In essence technology allows any business to work in a smarter and faster way. An intuitive and natural flow of information in and around your business is key to success.
It is certainly common to find many companies that rely heavily on technology but are only in first gear when it comes to reaching their maximum potential.
The first step towards cranking up through the gears is to consider your existing technological framework.
How well does information flow through your organisation?
We can compare this to a motorway; do you have all 4 lanes open with flowing traffic or, as is more commonly the case a large amount of road works and only one lane open with crawling traffic. The later example will normally result in productivity issues and a crippling of functionality.
Most businesses are well aware of their short comings, will confirm their heavy reliance on technology but do not know how to clear all their road works. A common problem can be a lack of IT knowledge at the very top of companies. The decision makers don’t understand the technology and the IT department’s whizz kids will do what they’re asked..Catch 22! Most company leaders will understand the basics of technology but not grasp the overarching potential of a fluid technology strategy
Technology gives us options, it gives us the ability to
* quickly analyse data,
* look for trends,
* highlight potential problems,
* provide efficient web development and
* create customisable reports at the click of a mouse.
For so long, it has involved working well into the night to prepare that report for the morning meeting, now it can be done in a matter of seconds.
Regularly, some simple steps can help any business gain a marked increase in productivity. You should consider whether you are taking full advantage of the vast range of technologies available today with a comparatively low initial outlay;
* Does your website look dated and risk giving an impression of your business below what you believe is correct?
* Are you still using the ageing client database system that you bought in the 90’s?…
* Do you even have a client database?
When considering any upgrade to your IT infrastructure, it is important to take advice from someone who has the ability to make recommendations to suit all aspects of your business. You may be amazed to discover just how many of your day to day tasks could be completely removed by having a review of the systems that you currently have in place.
An efficient client database for example built with modern technologies for example, can carry out a huge range of procedures to show a real difference in productivity.
* Invoices can be printed,
* emailed or faxed at the touch of a button with minimal data entry,
* no manual calculations and
* an audit trail automatically stored.
* Workflows can be designed around your own requirements with tasks allocated to specific staff members or teams.
* Other advantages are provided with client information being stored in one location to allow a low maintenance backup routine.
The biggest advantage however, is the cost involved.
Thanks to open source software, web development is truely powerful, the technology is now available to commission bespoke client databases, web design or software development and never have to pay any costs for any of the software used.
The only bills that you would ever receive are for the initial production and a small maintenance requirement which could potentially be performed in-house.
