Outdated processes are more than just an annoying obstacle hampering the day-to-day operations of a business. They take root in your company’s identity, create impossible trenches between departments, cause dissatisfaction and inefficiency among employees, and jeopardize the company’s overall success. But how do business processes devolve into obstacles in the first place? What are the real effects of outdated processes on a business? And most importantly, how does your change course?

Part 1: Obsolete technologies as an ideal breeding ground for outdated processes

We all know how short-lived technological innovations are today and how mercilessly time gnaws away at them. What may have been state-of-the-art 10 years ago has now become museum-ready. In the age of digitalization, technologies and the processes than accompany them no longer meet the demands of modern companies. Ultimately, they become temporary solutions that rely on yesterday’s methods to hopelessly attempt to ensure a business? survival in tomorrow’s market. According to a Microsoft survey, 90% of the customers would change their suppliers if they were using obsolete technologies.

Effects on marketing processes: Lead sources dry up

Marketing is one of the departments that is most dependent on cutting-edge technologies. Each individual lead requires precise, intelligent and data-supported processes ? but that’s not what outdated, stand-alone solutions are capable of. Instead, they cause high scattering losses, marketing costs with no discernible profit and an uncontrollable data chaos.

Examples:

• Lack of automation results in time-consuming and unprecise manual processes
• Outdated CRM technology leads to weak nurturing and high loss rate of leads
• Databases scattered across various Excel tables produce unreliable reporting

Effects on sales processes: Sales opportunities remain untapped

In the era of data, automation and AI, outdated technologies do not have the ability to properly support sales professionals in their work. On the contrary, these technologies often require a high level of manual maintenance. Sales opportunities remain untapped, while sales has to struggle through calculations and administrative tasks.

Examples:

• Lack of automation results in time-consuming administrative tasks
• Missing database cause inaccurate measurement of sales performance
• No AI support results in inefficient pipeline processing and incorrect prioritization of opportunities

Effects on customer service processes: Customer frustration becomes a ticking time bomb

Outdated processes prevent Customer Service from responding promptly to the needs of customers. Due to technological limitations, they are also unable to proactively provide information about impending customer conflicts or their solutions. The result is that frustration and anger build up on the side of the customer and an individual resolution, if at all, is only possible with a great deal of effort.

Examples:

• Missing databases make problem localization and resolution impossible
• Obsolete communication processes mean customers cannot find a way to get in touch
• No AI support results in customer service resolution taking much longer

Solution: Step by step toward state-of-the-art processes

In the foreseeable future, there will be no way to avoid migration of your operations to new technologies. And the effort generally pays off quickly! New modern processes make daily tasks and reporting much easier and measurably increase efficiency and long-term competitiveness. But there is no need to focus on the entire company IT ? often it is enough to question specific processes and modernize the underlying technologies step-by-step and department-by-department.

It is not too late to avoid lasting economic damage to your company! Digitalization is just starting to take off and many of your competitors have failed to modernize their technologies and processes. Take advantage of this opportunity by addressing the issues surrounding your processes and gain a clear competitive advantage with technology like Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Time for action

Are you ready for top-level digital process optimization? Make the most of your Microsoft Dynamics 365 experience and get unparalleled business insight with the AlfaPeople CRM Business Process Review.