The trend in modern business is to move away from paper-based environments to fully computerized record-keeping and administration. However, small companies cannot afford to convert all their manual systems at once. Here are some of the types of software available to help you prioritize your needs.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software
Customer relationship management (CRM) is a software system that provides various tools for managing all aspects of your interactions with your customer base. While originally the focus was on the sales aspect, this has expanded to include marketing, service, and fault applications, as well as e-commerce.
Along with keeping track of leads, CRM enables businesses to determine the right time and products to promote to customer segments. Marketing strategies, such as email campaigns, can be dealt with more efficiently. Issues and service delivery failures are tracked and analyzed so that they can be resolved and prevented in the future.
All the information and experiences a particular client has had with your company are available to every employee who interacts with that client. This tells the customer that they are known and valued. Customers are the lifeblood of a business. Gaining and retaining customers is a key priority for every company, regardless of size.
Bookkeeping And Accounting Software
The expense of hiring an accountant can be offset by investing in bookkeeping and accounting software. This enables business owners to keep track of profits and losses, cash flow, suppliers, invoicing, as well as many other functions.
This software does away with the need for multiple journals and storage of accounts, saving you rental space. It reduces errors and makes bank reconciliations easy. It provides all the inputs to ensure that you are always tax-compliant.
Human Resource (HR) Software
Different types of software can be used to manage human resource functions. Key are payroll, HR management systems (HRMS), HR information systems (HRIS), applicant tracking systems (ATS), and human capital management (HCM).
Many HR software providers combine several aspects of HR management into single packages. As an example of integrated HR software, G&A Partners offers ATS, time and labor management (TLM), and a web-based online learning management system (LMS) in addition to generic HR management and payroll that can also be customized to the client’s needs.
You can also select certain aspects that are beneficial to you, such as payroll, and add on other services as required.
Payment Transaction Software
You can reduce your workload on billing by automating monthly payment transactions. This software is especially useful for subscription-based services. It is less suitable if your services or products are unique.
Automated accounts ensure that customers are reminded to pay their bills. It facilitates the refund process, keeps track of credits, and lets you know which accounts are outstanding. One downside is that customers may overpay by forgetting to unsubscribe when they no longer need your services.
Business software can decrease the number of staff you need, saving you on salaries, in addition to cutting down on time spent performing repetitive, manual tasks.
