Welcome to Elevated. I'm Brandy Lawson, and today we're talking about something that keeps many business owners up at night, making sure the software you invest in today doesn't become obsolete tomorrow. It's like choosing cabinets that won't look dated in five years except for. Higher stakes in faster evolution. The pace of software change is relentless, especially with AI transforming everything from rendering to specification Writing. The question isn't whether your software will need to evolve, but whether it can. Today we're unpacking how to make choices that position your business for where software is headed, not just where it stands. Now, future proofing your software choices comes down to evaluating three key dimensions, technical scalability. Business scalability and adaptability to emerging technologies. Let's start with technical scalability. This isn't just about handling more users, it's about the software's architectural foundation. It could be that you get the chance to increase your active projects only to find that your software is slowing to AC crawl because it wasn't built to handle that much data. Ask these questions. Can the software handle significantly larger data volume? Does performance degrade as your library of designs, materials and client files? Gross? Does it have usage limits that will become problematic as you scale? Okay, next. Business scalability is equally crucial As your firm grows, so does the need to define and implement additional processes. You add specialized roles, increase collaboration requirements, and need more sophisticated reporting. You might find yourself outgrowing an entry-level project management tool because it doesn't support evolving approval workflows As the team grows, the software you choose should accommodate your future business structure. Not force you to adapt your growth strategy to its limitations. Ask, does it offer tiered permission structures for different team roles? Can workflows be customized as your processes mature? Does it support cross-functional collaboration that may not exist in your business today? Now, for the most dynamic factor, adaptability to emerging technologies. Particularly ai, we're seeing an explosion of AI capabilities in the design world. From automated space planning to smart material recommendations and instant rendering adjustments, the kitchen design software that will thrive isn't necessarily the one with the best AI features today. It's the one designed to continuously integrate new capabilities as they emerge. Look for software with robust APIs that stands for application programming interface that allow connection to other systems. Examine the company's track record of integrating new technologies. Are they leading or following the industry trends? How frequently do they release significant updates? A platform that issued only minor updates in the past year might be falling behind in this rapidly evolving landscape. The vendors themselves matter tremendously here. Are they well funded and investing in research and development? Do they have a clear roadmap that they're willing to share? Let me share a practical framework that you can use to evaluate software scalability in a three year projection of your business. What's your project growth? Team growth and service offerings for each software option, consider. One. Will this handle a projected data volume without performance issues? Two. Does it offer the team structures we'll need specifically for role-based permissions and the ability to have specialized approval chains? Three, can it support additional service offerings? Four. Does it have an open API or marketplace for extensions? This ensures integration options and increased ease if custom functionality is needed. Five. What's the AI strategy this week? You can work on future proofing your thinking. Head to fiery effects.com/choose and download the worksheet. Pick a software solution you're considering or currently using, and rate it against the future scenarios you envision for your business. Next week we'll get even more specific about evaluating AI readiness in your software choices, what to look for and what to avoid as these tools transform businesses. If this episode helped you think more strategically about your software decisions, share it with another design professional who's planning for growth.