In today's dynamic business climate, the appeal of "all-in-one" vendor technology stacks can be tempting. Single-vendor technology stacks promise seamless integration, simplified management, and fully integrated solutions. This sounds brilliant in theory, but realistically, this technology often falls short of the promised ease-of-use. Instead, many businesses experience hidden costs and additional operational challenges.
Let's consider these statistics: According to a 2022 Gartner®, “Technology Buying Behavior Study focused on the largest technology purchase that a mix of 1,120 respondents in business and traditional IT roles were involved in. About eight in 10 (79%) experienced moderate to high purchase regret.”¹
With enterprise tech buying cycles averaging 17 months, that’s a long process for high levels of regret. What could explain high levels of regret?What's often marketed as "integrated" is actually a"Frankenstein" system cobbled together, that requires extensive customisation and maintenance.
The true cost of Frankenstein integrations
When an integrated technology stack doesn't deliver on its promises, clients can see substantial hidden costs, including:
- Unexpected implementation fees. Custom deployment and data mapping may be needed if an all-in-one solution falls short with integrations.
- Productivity loss. Complex system deployment can lead to extended system downtime and additional training, resulting in lost revenue.
- Ongoing admin overhead. Fragmented systems can call for duplicated data entry and additional processes that cost valuable admin time.
- Creating custom connectors and APIs. Creating a custom framework for efficient data synchronisation can lead to unplanned costs.
- Recurring vendor involvement. Depending on the vendor, there might be hidden fees for new feature rollouts, increasing total cost of ownership.
What is "best-of-breed" technology?
A best-of-breed technology stack is the inverse of an all-in-one solution. Best-of-breed technology means choosing individual solutions that excel in their purpose or functionality and creating an optimised tech stack. These tech stacks may involve integrated solutions from separate vendors, whereas all-in-one platforms attempt to serve as a catch-all from one provider.
Why best-of-breed solutions lead the way
Best-of-breed solutions provide enterprise-level businesses with operational advantages in areas where all-in-one solutions typically fall short.
Superior specialisation and innovation
Specialised workforce management solutions like Aspect Workforce are developed with deep expertise and focused on research and development. All-in-one workforce platforms are more generalised and spread resources thin across multiple functionalities. Best-of-breed solutions are focused on excelling in their key functions and innovating on these features to continually provide more specialised workforce solutions.
True scalability and flexibility
Best-of-breed solutions are designed to scale with your business growth, which is especially important for enterprise-level organisations. All-in-one solutions are often rigid and take a one-size-fits-all approach, whereas best-of-breed technology offers flexibility to adapt to unique and dynamic needs.
Faster innovation cycles
As a specialised workforce management vendor, Aspect can deliver targeted innovations and updates more quickly than all-in-one vendors. This ensures your business always has access to the latest workforce management and optimisation features.
When "native" integrations fall short
According to DVS Analytics, studies show that 51% of contact centres report that their tools are too fragmented to meet their needs and 17% of these tools are too difficult to use effectively. Fragmented systems are a common issue with single-provider solutions that claim native integrations. Rather than true native integrations, many all-in-one solutions require "smart sync" configurations that include additional fees or ongoing maintenance costs.
Best-of-breed solutions like Aspect Workforce offer robust integration capabilities that are developed and maintained by experts who thoroughly understand WFM and WEM.
Learn more about why specialised workforce solutions may be better suited for your organisation than an all-in-one solution.
Choosing the right workforce solution for your business
Picking a best-of-breed solution isn't just about selecting technology. When you choose Aspect workforce solutions, you're also investing in:
- Purpose-built tools that enhance daily work tasks and improve colleague experiences.
- Efficient and effective solutions that prioritise customer satisfaction.
- Innovative tools that scale with your business and enhance future success.
Whilst all-in-one solutions offered by single providers may promise convenience, that often isn't the case. Best-of-breed solutions deliver real value, giving enterprise-level businesses the specialised functionality needed to succeed. Aspect Workforce maximises ROI by giving you the functionality you need without hidden costs or limitations often found with all-in-one platforms.
Keep reading about why Aspect beats the competition and how our workforce expertise creates better experiences for our customers.
[¹]Gartner, Research Roundup: Understand andAddress Regret in Tech Buying Decisions, By Hank Barnes. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates inthe U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
