Many manufacturing business in Toronto and the world are finding themselves struggling with technology. Is it time to consider custom software? Are you struggling with the following?

For example:  

Your new client requires your business to provide up to the minute updates on your supply chain or requires that your system communicate directly with their system. Do you lose the client or try to make the adjustment?

You can find yourself in the predicament that business essential hardware is breaking or malfunctioning but the suppliers no longer produce these crucial pieces. How much longer can you continue with pieces breaking?

You attempt to remedy a problem by trying to integrate a new piece of software or hardware to compliment your business process but find that your existing system is not compatible. Do you stop upgrading at that point?

Legacy Software: can you continue to wait?

Issues such as not meeting client requirements, discontinued hardware and incompatible systems are a very real problem for many manufactures. Both big and small companies will find themselves struggling with these demands if they wait too long.

If your business is unable to meet these new set of demands you will slowly see potential clients go with your competitor. As these new requirement goes from being a one off to a standard your existing clients will slowly request for this new services and if not addressed move to your competition. How many clients and potential clients can you lose before crippling the growth of your business?

The information age has caused technology to move rapidly. Causing a gap between your system and the new industry standard. This gap only gets bigger as time passes and can cause a ripple effect of losing clients, productivity to a point that your business can’t recover.

With this sudden shift your staff can find it difficult to source hardware such as scanners, servers, printers etc. that can directly interact with your existing systems. The lack of parts to continue the use of your current systems can paralyze your business from making money.

Custom Software: Addressing the Problem

How can we address this problem before your business gets brought to a halt? The options are migration your existing systems into modern technology or building middleware that exists between your new requirements and the existing systems.

Migrating To Custom Software:

Migrating software can be very time consuming and costly. Legacy systems have a tendency to lack documentation, hidden features and processes. the migration process needs to be handled with care. As it can cause issues in production, bringing everything to a standstill for a few hours to a few days.

Middleware: Custom Software:

Middleware software attempts to build a line of communication between the existing system and the new set of requirements. These new requirements could be software or hardware base. Middleware is usually easier to build and deploy. Custom Software does require a fair amount of time to understand both the new requirements and the existing system.

Middleware software can be used as a temporary short term solution or a long standing solution, though it’s not suggested.

Lemonade Software Inc. is a Toronto base software firm, specializes in providing manufacturing business the ability to grow. Whether it’s through full custom software solutions or custom middleware solutions, Lemonade Software Inc. is here. We help your business not be left behind because of legacy software. Give us a call for your free consultation, you have nothing to lose.