Why do we need workflow softwares like Salesforce? | Hacker News Reader

Why do we need workflow softwares like Salesforce?

2 pointsabhishek203r9 comments

Why can't we replace workflow softwares with ChatUI + MCPs + Process rules(what steps the agent should take) + Database.

What is stopping us from doing this today?

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Most companies want to see outcomes quickly. They will always go for tried and tested solutions. Why would they risk building something on their own? There will be a threshold where companies are too small and the software is too expensive to buy, so they will go for something small that they build themselves. At scale, it will get harder and harder to maintain the solution themselves and they'd rather spend time focussing on their core business than to maintaining their in-house software.

we don't need to build from scratch right? What is stopping anthropic from saying Dont use tools like Salesforce anymore - where you have to pay for licence and consultants.

Instead use Claude + MCPs + some database and manage all your workflows

Same thing that stopped you writing it yourself in Django at any other time in the last 20 years.

People aren't going to be replacing Salesforce and SAP with this, they'll just use the Chat interface built into these products.

Don't forget too that a large part of what these products do is give auditing and compliance data...

You don't. But the management has been sold by the smooth fast talking salespeople. Then come the consultants to do the bespoke customization.

Wont the whole consultant mess go off if we completely switch away from workflow softwares

Unfortunately NO. Consultants own management's thought processes.

If you look at IT history, it goes something like:

    $ -> COBOL & mainframes -> RPG & minicomputers -> RDBMS (DB2, Oracle, Ingress, etc)
    -> ERP (SAP, PeopleSoft, etc) -> CRM (Salesforce, etc) -> ... AI/LLM/ML -> $$$$ -> ?

At a bank or a large telco, this is not a chronology; these are layers in the stack.

The billing system still runs on the mainframe. There’s still a service provisioning system bolted onto the ERP. CRM is how the sales and customer support teams interact with those backend systems, and now there’s chatbots (some of which are LLM powered) on top of the CRM handing some routine customer interactions.

This is quite insightful

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