BCA

Business Counsel Associates
Subscribe

Archive for the ‘Technology’

How’s Your Mobile Brand?

February 02, 2012 By: azjogger Category: Management, Marketing, Operations, Technology

By Maria Duron

Though the Internet has changed the way people across the globe talk and reach out to one another, mobile smart phones have really pushed the limits in what can be achieved through technology. Being able to access the Internet using your mobile phone enables you to obtain information anytime, anywhere. And if there’s one thing that’s growing rapidly in the world of business right now, it’s the use of mobile apps.

Smart phones are popular because they are easy and intuitive to use

What makes mobile smart phones so popular is how easy and intuitive they are. Though you may think that most users of smart phones are the younger generation, think again – because of the intuitiveness of these mobile phones, more and more users over the age of 45 are also using these gadgets.

With mobile users continuing to rise significantly, brands nowadays are jumping in the mobile bandwagon so they can reach and engage more consumers. Even small business owners and direct sellers have started to realize the importance of mobile branding in their campaigns. But how exactly can personal brands successfully utilize mobile? What are the key factors in ensuring mobile success?

The web and mobile platforms are two entirely different things

One of the things where brands go wrong is thinking that the web and mobile platforms are the same, and that users are looking for a similar experience of the web on their mobile smart phones. Nothing can be further from the truth. Even though there are lessons to be gained from using the web, mobile is a whole different arena – it basically puts the power in the hands of the individual.

First of all, mobile smart phones give users a smaller screen to navigate. So it takes a bit of creativity to ensure that your consumers have an excellent experience of your brand through their mobile phones. One of the very basic and simple ways you can do is to ensure that your website is optimized for mobile browsers, so that people visiting your site through their mobiles would not be directed to your regular website, which will look ugly on their smart phones.

Also, when it comes to mobile, there is the saying that less is more. Flash, for example, doesn’t work in most mobile browsers, so it might be better to leave that off for your mobile site. And people don’t really want to be bombarded with too much information when they’re on their mobiles – think simple, quick, and interactive. These are the qualities that most people look for when accessing sites and apps in their smart phones.

What you want is to give your consumers something that they can quickly understand and encourage smart interaction. Something they can manage as they go about their busy lives. It’s truly different from what they want to encounter while leisurely browsing the web at home.

Though the technology has improved, it’s still all about connections and engagement

For direct sellers, the days of organizing parties by sending invites in the mail or calling up people on their home phones are gone… nowadays, parties and gatherings are being planned online, invites are being sent through social networking sites and emails. But even though the technology has made things significantly easier, it still doesn’t change the fact that succeeding in business for both direct sellers and small business owners is all about connecting with their audience and engaging their consumers. Mobile access simply makes it a lot easier to connect with people on the go, and keep updated on your business wherever you are.

It’s important to define your plan before jumping in

Of course, it shouldn’t mean that just because everyone is doing it, you should go ahead and do it too. You need to define your goals and come up with a solid plan for your mobile campaign. Typically, businesses go into mobile because of three things: to increase traffic to their site, increase customers, and to increase marketing ROI. And you also have to know how to measure the success in your mobile campaign, so you can evaluate whether it’s worth it in the long run or not.

The coming years will surely bring more technological advancements in the way people interact with the brands they love through mobile. As a direct seller or small business owner, you really can’t ignore the mobile platform since experts predict that it’s going to gain even more popularity in the years to come. If you aren’t yet ready to put your mobile brand into place, it may be a good idea to start learning the ropes so that you can be ready when the time comes.

Maria Elena Duron, CEO (chief engagement officer), buzz2bucks | a word of mouth marketing firm, is skilled at making networks “work” and harnessing powerful online and offline buzz, she facilitates online visibility services and word of mouth coaching and workshops – taking companies and professionals from buzz-worthy to bucks-worthy, http://buzz2bucks.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maria_Duron

Did you find this article helpful? 00

Simple Mobile
MySimpleMobile.com
Unlimited Plans, No Contracts Switch to Simple Mobile
Phone Flashing Experts
FlashtoTalk.com
Keep your Phone Switch your Carrier Experts in flashing CDMA phones.
Cash For Old Cell Phones
www.SimplySellular.com/CashForCell
Fast Payment, Free Shipping. We Pay Up to $200 For Your Used Cell Phone
Cell Phone Companies
CellPlus.com
Compare Rates, Plans, & Reviews From Top Cell Phone Companies.
Free Criminal Records
www.BeenVerified.com
Why pay for one? Free 7 day trial! See Criminal Records Instantly.
Stay Informed
Get notified by email when new articles are added to this category or written by this author.

Subscribe to New Article Alerts:



Branding Article Feed

Find More Articles

Submitted On December 14, 2011. Viewed 3 times. Word count: 771.

How Mobile Small Business CRM can Take Customer Satisfaction to a Whole New Level

November 11, 2011 By: azjogger Category: Marketing, Operations, Technology

By Aiaero Tony Martins Ifeanyi

If you were to ask a person what a CRM is few years ago, chances are that  they won’t know what you are talking about. Nowadays, almost everyone in the  product and service industry knows about a CRM. In this article, I will discuss  the next step to customer service, the mobile CRM. Before going into the details  of mobile CRM for small businesses, let me you give a brief overview of what a  CRM software is.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is an electronic based data  management tool that provides a business with a streamlined system of data  gathering, storage, security and access. For example, the small business CRM  software is used to store customer related information such as name, address,  contact information and product or service availed of.

This information can be  accessed by any individual with proper security clearance either through a local  computer or online. Then the company can either assess a given customer or input  some more information such as last time called, concern, and date of resolution.

At any given time, different types of reports can also be made at the click of a  button such as number of complaints type of complaints, resolution time frame  and even disbursement dates.

Always remember, a small business CRM can be  tweaked to provide alerts at appropriate dates to make sure that a  representative does not forget important dates such as deadlines.

Mobile Small Business CRM: The Next Step

A small business CRM allowed business owners to easily access information  when they are in the office or if they have access to a computer. A mobile CRM  allows the same business owner to access substantially the same information via  mobile phones or tablet PC. This means that the ability to answer customer  queries, access data and record data is always with you 24 hours a day, seven  days a week.

A small business CRM in mobile form is not as simple as accessing the same  information viewable through your personal computer. This is not practical given  the difference in the size of the LED screen of a normal PC, even a laptop with  that of a mobile phone or a tablet.

Mobile CRM access means that a small  business CRM must undergo a few tweaks to make information concise and better  arranged to allow a slower processor to view and select data with ease.

Advantages of a Mobile Small Business CRM

Imagine yourself on a business trip with only your cellular phone or tablet  on hand. Your employee or co-worker calls you and says he has your customer on  the line and he wants to talk only to you. The customer is always right, so you  access your mobile internet browser, enter your security code and you are now  able to view the client’s portal.

You then take the call and smoothly process  the transaction. Detractors would argue that your co-worker or employee can do  the same job; however, actual business owners know that repeat customers are  made through personal rapport and loyalty.

Customers will also tell you that  they prefer to talk to one representative so that he or she does not have to  keep explaining the same thing over and over again.

And just before I drop my pen, if you need Expert Advice on How to Start a Business from scratch; please feel free to  visit my blog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ajaero_Tony_Martins_Ifeanyi

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6660902

Determining Which Type of Analytic CRM Model Would be the Best Solution for Your Company

November 11, 2011 By: azjogger Category: Marketing, Operations, Technology

 By Herbert Nelson

If you thought all CRM analytic models are created equal, think again. There  are actually several types of CRM analytic solutions, designed with different  strategies in mind.

Analytics help your company understand your customers and  what areas in the company need more attention in assisting customer  relationships.

Understanding which type would work best for your company can  help make this decision easier, although from one provider to the next the  models may be explained differently.

CRM Analytic Variations

  • An acquisition based CRM system would primarily be used  when the main focus is to increase the number of customers through the use of  public information. Information from public lists would be used for campaigns  launched by phone or internet, aimed at increasing customer  conversations.
  • Similar to acquisitions, an attrition/retention CRM  solution uses similar public information but identifies current customers (using  probability models) that might be more or less likely to make a change to their  company loyalty. Attrition CRM identifies those likely to leave, while retention  CRM identifies those likely to stay
  • Cross-sell, Up-Sell, or Lateral-sell models use CRM to  focus on lateral moves, either laterally to another product, or a change to a  product that is more fitting for the customer. In addition, focusing on  laterally selling customer services that go with the current products the  customer purchases.
  • Profiling/clustering/factor analysis type of CRM systems  use characteristics associated with current and potential customers based on  previous sales and demographics. Being able to use this CRM solution gives the  sales and marketing team more information to go on, assisting with sales  growth.
  • Segmentation/Classification/Regression Tress – these CRM  systems would be used to find segments or groups of potential, or existing,  customers that have a tendency to respond better if an enticing offer is made on  the company’s other products and services.
  • Life Time Value (LTV) CRM solutions are highly desirable by  many companies because the CRM model uses information (and assumptions) to  determine which customers are more valuable to the company over time compared to  the next customer. The challenge with this CRM solution is that historical data  is required and the results can be quite varied.
  • Prospective models – these CRM software programs would be  used opposite to most of the ones above, which rely on after market information.  Prospective CRM solutions use variations in test results from customer data  pulled to identify possible future customer data, improving future target  markets.

 

Regardless of the strategy you decide, CRM solutions are designed to improve  customer relations and sales across the company. Initial studies on what can  best fit your company needs will help the organization determine the best fit  CRM model.

Make life easier and  simplify your business today by visiting http://www.maximizer.com.au/ for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Herbert_Nelson

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6675373

Agencies Report Clients Still Increasing Focus on Digital

October 31, 2011 By: azjogger Category: Financial, Marketing, Technology

From: e-Marketer

Online advertising becoming as important as spot TV

There’s no longer any question that digital has a seat at the advertising table, although the dollars spent there don’t yet compare to the money spent on traditional media like television.

According to Q3 2011 research from media buying solutions provider STRATA, clients are becoming just as focused on digital media as they are on spot TV. US ad agencies reported 34% of clients were thinking most about online advertising in Q3, compared with 24% the previous quarter. Meanwhile, the number of clients whose primary focus was on spot TV dropped from 41% to an almost-even 35%.

The online marketing tactics in use by the agencies surveyed did not change much, with online display, search and social media coming out on top, their usage rates stable from quarter to quarter. On social media, similarly, priorities remained the same, with Facebook, YouTube and Twitter the clear leaders, though LinkedIn, in fourth position, gained ground.

The number of agencies purchasing mobile advertising for their clients also stayed relatively stable, at 23%, but the types of ads they were creating began to change. In Q3, display advertising took an even larger lead over SMS. More than half of agencies said they are now creating more mobile display ads for their clients than other mobile formats, compared to just 16% of agencies that are still mostly creating SMS ads.

The mobile devices being targeted by those ads were changing, too. Agencies cut their interest in BlackBerry by half between Q2 and Q3, according to STRATA. Still, Android-targeted efforts lagged behind iOS-focused ones.

eMarketer forecasts display will take 33% of mobile ad dollars in 2012, pushing it ahead of SMS and even with mobile search spending. It also estimates that the iPhone will lose its spot as the No. 1 smartphone in America by the end of this year, when Android’s share will far surpass it.

For complete data charts and story, go to e-Marketer.com


How Technology Has Changed the Customer Experience

October 19, 2011 By: azjogger Category: Marketing, Operations, Technology

By Xavier A. Rault

Once upon a time, women managed the family finances, making decisions about  home purchases, clothing, food and other necessary items. If a store owner  provided poor service, there wasn’t much the customer could do. She might gossip  with the neighbors about it, or perhaps discuss it over a cup of coffee. But  ultimately, there was little competition for the store owner’s goods and the  complaints of one person had little impact. Life and profits – for the store  owner went on as usual.

Technology has changed the face of consumerism 

Fast forward to 2007. Technology has changed the face of consumerism,  empowering shoppers to be smarter, more demanding and more resourceful.

With  literally hundreds of retailers providing the same products at similar pricing,  today’s consumers have endless options and can tailor purchases based not just  on price or product availability, but on other variables like return policies,  ease of online purchasing and payment options.

Anger a customer today, and chances are the news will spread like wildfire  through YouTube, Myspace, Yelp, Angieslist and Amazon, as consumers “take to the  airwaves” to let other unsuspecting shoppers know of their experience.

According  to iProspect and Jupiter Research, 25 % of the U.S. population visits sites like  these at least once each month, sharing complaints and compliments about  retailers with other shoppers.

People rely on recommendations of other customers

In an online retail world where products can’t be  touched and the store owner has been replaced with a web page and Shopping Cart,  people have come to rely on the recommendations of other customers. Like the  shot heard “˜round the world, consumer complaints can and do make a  difference.

In just the past ten years, technology has turned most of us into savvy  Internet shoppers and driven prices downward, as consumers are able to purchase  24/7 and have their purchases delivered immediately. While this ability does not  negate the need for the human touch, many experts believe today’s technology is  just the tip of the iceberg.

Al Myers, senior vice president of TNS Retail Forward Inc., believes that  “for those consumers and companies who can handle it, technology will continue  to improve the whole proposition. It has to, because the industry can’t find  enough people, train enough people and the customer isn’t willing to pay for  better service when a competitor has it for a lower price.

Service with people makes it harder to compete

We’re not saying the  trusted salesperson will be replaced at Saks, Neiman’s or Nordstrom’s, but in  most of retail, providing service with people is going to make it harder for  them to compete.” Myers concluded, “It won’t be long before we are scanning  entire grocery carts and paying for its contents with a thumbprint. Mirrors will  send images to friends from dressing rooms, replacing the salesperson with the  vested interest in telling you it looks good.”

As retailers move from bricks  and mortar locations to Internet-driven environments, the balance between  operational needs and profits and customer demand for low prices and excellent  service will continue to be a difficult one. But will the customer experience  improve for those retailers who struggled with it to begin with?

As Myers noted, “The same companies that provide bad customer service will  provide bad technology and vice versa.”

Mystery  Shopping Companies Can Help You Reach Your Customers Expectations.  ICC/Decision Services (iccds.com) Can Help Your Customer Service Experience.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Xavier_A_Rault

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6607055

How to Manage Social Media

October 19, 2011 By: azjogger Category: Marketing, Operations, Social media, Technology

By Roses Mark

Due to arrival of Social Media everything has altered. An online community of  Twitter or Facebook users can make or break your business with their mobile  platforms. Your company or service may be getting hundreds or thousands of good  or bad reviews on the new mobile sites like Gowalla or Foursquare. Social  Network management is growing exponentially.

Social Media tools help integrate activities

It’s in a more efficient manner manages outbound & inbound interactions  along with other small business marketing activities. They rationalize and  strengthen how to participate in significant conversation happening around in  different platforms like blogs, networks, and other public or private web  communities and sites.

SMM tools also helps you integrate activities with your other business  marketing campaigns. Here are five tools that can make your life easier:

1. TweetDeck

TweetDeck is your best (free) tool if you’re looking to administer all your  personal social profiles. TweetDeck allows you to connect across Twitter,  Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Foursquare and Google Buzz. You can update all or  specific networks with the same status at one time.

TweetDeck is probably best when dealing with four or five accounts at a time,  though the dashboard is generally easy to use.

2. CoTweet

CoTweet is a brilliant tool for small businesses or division of larger  businesses that thrive social media duties among team members and have a  customer-service approach to engagement.

CoTweet allows follow-up messages to be assigned to specific managers. This  can make responses more pertinent as team members with upbeat knowledge bases  can handle appropriate questions and comments from followers.

3. HootSuite

HootSuitefree version allows you to add five networks and supports Facebook,  Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, MySpace, PingFm and WordPress.

HootSuite is best for actively-managed accounts because its design focuses on  streams, which are housed in customizable tabs. You have the elasticity to  organize tabs by account, network or content, making it easier to monitor a  definite type of feed.

4. Spredfast

Spredfast has everything you need for agencies managing social media with  high ROI demands.

Its biggest advantage over other SMM tools is analytics. Measurement is  determined by the amount of content distributed, how many people were reached  and whether the intended audience was engaged.

5. Engage 121

Engage121 is best in its class at encircling monitoring, broadcasting and  engagement.

The tool is extremely customizable and can support just about any site with a  community presence. Permissions may be set to allow & approve a message from  corporate before it is distributed to area followers, maintaining a local voice & brand consistency at the same time.

The process needs be sustained to maximize opportunities

In conclusion, follow these procedures and you will be successful in social  networking and marketing that will drive profits in your business. Using  networks includes making use of a process. Therefore, you need to remember to do  this on a regular basis so that you take full advantage and attract more  followers in the future.

Roses Mark is a Social Media enthusiast and an Internet entrepreneur. Spent  over 10 years working professionally with Internet business employers worldwide,  he frequently writes articles involving new-age, social media and personal  motivation. You can find him all around the web via Facebook, Google & on  Twitter as @Socialcubix

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roses_Mark

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6601369

Brands Turn to Facial Recognition Tools

September 01, 2011 By: azjogger Category: Marketing, Technology, Workforce

From: World Advertising Research Center (WARC)

Brand owners such as Kraft and Adidas are considering making use of facial recognition technology in a bid to provide shoppers with more targeted information in stores.

Intel, the technology company, is one of a number of firms that has created software capable of scanning the faces of consumers, and then determining the approximate age and gender of the person concerned.
Christopher O’Malley, director, retail marketing, of Intel’s embedded and communications unit, told the LA Times:  ”You can put this technology into kiosks, vending machines, digital signs. It’s going to become a much more common thing in the next few years. 

Adidas, the sportswear manufacturer, is working with Intel to test digital “walls” in several UK and US stores, displaying certain products on screens depending on a shopper’s specific profile. For example, a female consumer in her fifties would be shown a range of Adidas goods, roughly split between 60% footwear and 40% of other items from its portfolio.

“If a retailer can offer the right products quickly, people are more likely to buy something,” Chris Aubrey, Adidas’s vice president, global retail marketing said.

Kraft, the food group, is also in negotiations with a supermarket chain, which it did not name, about the possibility of trialling kiosks that achieve similar objectives. “If it recognises that there is a female between 25 to 29 standing there, it may surmise that you are more likely to have minor children at home and give suggestions on how to spice up Kraft Macaroni & Cheese for the kids,” Donald King, Kraft’s vice president, retail experience, said.

Japan has enthusiastically adopted the technology

Facial recognition tools have been more enthusiastically adopted by companies in Japan, where Universal Studios has employed a system provided by NEC to identify annual pass holders, and thus speed up their entry to its theme park.

“It’s not just [for] clothing stores or restaurant chains,” Joseph Jasper, of NEC’s corporate communications division, said.

Google and Facebook has developed tools for online photos

Facebook, the social network, has developed equivalent tools for online photos, as has Google, which produced software that took the face of someone in a picture and searched the web for images of the individual, but then opted against rolling it out.

“As far as I know, it’s the only technology Google has built and, after looking at it, we decided to stop,” Eric Schmidt, Google’s chairman, said earlier this year. “People could use this stuff in a very, very bad way as well as in a good way.”

Data sourced from Los Angeles Times; additional content by Warc staff, 25 August

Two in Five Mobile Owners Use Internet on the Go

August 31, 2011 By: azjogger Category: Marketing, Technology, Workforce

From: e-Marketer
Almost 100 million consumers will be on the mobile web this year

The US mobile web population will be up almost 25% this year as 97.3 million mobile owners log on to the internet from their device at least monthly, eMarketer estimates.

Almost half the total of  US Population will use mobile Internet

By 2015, more than three in five mobile users and almost half the total US population will be using the mobile internet, eMarketer forecasts.

“The rapidly expanding smartphone and mobile internet user populations raise the stakes for marketers and make the mobile web more of an imperative than ever,” said Noah Elkin, eMarketer principal analyst for mobile.

eMarketer’s estimates of mobile internet usage include people of any age who access the internet from a mobile browser or installed application at least once per month.

Most growth will come from increased smartphone penetration

Most of the growth in mobile internet usage will come from increased smartphone penetration, which will reach 38% of mobile users and 28.8% of the overall population by the end of this year. The number of smartphone users is set to increase 49.6% this year and continue growing at a steady double-digit pace through 2015, when nearly 150 million US consumers will have such a device.

Mobile internet usage is still heaviest among younger adults, with 43.2 million US consumers ages 18 to 34 logging on to the mobile web this year, eMarketer estimates—or 44.4% of the total.

Mobile Internet usage among older adults will rise

Usage is on the rise among older adults as well, however. This year, eMarketer estimates 21.5 million 45- to 64-year-olds and 3.7 million seniors 65 and older will use the mobile internet. By 2015, those numbers will both more than double to 45.4 million and 11.3 million, respectively.

For complete data charts and story, go to e-marketer.com

Help Desk Software for a World That Never Sleeps

August 08, 2011 By: azjogger Category: Marketing, Operations, Technology

By Judy Hendershot

When a company moves their business online, they enter a new world, a world that never sleeps. The days of writing a letter to a company or calling them for help are gone. Clients expect instant service whenever and wherever they currently are. They are equipped with internet-enabled smart phones and tablets and their business never closes.

One of the most fundamental parts of customer interaction is communicating with the client about resolving issues. This usually involved a lot of paperwork and a team of people to accomplish, but not anymore. Customer support software, also called IT help desk software, is here to simplify customer interaction.

Web-based IT help desk software allows clients to save time by avoiding lengthy phone calls made even longer by being switched around from one department to another. Now, a client can submit a set of questions and get along with life while the support staff compile quality answers in a timely fashion. Since the service is email and web-based, customers can submit questions via online forms 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Majority of issues can be handled quickly

The majority of customer issues can usually be solved in a matter of minutes. This is where knowledge base software comes in handy. The knowledge base contains articles and instructions that answer a client’s questions or solve his problems without even having to contact the support staff in the first place.

Using the knowledge base is as simple typing in a question or a short description of a problem and instantly getting answers. This feature allows both parties to save time and money while still getting an issue resolved. An employer may open the system to his own employees, which means a more efficient and faster system to handle any internal inquiries ranging from company policy to technical support.

Automation of work is the benefit

The most important part of help desk software is the automation of work. The trouble ticket software will quickly and easily convert question emails into tickets which allow tracking of each customer’s problems with ease.

This streamlines the whole support process and rules out any chance of mistakes or delays. Also, the customer support software keeps a record of all tickets created, thus providing the support staff with a history of each client’s interaction with the company.

To top it all off, it is possible to simply purchase a web-based software solution from a professional company. This way, the people that know everything about running customer support software are in charge of security, uptime and keeping everything running smoothly.

Clients can receive help irregardless of  location or time

To summarize, web-based IT help desk software is the product of the future. It allows clients to receive help irregardless of where they are or what time it is. It also automates and normalizes the whole process, saving time and money for all parties involved, while providing a high quality support service to the client and ensuring a long and healthy business relationship.

Wasp help desk software provides a user-friendly, robust method to manage help desks for all your organization’s departments and groups whether they are internal or external. The built-in knowledge base allows you to answer commonly-asked questions and provides full-featured trouble ticket software.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judy_Hendershot

Why CRM Alone Isn’t Enough for Your Business or Mine

July 22, 2011 By: azjogger Category: Marketing, Operations, Technology

By Sterling Jackson

“I have to create this here, export it to here, then manually copy it to here…”

Sound familiar? One of the most common complaints we’ve heard from businesses is that they have to use 4 or 5 different applications to handle all of the activities necessary for their business and trying to export, import and exchange information between applications is time consuming or impossible. On top of that, these applications have to be updated periodically and trying to back up the information from multiple sources can be a huge headache.

CRM is valuable to every business. The problem is that most CRM applications don’t address the entire scope of your business. They’re important for managing your contacts, from lead to ongoing customer, but you need a system that connects all of the parts of your business including managing your orders, schedule, inventory and documents. Most CRM applications don’t include order management or document management, leaving you to purchase third party solutions or use a separate application. Many charge additional fees for features like FedEx/UPS integration. Having everything connected lets you work more quickly and access the information you need when you need it.

CRM is valuable to every business

When evaluating new software, consider how it will benefit your entire business. Ideally it should be easy to use and should streamline your entire business. Here is a list of essential components that you should look for that will be valuable as your business grows. It’s much easier to make a plan for implementing new software to make sure that you won’t have to switch to a new system in the future or have to cobble together several applications to get your work done.

1. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

2. Order and Inventory Management

3. Reporting and Forecasting

4. Document and Information Management

5. HR/Personnel Management

Why?

1. CRM is important for developing new customers and keeping existing customers happy. You need to know the status of each account and be able to manage any issues they experience. You need to be able to keep track of every contact or customer and be able to contact them to follow up, offer new products or get feedback from them.

2. You also need to know the status of your orders so you can ensure they are fulfilled accurately and shipped quickly. All notes, documents and invoices related to an order should automatically be organized and attached to the order for easy review. Having an order management system also gives you insight into what your customers buy and lets you easily manage your inventory and product catalog.

3. You should never have to guess about exactly what’s going on with your business and your reporting tools should give you insight into all daily company activity as well as historical, yearly, monthly and daily reports on sales, customers and products.

4. Businesses create a huge amount of information and need to be able to efficiently organize and exchange it. A document management system should allow you to find the information that you need in seconds without having to figure out who has the current version. Additionally, it should allow you to access your documents from any computer or mobile device so you’ll never be without an important document.

5. You need to be able to organize and communicate with your team. Your HR Management tool should allow you to manage groups, notes, projects, payroll and commissions, attach documents to employee profiles and easily communicate with groups or divisions within your company.

https://www.affinityinformatics.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sterling_Jackson