How to Use Software: A New Series on Broker Workflow Operations

We're launching a new BrokerTools series called: How to Use Software.

Over the next few weeks, we're walking through the Mortgage, Asset and Commercial Finance software available to Australian brokers.

Best Software lists rarely tell you how the software works, where it fits within the client onboarding and processing management system, and if it really does the job you want.

So we're doing something a little different.

We'll walk through the software, look at what it does, where it fits, and what you could use it for — then let you decide what works best for you, your team and your customers.

Got a piece of software you'd like us to cover?

ASK A QUESTION

Episode 0: The Test Run

As a quick PSA: the attached video wasn't actually made for public consumption. 😂

It was a test run — checking the equipment, getting the setup right, figuring out what needed improving.

Then we thought: why not just publish it?

Because that's actually part of the philosophy behind this series.

Test it. See what works. Improve it. Keep going.

You can watch it on Youtube here: https://youtube.com/shorts/oYIz_0fyRJY

Our take: the DJI Mini Mic sounds better than the laptop mic, so that's a win. The fluffy microphone cover is still under review. lol.

Is Rode better? We don’t know (yet) and won’t explore it until we’ve reached another 40-50 pieces of video content.

We are all about incremental growth. Because if we learnt anything from the Camping trip to Lara Wetlands is ‘Starlink’ alone isn’t going to be the best tech setup. Though it’s touted to be.

We had the clear sky, good solar powered systems and the roam package. What we also had was about 100 other caravan/camper vans with us.

Was that the issue? I don’t know.

My work involves a lot more upload and download video based things - where as my friend he was fine, because his supply chain work didn’t have those requirements.

So start where you are and figure out what is the best next step for you is important.

Because the best technology isn't always the right solution

We've all done it.

You find a piece of technology that looks amazing. Hundreds of features. Great website. Everyone says it's the next big thing.

So you buy it.

Six months later, you're wondering why it hasn't transformed your business.

The problem usually isn't the software. It's that the decision started with the technology instead of the problem.

That's why our approach is:

PEOPLE → PROCESS → TECHNOLOGY

People

Who's actually doing the work? What does your team need? What should the client experience look like?

Process

What actually happens from the moment a lead arrives through to settlement — and beyond? Where are the handoffs? Where does information get entered, or re-entered? Where does work get repeated, or stall?

Technology

Only then do we ask: what technology can support this?

The software decision comes last, not first — because the best technology isn't necessarily the right one for your business. The right solution depends on your people, your processes, and the experience you're trying to create for your customers.

[PS. This philosophy was inspired by Christian at Auctus Coaching, you will hear him use these terms when ever he talks about Broker business growth.]

Start with what you already have

Before deciding you need new software, it's worth understanding what you've already got. Going forward, we'll look at four things:

1. Figure out what you already have

What are you actually paying for? What does it do? How is it currently being used?

2. Make better use of it

Are there features you're already paying for and not using? Could your current system support more of your workflow than it currently does?

3. Add automation where it makes sense

If something is repetitive, predictable and rules-based, could it be automated?

4. Upgrade or change the technology if you genuinely need to

Sometimes the answer really is that the software isn't fit for purpose — and that's fine too. The point is making that call based on what your business actually needs, not because another platform has a slicker website.

Software doesn't exist in isolation

This matters especially for broker software.

A CRM doesn't solve your entire operational workflow. It might manage leads, hold client information, trigger communications, create tasks. But what happens before that? And what happens after?

When a new lead comes in, for example:

Where did the enquiry come from?
Who's it assigned to?
Is an email or SMS sent automatically?
What information needs to be captured?
When does the next follow-up happen?
Where is the data saved?
Does it need to flow into your aggregator software?
Does someone need to create a task?
What happens if the client doesn't respond?
What happens if the deal changes direction?
How does the team know something's gotten stuck?

These are workflow questions. The software is there to help you execute the workflow — it isn't the workflow itself.

That's why two businesses can run the same software and have completely different experiences with it. The software is only one part of the system.

What we'll look at

With How to Use Software, we'll walk through different platforms and ask some practical questions.

What is it actually designed to do?

What problem was the software built to solve?

What do you actually get?

What functionality is included, and what jobs can it perform?

Where does it fit?

Lead generation? Client management? Fact find? Application? Document management? Workflow? Communication? Reporting? Something else?

What happens to the information?

What goes in? Where does it go next? What systems does it connect with?

How could your team actually use it?

A feature is only useful if it helps someone do their job.

What happens when things don't go to plan?

Real businesses don't follow perfect workflows. Clients don't respond. Information goes missing. Deals change direction. Tasks get missed. People go on leave. Applications stall.

Good technology needs to work with the reality of your business — not just the happy path.

And then there's AI

We're also going to look at where AI and automation fit into all of this.

But we're not starting with "what AI tool should I buy?"

We're starting with the workflow.

AI agents can improve systems, knowledge and processes that are already well established — but they need something solid to work with. If your process isn't clear, your information isn't reliable, or nobody's sure what's supposed to happen next, adding AI doesn't fix that. It just makes a confusing process happen faster.

So we'll start by understanding how the work actually moves. Then we'll look at where technology, automation and AI can genuinely help.

We'll walk through it together

This series isn't about telling you "this is the best software for brokers."

It's about giving you enough to understand what you're looking at, and decide whether it makes sense for you — your business, your team, your processes, your customers.

There isn't necessarily one "best" technology. There's the technology that works best for the way you want to operate.

That's what we're exploring. And over time, it builds into something bigger:

Workflow Intelligence — understanding how people, information, decisions and work move through a business, and using technology to make that movement better.

We don't need all of that figured out before we start. We'll start with the software, walk through it, look at where it fits, and let you decide what could work for you.

Have a software question?

Using something, considering something, confused by something, or just not sure you're getting the most out of it? We'd love to hear from you.