How Do You Unify Your Tech Stack?

The technologies we use at work are a lot like the gears in a clock; intricate, highly specialized, cogs that, on their own, don’t do much. But when working together in unison, they create something cohesive, useful and productive.

Your tech stack, comprised of individual software, should be working in lockstep to further your business’ goals and help you grow. With isolated, unintegrated, or orphaned solutions, what you have is a clock with misshapen, or nonfunctioning cogs; cogs that negatively impact the rest of the clock.

What is A Modern Tech Stack?

Your tech stack refers to all the different technology tools your organization uses to do business. Most people think of tools like their CRM and ERP systems when it comes to tech stacks, but the term covers a much broader spectrum than that. Your tech stack includes programs like Microsoft Office, Slack, Teams, G Suite and even your analytics tools are all common components of most companies’ modern tech stack.

The technology infrastructure that you rely on as a company is your tech stack, and ideally, every component of it should be working in unison, or at least serving a concrete, tangible function.

There is no “right tech stack” because every organization has different companies have different needs that vary depending on the businesses themselves; what solutions work for Company A may be entirely counterintuitive for Company B.

That being said, if you’re looking to start building a tech stack from scratch, it’s important to ask yourself the following questions: What do I need? How will this help my task organization? What can I outsource or automate? What are the costs of this technology?

Unifying your tech stack is a crucial step in your digital transformation, but it requires collaboration and a singular roadmap.

What are Unified Tech Stacks?

What does it mean exactly to have a unified tech stack? If your tech stack is multiple pieces of software, a unified tech stack is when those disparate pieces of programming languages are interconnected in a way that supports your business and your processes.

One of the easiest ways this is accomplished is through actual integrations, or the physical linking of software into each other using the tools the programs give you directly for the development process. Every tool, you use should be supporting one of the following feedback loops of your business.

Employees

Your team is the beating heart of your business. The right tech stack will help them do their jobs to the absolute best of their abilities. Tools that speed up the more labor-intensive, humdrum parts of their roles, tools that let them focus on the more taxing responsibilities that help keep the value flowing for your business and your customers. Marketing automation tools, CRM, and ERP are among some of the most commonly used employee-centric technologies in popular modern tech stacks.

Customers

If there’s a business out there that denies the paramount importance of their customer base, they won’t be a business for long. Making the customer experience pleasant, easy, and accessible through technology stacks is a surefire way to increase customer retention and

Operations

If your employees are the heart of the business, ops are the muscle that makes sure everything gets done smoothly. Technology stacks can help automate mundane tasks like data entry and reporting, making it easier for operations staff to do what they do best – keep the business running smoothly.

Products

Products are the lifeblood of a business, and technology stacks can help make them better. From improving user experience to simplifying product maintenance and testing, savvy tech stack choices can ensure your products are robust, secure, and easy to use.

Identify Redundancies in Your Technology Stack

In most tech stacks, every solution has a purpose and a unique end goal toward serving the business, but anyone who knows anything about software or web development will tell you that, more often than not, you’ll find programs that have overlapping functionality. Of all the technology services at your disposal, which do you consider redundant?

The key is to stop considering the technological aspect of it and move to consider the other tentpoles of your business: your people and processes.

Do the tools provide greater efficiency to your team? Do they increase productivity? Are they saving you time and money by improving the processes you adhere to? Do you have other tools that accomplish these tasks quicker, easier, or more efficiently?

Once you have identified the redundancies, it’s important to start trimming those services off from your stack. This will enable more efficient use of resources dedicated to the right technology, which can then be used to build new features or improve existing ones. Doing so can ensure your tech stack is robust, secure, and easy to use.

A unified tech stack allows you to use your software tools in a cohesive, integrated manner. Everything serves a purpose and every purpose is important.

Identify Redundancies Before You Unify Your Technology Stack

In most tech stacks, every solution has a purpose and a unique end goal toward serving the business, but anyone who knows anything about software or web development will tell you that, more often than not, you’ll find programs that have overlapping functionality. Of all the technology services at your disposal, which do you consider redundant?

The key is to stop considering the technological aspect of it and move to consider the other tentpoles of your business: your people and processes.

Do the tools provide greater efficiency to your team? Do they increase productivity? Are they saving you time and money by improving the processes you adhere to? Do you have other tools that accomplish these tasks quicker, easier, or more efficiently?

Once you have identified the redundancies, it’s important to start trimming those services off from your stack. This will enable more efficient use of resources dedicated to the right technology, which can then be used to build new features or improve existing ones. Doing so can ensure your tech stack is robust, secure, and easy to use.

Unify Your Tech Stack While Consolidating

Consolidating what could be as many as dozens of disparate pieces of software can seem like a hefty task, but it doesn’t have to be. The most important thing to remember that it is a process; pulling everything together does not happen overnight, you need to get there over time.

Start with the ones causing the most friction. Of all the technologies, where are they going to be the most helpful? If your marketing and sales protocols are fantastic, but your lead transfer processes are lacking, fix those first, then focus on additional programs.

What About Integrating Legacy Systems With New Technology?

When making decisions about changing up your technology, it’s a common misconception that you have to get rid of everything you’re currently using. That’s not the case.

Revamping your tech stacks in a digital transformation isn’t about starting from zero. If a tool is working for your business, you should absolutely keep using it. “Older,” does not necessarily mean “worse,” and “unify” does not mean “replace.”

Want to get started unifying your tech stack? Why not give us a call and see how we can help? BrainSell’s expert consulting team has years of experience helping businesses just like yours navigate digital transformations, including tech stack revamps. You can read more about the importance of your tech stack here, or you can watch our recent webinar on the subject on YouTube for free.