In today’s global market, there’s a lot to keep up with. Innovative technology, market trends, website analytics, financing— it’s enough to make your head spin. That’s why many engineers, programmers, and inventors have come up with modern digital solutions to help keep businesses running smoothly. Generally, these innovations are more targeted, working better for some industries than others. But every once in a while, you find a modern solution that can help streamline your business regardless of industry.
Staying relevant and competitive post-pandemic can be difficult for smaller businesses. And larger corporations have fewer employees to keep everything running smoothly. That’s why we’ve gathered some popular tools to help you get a leg-up in this ever-shifting economy.
Social media management tools
A web presence is an important concept for modern businesses, including a website, social media channels, and digital marketing campaigns. In the past, it was just a suggestion and more for bigger companies with large reach. Now, even you’re local baker needs a social media page to keep track of everything and connect with customers. With more and more platforms entering the scene, it’s getting harder to keep up with them. Luckily we have social media management sites.
These sites allow you to bring all of your platform profiles onto a single dashboard, so you can schedule posts, keep your content consistent, and track all of your pages from one place. This can be invaluable whether or not you have a social media team or a communications manager.
Enterprise Resource Planning systems
Also known as ERPs, are software systems that help manage your day-to-day business activities. Some companies manage their own, with a fully staffed programming team to keep it up to date and running smoothly. For other companies, especially small businesses that may not have that option, a popular choice is NetSuite.
NetSuite is a cloud-based SaaS platform or Software as a Service. Business owners subscribe to use the platform, and NetSuite handles the infrastructure, updates, and security. Your company simply works with a rep to customize roles and interfaces before loading up your database information.
A downside to this structure is that sometimes you think of a solution but can’t implement it since it’s not available through NetSuite— at least until you learn about Oracle Platinum Partners. Oracle is the company in charge of NetSuite, and their OPPs are consultant and solution companies that help create custom implementations for businesses. One of the leading OPPs for NetSuite is GSI. They offer solution implementation, custom interface adjustments, error resolution, and more to help you make the most of the platform.
ERPs also allow you to automate certain functions and calculations, minimizing the risk for human error and freeing your team up to focus on other tasks.
Customer Relationship Management software
Similar to ERPs but more limited, CRMs allow you to track sales and customer interactions. Your sales and marketing teams can use this software to help automate workflows and ensure customer contact is handled in a timely manner. You can also track customer profiles to better personalize service and attention. CRMs can be used to keep track of communication apps and marketing software; they can even help set up text message marketing.
Some ERPs, like NetSuite, contain CRM capability. You can also find lone CRM software. When selecting software, you need to consider things like features, cost, integrations, and setup. Work with your sales team to find the perfect software solution for your company.
Integrate remote work capabilities and teleconferencing
Happy employees become loyal and productive employees. And during the revelations of COVID-19, companies discovered that a lot of employees were happier working from home (not all, of course). Companies that have taken a full Work From Home or Hybrid approach have seen better employee happiness and retention.
With the amount of communications technology at our fingertips, most companies can afford to let employees work from home and use a smaller office. One solution is to have a set of desks available on an ‘as-needed’ basis, so WFH employees can set up on days they absolutely need to be in town. A smaller office also means a cheaper utility and rent cost for your financials. You get happy, productive employees and a smaller monthly bill, it’s good business sense.
Keep an eye on business tech
The technology sector is constantly growing by leaps and bounds. It was only a few decades ago that cellphones were bricks and the internet needed a clear phone line. Now we have cellphones that fit in the palm of our hands and WiFi in public spaces— imagine what tomorrow will bring. By staying on top of the latest innovations, especially those in your sector, you can help your business stay ahead of the game and firmly settle yourself in the global economy. Excelsior!
