In the digital age, the right business software can help startups grow into thriving corporations. Investing in the right solutions for your company can mean streamlining or integrating core processes, using dashboards and platforms effectively and even keeping you in touch with your employees and customers from almost anywhere.
IOT Systems
The Internet Of Things has grown in both size and usefulness during the last few years, with companies in almost every industry and market taking advantage of the benefits this technology offers. So, what is IOT? Simply put, a system of SIM cards and sensors which tracks specific metrics and reports back to a central hub without the need for human-to-computer or computer-to-computer contact is an IOT. The SIM cards can be in RFID tags on merchandise with sensors placed in strategic locations to help with inventory control, or they can be in smart devices your family carries so you can check in on them throughout the day. You can even place the SIM cards in your business in electronic devices to report problems to your tech department, track company property checked out to employees, or gather quality control information after a purchase.
Integrated Dashboards
You can even set your IOT up to display essential metrics when you open your computer for the day. Having your computer display an integrated dashboard as you log on can streamline your core office work each morning and allow you to see where you stand at a glance before moving on to essential projects and tasks. You can find or design dashboard software to display sales metrics, inventory tracking information and even feedback or alerts which need your attention. Some of these solutions even allow you to customize which information is displayed to each user, so your accounting department does not have to scroll through shipping information to find the time clock data. However, when key systems are integrated, the orders from customers are updated in your sales, inventory, and accounting software automatically, reducing the potential for transcription errors.
Accounting Solutions
Your accounting department needs many types of software to keep everything in order, including tax software, payroll solutions and bookkeeping programs. Some software suites have integrated accounting solutions, so each program has access to the same pool of data from timeclocks, inventory and departmental budgets and can plug the numbers in where they belong without an employee taking the time to tediously gather and type the information. Accounting software needs to be intuitive and integrated, so your accountant can easily update the necessary forms and compile required reports.
CRM Platforms
Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, refers to the tools and techniques used to find leads and guide customers through the purchase journey from initial interest to loyal purchases. These platforms offer customized email lists to place your customers in groups based on past purchase history, demographic information or even where each one is in the journey. Other features include reminders to contact customers if they have been dormant for too long and a note section for each customer to record important takeaways from interactions.
Personnel Management Tools
Personnel management tools such as digital employee file systems, timeclock information and vital statistics can be made available to your Human Resources department or individual employees through your integrated dashboard and IOT systems. You can log in to your favorite websites and have all of the information for your account, and you can create personal dashboards for your employees to have access to all the information they need. You can include work schedules, copies of the policy and procedure paperwork, and even stats such as length of employment, hours worked per pay period or employee contest results on these dashboards.
Having the right software for your company means streamlining your daily tasks and letting automation take over the more tedious ones. You can use systems like IOT and integrated dashboards to more easily track metrics and inventory. You can also find software suites designed to update one pool of data from multiple sources, like your Point-Of-Sale system, inventory tracking and payroll.
