You likely understand that inefficiency is significantly impacting your bottom line – but if you are like most other business leaders, you likely don’t know just how much of an impact this is to your business.
If your business is spending 20-50% more than necessary on tech due to unused tools, redundant systems and subscriptions, and inefficient (or straight up ineffective) workflows, what’s your real cost of not fixing it?
Australian market leaders are defined by their ability to extract maximum value from technology investments. With economic pressures mounting, now is an ideal time to focus on optimising your existing tech stack and strategically integrating automation and AI to drive operational excellence.
The Reality for Australian Business Leaders
The latest AICD Director Sentiment Index reveals key concerns for 2025:
- Rising costs and inflation pressures
- Productivity growth challenges
- Skills and labour shortages
Heading into FY25, improving operational efficiency is shaping up to be the priority focus for Australian leaders – systematically eliminating inefficiencies, reduction in costs and leveraging technology to accelerate growth.
The Untapped Value in Your Tech Stack
Most organisations use only a fraction of their technology’s potential. Reports indicate that businesses typically utilise just 20% of available Microsoft 365 features, often paying for redundant third-party solutions.
What’s the impact?
- Wasted investment in underutilised tools
- Unnecessary subscription costs
- Fragmented workflows reducing productivity
- Increased cyber and operational risk
Strategy 1: Get More from What You Already Have
Steps to Take:
- Audit your tech stack: Identify overlapping services and unused features.
- Rationalise and consolidate: Eliminate redundant tools and centralise data.
- Engage providers: Understand what’s included in your existing licenses and optimise usage.
Real-World Example: BlueScope Steel
By consolidating IT systems and optimising Microsoft 365 and Azure, BlueScope achieved:
- 15% reduction in IT costs
- 20% boost in productivity
Strategy 2: Do More with Less – AI and Automation
Generative AI, like Microsoft 365 Copilot, is revolutionising business operations. Leaders leveraging AI are:
- Freeing up valuable resources by automating routine tasks
- Speeding up decision-making with real-time insights
- Enhancing customer experience with faster response times
- Integrating generative AI into existing business systems and processes to drive productivity
How to Get Started:
- Identify automation opportunities: Focus on high-impact processes.
- Leverage built-in AI tools: Use existing platforms before seeking external solutions.
- Upskill teams: Train employees to maximise AI’s potential.
Real-World Example: Bank of Queensland
By integrating AI-driven automation, BOQ achieved:
- 70% of users saving 2.5-5 hours per week
- 25% saving over 5 hours weekly
- 90% reduction in risk analysis time
The Cost of Doing Nothing
If inefficiencies are eating 30-50% of your IT budget, what could that capital be doing instead? How many more deals could your team close? How much faster could you scale?
Beyond wasted spending, the lack of tech optimisation likely results in productivity bottlenecks, fragmented workloads, higher cybersecurity risks.
The real threat comes from your competitors being able to execute better than you on this front – they will have a better market offering and likely be more profitable.
The Competitive Edge in 2025
Maximising the impact of technology investments starts with executives understanding which innovations are truly relevant to their business. AI and automation dominate industry discussions for good reason, they offer significant upside – but are often buried in hype. A clear grasp of these technologies’ practical applications will help you spot opportunities where the right partners can turn potential into tangible results.
Your competitors are gaining ground by planning and executing strategic technology investments that drive measurable efficiencies.
Where does your business stand?
At Maxsum, we help CEOs, MDs, and COOs extract the maximum value from technology. Let’s discuss how AI, automation, and strategic tech optimisation can drive results for your business.
Let’s pinpoint the inefficiencies in your tech stack together. Book a discovery call to understand the scale of opportunity in your business.
