The software can help to organise and streamline many business admin tasks. But just what type of software do you need? While certain companies may need certain industry-specific software, there are a few general applications that every business can benefit from. This post details these types of software and what to look for when choosing an application.
Accounting software
Accounting software is essential for organising your finances. It can help you keep a record of all transactions, calculate taxes, send invoices and make financial projections. Some accounting applications can also be used to manage your employee payroll (if you have employees). However, you can use separate software for this, including some types of HR software. Make sure to choose software that is secure and reputable – remember that this software will be linked up to your finances, so you don’t want the wrong people to be able to access it easily.
HR software
HR (Human Resources) software can handle all kinds of employee-related tasks. This could include tasks related to recruitment, such as job ad posting, applicant tracking and interview scheduling. It may also include tasks involving existing staff, such as managing the payroll, time tracking, rota building, recording absence, managing benefits and tracking employee performance. Make sure to use an application that supports the size of your workforce and is relevant to your industry.
CRM software
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software is designed to help you manage potential customers and existing customers. This software can be integrated with various marketing platforms, allowing you to manage email campaigns, monitor advertising campaigns and analyse web traffic all from one place. You can track the journey of individual leads and set up automated follow-ups. You can also nurture existing customers from this platform and schedule surveys and loyalty rewards. CRMs can often be targeted at specific industries and may have unique features relevant to those industries. For example, when a CRM for agencies is likely to have many different features than a CRM for online retailers. You can compare options online.
Communication software
Specialist software could be useful for communicating with clients or employees. When setting up a VoIP phone system, specialist VoIP software can help you record a phone book of contacts, record call data and schedule calls. Meanwhile, video call software is popular among many businesses – providing the option to carry out face-to-face meetings remotely. Instant messaging software could also be useful for communicating. This could include virtual chat software that you can link up to a customer service chat box on your website.
Stock/inventory management software
If you sell a lot of different products or have to stock a lot of different supplies, it could be important to acquire software to help you organise this stock. This can help you keep track of exactly how much stock you have – alerting you of shortages or stock that’s about to expire. You can also use this software to order stock from suppliers. Choose an application that is relevant to your industry – there are unique stock control applications targeted at retailers, construction companies, manufacturers, farms, offices and clinics.