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It happens to the best of us. As we vet options, we become enamored by the bells and whistles and cool functionality that a technology product can deliver.

Then, we go through implementation, roll out the new technology to our teams so we can achieve our primary goal for the new technology, yet somehow settle with using a just fraction of the functionality we were sold.

Getting more out of your technology isn't just a matter of ROI, it's also a great way to stay innovative, develop new efficiencies, and stay ahead of the game. Here are a few ways you can get more out of your existing tools:

While it's great to peruse these, you'll get way more out of it when you dive in and participate. Post a challenge that you'd like to solve.

Chances are, there are other users out there who have encountered something similar and can share ideas with you. Be sure to offer your suggestions to other users as well.

This includes reading, or at least skimming release notes and "what's new" emails. I also suggest to follow your vendor on social media to help you stay up to date without cluttering your inbox.

If your vendor hosts webinars, attend them and walk away with some new ideas of how to get more out of your investment. Some webinars highlight what's new and others highlight valuable existing functionality that you haven't discovered.

Many SaaS companies have marketplaces full of options that provide free or low-cost ways to enhance the use of their technology tools. We all love productivity apps, as well as the apps that allow us to track time and valuable data on support tickets, but our most favorite apps
are those that break down cross-functional silos by integrating data from tools like Slack, Jira, and Salesforce into our ticketing system. Again, be thoughtful about what you choose to implement because doing too much is a surefire way to be sure none of the apps are used.

Automation and shortcuts will help develop new efficiencies and minimize the human element involved in processes. Thoughtfully build this into your processes so that your employees don't have to spend their precious time doing something that could be done for them.

This will also ensure a more consistent experience for your customers. Its really it helpful to document which tasks we've automated and review the automations and shortcuts with employees periodically so that they remember what's there.

Take time to remove the automations and shortcuts that aren't well-used and replace them with things that would be more beneficial for your employees. Get into the habit of consistently looking for ways to get more out of your existing technology.