When it comes to choosing software for your business, you have two options: point solutions or all-in-one solutions. While all-in-one solutions may seem like the obvious choice at first, point solutions like OpsAnalitica can actually offer more value and better results. Here are some key differences between the two:
Focus
All-in-one solutions try to be everything to everyone, which means they can lack focus. Point solutions, on the other hand, are designed to do one thing really well. For example, OpsAnalitica is focused on Operations Management, which means we can provide a more tailored and effective solution.
Cost
All-in-one solutions can be more expensive than point solutions because they offer more features. Also, you may not need all those features and end up paying for things you don’t use. Point solutions like OpsAnalitica are more affordable because they only offer the features you need for your specific use case.
In terms of pricing, it can be confusing how much you are actually paying or to do comparisons because All-in-one providers tend to not break out the costs of each individual module. They rely on you being overwhelmed with all of the modules and functionality you are going to get as a way to justify typically much higher monthly costs. Remember, if you pay more but you don’t use the software, then you are wasting money. If you only use 2 modules and you pay for 5 modules, you are just overpaying for those two modules.
Buyer beware, All-in-one providers often use a pricing strategy that can end up costing you even more in the long run. The idea is to get you on a few different modules, each company knows how many modules they need to get you using to tip the scales in their favor. Once you hit that number of modules they can raise your prices because they know that the cost of switching off so many modules from a training, implementation, and dollar amount is so prohibitive that you won’t do it willy nilly. At that point they have and we have heard stories of companies doubling prices over a short period of time.
With a point solution like OpsAnalitica, you are able to evaluate the platform and its pricing singularly, making it easier to compare and make an informed decision. Additionally, the switching cost is much lower because you are changing only one platform in your software stack, which makes it easier to switch if you need to.
Ease of use
All-in-one solutions can be overwhelming because they offer so many features. It can be difficult to find what you need and use it effectively. Point solutions like OpsAnalitica are designed to be easy to use and intuitive, so you can get up and running quickly.
This is especially true if the all-in-one solution was cobbled together through a series of acquisitions vs. being designed and built by one team. When an all-in-one platform was created through acquisition you basically had a bunch of point solutions designed by different companies and the new development team has to force them all to work together. This is incredibly hard to do and can take literal years to accomplish.
All-in-one solutions through acquisition generally end up being a little clunky and a company can spend all of its development resources just trying to make these solutions work together instead of actually innovating and bringing new features to market.
Innovation
Point solutions are often more innovative than all-in-one solutions because they are focused on a specific problem or use case. OpsAnalitica is constantly evolving and adding new features and functionality to make operations management even easier and more effective.
Another important point to consider when comparing point solutions and all-in-one solutions is the allocation of development resources. The joke when talking about the development of new features in a software company is “You can do anything, all you need is time and money.”
Companies only have so many developers and when you are developing an All-in-one platform, those developers are spread across all the different solutions they offer. This means that development for the thing you care about might not get as much attention as other features that the company is trying to develop. An All-in-one provider will argue that they may have independent teams, every developer costs money and those independent teams will show up in the cost of the solution.
With a point solution like OpsAnalitica, all development resources are focused on improving our singular offering, ensuring that the platform is constantly evolving and improving to meet the needs of its users.
Customer support
With all-in-one solutions, customer support can be spread thin because they have to support so many different features. Point solutions like OpsAnalitica can offer more personalized and responsive customer support because we are focused on one thing and every member of the team knows every aspect of the platform.
The Benefits of All-in-One Solutions
It’s important to note that all-in-one solutions often market the integration of their platforms as where the value lies. They argue that even though the total platform cost is higher, the savings in the administration and training of employees balance that out. However, we would argue that administration is a cost of any platform, and the end-user functionality gains of a point solution far outweigh the minimal admin cost.
Training is training, if you have to be proficient in multiple modules of an all-in-one solution that is no different than having to be proficient in multiple-point solutions. Things that used to make having to switch between programs tedious have been removed with apps. Multi-tasking and using multiple apps is just part of doing business and it isn’t an issue.
To the point about bringing data together, it’s true that an all-in-one solution can bring the data from its platform together, but since there isn’t an all-in-one that does everything you need, you are still going to need a BI tool or some other way to aggregate data from all of your solutions. The all-in-one is really not solving an issue in this respect.
The All-in-One Solution Test
There is an easy test to determine which is the better solution to go with.
Apples to Apples Comparison
You have to break it down as Module vs. Module and compare the feature sets. You would compare your all-in-one’s checklist solution to OpsAnalitica and see which platform offers more features and offers value.
Then you have to compare total cost of ownership. The thing with an all-in-one platform the pricing is convoluted. Lets say you use 3 modules but they offer you five modules. You have to divide the modules that you use into the price not the total modules offered. A lot of times the vendor will try to divide the modules offered into the total monthly price to make each module seem more affordable. The reality is, that you only receive value from the modules that you use and you have to pay for the modules that you don’t.
If you find that the features are not comparible or if you are paying too much for functionality that you don’t use. Then you should go with the best in class solution. If you are receiving incredible value with the all-in-one solution then you should go that way.
One last side note, I was recently talking to a boat guy, he said that you should only buy a boat for the people that you have, and not for the people you hope will come. That is true of software, you shouldn’t pay a ton more today for functionality that you hope some day to start using. Some day always ends up being years away in a lot of cases and you end up spending way more.
In conclusion, while all-in-one solutions may seem attractive due to their promise of integrated platforms and cost savings, the advantages of a point solution like OpsAnalitica, including focused development, affordable pricing, and lower switching costs, make it the superior option. The functionality gains, ease of use, and overall value provided by a point solution far outweigh any potential cost savings from an all-in-one solution.