Application Support: Proven Solutions to Keep You Running

Have you ever experienced a software crash in the middle of an urgent business task? Or did an application stop working on the verge of making sales? If you have, you understand how frustrating application crashes can be. This is where application support comes in.

Application support refers to the ongoing troubleshooting and maintenance of software applications once deployed. It is a structured, specialized process that involves constant monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimizing business applications to ensure they remain efficient and competitive.

Beyond resolving technical glitches and enhancing performance, application support services directly contribute to business growth. They prevent security threats such as data breaches, improve customer satisfaction, and ensure compliance with legal and industry standards. A Gartner study revealed that companies could reduce application downtime by 70% with proper maintenance and support, minimizing revenue and productivity loss. 

In this article, we will thoroughly explore application support, how it works, why it is important for your business, and how to implement an effective application support strategy. You’ll also learn how to outsource to an application support specialist and how Scale Support can provide tailored business application support services to stay competitive. 

What Is Application Support and Why Does It Matter for Businesses?  

Software applications are the backbone of most businesses. From answering queries to processing orders to ensuring 24/7 customer support, software applications manage day-to-day operations. 

Imagine your business without them – the backlog of queries, the inability to process orders, etc. A study by Gartner revealed that the average cost of IT downtime is $5,600 per minute, up to $300,000 per hour. You’d agree that those figures are too much for a revenue loss. This is why application support matters for businesses. 

Application support helps you maintain, troubleshoot, and optimize your software applications for uninterrupted business operations, allowing you to continue to be productive and make money. 

Key differences from general IT support

However, application support shouldn’t be confused with general IT support. General IT support covers hardware and network issues, such as network failure and hardware damage, while application support specializes in maintaining business application support systems. 

Whether dealing with an e-commerce platform, customer relationship management (CRM) system, enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, or a custom-built software application, application support services ensure these systems run efficiently. 

How application issues disrupt operations and customer experience

Application issues affect employees’ productivity and disrupt business operations, affecting customer experience. Imagine how frustrated your customers would be if they couldn’t get an order across or if their transactions failed due to an unresponsive website or an application crash. That doesn’t make for a good customer experience and can damage your reputation. 

Besides, application issues can be costly, too. According to IBM, unplanned downtime can average $ 400,000 per hour and $1.5 million annually for large enterprises. For example, during holiday sales, a crashed e-commerce platform will experience missed sales and IT repair costs due to unplanned downtime. But this doesn’t have to be true if you have an application support team. 

Common Software Problems That Hurt Business Performance 

When software applications malfunction, the consequences are usually costly. From missed business opportunities to frustrated customers and employees, software problems hurt business performance.

Below are 5 common software problems and how application support can help mitigate them;

Slow Applications (frustrated employees, lost productivity) 

• Slow or unresponsive software applications do more than frustrate employees; they cause huge productivity loss. They reduce work efficiency, delaying sales and services and, consequently, leading to lower customer satisfaction. 
• Slow applications can also result from bottlenecks that add up to become a complete threat and keep your system from running at full efficiency. 

Crashes and System Failures (customer service disruptions, missed sales)

• Crashes and system failures are some of the most notorious software problems that hurt business performance. Imagine your website failure in the middle of massive product sales or your customer service support crashing during the influx of multiple queries. 
• As mentioned earlier, unplanned downtime can average $1.5 million per year for large enterprises. This kind of financial loss can cripple a business if care isn’t taken. 

Security Vulnerabilities (data breaches, compliance risks)

• From data breaches to compliance risks, security vulnerabilities can damage a business’s reputation. Customers place a premium on their data protection and privacy, and there’s almost no way to avoid dealing with customers’ data if running a software-driven business. 
• Also, with the rise of cybersecurity threats, poorly maintained applications are an easy target. Such applications can be tampered with, leading to compliance and legal issues. According to IBM, the global average cost of data breaches last year was $4.48 million. 

Integration Issues (ERP, CRM, or payment system failures)

• Many businesses require software applications that allow third-party integrations for efficient business operations.  For instance, e-commerce or CRM platforms must be integrated with payment gateways for smooth transactions. 
• When these integrations fail, the workflow is disrupted, leading to errors, data leaks, payment issues, etc.  Ultimately, failed integrations threaten business continuity.

Outdated Software (bugs, missing updates, hidden risks)

• Obsolete software applications never help anyone; users stand at risk of missing updates, system bugs, security issues, poor user experience, failure to integrate with necessary third-party applications, etc. Outdated software costs everyone more, but you can avoid those costs by always running the latest versions. 

How to Prevent Costly Downtime and Software Failures  

For digitally-driven businesses, preventing downtimes and software failures is cheaper than correcting the errors after they have happened. Downtime and software failures are costly disruptions that can derail your operations and cripple your finances, so it’s only right to do everything in your power to prevent them. 

Below are application support service strategies you can deploy;

1. Proactive monitoring and maintenance: It’s business suicide to wait for something to go wrong before maintaining your software systems. Instead, you should proactively monitor your systems to identify and resolve potential issues before they happen. To prevent failures, you should also perform regular maintenance, such as software updates. Your application support team can develop a consistent, proactive monitoring and maintenance routine. 
2. Automated alerts for early issue detection: Another strategy is to set up automated alerts for early issue detection. Early detection helps prevent minor issues from turning into crippling problems, and once you automate it, you are free from the pressure of remembering your routine. For instance, you can set up automated alerts to notify you of sudden traffic increases before your website crashes. Your application support specialist can set up AI-powered alerts that notify your team of problems before they affect anyone.
3. Scaling IT support as your business grows: The bigger your business expands, the more your IT needs. What worked for you while you were starting will no longer work when you become a large enterprise. As such, you must scale your IT support to handle increased demand without skimping performance. For instance, the more your customers grow, the more efficient your CRM system must be in accommodating them. Business application support providers like ScaleSupport offer tailored and scalable IT solutions for growing businesses.
4. Cybersecurity and compliance measures: Cybersecurity threats are one of the leading causes of downtime and software failures. Malicious internet characters target business software applications for reasons ranging from fraud to data theft. This can also lead to falling short of industry regulations, resulting in compliance issues. However, your application support team can conduct regular security updates and audits to protect your systems. 
5. Employee Training on Application Use: Even though it’s often overlooked, an incompetent staff can cause downtime and software failures. You must train your staff on the best practices for using your business applications to reduce human error. Also, you must hire an application support team capable of handling software failures. You can outsource this task to an application support specialist on ScaleSupport.
6. Disaster Recovery Plan: Even with the best-laid plans, things could still go wrong. After dotting all i’s and crossing all t’s, you need a recovery plan to fall back on in case of unforeseen events like natural disasters, hardware failure, cyberattacks, etc. A robust recovery plan, such as regular data backups and recovery protocols, will ensure your business continues even if the worst happens. 

When Does It Make Sense to Outsource Application Support?  

As your business grows, so do your application support needs. But when does it make sense to outsource application support? 

Here are a few indicators to help you decide when is the right time;

• Rising IT costs: Maintaining an in-house application support team is more expensive than it looks. Staff training and maintenance, salaries, infrastructure costs, etc., are expenses you can reduce or eliminate by outsourcing application support.
• Frequent downtime: If you are experiencing recurring downtime or software failures, it’s a sign that your current application support can no longer handle your business performance. You need to outsource to an application support specialist.
• Competence issues: Application support requires competent hands to handle it. Most times, in-house teams can’t provide you with the expertise your business needs, so outsourcing is your best bet.

But why outsource in the first place? 

Below are some reasons we firmly believe you should consider outsourcing;

• Expertise: Outsourcing gives you access to a vast pool of application support specialists who have the required expertise your business needs
• Cost: Outsourcing saves you more money. You don’t have to train your staff or be responsible for their professional development. Outsourced talents are trained already, and their continuous upskilling is their responsibility. Since they can work remotely, you don’t need to pay for overhead costs.
• 24/7 availability: Unlike an in-house team that is only available on specific days of the week, an outsourced application support specialist is available 24/7. They provide 24/7 monitoring and troubleshooting to ensure uninterrupted business operations. 

E-commerce, logistics, finance, and healthcare are the industries that benefit the most from outsourced application support because their services are needed around the clock, and they often rely on software applications to stay efficient and competitive. 

Why Business Owners Trust ScaleSupport for Application Support

If you want to scale your business, downtime and software failures aren’t an option. You need a reliable application support service available round-the-clock and tailored to your business needs, and no service does it better than ScaleSupport. 

Below is why business owners trust ScaleSupport for application support;

Reliable 24/7 support to keep operations running

• Software failures don’t follow a schedule, so why should we? At ScaleSupport, we are available 24/7 to attend to any software issues.  Whether in the middle of the night or during a peak sales period, our application support specialist is always ready to help. We are here to ensure your business operations continue, no matter the time of day.

Expert problem resolution without IT overhead

• Hiring and managing an in-house application support team can be costly, so we avoid unnecessary IT overhead. We connect you directly to our team of experienced application support specialists to resolve any software application support issues before they escalate. As such, we save you from hiring, maintenance, and overhead costs.

Cost-effective plans tailored to business needs

• Every business has different IT needs; one size doesn’t fit all. This is why we have cost-effective plans tailored to each business’s needs. At ScaleSupport, we offer application support services that fit your budget and operational demand. We have something for you, whether a small business or a large enterprise. 

However, don’t just take our word for it; our success stories speak volumes. From startups to large companies, ScaleSupport has never failed to provide businesses with reliable application support. Yours could be the next. 

Conclusion  

Application support is no longer a luxury; it’s necessary for any business that wants to thrive.  Ignoring application support can lead to slow and unresponsive applications, crashes, system failures, and security vulnerabilities. Ultimately, these issues result in revenue loss, customer frustration, damaged brand reputation, and costly software failures. 

Also, your application support team can devise a strategy to prevent costly downtime and software failures. This can include proactive monitoring and maintenance, automated alerts for early detection, scaling your IT support as your business grows, disaster recovery plans, etc. Whatever you spend on application support is an investment that guarantees your business continuity. 

This is why you should explore ScaleSupport’s services. You get access to 24/7, cost-effective, and expert application support specialists to handle your business needs. Don’t let software failures hold your business back. Take the first step by scheduling a free consultation. With us, your business is in capable hands. 

Dianne Florendo

Dianne has extensive experience as a Content Writer, she creates engaging content that captivates readers and ranks well online. She stays on top of industry trends to keep her work fresh and impactful. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into relatable stories. When she’s not writing, you’ll probably find her with a crochet hook in hand or working on a fun craft project. She loves bringing creativity to life, whether it’s through words or handmade creations.