Broadcast software is rapidly becoming obsolete

There is latent dissatisfaction among - especially small and medium-sized - staffing organizations about the software they use. There is almost no further development of the software. "Actually, you can say that - if new elements are developed at all - novelties are built on an outdated foundation. The software is already so old that you can only work around problems. Solving them is out of the question. You create false solutions that bring small improvements in the short term, but do not provide a solution in the long term," says Fred Mulder of Flexmeester. He refers in particular to the fact that much software still runs on an outdated MS-DOS-like environment. There are a number of cons to.

Windows

Mulder: "It's constant: open window, enter information, close window. Then open another window, enter information again, close window. So on and on. You naturally want to enter all the information in a fluid motion (a flow). Where possible even have information entered for you. For example, think about entering a Chamber of Commerce number and based on that all the information is retrieved from the Chamber of Commerce database."

The latter is a simple example, yet even such simple automation still does not happen in many software packages. Besides causing frustration, additional input work always creates additional opportunities for errors. The more information entered by humans, the greater the chance that something will go wrong somewhere. The method now used in existing software is to build a shell around the old software. Then it looks renewed.

Less efficient

All the clicking, apart from the increased risk of errors, does not improve efficiency. "The method used now in existing software is to build a shell around the old software. Then it looks renewed. While in reality you are working in two systems."

Mulder distinguishes between front and back office. "The front office packages are often designed a bit nicer (so often by means of an artificial shell around the software), but the back office is actually still the same as twenty years ago. So the software for payroll, contracts and placement has hardly changed," Mulder says.

Outdated architecture broadcast software

The architecture on which that software runs is obsolete. Much broadcast software only works on Windows computers; an Apple iMac or Macbook is unusable. Mulder: "That in itself is something we can live with, although ideally you want to let your employees choose which device they work on, the so-called BYOD idea."

The programming languages in which these programs are written can safely be called antique. Programming developments follow each other in rapid succession, and broadcast software only follows suit sparsely. Nowadays, most software platforms work on a so-called low-code basis. Changes there are quick, efficient and easy to implement. New features can be introduced easily. It costs an awful lot of money to develop software - such as a back office.

Complex matter

With old systems, with an outdated foundation, innovations are difficult to implement. "It costs an awful lot of money to develop software - such as a back office. The matter within the flex market is of course very complex. You have to deal with different collective bargaining agreements, difficult laws and regulations that are also constantly changing. Temporary workers who work for different clients, user fees. In short, a lot of things come into play. Many software developers would rather not burn their fingers on that," Mulder says.

Importance of data

Lately, though, there has been a turnaround among staffing organizations. The demand to make data insightful in a variety of ways is gaining traction. "There is a demand for Power BI-like solutions. The data is present at staffing organizations, but it is difficult to visualize that data. That can be much easier if you use a so-called low-code solution; there these kinds of novelties can be added relatively easily and at less cost," Mulder says.

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