Laura rolled her chair into the hallway and hollered at her boss. “Hey James, did you see we hit a new record last month?”
“Sure did! Thanks to you and Miles!”
Six months earlier, James had finally rolled out his brand new custom software. He had ended his ERP Express contract. His foreman Miles and his team in the shop were firing on all cylinders.
He grinned. It had been a long road to get here—some late nights and early mornings. For a while, Laura, his secretary, complained about his meetings because he answered his software team’s questions faster than he answered hers.
He remembered how Miles’ and Laura’s faces lit up the first time they saw a preview of the new software. That’s when he finally made the leap from “visionary boss” to “the one who makes things happen.” Both had given invaluable input during the process, even catching a few oversights early on. Because of them, this software was now working even better than ManuMaker had.
James loved the new software company’s attention to detail and thoroughness. He’d always taken pride in running a business with high standards. But he wasn’t prepared for how much the software team would challenge him to refine his processes.
Some of his meetings he compared to a great softball tournament. They consumed his energy and focus. He felt he’d had a mental workout. If his mind had had muscles, they would have been aching. And even though he felt drained, he knew he’d left everything on the field. Tough as those meetings had been, he had walked away knowing he had played at the top of his game. And he trusted that playing the game that way would mean a championship title.
Still, looking back, he remembered some bumps along the way.
The road had been winding, but James was headed for open country.
Software transformation
Laura had lost a few weeks in the transition. She needed time to piece together the information from ManuMaker and ERP Express. But the software company had warned that something like that might happen.
The software team had let a few small glitches slip through, but James had worked with other software companies and had some hiccups. This time, he was surprised at how small the issues were and how quickly the developers resolved them.
Even Miles was happy, and that was saying something. He was typically the one to complain the soonest and loudest if anything got in the way of actual work.
Laura had actually had few questions for him since they started using the new software. “Everything I need is right here,” she told him.
“The biggest surprise,” James reflected, “is how few surprises there were.”
James had even allowed himself one guilty pleasure.
He opted for the software company’s VIP plan, which gave him first priority for any software changes. The developers set aside time every month just for his project. He could send change requests by email, and he’d have a program update in a week or two.
He used this VIP plan to work with one of the senior designers. Together, they designed comprehensive business reports.
Now, each Friday afternoon, he’d leave the office early. He’d find his usual quiet corner at the local coffee shop and spend the afternoon culling the reports. He’d write out a list of questions to ask Laura and Miles. He’d find new parts of his business he wanted to dig into. He’d fire off an email to the software company, asking for more in-depth reporting. Many times, they’d have his changes done by the next Friday.
Also on Fridays, he’d spend an hour reading from one of the books on his business reading list. He’d jot notes with ways his team could improve the business. Each week, they’d discuss his ideas, then he’d send an email to the software company asking for a few more tweaks and enhancements.
At the start, he felt guilty leaving the office early when he knew his shop staff was working overtime. But it didn’t take long for him to see that his “guilty pleasure” was actually the best thing he could do for his business.
James finally had time to get away and clear his mind.
Far-reaching benefits
It wasn’t long before his customers commented about how much better things seemed to be going. They started leaving 5 star reviews. They told their business friends about their experience.
Even his employees were happier. They seemed more motivated and less stressed. They talked about their hobbies and personal interests over lunch. They stopped complaining about work and customers.
His local chamber of commerce got wind of the changes and asked him to do a presentation for their members. Then, his business peer group heard about it. At their annual summit, he shared what he had learned.
James hadn’t realized the weight he’d been carrying. But he felt like a thousand pounds had been lifted off his shoulders.
Above all, his wife Amy noticed the change. “You’re not worried or stressed about the business like you were,” she commented one evening.
James had known software could change his business. But he hadn’t dreamed how it would change things at home.
He took a deep breath of gratitude.
“You’re right,” he said. “It’s not the same.”
The Takeaway
In the end, James was glad he hadn’t given up on finding software for his business. But it was a long road, and it had cost him so much time and money. If only he’d found this last company at the beginning of his search!
We know that you may have had a software experience similar to James. Or perhaps you never realized just how helpful the right software could be. James’s experience in this final episode is similar to what you can expect if you reach out to us.
James’s fictional story is over, but it was based on many real-life stories that we’ve heard over the years. We hope to hear from you. Tell us your story, and we’ll listen. We’ll help you determine if Silverloom is right for your business. If so, we’ll be with you for the long haul.
Ellis Miller, CEO