SME Blog

Online delivery of services

The online delivery of services is a concept that it still new to most people, but is well on its way to becoming mainstream.  The online delivery of services is known as software as a service (SaaS).  Rather like a mobile phone package the customer pays (usually a fixed monthly amount) for what they need.  The software is hosted by the provider. Good examples of UK providers are Twinfield and FreeAgent Central.

With the technology revolution I have always thought that the online delivery of services was such an obvious approach.  To be able to dip into the information anytime and anywhere seemed the way forward in age where instant access and more flexibility are demanded. 

On the other hand the online delivery of services reminds me of the early days of the ipod with those in the know getting the benefits and the rest of us wondering what an earth the white box is.  In other words, we are the equivalent of the first generation ipod stage.  That looks all set to change.

Why? Firstly SAP are launching Business By Design and secondly other software vendors are moving significantly forward in this area.  You can find out more about Business by Design at Dennis Howlett's blog, but if SAP deliver then there is no doubt in my mind it will be the most significant piece of financial software the M in SME will see this decade. 

Finally, McKinsey have produced a good analysis of the SaaS market.  It is free to view after a login process and points the way forward to how the SaaS landscape may look in the second and third generation stage evolution.

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Work life and home life

Following on from the 9-5 post there is growing evidence on how our work life and home life are blurring.  Best Practice Magazine  highlights research that shows 31% UK finance professionals take the office with them on holiday via a laptop or handheld computer.

It doesn't surprise me.  Emails, mobile phones, 24-7 shopping - the desire for immediate response is ever increasing.  Technology is changing the whole dynamics of how we all work.  In many ways that can be liberating as there is no need to be chained to a desk to deliver results.  The flip side to that can be CrackBerry addiction.  The bottom line is we are going to all have to deal with it. How do we do that?  I think it comes down to a blend of good technology, business structure and expectation management.   

 

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Great success whilst being a 9-5 person?

Running a SME is a consuming affair.  Have you met anyone who has achieved this with great success whilst being a 9-5 person? 

For most people success requires hard work and effort.  A comparison with the sporting world and we see even naturally gifted athletes have to be driven and put in the extra effort to get to the top.  The same could be said of becoming and being a partner in a firm of Chartered Accountants.  According to the article in the Observer, Scott Cormack, a partner at KPMG, certainly worked hard.  70 hour working weeks were common.  The resulting stress is thought to have contributed to two broken marriages and prostrate cancer. 

It is never easy is to obtain a good work life balance whilst driving for success.  However, I do believe that the workflow and culture of an organisation makes a huge difference.  Good workflow saves time and an open culture means not being chained to a desk to deliver results.  The aim being to achieve more from the effort put in.  In an ideal world this would be enough, but the reality is for most successful SME owners there are times when you are going to have to work painfully hard.  Just try to avoid doing it all the time.

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