Managing Your Tech Stack

Simplify and streamline your business applications

Tech stacks vary greatly in size and complexity depending on the organization. The one thing they have in common, however, is the fact that without proper management and strategy, they can lead to severe inefficiency and waste.

Tech stacks are pretty simple in the early days of a business. A few select applications will take care of a small group of employees and a small but growing number of customers. As the enterprise expands, however, applications expand right along with it.

If the tech stack expands gradually, managing the complexity is easier. Departments can work together to select the applications they need to function, figure out the appropriate number of licenses, and decide whether they need each application to integrate with any others.

If technology expansion is sudden and drastic, however, it’s difficult to see the forest for the trees. Departments use whatever applications they need to get through the next period of time without giving much thought to whether those tools perform the functionality they truly need, whether they’re purchasing the right level of performance, and whether these applications need to communicate with any others in the enterprise. This leads to wasteful subscriptions and purchased apps that are severely underutilized.

This short-sightedness can cause a very unstable and inefficient technology stack. Unfortunately, it’s happening in organizations worldwide, and at a rate that surprises even technology professionals inside the organizations themselves.

For example, on average, CIOs at large enterprises believe they are paying for 30 to 40 cloud apps when in reality, it’s almost 1,000.

Every organization experiences this to some degree. It’s so easy to purchase a subscription or sign up for a free trial that businesses find themselves buried in applications and licenses before they know it. This also leads to a divided team that operates in silos with non-integrated technology.

The bottom line is, a poorly managed technology stack means waste for enterprises. Understanding your current system and developing a clear strategy for management will reveal the true potential of your business applications.

Evaluating your tech stack

A tech stack is meant to optimize the integrations, efficiency, and operations of a business. In order to make improvements, you have to honestly evaluate your current stack situation. You may be surprised by what you find.

First, make a list of all the applications, programs, and software your organization uses. This should be a comprehensive list, including applications that are used constantly as well as those that have only been used a handful of times. Some departments are probably using applications that others are not aware of. There are also probably programs on the list that are still being paid for long after they were forgotten.

This list should also include the licenses and permissions involved with each program. Who has access to it, what do they have access to, and how much is the company paying for each license?

Part of this initial investigation will be determining how well each application meets the needs of those using it. Is the application doing what the team hoped it would, or has it lost its purpose? Are the licenses being paid for the most appropriate option, or is there a lower level that would fulfill the same need?

Lastly, take a look at integrations. Which integrations already exist between applications, and which applications should be connected but aren’t?

Once you have a full understanding of your current tech stack, it will be much easier to make decisions moving forward. Take this time to re-evaluate your needs as a company and how your tech stack fulfills those needs. What integrations are available to simplify processes? Are there more advanced programs available to address multiple pain points? Are there robust licenses you can scale down or obsolete applications you can delete?

Answering questions like these will set you up for success in managing your business applications with a more dynamic and agile approach.

4 ways to get a handle on your tech stack

Once you get a lay of the land, you can start to make improvements. Here are some of the things to consider along the way.

1. Accessibility: Who needs access to applications, what level of accessibility do they need, and how will they access the application? Organizations waste billions of dollars every year on unused or inflated licenses. They also waste time and money on solutions that aren’t easily accessible to employees, and thus, get pushed to the side.
2. Features: What application features are truly necessary? It’s very common for enterprises to purchase software with the intent of using all available features, only to use a handful in reality. By accurately understanding the features they need, companies can reduce costs significantly.
3. Expertise: Who will be the internal expert for each application? An internal person or team should take ownership of each application to ensure uniformity and productivity. They can share their knowledge with others to provide guidance and make the team more adept at using the application.
4. Integrations: What applications should be integrated, and which integrations are available? To have the most efficient system, key applications need to talk to one another to provide employees with real-time and accurate information. Not doing so will lead to redundancies and inaccuracies.

As you address these areas, build your stack accordingly. By eliminating excess and waste, you can map a tech stack that gives the enterprise a window into which tools are being utilized, how they’re performing, and what the overall impact is on the business.

Simplify with enosix

Integrations are one of the largest considerations when managing a tech stack. Systems may be feature-rich, but organizations leave a lot on the table if they aren’t communicating with the other systems at play.

SAP and Salesforce, for example, are highly effective systems designed to maximize business operations. But managing them separately means time and effort wasted for everyone in your organization, from sales and marketing to operations and order fulfillment.

enosix’s bi-directional integration removes the complexity surrounding these two systems by allowing your team to access SAP functionality through your front-end Salesforce interface. Accelerate your internal operations and provide a superior customer experience by approaching your business applications from an intelligent enterprise point of view.

Contact us today to schedule a demo and learn how enosix can give you and your tech stack a dynamic edge.