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Small Business
Software
Ideally, one small business software application
will encompass all of the necessary operations for a business. Small
business software should have the capacity to expand and 'add on'
corresponding functions as the business grows. Integration of
software is one of the most critical and least considered
necessities in large as well as small business.
'Penny wise and pound foolish' is the business who accepts the
lowest bid on an 'upgrade' to their small business software
application, instead of realizing the problems that will arise from
systems that will not 'talk to each other'. Any systems or business
analyst that is worth their 'salt' will have as the first priority,
the ability to have a smooth interface between old and new systems.
Basic needs that should be included in a small business software
suite, are financial accounting (profit and loss, tax accounting,
accounts payable, accounts receivable, invoicing, asset management),
inventory control, business planning and development, project
planning and management, document management, customer service,
desktop publishing, collections, contact management, personnel
(training, benefits, helpdesk, payroll, timekeeping, internal
communications), regulatory compliance, computer network management,
advertising and marketing. Other niche industries will have
additional needs to be considered when purchasing small business
software.
The key to any organized, well-run business is centralization. The
adequate small business software package is the center of all other
operations. For instance, let us use the concept of a 'relational
database'. Few companies use this facility to its full capacity and
thereby sabotage their efficiency and productivity. In other words,
if one were to have the luxury of building the business from scratch
AROUND the relational database theory, there would be no duplication
of efforts to manage all of the various aspects of the relationship.
A customer's information need only be entered ONCE. All relevant
information about that customer should go nowhere else except into
this database. Beginning with the contact information, and ending
with the last record of contact or last invoice, the developer and
or purchaser of any small business software, should keep this
principle in mind. It is not efficient that the sales department has
the basic customer information, the bookkeeping department has
invoicing records, the shipping and customer service departments
have their records, all containing some of the same basic
information. All operations are in relationship to one customer;
therefore if they had a number to tie all of the information
together, anyone could pull up all aspects of the relationship in
one central location and information would not need to be duplicated
or merged.
Any small business software application should be based on the
'relational database' principle. This is not only an efficiency
issue, but one of giving excellent customer service. No customer
should ever be told, 'sorry that is not my department', or be
transferred to yet another person in order to be helped.
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