Choose the best software

Whether it is to write letters, create invoices, check email or manage finances, virtually every company irrespective of size is now dependent on a computer, and increasingly on software.

However, most small business owners do not know how to get the best out of the software on the market. Alan Moody, managing director of Mamut UK and Ireland gives his views on how to make the right software choices.

•    Make sure the software you are buying was designed specifically for your requirements: 

A lot of small business software is simply enterprise software stripped down. The software company will tout its scalability and functionality, which might mean it has lots you don’t need. 

As anyone who has bought an expensive, top-of-range camera will know, unless you know what you are doing, a lot of additional functionality can hinder using the product for its purpose.

•    Check that you can upgrade as your requirements change:

This is not the same as buying one product with lots of unnecessary functionality; it is about making sure that you can upgrade the existing product and thereby transfer and continue to use existing data. The alternative could be wasting hours re-entering data or losing it altogether.

•    Make sure your IT packages are compatible:

If you use MS Office, for example, is the new software compatible so you can move data between them easily? Will HR and payroll software feed into one another? 

MS Office killed off some very good word processing and spreadsheet packages because its whole was worth more than the sum of its parts. It made things work more smoothly, and didn’t force you to work in five different ways.

•    You don’t always have to buy:

Many suppliers now recognise the value of letting people ‘rent’ their products or services over the internet.

Online back-up or remote IT help-desk services are a good example of this. It needs a good internet connection but the benefit is that when you do want to trade-in or switch, it is easier and cheaper to do so.

•    At the same time, don’t skimp:

You wouldn't suffer a ‘make-do’ sales director just because they came with office admin skills so why do just that where software is concerned? Software should be designed for a purpose and that purpose is driving business.

Business software packages should give a 360 degree view of your business, tracking sales, products and finances from supplier to customer.

Business software packages should also manage all aspects of your business, including the creation of reports, management of financials and payment tracking on one system.

•    Take the first step and invest now:

Historically, an issue facing many start-ups is lack of confidence that they can deliver. Technology has helped to bridge this gap by enabling companies to reach out to new markets through the Internet, making the size of the organisation irrelevant.

A small investment in the right back office software can enable an organisation to deliver the levels of efficiency and confidence normally associated with larger brands.

•    Look for solutions that can offer online storage:

This means that important documents can be accessed anywhere, enabling employees to work from home or one the move. It also has important implications for business continuity. For example, if floods destroyed vast amounts of company data, an online back-up can prevent critical data loss.

•    Be secure:

Train staff about relevant security threats and enforce safe online behaviour. Use the right technology to prevent a breech of security and accelerate recovery. Businesses need to be willing to evolve their security solutions to keep up with the ever-changing landscape.

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By Alan Moody  on   Jul 04,2008

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Keywords

business software    business technology    growing businesses   

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