Business Value
Day 10,000: Key Attributes of Enduring Software Solutions
KenCast celebrates Day 10,000 with customers, demonstrating that truly enduring software depends on reliability, adaptability, usability, security, and excellence — qualities that keep solutions relevant, robust, and trusted for decades.
Software companies commonly emphasize the ability of their solutions to work “Out of the
Box” and to provide value on “Day One.” These qualities offer end users the cost-
effectiveness of lower integration costs, a quicker return on investment associated with
rapid deployment, and a streamlined user experience that typically accompanies well-
developed software.
While many software companies succeed in achieving Day One success, far fewer
succeed in delivering high-quality software products that remains viable, robust, and
competitive for years on end.
At KenCast, we are recognized for our long-standing customer relationships. This year,
several of our customers are realizing their Day 10,000 milestone of using our software.
This represents over 27 years of mission-critical performance.
Reflecting on this achievement, we asked ourselves, “What are the key attributes of
enduring software solutions?”
Here are ten items we consider most essential:
Reliability: Customer trust and loyalty are arguably more dependent on reliability
than any other software attribute. Business disruption and downtime represent the
greatest threats to long-term customer satisfaction. Reliable software mitigates this
risk while also providing benefits in terms lower cost of ownership and reduced risk.
Usability: Software that offers an intuitive experience, with faster task completion,
and higher task success rates directly correlates with product longevity. Perpetual
useability testing across devices is a best practice that helps ensure usability keeps
pace with evolving user behaviors, preferences, and devices.
Maintainability: Well-maintained software offers significant benefits in terms of
performance, reliability, durability, scalability, flexibility, and longevity. Well-
maintained software also requires less time to resolve defects related to bug fixes
and stability issues.
Adaptability: Technological disruption, shifting market requirements, and evolving
security/compliance regulations necessitate that software be adaptable to maintain
user satisfaction and a competitive edge. Adaptable solutions tend to leverage
continuous improvement principles and are distinguished by their ability to realize
technological advancement without major overhauls to the product.
Accessibility: Solutions should function consistently across different devices
(desktop, mobile, tablet) and must be usable and intuitive for people of varying
abilities, including those with disabilities.
Security: Protecting a software product and its users from breaches, data loss, and
system compromise is essential in realizing long-term success by building user trust
and maintaining compliance with regulatory demands.
Continuous Improvement: Instilling a culture of continuous improvement in a
software company creates the efficiency and predictability necessary to drive
innovation, adaptation, and quality enhancement. Maintaining a systematic
approach in achieving advancement through steady, small steps has been proven to
outperform the more transformative approach of redefining the product through
significant, relatively immediate change.
Operational Discipline: Structural adherence to well-defined procedures and a
mindset of performing tasks correctly every time creates the foundation for long-
term reliability, stability, and continuous improvement of software. While team
members developing and supporting the product will turnover countless times on
the road to Day 10,000, maintaining disciplined processes and culture are essential
qualities in ensuring consistent, reliable execution.
Responsiveness and Support: Users will almost inevitably have issues with a
software product over time. Providing these users with simple feedback
mechanisms, by resolving issues quickly, and by proactively issuing clear status
updates allows the software provider to build trust and retain the confidence of their
user communities.
10. Commitment to Excellence: All of the attributes detailed above result from a
sustained commitment to excellence. This excellence fosters trust and satisfaction
among users, whose loyalty is rooted in performance and useability.
The ability of a software solution to remain viable and relevant across decades requires a
structured and disciplined approach. Maintaining product consistency through
technological evolution, market shifts, and employee churn requires steadfast leadership,
well-defined processes, and a commitment to excellence.
At KenCast, we find that adherence to these principles enable our users to reach Day
10,000.
