How broken systems hold you back.

1. Slowed down by systems.

Does it sometimes feel like your team spends more time managing systems than delivering value?

When your employees are wrestling with outdated software, manual data entry or multiple platforms to complete basic tasks, it signals a clear need for digital change.

We hear all the time about businesses wasting hours copying and pasting customer details between their CRM and ordering system. When platforms don’t talk to each other, it’s frustrating, inefficient and demoralising for the teams involved. One simple switch to an integrated solution can eliminate the time drain and free up teams to focus on what really matters: the customer.

If any of this sounds familiar, it’s your cue to dig deeper. Start by asking your team for honest feedback on their frustrations and really listen to the answers. As a team, you can then begin mapping the key bottlenecks in your processes and identifying digital tools that could eliminate inefficiencies or automate them.

2. Drowning in data. 

How often do you lose time trying to piece together information from lots of places?

When some data lives online, some on hard drives or shared drives, and the rest buried in inboxes (or worse, in team members’ heads), getting a clear view of what’s going on becomes almost impossible.

It’s all too common for teams to be tracking leads in a spreadsheet, managing sales in a CRM and keeping marketing data in a separate tool altogether, for example. The result can be missed opportunities.

If your team feels like they’re drowning in data, it might be time to rethink your setup. Start by asking where efforts are duplicated and where the business has data blind spots. Then explore digital tools that bring everything into one place, with real-time dashboards that show exactly what’s working and what needs action.

3. Lost in the shared drive.

How often do members of your team struggle to find key documents, policies or creative assets?

If your shared drives are cluttered, your intranet is a ghost town and an image library is a pipe dream, it’s more than a productivity issue. Poor internal comms lead to confusion, duplication and missed opportunities to align your teams.

It’s not unusual for clients who come to us to tell us (with an embarrassed wince) that they store brand guidelines on the intranet, logos in Dropbox, sales decks in Google Drive and policy docs buried in email threads. No one has a full picture and valuable time is lost hunting things down. By introducing a centralised portal, everyone across the business gains access to a single, searchable home for everything they need that’s always up to date, on-brand and accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.

If your files are lost in the shared drive and you’re thinking about housing everything in one place, start by asking your team to flag the documents, templates and assets they regularly need… and ask them how confident they are they’ve found the right version. If the answers vary wildly, it’s time for a smarter solution.

4. Print requests piling up. 

Is your team still using outdated ticketing systems to manage requests from across the business for ad hoc print jobs, promotional items, POS or branded workwear?

Managing branded assets manually is a hidden drain on time and headspace. When every request means sourcing new suppliers, securing quotes, chasing files and checking brand guidelines, it slows everyone down and opens the door to inconsistency, errors and wasted budget.

Many of our clients come to us because their marketing team is losing hours to fielding requests from branches for leaflets, uniforms, signage and branded merch. We see materials often being designed from scratch, logos stretched, colours off and nobody clear on when delivery could be expected.

By switching to a web-to-print portal like ours, they can centralise all assets, from printed literature to promo items, all in one place. Teams are empowered to personalise what they need, within brand guidelines, and send jobs straight into production without bottlenecks.

If this is something your team could benefit from tackling, start by tracking how many requests come through in a typical month and talk to your team about how long each one takes to manage. Then look for a system that offers self-serve access to everything you need, without compromising on budgetary control.

5. Stuck whilst others are scaling.

If it feels like others in your industry are quicker to respond, faster to market or more efficient across the board, it might not be just luck. They’re likely to be investing in tech solutions to sharpen their edge. Whether it’s automated workflows, integrated systems or better use of data, digital transformation is helping all sizes of business move faster and do more with less.

The good news is you don’t have to tackle everything at once. You can start with one system, one team or one process that’s holding you back and build from there.

Ready to make the change?

Digital transformation doesn’t have to be daunting. Look for opportunities that deliver quick wins and scale over time. Whether it’s a web-to-print portal, a digital asset management hub, or smarter internal systems, the first step is recognising the need for change. The second is acting on it.

Here at Summit Creative, we specialise in saving clients time and money with smart, stress-free print management.

Our brand portals bring everything into one place, from digital assets and printed materials to promotional merchandise and branded workwear. When you work with us, your teams will always have access to what they need to stay on-brand and stay in control.

Written by: Tina Brown.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.