Michael Shooster is CEO of Answering Service Care, a Shooster Holdings company.
When we set out to conduct our latest software adoption study at Answering Service Care, we weren’t just looking to compare platforms. We wanted to answer a more revealing question: What does your tech stack say about your business?
The answer is, a lot.
It tells your customers how you prioritize their experience. It shows your employees how committed you are to making their work easier and more efficient. And it signals to the market how seriously you take growth, scalability and long-term success.
Our findings confirmed what we suspected and revealed a few surprises. From dominant tools like Salesforce and QuickBooks to the number of businesses still managing operations on paper, we saw a tech landscape that’s both familiar and fragmented.
The Most Common Stack Is … Nothing At All
One of the most surprising takeaways was how many businesses, especially smaller ones, don’t use any software to manage core functions like ticketing, CRM or project management.
We’re talking about contractors, family-run businesses and service providers doing great work but doing it on mobile phones, in notebooks or across spreadsheets. It’s not because they’re resistant to change or adopting new technology. It’s because they’re too busy running the day-to-day to rethink how they run the business.
In our survey, Slack, a widely known communication platform, was only adopted by 6.5% of respondents. This doesn’t mean Slack isn’t valuable. It means that many businesses aren’t using any communication software at all, which highlights how underserved this segment remains in terms of digital infrastructure.
I get it. If you’re a two-person team running HVAC jobs or laying tile all week, it’s hard to stop and learn a new system. But here’s the truth: If you’re not investing in tools that can scale with you, you’re slowing your own growth.
Legacy Tools Dominate, But Not Always For Good Reason
For the businesses that are using software, many stick with the biggest names. Salesforce for CRM. ADP and Paychex for payroll. QuickBooks for accounting.
These tools dominate for a reason. They’re stable and familiar. But they’re not always the best fit.
Salesforce owns more than 51% of the CRM market, according to our research, while QuickBooks commands over 40% of the accounting space. These numbers reflect strong brand trust but also reveal how businesses often lean on legacy platforms instead of exploring more modern or tailored solutions.
We’ve seen countless cases where legacy systems make routine tasks harder than they should be. Payroll platforms that feel outdated. Accounting tools that don’t integrate well. CRMs that are more complex than the business needs.
At ASC, we made the switch from QuickBooks to NetSuite. After this transition, we experienced firsthand how automation and cleaner reporting could shift operations from reactive to strategic. It costs more upfront, but the automation, reporting and time saved paid off. We close our books faster and operate more efficiently. We’re not chasing reports or building workarounds.
That’s the tradeoff many businesses avoid. But sticking with the status quo can cost you more in the long run, in labor, in customer experience and in missed opportunities.
Why Switching Is Hard But Still Worth It
Let’s be honest. Migrating systems is never easy. But failing to modernize brings a less visible cost: stalled growth, poor visibility and customer friction that builds over time. Moving payroll alone was a major lift for us. I’m not suggesting you switch vendors every year, but I think it’s important to keep refining your software tool kit.
Ask yourself: Is this software helping us grow? Does it make work easier? Is it improving the customer experience?
Even small gains, such as saving 5% of time on a process, reducing a few manual steps or getting to insights faster, can compound over time. That becomes real money, real efficiency and real momentum.
In project management software, we found that only a small percentage of businesses use tools like Monday.com, which leads with 26.6% of users among adopters. That low overall adoption suggests many companies are still relying on spreadsheets and emails, which often leads to miscommunication, delays and inefficiencies.
What High-Performing Businesses Are Doing
The companies we see thriving are the ones that treat software like infrastructure. They make intentional choices. They pick tools that match their goals and work together across the organization.
At ASC, we’ve integrated our systems with platforms like HubSpot to support our own sales and service teams. Our clients use our portal to manage customer interactions, especially those who don’t have a traditional CRM in place. For larger partners, we integrate directly into their systems so they don’t have to switch platforms just to work with us.
We’ve built out integrations with more than 7,000 applications to ensure that clients can use the systems they prefer without disruption. This flexibility is key to helping businesses scale while staying efficient.
The goal is simple: create a smoother, more consistent experience for both your team and your customers.
Where To Start
If you’re a small business owner without a tech team, the options can feel overwhelming. But you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Start with your trade association. Every industry has one. These organizations highlight the top vendors in your space and are a great place to compare options and hear from other business owners.
Also lean on your existing partners. At ASC, we support thousands of businesses, and we’re always happy to recommend platforms we’ve seen work well. That might be a better CRM, a simpler payroll tool or a more modern ticketing system.
For example, Stripe leads our payment processor category with 4.39% of surveyed usage, despite being newer to the space. That shows how some businesses are beginning to shift toward digital-first solutions that offer better integration and ease of use.
Even if it doesn’t directly benefit us, we believe helping our clients succeed builds trust and strengthens the long-term relationship.
Your Tools Reflect Your Vision
Your tech stack doesn’t need to be the latest or flashiest. But it should reflect where your business is headed.
Holding on to outdated tools might feel safe, but it limits your ability to grow. Better software decisions lead to time savings, cost reductions, stronger customer retention and happier teams.
And if you’re still running the business on paper or spreadsheets, it’s worth asking yourself: What is that choice really costing you?
Because your tech stack says something about your business. And the smart companies are making sure it says the right things.
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