The ultimate concern for any business is profitability, and there are many things that go into making a firm profitable. Good management, effective marketing and making sales are the most obvious, but can the right back office software system really have a significant impact on your bottom line? Here are four ways that it can.
Flexibility
Is your system flexible enough to meet the specific and unique needs of your business or is it just a blanket system that provides the same features and benefits to every customer? As a business grows, so does its needs, and those needs will vary based on factors such as industry, geographic location and customer demographics. If a business expects to get the most out of their back office software, it must be able to address the company’s specific needs. Structured Management System’s EnergyElite back office system can be custom designed to meet the needs of any business.
Accessibility
Some of the most accessible types of software today are available via the web. This allows users to access the system securely from anywhere. While a business can still find on-premise software, it may not be the best choice. On-premise software often requires a large upfront investment in licensing fees and hardware requirements. After these investments, the users are tied to terminals within the office only. By using software as a service (SaaS) over the web, users can access information securely anywhere, even from their mobile devices. The new EnergyElite back office system provides this accessibility by offering web access.
Collaboration
Chances are that a business has multiple software systems designed to maintain different aspects of the business. The company will often need this information introduced to the back office system. Manual data entry is clearly not the most efficient way to have this done. A good back office system will be able to interface with these other systems in order to reduce manual data entry requirements. This will free up staff to concentrate on the business of making the company money. Structured Management System’s EnergyElite back office suite of software can be interfaced with any programs a business may require.
Support
Troubleshooting can be a real time magnet. If a company has staff members spending too much time addressing issues, time is not being spent on those tasks that make the company more profitable. Having a software provider that offers strong support is critical. Some things to consider are where the support staff is located and what the support availability is. Also, what are the available methods to reach support? Does the software provider offer both telephone and email access? Structured Management System offers complete support for the EnergyElite suite of back office software. Our knowledgeable support staff is located at our home office in Richmond, VA and can be reached by telephone or email.
There are many points to consider when choosing a back office software provider. Clearly making the right choice can have a positive impact on a company’s profitability by reducing up front investments and increasing user efficiency. If your business struggles with some of the factors above, it may be time to consider making a change.
