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Ive always been fascinated by the promise of futuristic technology.

Struggling with inventory tracking?

A sad woman looks at her MacBook while rubbing her temples in frustration

Theres an app for that.

Need to drive moresalesand manage customer relationships?

Theres an app for that, too.

But when does relying on multiple disconnected technologies shift from boosting your business to underminingproductivity?

Mid Market Product Leader for Intuit QuickBooks.

However, as a business grows, the demand for a scalable, integrated solution increases.

Without a cohesive software investment strategy, businesses risk focusing on short-term fixes instead of long-term integration and efficiency.

The survey found that businesses use an average of 10 different digital solutions to manage operations.

For instance, a retailer may use different apps for inventory tracking, supplier management, and financial forecasting.

These inefficiencies add up quickly.

Respondents reported spending an average of 25 hours per week on manual data entry and reconciliation acrossapps.

Thats valuable time that could be better spent on strategic initiatives to drive growth.

The financial impact is equally significant.

Beyond automation,AI toolsdeliver predictive analytics that empowers businesses to make smarter, data-driven decisions.

This kind of visibility also allows teams to make faster, better-informed decisions to stay competitive in the market.

Does it easily integrate different functions like finance and marketing?

As it turns out, the futuristic tech-driven world we envisioned still needs a little fine-tuning.

With a smart, integrated system, escaping the app trap and unlocking sustainable growth is within reach.

We’ve compiled a list of the best online collaboration tools.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc.