What does Information Technology do for a business?
Hurray! Yesterday marked the first official day of spring. It may still be cold or snowing out but it does mean warmer weather is near (hopefully!). Another great thing about this time of year is that we can finally leave work and still get a glimpse of sunlight.
As it is Friday again (TGIF!), our FUN Friday blog will get back to the basics of what our team does here at Namtek Consulting Services and what IT firms, departments and staff can really do for businesses of all sizes.
Question of the day: What does Information Technology (IT) do for a business?
We hear very often from executives that they do not need a software system, as they are happy using Excel sheets, Word documents and E-mails. This may be true in the beginning or during the startup of a business, when cash flow is low or even non-existent, but once a company grows, once the number of employees increases and once different departments within a company need to communicate and integrate together, Excel sheets won’t cut it. Therefore, here is a short list of answers to today’s question:
1. Increase Productivity
We always hear how business software systems can increase productivity in a company, but how? Dealing with paper and pen or even Excel and Word documents takes time, can get a little unorganized and does not allow a business to be integrated. Automating tasks with an ERP solution in the cloud has been proven to reduce manual processes and increase employee productivity by up to 39%, according to Techaisle. Working with one system, where data is in real-time and accessible at all times from anywhere with mobile devices, truly has the capacity to increase efficiency in the business and equip employees with the right tools to finish tasks easily and quickly. Excel and Word documents can only get you so far.
2. Enable out-of-office work
With all the latest tech advancements going on in the mobile world, it has made out-of-office work much easier. Enterprise Mobility has allowed employees to access the company’s software system from anywhere, on their mobile devices. Terms like SaaS (Software as a Service) and “cloud” have been thrown around a lot lately but for good reason. Executives should definitely get to know these terms because these software options can save them a lot of money and allows them to input data, complete tasks and run their business from anywhere through the Internet.
Sales teams can bring their tablets to sales pitch meetings, construction and inspection workers can input important data from their mobile phones, executives can access their software suite from anywhere (even when they want to keep an eye on business from vacation); how convenient!
3. Integration
This point is very crucial to businesses, however many executives do not realize it’s real value. A fully integrated software system has the potential to save employee time, reduce errors, improve productivity and much more.
Also, having your IT staff concentrate on one system rather than many will also cut costs on the IT side (perhaps not even needing an in-house IT team). Integrated IT solutions create less hassles and give employees more time to focus on business tasks to ensure company growth.
4. Reduce turnaround time
Once all processes are automated and employees are equipped with real-time data in one simple ERP system, turnaround time can be reduced. As mentioned earlier, the alternative to this is to invest in many smaller systems for all the different departments, such as an accounting software, a Warehouse software for inventory tracking, a Sales and CRM software, etc. We can even go so far to say that other alternatives would be to sift through loose papers or through Excel documents. In this day and age, investing in the right software solution allows a business to grow by giving employees more time to focus on important tasks and finish them much quicker.
5. Reduce costs
Of course, there are many costs that come with operating a business. However, why not find ways to reduce them? That’s what Information Technology does. IT technicians find ways to transform complex tasks and processes into simpler ones. Therefore, not only does IT save employee time but by simplifying processes and integrating different systems, it has the capacity to save the company tons of expenses. Of course, it costs to invest in business software solutions but not as much as many seem to believe. Software as a Service has allowed full ERP solutions to be affordable to everyone.
Many small business owners have already realized how to leverage technology to get ahead and level the playing field with larger corporations. Unfortunately, there are still too many out there that haven’t realized the full potential IT solutions can bring to a company. Of course, there are many more benefits and reasons why investing in efficient IT solutions is important for a business, even if you are a small company with just 2 employees. Equipping your team with the best tools truly has a positive impact on a business’ efficiency, costs, employee time and effort and most importantly growth and success.
Therefore, before getting too comfortable with your Excel sheets, consider the advantages that could be had in the long run with a solid efficient software system that is flexible to accommodate any changes or growth in a company. Simplify your processes and streamline your daily operations today!
