You already know the drill. Once that phone starts vibrating in your pocket, it usually doesn’t stop until you go to bed at night. And this is just one simple fact about being in business.
Your schedule is packed. Your calendar is booked out three months in advance, and you have four meetings to attend all before 3 pm. This is life in the modern business world, and it’s a busy world for sure.
With all of the tasks you have to consider and be prepared for, it’s easy to get snowed under on a Monday with no relief in sight, even by Friday. In order to combat the busyness of business, one has to turn to modern technology for assistance.
Today, when we talk about working smart, we’re talking about resource scheduling, and there are numerous tools out there to help us become more organized and efficient. If you’re not using them, you’re missing out.
ERP Software
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software takes a lot of the worry and frustration out of day-to-day business affairs.
As most businesses need to crunch a lot of data, the headaches that come along with doing this in several departments can be overwhelming. With ERP software, you can organize all of your business tasks by using one suite with multiple tools.
Some ERP suites are cloud-based, making them much more efficient and easy to access no matter where you are. But, these tools can also be confusing and this is why some companies offer consulting services for their ERP suites.
JD Edwards Consulting offers assistance with their products, such as with the popular EnterpriseOne or JD Edwards World, which takes much of the guesswork out of using and troubleshooting the programs. With a consultant at your fingertips, you literally have all the help you need to stay organized in today’s business world.
Cloud-Based Systems
In the past, when businesses first began using ERP systems, most of the servers were on-premise, and this took up a lot of space, usually the size of a large meeting room or bigger.
Today, we have the cloud. As mysterious as this invisible digital atmosphere really is, and even if you have no idea what it is at all (not many people do), it’s perhaps one of the most beneficial technological advancements of our time.
Any cloud-based system, whether you use this as a simple storage area for documents, or you’re relaying sensitive information, creates a huge leap forward for any business, no matter how large or small.
Today, ERP systems are largely cloud-based and can be accessed by any device whether smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. This means that you can access important business information from anywhere you are, even if you’re on vacation.
Pay Attention to CRM
One of the best pieces of advice anyone in business can get is to pay specific attention to your customers. These are the people that keep you in business, and if they begin to feel neglected or otherwise unimportant to you, they will seek out a competitor who makes them a priority.
For this dilemma, you’ll want to pay specific attention to customer relationship management, or CRM.
CRM strategies come in many forms but, all of these are tools that a business needs to use to track consumer data, marketing efforts, customer service, quality control, and the like. You can also have many of the tools you need for CRM in a comprehensive ERP package as well.
Keeping the customer happy, and keeping your finger on the pulse of your marketing efforts to keep customers happy will translate into greater sales, repeat buyers, and referrals.
In the business world, disorganization and inefficiency can be a deadly combination. If you want to keep your business sound and in a position to thrive for years to come, taking advantage of the tools and resources at your disposal is sure to keep you in the game, and ahead of the competition.