe better later."
  2. Default to Transparency - "When working in a distributed, worldwide team staying on the same page is tough. Sharing context, goals, objectives, and in-progress work in public helps us all achieve a common goal."
  3. Grow Through Feedback - "We all have personal goals and ambitions. Let's work together to help us all achieve our goals."
  4. Empathy, No Ego - "All of our teammates are smart and talented. When we work together we will be successful."
  5. Don't Be a Robot, Build the Robot - "Invest in tools and processes that lead to outsized impact so Zapier can be more productive than a similar sized company."

Career Opportunities At Zapier


If you're interested in working at Zapier, visit the company's careers page to learn more.


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Zapier Continues To Build Its Global Workforce

Slack Is Embracing The World Of Remote Work



Many professionals can easily recall the days of multiple out-of-control email chains and loose papers of correspondence, and then Slack came along and helped to bring organization to the workplace. As the modern workplace evolves, Slack's mission will likely take on even greater importance.

How Slack Makes The Workplace More Efficient


Slack coworkers collaborate at the company's San Francisco office.

Slack is the leading channel-based messaging platform used by millions to align their teams, unify their systems, and drive their businesses forward. Slack offers a secure, enterprise-grade environment that can scale with the largest companies in the world.

Slack came along at a time when large organizations were struggling to coordinate with teams to get them moving in the same direction, and gave these companies a place to connect their conversations, information, and software.

With remote workforces expanding and becoming more prominent, Slack has become an essential tool for many businesses. Some well-known companies that use Slack include Oracle, E-Trade, SAP, and The New York Times.

Slack by the numbers:

  • 12M+ daily active users
  • 119K+ paid customers
  • 65 of the Fortune 100 use Slack
  • 150+ countries have daily active users in Slack

How To Find The Right Job At Slack 


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Slack is headquartered in San Francisco and has other American offices in New York, Chicago, and Denver, along with international offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Dublin, London, Paris, Munich, Melbourne, Sydney, Osaka, Tokyo, and Pune.

In addition to its offices, Slack offers remote roles and remote work flexibility. Job seekers interested in remote work positions should review all postings carefully.

Slack has job openings in analytics, business development, business technology, communications, customer experience, customer success, design, engineering, legal, marketing, product management, program management, recruiting, sales, and solutions engineering.

Slack also has a great 12-16 week summer internship program where interns are given real projects that make an impact.

3 Great Things About Working At Slack


Slack is embracing the future of work.

As a company that has developed a platform that makes working and collaborating remotely easier, it only makes sense that Slack would also embrace remote work flexibility.

While COVID-19 sent Slack's workforce remote, the company's leadership quickly realized that a remote-first work environment would likely persist long after the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the company opened up remote work positions and has given most employees the option to work remotely on a permanent basis.

The company is working hard to reimagine the workforce as things continue to evolve.

"Slack is committed to shaping the future of distributed work. Whether that means working out of one of our offices, having the flexibility to work from home a few days a week, or working remotely on a permanent basis, we're providing more choices to employees on where they can do their best work," the company states.


Slack is for everyone.

Slack has a diversity, engagement, and belonging (DEB) program that encourages a diverse workforce on multiple levels. The company realizes that sometimes the best talent falls through the cracks because they don't always have the easiest access to certain career opportunities. To address this, Slack has a few different initiatives going.

  • Partnership with Year Up - Slack works with Year Up, a workforce training program that connects underserved young adults with meaningful career pathways. According to Slack's most recent diversity report, 87.5% of Slack's Year Up interns have converted to full-time roles.
  • Employee resource groups (ERGs) - Slack has multiple ERGs that allow employees with shared characteristics or life experiences to come together. These groups are constantly evolving and helping to push new company initiatives.
  • Rising Tides - A six-month sponsorship program for a talented and diverse group of high performers and emerging leaders at Slack who have historically lacked access to this type of support. Program participants receive career development training, executive coaching, and one-on-one sponsorship with a Slack executive team member, with a focus on building a supportive community of peers.
  • Next Chapter - This program helps formerly incarcerated individuals find skilled, long-term employment in the technology sector and shift perceptions around re-entering individuals. The first three apprentices that completed this program are now full-time engineers at Slack.


Employee happiness is important at Slack.

Slack employees are focused on doing their part to make other people's work lives easier, and Slack leadership strives to do its part in returning the favor for its own employees.

While at work, Slack wants its employees to be creative, collaborative, and supportive of each other while having fun. Outside of work, Slack encourages its employees to unplug and leave work behind. So far the company seems to be doing something right as it earned a culture score of 4.2/5 on Comparably and was named one of the "Best Places to Work" by Glassdoor in 2020 and 2021. Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield earned a high score of 92/100 on Comparably.

Some of the employee benefits and perks at Slack include:

  • Personal development stipend - Slack employees receive an annual allowance for professional development, plus a monthly stipend to be used toward anything
  • Health and wellness - Free medical, dental, and vision for employees and their families; Slack pays 100% of premiums and also offers access to a range of free mental health and well-being resources
  • Parental perks - Slack offers generous parental and new-child-bonding leave, along with access to child-care assistance services for kids up to age five

Career Opportunities At Slack


To apply or learn more about working at Slack, check out the company's careers page.


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Salesforce Is Hiring Now For Remote Work And Internships



There's a good chance that you recognize Salesforce from stories about its company culture, or maybe you have even used its product. But did you know that with greater workplace flexibility and new job opportunities now may be the perfect time to explore a career at Salesforce?

What Job Seekers Should Know About Salesforce


Salesforce employees collaborate with each other.

Salesforce is the world's top cloud-based customer relationship management platform. In addition to helping companies connect with their customers, Salesforce is a major organization and tracking tool for businesses of all sizes as the platform helps companies with marketing, sales, commerce, service, and IT.

Salesforce has over 150,000 customers, including well-known businesses like T-Mobile and BBVA. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in San Francisco. But, with 63 offices in 28 countries and remote work opportunities, those interested in working at Salesforce aren't limited by borders.

Salesforce has built a strong reputation for its product and company culture and is frequently featured on Glassdoor's "Best Places to Work" list.

How To Get Your Career Started At Salesforce


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Like many companies, Salesforce is adding to its remote workforce globally.

A career at Salesforce may be particularly appealing to you if you're looking for a job in sales, products and technology, customer success, finance and operations, marketing, or project management, to name a few departments.

Salesforce's robust internship program also makes the company a great opportunity for college students or those looking to break into the software and technology industry.

"Our interns and new graduates work on real projects that affect how our business runs, giving them the opportunity to make a tangible impact on the future of our company. With offices all over the world, our recruits have the chance to collaborate and connect with fellow employees on a global scale," the company states on its website.

3 Interesting Facts About Working At Salesforce


Salesforce employees work together on a community service process.

1. Salesforce is committed to building a workforce that reflects society.

Currently, 47.7% of Salesforce's U.S. workforce is made up of underrepresented groups (Women, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Multiracial, LGBTQ+ employees, People with Disabilities, and Veterans). The company is focused on meeting the following diversity goals by 2023:

  • To have 50% of the U.S. workforce made up of underrepresented groups (Women, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Multiracial, LGBTQ+ employees, People with Disabilities, and Veterans).
  • To double the U.S. representation of Black leaders (VP+) and increase the representation of underrepresented minority (Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Multiracial) leaders by 50% by 2023.
  • To increase U.S. representation of underrepresented minority (Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Multiracial) employees by 50% by 2023.
Salesforce also has a comprehensive equal pay strategy that the company is constantly assessing.

2. Salesforce is ready and willing to adapt to the changing workforce.

Salesforce has a lot of offices around the globe but the company recognized early during the COVID-19 pandemic that the 9-to-5 office climate was never going to be the same. The company decided to survey employees about what they wanted the return to work to look like and the majority of employees wanted a flex option with a few days in the office and a few days remote.

A large number of employees wanted to stay fully remote, and only a small number of employees wanted to return to the office full time. As a result, Salesforce has developed a strategy where all options are on the table for employees and those who do return to the office will notice a more welcoming space that fosters collaboration rather than a sea of desks.

3. Salesforce offers competitive benefits.
Salesforce's employee benefits package is aimed at enhancing the well-being of employees and their families, and includes:
  • Parental and caregiver leave, gradual return-to-work option for new parents, and adoption, fertility, and surrogacy support
  • Monthly wellness reimbursement, employee webinars, and events with tips and tricks to live well
  • Nonprofit donations matched up to $5,000 per year and seven days of paid volunteer time off (VTO) per year
  • Generous time off and holidays and work-life integration

Careers At Salesforce


If you're interested in working at Salesforce, visit the company's careers page to learn more.

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GitHub Is Focused On Bringing Developers Together



A global workforce needs platforms where people can collaborate with others, even those who are thousands of miles away. GitHub's platform accomplishes this mission for software and coding developers, and that need will likely increase in the years ahead.

What Is GitHub?


GitHub is a collaborative code-hosting platform where millions of developers and companies build, ship, and maintain their software. The platform allows developers to work on projects together and share ideas from around the world. GitHub has built a reputation for having the largest and most-advanced development platform in the world.

GitHub was founded in 2008 and was acquired by Microsoft in 2018.

GitHub by the numbers:

  • 65+ million developers use the platform
  • 3+ million organizations use the platform
  • 72% of Fortune 50 companies use the platform

What It's Like To Work At GitHub


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GitHub is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and has a very casual office space that features a hammock room and roof deck. However, a large part of the GitHub workforce works remotely, making the company very familiar with all types of work environments.

According to GitHub's 2020 employee data, 53.8% of employees work from home, 23.3% work from the San Francisco headquarters, 9.8% work in a coworking space, and 13.1% work in a local office.

GitHub hub hires remotely in all 50 states and in portions of Europe and Asia-Pacific. Those interested in remote work should review all the company's job postings carefully and confirm with company officials.

GitHub hires in the following departments: business systems, customer success, design, engineering, finance, human resources, internal communications, legal, marketing, policy, product, sales, security, services, solutions engineering, support, and workplace.

The company also offers a paid internship every summer.

4 Quick Facts About GitHub


A GitHub employee works in a quiet workplace.

GitHub continues to grow.

As more developers discover the freedom and flexibility of being able to collaborate from anywhere via a cloud platform, the more appealing GitHub becomes. This became especially important in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to stay home and split apart workforces.

Despite the global uncertainty, GitHub grew its workforce from 1,079 to 1,677 employees and opened new offices in Bellevue, Washington, along with international offices in Oxford, U.K., and Hyderabad, India.


GitHub has built a strong company culture.

GitHub has a culture score of 4.3/5 on employee review site Comparably, along with a salary grade of A.

Benefits and perks at GitHub include:

  • Flexible work schedules and flexible paid time off.
  • GitHub provides 100% coverage of health insurance premiums across medical, dental, and vision plan offerings, including coverage for dependents. The company also offers five months of paid family leave to all new parents with the option to use it all at once or throughout the baby's first year.
  • GitHub pays for gym memberships and offers fitness classes and meditation at the company's headquarters.
  • Yearly allowance for professional development.
  • A $1,500 stipend for remote workers to set up their home offices, a telecommunications stipend, and an ergonomic evaluation.


GitHub is committed to diversity and inclusion.

Developers around the world use the GitHub platform and the company believes that its workforce should reflect the same diversity of its clients.

GitHub invests in unconscious bias, privilege, and allyship training for all employees, while company leadership has set and tracks ambitious hiring, retention, and promotional goals for underrepresented communities. From 2018 to 2020, the company has seen an overall increase in U.S. representation of racial and ethnic minorities in technical and management roles and a significant increase in women in management roles.

The company currently has an Inclusion Advisory Council that collaborates with Communities of Belonging to help guide and inform priorities.


GitHub employees have a chance to give back.

GitHub encourages its employees to get involved in community service and supporting causes that are important to them. Every year, GitHub employees get a full week of paid time off to volunteer in their communities. In addition, anytime an employee donates to a cause they care about, GitHub will match it dollar for dollar, up to $15,000.

GitHub also puts a major emphasis on helping underrepresented communities get involved in tech through employee mentorship, education programs & events, and by partnering with multiple organizations.

Career Opportunities At GitHub


To apply or learn more about working at GitHub, check out the company's careers page.



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GitHub Is Focused On Bringing Developers Together

3 Things To Know About Working At Articulate



Are you looking for a remote work opportunity with ultimate flexibility? Articulate may be a company worth exploring.

Here's a snapshot of what it's like to work at Articulate.

What Is Articulate?


Articulate develops e-learning software, content, and resources.

Articulate develops e-learning software, content, and resources that change the way the world learns. More than 106,000 organizations worldwide, including 92 of Fortune 100, have created millions of courses using Articulate's online training apps, Articulate 360, and Rise.com.

Articulate 360: Gives e-learning developers what they need to create courses for their learning management systems.

Rise.com: Gives organizations what they need to create, track, and manage their online training in one complete system.

Articulate has a global reach with about 112 million learners in 161 countries using the company's applications. Notable clients of Articulate include Insperity, LexisNexis, and Zillow.

Articulate was founded in 2002 and is a remote-first workplace, giving the company access to talent around the world.

Job Opportunities At Articulate


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Common job openings at Articulate include career opportunities in customer success & support, software engineering, human resources, finance, project management, sales, and marketing, to name a few.

The job interview process at Articulate typically includes a phone screen, an assignment, and sometimes multiple interviews with those you'll work most closely with on the job, according to reviews on Glassdoor.

What It's Like To Work At Articulate


Articulate was named one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces of 2020.

Articulate has a culture score of 4.2/5 on job board website Comparably and was named as one of Inc. magazine's Best Workplaces of 2020. The company has also won many awards for its products.

"We've won more than 90 awards over the last decade for our innovative e-learning apps. They make it stunningly simple to create richly interactive, highly engaging online and mobile courses," the company states on its website.

Articulate puts a lot of focus on autonomy because its workforce is global and remote. Employees are given the tools they need to do their jobs, and as long as they are producing their best work and meeting deadlines, the company doesn't place rules on where and when employees work.

"Autonomy doesn't mean 'work in a vacuum all by your lonesome.' In fact, we're very interdependent and collaborate a lot, so we do need to be available sometimes for our teammates. People on teams decide when they need each other and sync on schedules. A team's work hours are fluid, flexible, and determined by the people they impact...What it boils down to is that we're each given respect, trust, and, ultimately, responsibility. We trust one another to be responsible. To do the job, and do it well. No babysitting required," the company states.

Articulate also usually has an annual retreat to get the workplace together, but recent versions have been digital because of COVID-19.

Some of Articulate's benefits and perks include:

  • Articulate supplies the tools they need for the job and their home office
  • Flexible PTO
  • Wellness benefit ($100 a month towards the wellness program of your choice)
  • Health insurance, 401(k), supplemental insurance

Careers At Articulate


Articulate has multiple job openings available.

If you're interested in working at Articulate, visit the company's careers page to learn more.

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3 Things To Know About Working At …

How To Help Your New Employees Learn Your Software (Beyond Just Handing Them The User Manual)



You bought some software, and it came with a user manual (online help) with detailed step-by-step procedures and a list of standard reports. But does it tell you the scenario when the procedure applies or when to use the standard reports?

If it does, you’re way ahead of the game! But if not, your employees may not be taking full advantage of the available features and functionality. In the end, you may not be leveraging your technology investment as much as you could be. This is specifically true for new employees who may initially be on information overload.

Having a comprehensive user manual available to your employees is the first step. Here are five ways to help your employees use the technology better and be more efficient:

5 Ways To Help Your Employees Learn New Software


1. Create process workflows (I typically use Visio) including the manual steps and when to use the computer procedure. You can even show when specific standard/custom reports should be used.

  • Don’t forget to reference these workflows and procedures in your training materials
  • Post the procedures, workflows, and training materials on your intranet so that employees can easily access the latest version
  • If you upload the workflows and procedures onto your intranet, you can use hyperlinks. If you have a workflow that contains a computer procedure, right-click on the shape, and add the hyperlink to the procedure. Then, when you click on the shape, it will bring up the actual procedure.

2. Create “Tips” describing when you would use specific features and functions that the business could really benefit from using. Post a new tip on the intranet each day/week. You can even include tips for underutilized but powerful Microsoft-related tools like:

  • Excel – PivotTable or formulas (such as If, Concatenate, and Vlookup)
  • Word – Stylesheets or track changes feature
  • The key benefits of using OneNote and/or OneDrive

Be sure to provide examples of why/when they might want to use a PivotTable, which will help show the benefits of using a PivotTable.

3. Have a “lunch and learn” combining similar tips into one session for a specific topic (e.g. Excel) or a role (e.g. finance). Try to work these tips into your training curriculum.

4. Training

  • Offer training classes (instructor-led and/or self-paced) training materials
  • For new employees, employees preparing for a promotion, and refresher training
  • Self-paced courses (such as videos or using Articulate 360) are especially convenient for employees who work off-hours
  • Create “cheat sheets” for things like shortcuts, hotkeys, etc.

5. If you’re using the Microsoft Office suite, there is online help within the applications. If you’re looking for some additional training materials, there are third-party vendors who provide specific training materials such as videos and quick reference cards for products such as Office 365 as well as Acrobat and Windows. You can purchase these items and post them on your intranet.


These are some simple ways the organization can invest in your employees’ development. Employees will appreciate the efforts to make them more knowledgeable and become more efficient.

For more concepts beyond the user manual, follow me on LinkedIn!

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How To Help Your New Employees Learn …