Mom! Have you seen my software?

Most software companies that have sold a single byte of code have a smart, slick, thought-up-on-Madison-Avenue slogan that tries to convince you they are the right choice. After hearing thousands of these slogans I have realized they are all saying the same thing. From Microsoft talking about your potential and their passion, to Oracle bragging about powering the internet, to Saleforce.com touting the lack of software, they are all transmitting a consistent message: "Let us sell you software because we can deliver it with less pain than the other guys." Notice I did not say "no pain", but "less pain".

Even after decades of change and improvements, interfaces and APIs, blade servers and no servers, software is still challenging. Whether you are using software on a PC, Mac, mobile device or browser, it can be a daunting task to get, configure and run software without problems. Your software is no exception.

Just imagine if your washing machine had the same volume and frequency of problems as software. Imagine if you had to reconfigure your Whirlpool every time you loaded a tub of laundry. How about a feature that tells the machine to notify you when it is completed, or does not if you happen to be sleeping? Oh, wait, we do have washers that can do that and they handle all this functionality with three buttons; two of them most of us have never touched. Washing machines are so easy; our Mom's use them every day without the need for professional services. So what makes software so different?

Admittedly, software is more complex than a washing machine. Your washing machine is designed to do one thing, wash clothes. Your PC, Mac or Phone is a general-purpose computing machine, so in most cases the software does need some configuration or pre-configuration, most packages are offered for different platforms. But once the software is loaded is it as easy as a washing machine?

I suggest you check it against the "Mom test". Go ahead, yell upstairs (uptown or across country), "Mom! Have you seen my software?" Then give your mom access to your computer, have her find and configure some software. Have her use it for some extended period. (I also suggest that if you try this test to change your home number, move and not visit for a while, unless you plan on providing full software support.) If your mom is like mine, she'll keep saying "I don't know why it has to be so difficult; seems to me you should be able just to click the button or turn a knob and it does it!"

Guess what; after all these years; your mom is still right. If the software package you're considering doesn't hold up against the mom test, keep looking... It's probably not realistic to expect self-service, pre-packaged versions of SAP or Oracle Financials. But most software packages should be easy to find, easy to configure, and most of all, easy to use.

That's our goal at Pervasive DataSolutions, software that your mom can use. Easy to find, easy to configure, easy to use; just call us the Maytag of integrations and ask your Mom has she seen our software!