In today’s specialized economy, the benefits of industry-specific software are increasingly obvious, especially in health care. Many companies value technology and understand it can help their business, but they overlook how the unique traits of their industry may not be addressed by every program. It pays to focus on industry-specific software to get the features you need to succeed in your line of business.
Features
When examining options for industry-specific software, you should ask some hard questions. What does it do exactly? How does it work? Often an attractive website or demo can impress us but not answer these questions. For instance, if a doctor or hospital were looking for medical inventory software, they would need to make sure the program tracks item transactions, expiration dates, and patient drug history. The latter is especially important as the entire healthcare industry is grappling with the challenges of prescription drug abuse.
Usability
Along with the right features, industry-specific software should be reasonably easy to use. Is the console well designed and intuitive? Is the process clear? If the program layout doesn’t make sense, then you may want to pass on it. On the other hand, the software might point to a new approach that could save you money. For example, health care providers sometimes run out of items and then make costly rush purchases, but medical inventory software can alert you ahead of time when items are about to expire, and even help you send purchase orders to vendors. This helps maintain stocks, control spending and reduce stress for everyone involved.
Cost
The next aspect of industry specific software is whether the cost structure is right for your business. In some industries cash-flow is tight by nature. Again, taking healthcare as an example, increasing competition and declining payments are squeezing margins for many providers. In this case, you will want to opt for software that does not require a large payment up front, but allows for low periodic fees, perhaps on a monthly basis. Look also for software that is web-based, so that you avoid the hassle and cost of having to perform system maintenance and troubleshooting. Finally, a web-based vendor can also customize the program to meet the specific needs of your office. This provides your business with added value for the purchase.
In an environment of increasing business competition, the benefits of industry-specific software are obvious. Particularly in healthcare, where continuing uncertainty poses many challenges to medical providers, industry-specific software can be a powerful tool to help your business not only survive but also maintain a path of healthy growth.
