CRM and ERP systems have traditionally been complex and expensive, limiting them to big companies with significant IT budgets. But according to Brendan Peo of HansaWorld South Africa, new technology has brought the benefits of integrated solutions within the reach of smaller businesses.
"In the past there were no good, integrated business systems for smaller companies, who then had to rely on accounting packages. However, these did not provide managers with all the information necessary for running the company," explains Peo.
Many small companies use only spreadsheets or small self-built databases. "Custom systems can be a flexible choice in the short term, but they also have several down-sides. They bring along a lot of double entry of data, taking more time and increasing the risk of making mistakes. Also, the ad-hoc solutions can not cope with bigger volumes, holding the company back."
The latest generation of business systems, on the other hand, is designed to avoid duplication and to provide real-time information on the state of the entire company. "Once your sales and accounting systems are integrated, you start to see the full benefit of having access to real-time data for business analysis and planning."
Peo cites the case of a customer who was able to grow their business by 200% without increasing staff. The computer hardware distributor simply updated their business solution, thus also improving the service to customers.
"Ultimately, business is about being close to the customer, which will lead to more sales," Brendan Peo explains. "In the past smaller companies often found that difficult because they weren`t able to access and use their customer information in the most powerful way. Today`s software gives them both the customer story and the numbers behind it, creating a lot of cross- and up-selling opportunities."
According to Peo, the key to making a business system work is convenience. "If the technology doesn`t make the sales team`s job easier, they just won`t use it," he warns. "This is the litmus test to see if a system will really add value to your business. Unless your sales team embraces it, you can`t expect to see improved sales performance," Peo concludes.
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HansaWorld Enterprise is one of the broadest ERP and CRM suites on the market. The integrated multi-platform solution has more than 45 fully featured modules and a wide variety of functions that make it suitable for almost any size or type of business.
HansaWorld distributors can be found in most countries in Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. HansaWorld is a member of Forum Nokia PRO Enterprise Zone, a program that provides development support to selected companies creating the next generation of mobile business applications based on Nokia platforms.
For more information please visit www.hansaworld.com.
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