As your business grows, it’s important your software aligns with how your business operates. Quite often when businesses start up, the software is usually what you have available without much outlay. This can range from basic bookkeeping to a stock tracking spreadsheet or a point of sale (POS) system. You’ve probably spent a lot of time developing the grassroots of your business, so it can be difficult to take the time to research the software options available and choose the right software for your business needs.
Assess your current system
Perhaps you’re currently working with a mix of different, stand-alone software, that doesn’t necessarily work together. You might have a customer relationship management (CRM) system, as well as financial software, and a separate HR portal.
It’s important to review your current system, because the old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” doesn’t always ring true. If your software set-up is just getting you through each day, imagine if your software was more reliable, streamlining your processes, reducing risks and producing a higher quality product or service for your customers.
Being open to the change and looking at alternate software possibilities will bring new opportunities that will boost your business performance.
Plan now for future growth
It’s a good idea to plan ahead and choose a software system that can grow with your business. This will enable you to stay competitive, as well as giving you a clear view of future growth and productivity levels.
Think about how fast your business is currently growing. What will you need in the future, and will your current software be able to handle the workload? Planning ahead will guarantee you don’t outgrow your software, making sure your business keeps running smoothly.
Get input from your staff
What might look good on paper may not be great in practice. It’s a good idea to get input from your staff who use the software on a daily basis. Set aside some time to work through your current processes and listen to your employees – from your team members on the floor to your managers, who need high-level reporting. It’s best to use one cloud-based software system, such as an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, which can be accessed by all staff, with different access levels to suit staff members’ needs. Also, an ERP safely stores all your business data, from staffing requirements, stock tracking, and financial data and can combine a POS set-up.
Train your team
You may have decided to go with a cloud-based ERP, but once you are set up and ready to go, there’s still one more important step – training your team. For your ERP to work well, you need to make sure that your staff know how to use it. New staff don’t always receive proper training, and sometimes steps can get overlooked, which can be detrimental to your business should a problem arise.
Acacia offers training solutions, either in-house or remotely, as well as user guides that help you and your staff get familiar with the features of the ERP and how to use them. Our helpdesk is available to guide you in the right direction when you need assistance.
Get the right advice
When searching for the right software for your business, seek expert advice, and this is where Acacia can help. We have provided business software solutions to more than 500 companies, and we understand the difficulties businesses face. Our consultants can help explain the details of the software to you.
We also have long-standing experience in serving clients in the wine and liquor industry which gives us a deeper understanding of your business needs and we are better placed to advise you on the best solution. If you are interested in talking through the advantages of using a cloud ERP to track food traceability, contact us and one of our consultants will be in touch soon.
