How to make the strategic switch to a new subscription platform

Streamlining the shift to a future-ready business system

When people talk to us about switching from their existing subscription business platform, they often voice anxiety about going through the setup process again. They recall it as a highly stressful and protracted experience that they don't want to repeat, even if their current system is not serving the business as well as they need it to.

At keylight, we get that. We know you don't want to do this kind of thing twice, but we also know that every business needs systems that enable them to succeed commercially. That means providing the capabilities they need to grow whilst making sure that money is spent in ways that offer a clear ROI. We also know how complex subscription businesses are, and because we know that, we've created systems and migration processes that can handle it.

Most people are anxious about switching platforms because they have a lot riding on it, and it's natural to feel comfortable with the devil you know. However, if you have a platform that isn't doing what you need it to do now, it's not going to improve if you turn a blind eye.

So, when you know you need to make a change, it's a question of finding a solution that enables you to do so in a way that makes you feel confident and supported. That ability comes from acknowledging the scale of the challenge, but having the experience, knowledge and infrastructure in place to do it without issue. The beauty of keylight is that we are a subscription service for subscription services, so we understand what's needed and we practice what we preach, minimizing any risk and maximizing the opportunities for your business.

Here's how you know a change might be the right path for you and your subscription service, and how you can make that switch to suit you.

Common project scenarios

How do you know you need to change your subscription platform?

Needing to switch subscription platforms isn't always the result of something having gone profoundly wrong. Perhaps it worked for you for a long time, and now you've invested so much money in it through complex customizations that you don't feel you can move on. Your system is fine, albeit with a few quirks... but is "fine" good enough? Surely you want your operating system to be exceptional so that the sky's the limit on what you can achieve as a business?

For us, the telltale signs that a company needs to change their subscription platform aren't when disaster strikes (that's a pretty obvious indicator).

It's one of two situations (or both):

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When change becomes a burden

When you get that sinking feeling every time a change needs to be made, whether it's to the customer journey, the product, the billing process or anything else. You know it's going to be months of customization to achieve it, it's going to cost a lot of money and it will probably have teething problems.

When change becomes a burden

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Technology-limited customer journey

When you find yourself designing the customer experience around your platform's capabilities, rather than the capabilities around the customer experience you want to deliver.

Technology-limited customer journey

When you find yourself designing the customer experience around your platform's capabilities, rather than the capabilities around the customer experience you want to deliver.

Sound familiar?
Keep reading.

Reasons to make the strategic switch

Future-proofing your business

Subscriptions are the fastest growing method of consumer purchasing in both the B2C and rapidly developing B2B sectors. This is the way of the future and the future exists now. Those who get ahead of the game today will be best placed to achieve ongoing success, but that increasingly competitive landscape means companies can no longer get away with chronic overspending on insufficient systems or providing anything other than a five-star service to customers every day of the week. With that in mind, these are the three things that will supercharge your subscription business's success going forward:

Short- and long-term cost savings

Subscription businesses are constantly evolving, it's the nature of the market. The flexibility to amend, adapt, improve and enhance your offering, from the product to the user experience has to be inbuilt—if you rely on customizations it's not only going to be cumbersome but costly both to set up and maintain. With keylight, that adaptability is inbuilt thanks to a rule-based, API-first approach that pretty much lets you do whatever you want to do. So, from the moment you switch, you reduce your upfront costs, your long-term projected investment, and you reduce the cost of probable customer churn.

An improved user experience

We talk a lot about the importance of the customer experience, but it's also your team's experience that's essential in a subscription business. Giving your staff the tools they need to do their job well, minimizing the amount of time spent on laborious admin that can be automated, and maximizing the time they spend on more important tasks and customer service means a more fulfilling experience for them, better customer experiences, more time spent selling, less technical debt and fewer errors (which, incidentally, is also a cost saving).

Enhanced speed and competitiveness

It's not suitable in this market for changes in requirements to take weeks or months to design, test and implement—it needs to be a matter of moments, otherwise the opportunity passes and someone else will offer what you can't. If your team is constantly chasing their tail creating system changes that were required months earlier, then they're not spending their time thinking about the future expansion of the business—they're always behind and the customer experience will suffer. With keylight, changes in requirements can be made in minutes, delivering a better user experience all round, enabling you to be ultra competitive in the market, and providing the ongoing flexibility for business expansion.

Remember, you're not starting from scratch

An empowering partner

If you're an established company, it's important to remember that switching platforms isn't about binning what you've done in the past, it's just about moving onto the next stage of your business journey. You also don't have to move everything at once, with keylight there are the options to improve your tech stack.

These include:

Starting a new project with a new product/customer journey launch
Adding keylight to your tech stack and leverage data synchronization
An iterative approach to adjusting system responsibilities and switching to keylight

All of these options are supported by the keylight team who act as an empowering partner throughout the implementation process to make sure you get exactly what you need as an organization, now and going forward. We have a safety-first approach with project iterations, which is why our customers felt safe and supported in making the transition to our platform.

We understand that switching platforms is a daunting prospect, and it's not easy to make decisions unless you can really understand what the alternative is by seeing it in action. That's why we would love to give you a free, no obligation demo and consultation. Come and have a look, ask questions, and see what keylight can do—you never know, we might just be able to help.

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