Every growing business hits inflection points - moments when what used to work simply doesn’t anymore. While the signs of outgrowing your ops tools build gradually, the realisation typically strikes in specific, memorable moments.

Here are five situations, drawn from real conversations with our customers, that might feel painfully familiar if your business is hitting its growth spurt…

The “sorry, that’s manual” moment

A brand new team member asks a simple question: “can’t we automatically send these documents to our contractors?”. Your reply starts with a familiar phrase: “well, actually, we have to…”

You hear yourself explaining a convoluted process: “first you download the files from system A, then you create a new folder, upload them to system B, create a new work order, and then upload the same files again…”

The more times you hear yourself say “that’s manual” in a day, the more likely it is that you’ve outgrown your current tools.

The “which version is right?” moment

You’re in a quarterly review meeting. Someone presents the customer satisfaction metrics, but another team member interrupts: “that’s not what my dashboard shows?”. What comes next is a familiar debate about data sources, update frequencies, and calculation methods.

This moment hits hardest when you realise you’re spending more time debating whose numbers are correct than actually thinking about what they mean. When different teams have different versions of the truth, it’s not just a data problem - it’s a sign your ops infrastructure needs an upgrade.

The “it’s here somewhere” moment

It’s a normal Tuesday morning and a customer calls asking about the order status. Suddenly you’re performing a familiar, complicated routine: checking your CRM for the initial order, switching to your project management tool for the current status, jumping into your warehouse management system for shipping details, and scanning through email threads for any recent updates.

This isn’t just about having multiple systems - it’s about that moment when you realise you’re spending more time finding information than actually using it. Meanwhile your customer is sitting on hold, perplexed at why it’s taking so long to give an answer. When a simple status update involves checking three dashboards and two separate spreadsheets, you’ve outgrown your current setup.

The “not another spreadsheet” moment

You’re in a team meeting, and someone shares a new tracking spreadsheet they’ve created. As you look at it, you realise it’s the third different spreadsheet being used to track basically the same information. Finance has their own version, ops maintains another, and now this project team has created their own.

This moment often hits when you find yourself asking, “wait, which spreadsheet is the source of truth?”. When Excel becomes the default solution for everything from inventory tracking to customer comms, it’s a clear signal that your tools aren’t scaling with your needs.

The “this used to work” moment

Remember when your current setup felt perfect? When your workflows were streamlined, your processes made sense, and everything just worked? Then you doubled in size, or entered a new market, or launched a new product, and 🤯

This moment often comes whilst you’re celebrating your growth. You’re looking at impressive numbers - more customers, more revenue, more team members - but also realising your operations haven’t kept up. When you find yourself thinking “this used to work fine” multiple time a week, it’s time to re-evaluate the toolkit.

Moving ahead

These moments aren’t just frustrating - they’re signal that your business is growing and evolving. They’re evidence that you’re scaling beyond your current operational setup, which is ultimately a good thing! The key is to recognise these moments for what they are: not just problems to solve, but indicators that it’s time to level up your ops capabilities.

Modern businesses need tools that grow with them - systems that can adapt to changing needs without needing constant workarounds. If you’re experiencing these moments regularly, it might be time to consider how your ops tools could serve your growing business better. And Keel could help - get in touch if you'd like to see a demo!

After all, the goal isn’t just to solve today’s problems, but to build a foundation that can support where your business is heading next.