8 signs you need to review your business systems

Using the right technology can help businesses grow, improve efficiency and profits. But technology moves at a fast pace, so you should always review your current solutions to check whether they are still relevant and beneficial.

Here are 8 signs that suggest you may need to evaluate your current business systems

1. No flexibility

Every company needs direction, objectives and innovation for growth. If you can't realise these using your existing software and cannot adapt as the business changes and grows, then you should be looking around for a solution that has the features to support your current operations but is flexible enough to scale as you grow.

2. Lost in storage 

Most businesses have copious amounts of information digitised nowadays. If your data is stored in different locations or on disparate systems and it takes a while to find what you need, then it may be time to review your data practices to see how they could be improved or even consider consolidating and moving to a new system. 

3. Downtime, all the time

A slow-working computer, network or system that keeps breaking down or takes ages to load is the most frustrating thing for any employee, and time lost is time not spent productively. If your current systems are having a negative impact on productivity and efficiency, it is time for a change.

4. Inability to adapt

Change is imminent. Keeping up-to-date with all the latest industry practices and technologies is vital and it can help you gain a competitive advantage. If your system cannot adapt conveniently – or even at all – to new regulations, diversifications or changes in directions that your business needs to enforce you may start to trail behind the competition.   

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5. No backup plan 

Businesses are often reliant on digital data to operate. If you only have one set of files stored in one location then your business is one small mistake, glitch or breakdown from a disaster. By not having a disaster recovery plan or a backup of your data you are exposing your business to risk.

 6. Communication

Every business should have the right tools for effective communication with both internal and external stakeholders. These systems should allow users to log interactions and schedule activities, as informed and timely communication could be the deciding factor on a potential sale. If you are working from excel sheets or a system that does not allow you to do this, it might be time to consider moving to an integrated CRM or ERP system.

7. No real-time business intelligence 

Different departments should be able to access data from other departments with ease. If your data is not centralised, it is difficult to have visibility of real-time data from the whole business. By having the right system in place all staff can have access to the most up-to-date data from one system when required and business decisions can be made quickly. 

8. Lack of co-ordination

Modern businesses cannot afford to have a different system for each department as it often causes the need for data re-entry, inefficiencies and lack of real-time business intelligence - everything needs to be integrated. If you moved to a system that links all the different departments, you can create a leaner and more productive environment.                              

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

If you are looking for a new business system, an effective ERP system is worth considering as it will allow you to pass data between all departments so that you can analyse it together, use it together and efficiently co-ordinate all areas of your business. If you'd like to find out more about the ways in which a modern ERP system can boost your productivity, contact WinMan today.

Start your business review today with the help of this tool kit