One of the ways to build a successful business is to use technology to streamline processes. People often come to me to ask “what accounting package or CRM to use”.
If they are a new client – or not even a client yet – then this is a difficult question to answer. People ask these questions all the time online – and well-meaning people will often respond to a request like this on social media.
My answer is usually “it depends” followed by “ can we have a chat”?
The thing is – I need to know more! Here are some of the questions I might ask (some would depend on the exact question being asked) – these 10 are quite generic:
1. What stage is your business at?
The answer may be different if you are a start-up as opposed to a more mature organisation – but see also “growth plans” and “budget” below. It helps to set the context and define aspirations.
2. What does your business do and who do you work with?
It is useful to know what sector the business is in, and where the market is. Sometimes there are industry-specific packages which might be the best solution.
3. How do you deliver products and services?
again, having an understanding of the basic business operations can be helpful in order to determine the needs of the organisation for software. All too often someone asks for a particular type of software app where in fact there is a better solution!
4. Is it just you in the business or do you have a team?
Understanding WHO needs to have access to a system (and what sort of access is required) is also key – it can also help to choose between different pricing models
5. Do you have premises?
what requirements do you have for remote / home workers, or what are the limitations in your place of work (broadband is notoriously far worse in business premises than in peoples’ homes!)
6. Do people (will they continue to) work remotely or are they mobile?
Similar to the previous question – how do people work- might they need specific devices to enable them to use the chosen system whilst on the move (e.g. service engineers)
7. What are your growth plans?
How is the business likely to grow in the next year / 3 year / 5 years. Software changes rapidly – and hardware becomes outdated very quickly! What will be your needs and how will you need to budget.
8. What are the goals of your business?
Are you considering new markets, new premises, or are you wanting scale down / retire? All relevant to your decision.
9. What is your strategic plan for the next 3 years?
Do you have a plan!? How specific is it in terms of markets and channels, resources and operations?
10. What is your “rough” budget?
Keeping in mind “total cost of ownership” what budget do you have right now, and how will you finance implementation and training costs. There is no point in recommending a top of the range ERP system if your budget is £1000 – (although you might need a reality check!)
Then, depending on the type of software there would be a ton more questions.
Accounts – do you need Stock Control?
CRM – do you need Case Management?
Stock Control
and so on…
It’s about getting into the business to understand what the real drivers are. Sometimes the answer is you don’t need X at all you need Y. Or you might outsource – or it might turn into a much bigger procurement exercise. In any case – it’s rarely a short answer!
So – before you pop onto LinkedIn to ask, then make sure you have thought about some of these questions. By all means use your LinkedIn post to gather some “front runners” and then start to work out what you need (and not what your contacts need, as that may be different to your business).
I am also keen to ensure that people understand their current processes before considering software – you’re in a much better place if you know what you want to achieve (I will talk about evaluating software in the next blog).
Features
Draw up a list of the features you will need, based on what your business requires. You will also want to consider how you want to operate in the future- software will allow you to scale and deal with more – more customers, more products, more orders (or whatever).
Also take into consideration other apps that you use or would like to use. Do you need this app to integrate with your email system for example – or your website?
Think about your current data – how can you get it into the new system? And – if you decide you want to move – how will you get it out again! This is the time to consider that particular issue!
And finally (for today – this is generally a much longer conversation) think about budget. You need to think about monthly subscriptions (most software is now offered via subscription) but also potentially budget for implementation services (data transfer, setup and training) and ongoing support (should be included in your subscription).
Most software can be used in trial mode for a while – but make sure you understand what features you will get if you revert to the Basic plan (if that’s all your budget will stretch to). Check out what happens re software updates – and how that might affect any links to other software.
I have really just scratched the surface here – so do get in touch if you would like to look at a particular project – do be aware though that my first question might be – what’s your current process!