Best ERP Software For Your Small Business When Times Are Tough

When times are tough, sales are often down and the economic outlook is not good no matter whom you talk to. During hard times, it’s important to remember that you need your ERP system even more than ever. Although it may seem counter-intuitive to choose your tough time as the ‘right’ time to implement a new ERP system, that is not the case. More and more companies are doing just that – upgrading their systems to provide a better platform for surviving hard times and prospering as things improve.

Of course there are complications you might face along the way. A problem you may encounter is how to extract that cost of your information out of your ERP so you can focus on reducing costs during down time in business. Essentially, you want to reduce your costs by becoming more efficient.

The key to implementing a system that leverages new technology is to reduce cost, scale processing, and enhance your business as a whole. SAP Business One provides a strong business platform for today and tomorrow. The following are some ways you can leverage a move to a new system that can transform your tough time into a profitable one:

Reduce the Cost of Ownership – You want to replace your older, disparate systems that are often a complicated mix of applications, spreadsheets and manual processes that have developed over time. They most likely don’t integrate, are very difficult to maintain, and carry higher costs for outside support. You also probably are exposed to risk when staff turns over. SAP provides a low maintenance system based on industry standard technology that has well documented standard processes that can eliminate all of your previous troubles.

Increase Productivity and Scale for Growth – In order to not add additional overhead, you want to leverage your technology to maximize the amount of work and transactions processed. Your system should be able to import/export system data seamlessly to speed, enhance daily processes, as well as enabling interaction with external business partners.

Improve Business Processes – You want to streamline processes that are too complex and carry too much overhead to execute effectively. A well implemented SAP solution provides the best practice workflows that can automate labor intensive processes, complete with approvals and alerts to prevent unprofitable or unauthorized transactions from slipping through the cracks.

Respond Quickly and Enhance Customer Relationships – Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is the key to maintaining lasting relationships with your customers. Increase responsiveness with the ability to quickly respond electronically via email, fax, or SMS. Look for ways to increase your customer service with quick access to account information and speedy electronic responses that demonstrate your business is modern, attentive, and service oriented. By using Marketing and Campaign Management tools to make it easier for you to increase the frequency and quality of contact with your leads and customers without increasing costs. Technology is KEY.

Adapt and Adjust – Change is constant. Your system must be able to adapt and adjust to new business processes. SAP Business One is designed from the ground up to be adaptable and also provides the tools to tailor and customize to your specific needs.

Focus on Benefits and ROI – Always pay attention to the numbers! Make sure you implement functionality that enables you to make good decisions and delivers a solid return for the investment. You can make simple adjustments like emailing invoices and customer statements instead of using traditional mail delivery. This will produce savings and benefits that continue to pay for themselves long after implementation.

In addition to SAP Business One, Third Wave Business Systems offers a number of solutions that can help support the objectives discussed above. Our suite of products includes Advanced Productivity and Document Delivery, Credit Card Processing, Shipping Integration and Project Billing systems that can enhance your SAP Business One platform.

-Carl Fancy, Consultant