A Look at the Innovations that are Shaping Software in 2019 and Beyond

As technology continues to march forward at an ever-faster rate, it affects every aspect of our lives, not least the way we do business.

With every passing year, the technological innovations come quicker and bigger. In every industry sector, businesses need to have the flexibility to adapt in order to remain competitive. That’s easily said, but it means staying on track with the latest trends that are influencing management software systems. Let’s take a look at some of the hottest topics.

Resource management

Businesses are getting wise to the fact that in order to be competitive they must first look within themselves. Every organisation relies on certain resources, whether they are human or material, in order to deliver products and services to customers. The latest resource management software increases efficiency and at the same time, reduces cost by ensuring resources are properly allocated and that all stakeholders have 360 degree visibility of resource utilisation.

Functional programming

Conceptually, functional programming is nothing new, but up till now, it has not seen widespread adoption. That, however, is starting to change as single page applications become ever more complex. JavaScript has served programmers well for years, but its limitations are starting to become manifest, and the era of functional programming could be upon us.

Multiplatform thinking

These days, it is not uncommon for companies to have different frontends for web, iOS and Android. Even the non-technical among us can see that there must be a more efficient way of doing things. There are a few solutions out there that address iOS and Android, but we have yet to see a truly successful way of unifying all three platforms. Rest assured, however, it is a nut someone will crack sooner or later, and when they do, it will be a must-have for business efficiency.

AI-First

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are already vital features within software development for ecommerce, as well as in leisure sectors like movie streaming and social media. Now, however, AI-first software is becoming the norm across every area you can think of, whether it is through conversational assistants, automated admin or self-driving vehicles.

Native Analytics

Knowledge is power, and any manager knows the importance of business intelligence and analytics to glean insights and make the right strategic decisions. These modules are gradually being incorporated into all management systems to deliver even more valuable data.

Software for building software

It’s not just the software that is changing but also the way it is developed. Over recent years, programming languages have become increasingly user friendly to the point that anyone can now develop a website or app without having any coding knowledge at all. The next progression would be to software systems themselves. While DIY management software might be a bad idea for all sorts of reasons, this will at least make it far quicker and cheaper to show proof of concept at the preliminary stage.

Data-Driven Ratings

Online product and service review are rapidly losing all credibility. Software that generates impartial ratings on the basis of real world data is going to be crucial in facilitating better decision making in both the B2C and B2B markets.