| Best regards | | | | 2. Information (data) management. Access to |
| | | | informationis essential in any company. |
| Thomas Burns | | | | Employees require access tomarket analysis, |
| | | | product information, customer information,and |
| Small Business Productivity: How to Take Your | | | | corporate information. Technologies enable |
| Company to the Next Level through Efficient | | | | smallbusinesses to manage information in |
| Technology | | | | critical ways: |
| | | | |
| Small businesses thrive when productivity is | | | | ? Information gathering |
| maximized. | | | | |
| | | | ? Information storage |
| The best way to maximize productivity is | | | | |
| through efficienttechnology. Business | | | | ? Information integration |
| success is based on having the rightproduct | | | | |
| or service at the right price at the right | | | | ? Product information, including production, |
| time andin the right place. Efficient | | | | inventory,specifications |
| technology for smallbusinesses probably will | | | | |
| not create the next great productor service, | | | | ? Remote access to information |
| but it will help you with everything else | | | | |
| yourcompany must do to get that product or | | | | ? Real-time information on inventory, etc. |
| service to marketand to deliver it to the | | | | |
| customer. | | | | ? Information sharing |
| | | | |
| Many small businesses fail because they do | | | | ? Reporting |
| not utilizetechnology adequately or | | | | |
| efficiently. Key elements ofbusiness | | | | 3. Product sales and delivery data. The key |
| technology must interface, function properly | | | | to financialviability is management of |
| andmake employees more efficient in serving | | | | inventory and money. Sales andproduct |
| customers. | | | | delivery are critical aspects of the success |
| | | | of asmall business. Whether your sales team |
| Critical efficiency areas for any business | | | | is on the road orin the office, whether your |
| are incommunication, information (data) | | | | inventory manager in meetingwith vendors or |
| management, and productsales and delivery. | | | | discussing a large sale with a sales rep,or |
| When these critical efficiencies aresupported | | | | whether you need to know what functions |
| by the right technologies, moving a company | | | | should be addedto a new product, you need |
| tothe next level becomes easier. | | | | instant access to productinformation. This |
| | | | information might include: |
| How can efficient technology help you move | | | | |
| your company tothe next level? Let's consider | | | | ? Product descriptions and specifications |
| the three criticalefficiency areas. | | | | |
| | | | ? Sales statistics |
| 1. Communication. Communication is critical | | | | |
| for anybusiness. Every company must | | | | ? Inventory levels |
| communicate internally, withvendors and | | | | |
| suppliers, with sales outlets, and | | | | ? Products in development |
| withcustomers. In this age of instant | | | | |
| communication, everybusiness must know that | | | | ? Customer sales history |
| at least key employees and companyleaders are | | | | |
| accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. | | | | ? Customer relationship data |
| Theworld has become accustomed to instant | | | | |
| responses toquestions, instant access to | | | | ? Production schedules |
| information, and instantsolutions to | | | | |
| problems. Communication technologies | | | | ? Customer needs |
| include: | | | | |
| | | | ? Shipping and delivery information |
| ? Cell phones, hand-held communication | | | | |
| devices | | | | ? Customer satisfaction data |
| | | | |
| ? Internet visibility | | | | Efficient use of technology to manage these |
| | | | issues ofaccessibility and data integration |
| ? Remote access to data | | | | will make your businessoperate more smoothly |
| | | | and effectively. Choosing the rightsystems, |
| ? Customer service access | | | | the right programs, the right |
| | | | accessibilityoptions, and effecting optimal |
| ? Vendor/supplier access | | | | system integration, willprovide the |
| | | | communication, information, and |
| ? Access to market trends and other data | | | | salesinformation every small business needs |
| | | | to succeed and grow. |
| ? Access to data for competitive analysis | | | | |
| | | | Thomas Burns, founder and CEO of Intelligent |
| ? Web and video conferencing | | | | Networks |
| | | | |
| ? Corporate intranet | | | | Services (INS) has been an industry expert in |
| | | | computernetwork and technology for over 20 |
| ? E-commerce | | | | years. |
| | | | |