Having a system doesn’t save you money… so what does it do?
One of the rebuttals I hear most about why small business owners don’t implement an enterprise resource planning system is the cost… and when you try and justify the choice this way you will have a hard time finding a good reason to go ahead.
So how should you look at the decision?
When you break it down, there are two key reasons you should implement a system:
Decrease Operational Time
Increase Business Data
Decrease Operational Time
One of the main functions of ERP systems is to help you manage the everyday operations of your business. Whether this is a CRM or Job Management system, their key functions are to streamline and automate your operations. Take a Job Management system for example; a customer calls up and wants to book in one of your services. This process on paper based systems from taking down the customers’ details, checking calendars, and calling an employee to dispatch is a disjointed process. Brining it all into one system saves time and allows your team to process more jobs with the same amount of administration resources.
Increase Business Data
By applying filtering options within your system you start being able to collect valuable data about your business simply by undertaking your normal operations. Think, just by adding a field to track marketing source you now have the ability to get your return on investment for marketing spend, find out what’s working and what’s not, and plan your future campaigns. Or, by filtering for the different types of services you offer, you can see what is and is not making you money. Simply adding these filters allows you to make informed decision moving forward and grow your business into the future.
So at the end of the day, yes, implementing a system will cost you, but you need to look at it as an investment. If you use it to it’s potential, it will help you manage, improve and grow your business in ways you couldn't before.
