Now, more than ever, business leaders must deliver services with streamlined resources, yet still meet customer expectations. Smart systems can get more done with less. Use technology to automate the routine aspects of your business, for better reliability and value! Enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms were designed years ago to meet this very need. Now, they are essential tools for business efficiency. Using an integrated set of software programs helps to minimize tedious steps in the process, by having the software seamlessly sending information to carry out specific functions automatically. Sound terrific? It really is. Automating and integrating back end functions save time, money and headaches, while actually growing your business!

How it Works

What kind of activities can be automated through an ERP? Routine functions where information is passed from one individual or system to another are great ERP uses, either in a message, document, invoice, or other means, triggering an action. Here's an example: managing a sales lead through a sale. 

1 - Prospective customer lands on a facebook post, and is interested in connecting for more information. They click on the link, taking them to the website. 

2 - Once on the website, the prospect is welcomed by a chat box with a bot, who is able to reply and route answers to the top 5 questions from most prospects. The prospect clicks an area of interest, and a lead form opens. The prospect enters a couple pieces of info, and sends. 

3 - An automated email is sent to the prospect, thanking them for their interest, and offering to download the answer to their question. When the form is accepted, the prospect is added to the CRM, and is routed to a sales associate for a follow-up call on the next business day. 

4 - An automated thank you message is sent once the prospect downloads the document. Included in the message is a special offer to receive a 20% discount on a related service, available for a low monthly fee. The prospect is interested, and clicks "learn more."

5 - Selecting the "learn more" option opens a next message that offers the discounted service, at the referenced rate. The prospect only has to select yes, enter payment information, and can begin right away. It's a great offer. The prospect engages, and submits payment.

6 - Completing the payment window triggers the service subscription for the prospect, referencing the information in the CRM. Additional fields or information are populated based upon the payment form completion, and the subscription service is activated. An order confirmation email is sent to the customer.

7 - A monthly recurring invoice is established automatically, with routing of revenues realized to the business bank account. Invoicing is auto-generated, and sent based upon order criteria (monthly on a set date, or other selection). Your sales are seamlessly recorded on your business financials. 

8 - An update to the customer account is now posted for the sales associate with a task for their follow-up call on their daily task list, for the next business day. Your customer is amazed with the efficiency and value of your services and team, and offers a raving testimonial on your site!

Realize, the first payment has been ordered and received without any human contact, with services delivered when and how the customer wanted, with all related documentation retained in the systems involved, for easy report generation. This is how easy it is to provide some services to customers through technology, reliably, and efficiently. Your business operates like a large business, at a fraction of the cost. That's smart business operations!

Getting Started

There are some essential background and setup pieces to make the system work exactly as you need it. First, you need to have systems that are capable of integration across types of functionality. Second, you need to have the specific processes set up within each program, and connected by rules and automation. Third, you need to test each of the processes, and likely build some content in specific messages for prospective customers, to make it all make sense on the customer side. That said, an ERP system typically includes at least: 1) a sales/CRM cluster, 2) financial management & bookkeeping cluster, 3) communication/task/project cluster, and 4) people/human resource cluster. Often software systems can be integrated through APIs, where the systems are programmed to talk to each other. If this sounds amazing, but you're not a tech guru, then you'll need to work with a professional to set this up, or plan on spending months learning how to do it yourself. Either can work, depending on your time, skills, and patience, however your customer will get a better experience when you use experts, and it helps you leverage the benefits a lot faster. 

Systems & Resources 

Like most professionals in this space, we have preferred systems that allow us to set up workflow functionality reliably and efficiently, using systems that are easy to integrate, or are already built for this purpose. If you're interested in finding out how this could work for your business, click the ERP Evaluation form on the link below, and we'll evaluate your business for a software system fit for greater efficiency. There's no cost to check it out...Why not? 

ERP Evaluation - Find Out More

Change can be hard, and yet staying on the same path may be dangerous if the world around us continues to change. In the midst of major work flow and talent disruption, explore how you may be able to maintain high levels of work quality using technology supports. When you use technology supports for the backend work, you free your team from the tedium, and allow them to expand their skills along with business growth. Most businesses find that they can automate as much as 30% of the routine tasks. That's a huge competitive advantage. Let's connect on the link below and explore your next steps! 

Your Success is Our Success

Dawn Garcia is Principal and Founder of Pursuit of Excellence LLC, an independent business management consulting firm specializing in service-based businesses; delivering leadership, business and talent strategy, and execution expertise. Experience the Excellence Driven® System and The Predictive Index® for your business, and achieve the results you need! Every business needs help sometime; great business leaders get help early, realizing greater returns. 

When you need help, consult the experts. We're here for you and your business!

If you lead a business, your mind is likely focused on survival and minimizing your losses, both economic and people-related. There’s another key element to put front and center though — a timely and effective recovery. Take it from one who has led emergency efforts in large organizations: plan now for life on the other side. If you do, you’ll come out better, and in a better market position. Count on it. 

The good news is that this work is also part of the healing process, to begin to put in motion steps to return to normal operations. Depending on your business type, there are different ways to plan your business recovery, however we recommend considering a phased return, especially in health emergencies. That allows you to ramp up production and revenues as you have a more consistent workforce presence. Also, if there are waves of illness over time, you will still have the core workforce to proceed effectively. Other than that broad recommendation in view of this situation, here are five key steps to guide your project plan for a business recovery: 

1. Adjust your mindset. Look in the mirror, and find the positives around you. Attitude is key to a successful recovery, and that starts from within. What are the new discoveries that you and your team learned through the crisis? How did it help you to advance skills, knowledge or new services? What of those learnings and changes should be continued, or built upon? It’s easy to see the challenges, yet if we look, there are likely a lot of positives too. Positive energy and focus is energizing and engaging. Lead with positivity, and watch the recovery truly begin. Balance every challenge with a positive outcome.  

2. Evaluate your current state. As a leader, you need to set the direction for the company’s future, in full reality of your current position. Survey the damage, and take an honest view of a phased recovery in terms of revenues, market impact and resources. If you have had some workers work out of their home, and it’s working for you and them, can that continue? If you have had to shut down entirely, what are the product or service lines that are strongest, and most in demand, that you should scale back into operations first? Are you marketing now to be top of mind once the recovery is clear? We recommend doing a risk evaluation/assessment of your business and talent strategy, customer relationships, infrastructure/needs, operations & financials. You may also need to evaluate a long-term capital or facility plan. Be clear, honest and confident. If you need a tool to help you objectively evaluate your organization, we can help. 

 Business Recovery Assessment Tool     

3. Update the long term strategy. This may seem counterintuitive, however taking a longer-term view first helps to manage the short-term recovery more effectively. Did you have a business strategy before the crisis? What were the key items that you committed to do? Where are those priority items now? It’s absolutely OK for strategic priorities and objectives to shift. Often they remain, however, there are some interim actions needed to get back on track. Those items need to be added to the implementation action plan, and likely some timeframes need to shift. Engage other key leaders and stakeholders in offering feedback to the plan and changes needed. Broader input helps to reduce blind spots, and gain buy-in, especially if additional steps are needed. Once the long-term plan is set and considers all of the additional learnings and strengths through the crisis, it’s time to move to action. 

4. Identify short-term priorities. Identify the top three things for stage 1 recovery, up to 25% of your business operations. These often fall into a few themes: 

Structure/Infrastructure - what physical changes need to be restored? 

Financial - what accounts payable and accounts receivable need attention, either to support your brand reputation, or cash flow? 

People - what changes have you experienced in your workforce and talent needs? Where are the biggest gaps that you need to fill first? 

Customer care - how are you planning to engage your current, former, and new customers? Have you updated your marketing strategy?  

Operations - have you identified ways to increase efficiencies through the crisis? Can you standardize those modified processes? 

Recognize that you can’t do everything at once. Balance is key to recovery. Create specific priority actions with the goal of achieving 25% of your former monthly operating revenue within 30 days. From there, target a phased increase each month until you’re back on track. 

5. Be visible and show your cultural values. In the midst of a recovery, your team needs to see you, and hear from you often. Even though you have 500 items on your to-do list, the most important one is to connect with your team and your customers. No one else can do that for you, and everyone is watching. If you listen, engage, problem-solve, and reflect trust and transparency in action, your team will rally like never before. They want you to partner with them. Do it. This truly is a great opportunity to strengthen and align your culture like never before. You’ve just been through a horrendous challenge, and everyone is thankful to be on the path to a mend. You’re leading it, and they need to have confidence and trust that you’ve set the right direction. If you’re present, you can answer questions timely, show respect and gratitude, and learn more about what your customers want and need from your products and services. That builds relationships, and dramatically increases your chance of success with your business recovery strategy!

There are many other relevant best practices for business recovery in specific industry sectors. We serve as trusted advisers to guide the process with you, for the best results. Making mistakes in a recovery process can cost you the future. Make wise choices, and call us to get it right the first time!       

Let's Connect

Your Success is Our Success

Dawn Garcia is Principal and Founder of Pursuit of Excellence LLC, an independent business management consulting firm specializing in service-based businesses; delivering leadership, business and talent strategy, and execution expertise. Experience the Excellence Driven® System and The Predictive Index® for your business, and achieve the results you need! Every business needs help at some point; great business leaders actually get help when needed, realizing greater returns. 

When you need help, consult the experts. We're here for you and your business!