Many companies face struggles with their ERPs, CRMs and other internal software systems, but they’re reluctant to invest in an internal project.

But the truth is that a software upgrade can provide measurable ROI for your business. We compiled some pointed thoughts from experts around the internet to demonstrate how:

More satisfied employees

No matter who’s using the solution, how much technical background they have, and how complex the processes in the software, all users deserve a UI that’s simple and clear, logical, and aesthetically pleasing. The UI must aim to improve and speed daily work processes to make the end user’s work life easier. – Pavel Kostychev

A beautifully designed UI makes users want to work with the application. They feel an emotional connection that makes the application easier to learn. – Pavel Kostychev

Less time spent training employees

We get ROI from being able to train our end users once and have them up and running within a short time. – Matt Baldwin

In a good UI, a user shouldn’t have to overthink their actions. They should intuitively know what to do with little or no training, and never get lost. – Pavel Kostychev

Users should be able to learn an operation once and then be able to use it on any screen regardless of the number of screens. – Pavel Kostychev

Increased employee productivity and speed

A good UI can translate into greater business value for the solution, and ultimately ROI for the organization by increasing agility, speeding the time-to-value for the solution, and enabling users to become more productive. – Pavel Kostychev

Ugly software cripples my experience. An intuitive and simplified interface will help me learn faster and remember the features of the product, and I won’t put my fist through the screen in anger. – Matt Esch

ROI comes from improved productivity. A UI that’s clean, consistent and works well enables end users to speed their work processes. – Pavel Kostychev

Fewer employee mistakes

When users open (a bad UI), they might not intuitively understand what needs to be done. They might make (more) mistakes, and feel confused. – Pavel Kostychev

Better company operations and fewer maintenance requests

A company runs smoother on well designed software. We will receive less complaints from our users, which in turn means less maintenance. It should also aid in speeding up our business process as users are more effective with the software. We will make a return on this perceived investment. – Matt Esch

Good design at the front-end suggests that everything is in order at the back-end, whether or not that is the case. – Dimitry Fadeyev

Users take advantage of more system features

Problems with visual design can turn users off so quickly that they never discover all the smart choices you made with navigation or interaction design. – Jesse James Garrett

Fewer customer complaints and less time resolving them

Internal systems weigh heavily on the performance of your employees. And they have a massive impact on the customer experience. These systems ensure timely responses; they help deliver the product; and they facilitate customer relationships. This is why internal systems are becoming the next big competitive advantage. – Paul Boag

Network and data continuity and security

People are fed up with inadequate internal systems. Many of those I interviewed had given up on the official software. Instead, they use tools like Dropbox, Google Docs and Evernote. – Paul Boag

Software that provides value as an asset on your balance sheet

A company’s worth is highly affected by the worth of its assets. An assessment of our comapany’s worth includes the software assets which we own. A well designed software product is worth more than the initial investment. – Matt Esch