Should You Upgrade or Ditch Your Software (The Framework That Actually Works)

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In this episode, we’re going to highlight one of the most stressful moments in business – that panicked realization that you have to change the software you’re using. But what if these moments of crisis could become opportunities for strategic decision-making instead?

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WATCH THESE RELATED VIDEOS:
• Scale Your Kitchen Design Business: Choosing Software That Grows With Your Success: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKL3X2vhAWo
• Should You Upgrade or Ditch Your Software (The Framework That Actually Works): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWebpv8pNC8

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Episode Transcript

(00:05):
Welcome back to Elevated, thepodcast that delivers actionable
insights in snackable fiveminute episodes.
I'm Brandi Lawson, and in thisepisode we're going to be
highlighting one of the moststressful moments in business,
that panicked realization thatyou have to change the software
you're using.
But what if these moments ofcrisis could become
opportunities for strategicdecision making instead?

(00:26):
Not too long ago, a clientcalled me in a bit of a panic
telling me our Slack renewal is$95,000 in seven days.
Uh, should we switch tosomething else?
That small messaging tool they'dstarted using years ago had
grown into the price of afull-time employee, and suddenly
they were facing a decisionthey'd never planned to make,
and I know she's not alone.
Many growing businessesencounter the day when that

(00:48):
manageable software subscriptionbecomes a significant business
expense.
What I am particularly proud ofis that this client was working
to shift a crisis moment into anopportunity for strategic
evaluation by reaching out to anexpert for help and guidance.
Software replacement decisionstypically fall into three
categories, forced decisions,friction point decisions, and

(01:10):
proactive considerations.
This firm was experiencing aforced decision.
The renewal cost had becomeprohibitive, and they had just
seven days to figure out theirnext minute.
Forced decisions happen whensoftware is no longer supported,
becomes too expensive or breaksdown entirely.
Friction point decisions emergewhen systems become obviously

(01:31):
painful or burdensome.
And then proactiveconsiderations like we saw in
last week's architecture designsoftware story happen when
businesses systematicallyevaluate their tools before
problems arise.
In this slack situation, herinitial instinct was to focus on
the price tag, find somethingcheaper, fast.
But that approach would'vemissed the more important

(01:51):
questions.
The real question isn't whatcosts less, it's is the current
solution worth its cost?
With over 70 clients, 15 to 20team members, and all their
vendors communicating throughone platform, the value equation
for this tool extended farbeyond subscription fee.
What would be the cost ofswitching?
How would migration affectclient relationships?

(02:14):
What would be the timeinvestment required?
Using our framework, they walkedthrough the five evaluation
factors, problem, significance,solution fit, cost benefit
analysis, potential impact andimplementation planning.
What initially felt like anoverwhelming crisis became an
objective decision makingprocess.
Their evaluation was more thanjust choosing between Slack and

(02:36):
alternatives.
They were examining howcommunication flowed through
their entire business.
Google Chat offered cost savingsbut a different client
experience implication.
Clickup Chat provided internalteam functionality but might not
fit external clientcommunication expectations.
Keeping Slack meant acceptingthe higher cost, but they could

(02:56):
maintain their establishedworkflows.
Using the fire effectsframework, they decided on a
hybrid approach nobody hadinitially considered they could
use Slack for clientcommunications where
relationship continuity matteredmost while implementing clickup
chat for internal team andvendor coordination, this
solution addressed both costconcerns and operational
effectiveness.

(03:17):
Reaching out for expert helpdidn't just solve their
immediate slack dilemma.
They established a decisionmaking framework for future
software evaluation.
The next time costs spike ortheir needs change, they won't
be starting from panic mode, andthis won't be the last frantic
phone call I get because themost common mistake businesses
make with software decisions iswaiting until circumstances

(03:40):
force immediate action.
Nobody plans extra time orbandwidth for unexpected
software emergencies.
When decisions become urgent,there's rarely adequate time,
attention, or energy forthoughtful evaluation.
Proactive software assessmentmeans having the luxury of
intentional decision making.
Instead of scrambling to findalternatives under pressure,

(04:01):
businesses can systematicallyevaluate their tools when
there's time to consider allapplications and explore
creative solutions.
As companies expand the systemsthat initially serve them well
often require adjustment.
This isn't a failure, it's anatural evolution.
The question becomes how tonavigate these transitions
strategically.
Rather than reactively, unlessyou're in the business of

(04:23):
software, you aren't makingthese kinds of decisions
regularly.
Using our framework transformssoftware evaluation from
emotional response to objectiveanalysis.
When decisions arise from panicor frustration, important
considerations often getoverlooked.
A systematic evaluation ensuresthat all relevant factors
receive the attention they need.

(04:43):
If you were to examine yourcurrent list of software and
use.
What might you discover?
Are there subscriptions thathave grown significantly over
time?
Tools that served you wellinitially, but may no longer
align with your current needs.
Systems that work adequately,but might not be optimal for
where your business is heading.
The [e-mail] slash

(05:04):
choose contains the systematicapproach that helped this firm
navigate their slack decisionssuccessfully.
Whether applied proactively orin response to changing
circumstances.
This structured evaluation cantransform overwhelming software
decisions into confidentstrategic choices.
Doing a proactive softwareassessment allows you to
identify optimizationpossibilities.

(05:24):
Before they become urgentproblems.
Usually the best softwaredecisions happen when there's no
immediate pressure to change.
When businesses can thoughtfullyconsider whether their current
tools truly serve their evolvingneeds.
Next week we'll explore how AIis changing the software
landscape and what that meansfor your evaluation process.
Because in a world where newcapabilities emerge constantly,

(05:48):
the ability to assess and adaptyour software toolkit becomes a
competitive advantage for anyindustry.