4 Ways to Build Confidence in Selecting a Tech Provider

In our daily lives, technology integration has often been labeled a “game-changer,” promising enhanced efficiency in both personal and business operations. Yet, for those in the beverage industry, the experience with software has often resulted in frustration, burnout, and increased challenges for teams. Skepticism frequently arises with individuals stating, “All software companies are the same; I don’t want to go through this process again; I finally have things where I need them.”

But let’s challenge that notion and explore the ways you can genuinely build confidence in your tech solutions, with a spotlight on the exceptional commitment to innovation that Ohanafy brings to the beverage industry.

Teams confident in their tech solutions feel eager to use the software and often have little hang-ups. But the most notable thing here is that businesses see the value in their software when it begins to meet their needs. If you are tired of being a software skeptic, there are a few things you can do to build confidence in tech solutions. 

1. Understand Your Business Goals & Needs

First things first, it’s crucial to ensure you know what your business goals and needs are. If your team hasn't already, you may want to connect and define your goals. Consider what you require from software to propel you towards achieving these objectives.  For example, if you are looking to achieve a 30% increase in revenue over the next year, you may want dashboards that compare your revenue each quarter so you can better plan your time to meet your goals.

2. Asking the Tough Questions

Once your goals are defined, the next step is determining whether your current solution sets you on the right path toward meeting your goals. To do this, consider asking the tough questions in a few broad categories, like innovation, features, company culture, and customer support. Ask the following questions below:

Innovation:

• Is the company committed to innovating the product?
• What does their product roadmap look like?
• How often do they update their product or release new features?
• Is the technology flexible enough to meet my needs as my business scales?

Innovative companies committed to your growth regularly update and expand their product offerings to meet the needs of the evolving beverage industry. Trustworthy software providers have a clear product roadmap, indicating the timeline for essential features. Avoid companies with infrequent updates or insufficient scaling capabilities.

Company Culture and Support:

• What is their culture like?
• Do you trust their leaders?
• Does this company provide quality customer support?
• What does their training look like?

Confidence in your tech partner hinges on trust in their leadership, culture, and commitment to customer support. Timely and personalized support can make a significant difference in your experience. Consider examining the support team’s response time, mainly if support is confined to tickets, as relying solely on this method may not provide the necessary results and assistance. Seek providers that establish a partnership with their customers, offering real-human support.

Features:

• Does this solution have the features I need?
• Is the technology accessible on mobile devices?
• Are there any new features that will help you achieve your goals?

The last area you want to dig deep into is their features. Make a list of all the features you need daily, and don’t forget to rank their importance! If a low-priority feature is on their list but a higher-priority feature is not on their product roadmap, you will likely be wasting your time. Consider all the use cases where you must access these features on a mobile device. Whether it’s utilizing pick sheets, accessing invoices, updating the CRM, or managing employee time off, it’s essential to ensure the software is accessible everywhere you need it and has the features you will need to achieve your goals.

3. Evaluate

With answers from Step 2 in hand, you are ready to evaluate where your current provider stands. If they fall short, engage with your support team to address specific requirements or explore alternative software providers. If you find a new provider, return to the questions above as you chat with sales representatives. 

Software firms like Ohanafy distinguish themselves as a reliable partner for entrusting your craft.

Here’s the Ohanafy difference:

Future-proof product roadmap: Ohanafy ensures this with regular updates and expanded product offerings.

User-friendly and mobile-accessible: Built on Salesforce, Ohanafy carries an easy-to-navigate interface compatible with mobile devices for accessibility when needed.

Flexible software: Just like the industry changes, so will your business. You will want to ensure the product is adaptable to meet your needs. Ohanafy takes this further by offering customizable software with options for tailored reports, integrations with your favorite tools, and more.

Exceptional customer support:  At Ohanafy, we’re a leader in support from start to finish. Employing a “white glove” strategy, we offer support for data import, workflow customization, and personalized 1-to-1 assistance and training. Your project starts with introductions to your Ohanafy team, focusing on understanding your goals and objectives, followed by delivery of the implementation workbook. After receiving the implementation workbook with your historical data, we collaborate closely to review requirements, verify data format, migrate data, and customize workflows for your business needs. Implementation concludes with training and guidance on best practices for achieving ultimate success. 

Commitment to innovation: Ohanafy stays current on Salesforce and the beverage industry. Our team is always upskilling and challenging themselves and the software to ensure we can stay ahead of technological advancements.

4. Make Your Move & Prep for Implementation

When you are ready to move to a new software provider, you can do a few things to make your implementation run smoothly. First and foremost, pull the right people into the process - assemble a dedicated team from different departments who can bring diverse perspectives and expertise. Additionally, take the time to organize your historical data efficiently beforehand. Having well-structured and readily accessible data can significantly expedite the implementation process, allowing your provider to focus on fine-tuning rather than spending excessive time on adjustments.