Nutrition labels are fantastic for quick and easy decision-making. They allow you to see whether the food item you’re considering is a healthy choice or not at just one glance. You can also do this for your tech stack: see at a glance whether it’s healthy. It’s easy!
Why is the health of your tech stack important?
For starters, let’s discuss why you should care about having a healthy tech stack. If the front and back-end technologies, software, frameworks, libraries, patterns, databases, APIs, and different programming languages your company uses falter, your business also falters. And vice versa: if your tech is humming along, your business will do well. Here’s why:
- A healthy tech stack improves product performance, which in turn improves user experience. (Faster load times!)
- A well-built and maintained stack can boost developer productivity. So, if you use software your developers know and love, you can increase efficiency and reduce development time. (Bonus: team members will enjoy their work more, because tasks will be less cumbersome!)
- Updating your stack enhances security as the legacy software and unsupported apps create security vulnerabilities.
- Updating the technology you use can even help with recruiting. Because modernizing your stack enables you to find job candidates who can work with current software and apps, rather than trying to find someone who knows how to work with software that was popular years ago. And the appeal of working with the latest technology will help you to attract (and keep) new talent.
Your tech stack needs frequent health checks. And there’s never a wrong time to reexamine your processes and workflows, so you might as well do it now. Once you’re done and know how you want to operate, you can assess your options for resources, hardware, software, and third-party add-ons to help you maximize efficiency and enhance security and productivity.
Your enterprise software nutrition label: 5 must-have ingredients
Now that you know how a healthy tech stack boosts your odds for business success, let’s cover five key ingredients to look for on your stack’s nutrition label.
1. Industry-trusted software
Relying on trusted and dependable tools and accessories is the foundation of all future processes and efforts. Without a solid base, it may be hard along the line to make up for any missing pieces.
2. Enterprise-ready security
Making sure your data is protected is crucial, so only incorporate software and third-party add-ons from trusted companies. For example, look for vendors who create a centralized source of information on security, privacy, and compliance (like Appfire’s Trust Center) with the latest information on security, privacy, and compliance. You can’t afford to leave security to chance, and one weak link can cause a major outage or data breach.
3. World-class customer service
You need to stay up and running so you can keep your customers and clients served and happy. But you can’t do that if you experience an outage or glitch and the software company responsible doesn’t get back to you with a fix.
Look for companies that prioritize customer service the same way you do. You need reliable, accessible support for every software program, third-party app, or piece of hardware in your tech stack.
4. A clear, always accessible EULA
The End User License Agreement isn’t some boring legalese you can afford to ignore. Your company should pay careful attention to the terms set out in the EULA. Reviewing it should be as easy as clicking a link. For every item in your tech stack, you want access to an easy-to-access EULA that covers things like data security and support, security, and privacy.
Every EULA is a legal contract that governs the use of software, and you need to know your rights and obligations for each one to avoid surprises later.
5. Awards and certifications
Finally, check out what’s in each vendor’s trophy case. Look for Atlassian Partner of the Year winners or Microsoft Partner of the Year Award winners, for example. Let software companies you already trust do some of the heavy lifting for you in selecting quality vendors.
Keep your stack healthy: Check the label!
These five ingredients will help ensure a healthy tech stack. And a healthy stack, in turn, helps to keep your business healthy. So, if you can, find a single vendor who covers all the bases to save you from having to get multiple vendors through purchasing and approval.
Let us know if we can help.
The chances are good, because Appfire provides apps across ecosystems including Atlassian, monday.com, and Microsoft, among others. And solutions that cover migration, workflow and automation, IT service management, Agile work management, and much more. Reach out! We’re here to help.