Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

If you run a business, you know that you need a software solution for your various operations. Many prominent business experts have debated the idea of one overarching software solution that fits all an enterprise’s needs, while others have argued this can never work and so, multiple solutions are inherently needed. This is complex when you get into the details, but we’re just going to explore the pros and cons, what they can lead to. Hopefully, this helps you as a small business owner, desire whether you need one or more software to manage your operations. Of course what hands in the balance is cost, reputation, functionality and smoothness of your services.

Software silos (when they work)

Software silos are needed. Hold on, don’t disagree just yet. Software silos are sometimes good because they help to keep things protected, secure and also, accessible. Look at modern cloud data storage for example. It’s inherently a silo, as the cloud-based service will harbor your software and data off-site, away from cybercriminals and also your business. So if power goes out in your area, your data will not be harmed. If you can use a smartphone using a phone network, you can still access and use your data by connecting to the cloud-based service. So, silos like this can be very useful. 

Modern software 

Let’s say for example, you are a healthcare business. You have incredible amounts of data about your clients and customers. You would prefer this data to be half in and half out of a silo. You want it protected but you also want it to be shared easily among your partners. You would want something like the NovoPath software solutions. You have the ability to store your lab data of blood samples, swabs and chemical tests, on the cloud. Yet the system is easily able to section data, tables, graphs and reports, to be ready to send via email or import into presentation software such as Excel. Your operational capability is made smoother and more efficient.

Software silos (bad)

Software silos can be very bad for an organization. For example, take a look at some silo examples of risk and project management. If a risk team that should be communicating how it is managing risks isn’t doing so, then all that is happening is the hoarding of risk information and controls, so they are separate from operations. Perhaps the best example of a bad software silo is project management. The project management office (PMO), should be communicating with employees in project teams, of the changes made to their roles and targets in a timely manner. This all comes down to the project management software being open to employees, the proper assignment of authorization, access and inclusion by the project manager him or herself.

Software solutions can create good and bad silos. It all depends on what area they are to service, and who should or should not have access to them. Can you spot any good or bad software silos in your business?