For a business to run effectively, it needs a solid foundation. This foundation is the basis for an organization to generate sales, function efficiently, and ultimately grow. Ensuring these core areas run as expected isn’t simple, however. There are a lot of different aspects that need to be considered.
With technology, the whole process is easier to manage. Want proof? Here are examples of how technology can help six core areas of your business:
Human Resources
For any business beyond a sole trader setup, employees are without doubt the most important component. If employees are not around, tasks will not be completed, and the entire foundation of a business will crumble.
Although a drastic example, a similar pattern could follow if your employees are dissatisfied. Unhappy workers will be less inclined to complete their work to the standard required. They could also seek alternative employment, and finding a replacement will affect the flow and efficiency of your business.
How do you maintain a happy workforce? It begins with your Human Resources department. Yet, if the HR department accounts for, say, over 200 employees, their work could become stretched. They might not be able to dedicate the necessary time for each member of staff.
In that case, technology can offer a helping hand. Cloud HR solutions are available, and they help to eliminate those time-consuming administrative tasks. All processes and data remain in one place, which means all those paper-based files can be scrapped for one system. With these aspects out of the way, HR can place a greater focus on the well-being of employees.
Marketing and Advertising
A business can have the best products and services in the world. Yet this could all go to waste if potential customers are left in the dark about the business. This is why marketing and advertising is one of the most integral parts of any company.
These days, marketing takes on many forms. While there’s still plenty of room for physical marketing efforts — and these shouldn’t be ignored by your organization — the world is continually shifting towards a digital age. As a result, online marketing is more important for your company than ever.
The challenge of online marketing, however, makes it difficult for even large businesses to manage. With SEO, social media, web content, and more to consider, there are many different elements to cover. This isn’t helped by the frequent changes to the online search landscape, or the amount of competitors you need to overcome to become number one in your business sector.
If you utilize the right software package, that online marketing challenge is lessened by a significant degree. Not only will it reduce the workload for your marketing department, it will also turn your promotional strategy into a more effective one.
Accounting and Finance
If HR is your company’s heart, then the accounting and finance department is the lifeblood. Money is king after all. If there’s no cash available, your business fails to run — it’s that simple.
Consequently, it’s vital that all money matters are kept in order. With the business expenses app, you can automatically track all revenue streams and expenditures. They will also provide useful analytics which can help when it comes to budgeting and forecasting for the future.
Production
If your business deals with transforming raw materials into products, your business will have a department for production. For instance, if your company revolves around manufacturing books, the production department will be responsible for the design, printing and binding of the books.
It goes without saying that whatever products you make, they need to be of a high standard and free from defects. Customers will not be interested in purchasing shoddy items. Plus, it kills any chance of repeat business.
Due to this, the production element of your company needs to run as smoothly as possible. For each step of the production process, the department needs to meet specific targets and standards.
How can this be done? Well for a start, you should always be looking into the latest advances in production equipment to meet customer and regulatory requirements. If a new piece of technology improves production time while reducing waste, it’s a no-brainer that purchasing it would pay off many times over in the long term. Specialist manufacturing software can also help with productivity and adhering to industry standards.
Warehouse
Once your products are made, or if they have been brought in from manufacturers, there’s only one place for them to go: the warehouse. This is an important aspect of your business, as the warehouse not only keeps your stock in a safe and secure place, but it also provides a dedicated space for managing and sending out items to customers.
Yet the more stock you are dealing with, the more difficult it is to keep track of everything. Sending out all goods on time becomes increasingly challenging. There’s the task of managing stock levels effectively and ensuring perishable items don’t go to waste. A buildup of stock could also cause the warehouse to become an unsafe work environment. Warehouse management helps you keep your warehouses in stock and your products in the right locations. It combines order workflows from every channel with comprehensive warehouse management – all in one mobile-optimized solution that helps you quickly locate products and fulfill orders more accurately and efficiently.
To battle this issue, specialist stock management software is available. This can track stock in real-time, which is beneficial in numerous ways. First of all, it ensures you don’t have to backtrack when a customer orders a product which is actually out of stock. The software can also automatically order more stock when it reaches a certain level, helping with efficiency levels.
Customer Service
All businesses require a first line of contact with their customers. This is typically handled by the customer service department. They will be there to answer all enquiries, process orders, and handle any complaints.
This may not seem as important as the other core areas highlighted above, but customer service is vital for building and maintaining relationships with consumers. Plus, a reputation for quality service can go a long way to enticing new customers. Even if your products are more expensive than the competition, people will often place an emphasis on excellent customer service.
So how can technology help? When responding to customers, sometimes it is impossible to send out emails in an efficient manner. However, it’s possible to utilize software which sends out automated emails, but also manages to maintain a personal touch when doing so. Live chat functionality on your website is another way of boosting communication efficiency.