There comes a point where you need more than out-of-the-box ERP system capabilities. But, how do you know when your business is nearing, or past, that point?
Some organizations prefer to invest in better technology in anticipation of a need rather than reacting to a need. Others invest in additional software to fix a dire inefficiency within their business. This depends on your company’s budget restrictions and work style.
Thanks to Don Farber, VP of Vineyardsoft Corporation, we have a quick seven-question guide that should help you determine if you’re in need of automation software. Watch the video or read below to discover if you need to jump on board with automation:
1. Do you have a lot of date-sensitive data?
If you have a lot of date-sensitive data you could benefit from having a reminder for discount dates, delivery dates, promise dates, expiration dates, and upcoming due dates before something slips through the cracks.
2. Do you have critical business thresholds that should drive business actions?
If a customer gets within 10% of their credit limit, you should receive an alert to review their account, put them on a credit hold and notify their sales representative. That way, they don’t continue to order products they can’t pay for.
3. Do you have activities that must happen… but sometimes don’t?
What about a good customer who places regular orders, but suddenly 20 days goes by and you have not heard from them? Do you know when an item in inventory has not moved in a certain number of days? How do you handle customers that no one has followed up with in a certain number of days? Is anyone in your organization alerted about any of these events?
When sales numbers dip, it’s important to understand why. By reaching out to customers whose purchasing patterns have changed, you’re providing a personal touch to show them their business is important.
4. Do you use exception management to focus attention on what’s not going right in your business?
It’s essential that you know not only the successful aspects of business, but you also need to get proactive about the things going wrong. With automation software, you can take control of business mishaps like excessive freight charges, missing parts or duplicate item records before they become a major issue.
5. Do you use trend analysis to identify and anticipate changes in your business?
Are you making accurate predictions about your business? Are you staffing correctly based on your business trends? Are you constantly experiencing inventory shortages? Ignoring your business trends can cause internal frustration and customer dissatisfaction. Automation software can solve that.
6. Do you need to know when critical business data is changed?
Do you need to know when information such as your customer status, MSRP value, or vendor lead time changes? If this information is important to you, then it’s time to look into automation for alerts on critical business data changes.
7. Do you have manual repetitive processes that could — and should — be automated?
Does your organization have tons of repetitive processes that could be done automatically to save you time? Simple electronic forms such as generation and delivery of invoices, handling picking lists, order confirmations, and more can all be automated through data-driving software.
Need Help?
Our software experts are passionate about helping organizations find the perfect tools to complement their daily processes. If you’re on the fence about adding automation to your ERP system, just ask us here or give us a call at 410.685.5512 for candid advice.
