Changing a business system is a big investment for many companies. Therefore, it’s important that you choose the right system for your business. But how are you making yourself sure about which business system to choose?

You choose a business system by carefully reviewing your business to compile what you need. Above all, you should look at how a business system can facilitate the efficiency of your business. You also need to find out what opportunities your company has in the future and make sure that the business system can match these. Do not waste time or energy when doing your preliminary work. It is the key to making a wise investment when choosing a business system. 

Here’s how you can do it:

• Do a needs analysis
  Compile a list of requirements you have, with a business system in mind, based on your particular business. It can be good to keep the discussion free of the technology aspect in the beginning to get the activities and functions that users prioritize in order to have the most efficient working day possible. Please make sure that everyone involved in the system change is allowed to express their opinion. No system is better than the users who work in it.
• Make it possible to grow with the system
  Many people make a needs analysis based on the demands they have on the business at present. But how does your business look like in five years? Make it possible to grow and develop within the system without problems.
• Make demands on your potential system supplier
  Proceed from the requirements list you made in your needs analysis when you start negotiating and see how the suppliers relate to these requirements. It’s also important to check on how they look at your business. Will you be an important customer for them? You want a supplier who is committed to your business and the industry and who also is easy to get in touch with. You don’t want to get in touch with different people every time you need help. Peple who aren’t knowledgeable about your particular company.

What is a business system?

A business system is a “standardized enterprise-wide system support”. It can also be described as a software package with integrated IT systems. Simply put, a business system is designed to streamline and automate the parts of your business that you currently manage manually.

A business system is a very broad concept that can have many different functions in a company. Central to a business system is the use of a joint database to manage and support processes in different parts of the business.

The joint database also means that everyone should have access to the same information instead of using different databases. This means that you don’t have to manually integrate this information, which makes the work department more efficient and simplified.

It also enables you to produce KPIs. that match and permeate the entire business. It’s about being abling to integrate different functions into the same system. It’s mainly used to create streamlined processes and information flows throughout the company.

Which business system is right for my company?

A new business system is a major investment for most companies, so it’s important to do a lot of research before you identify a system that is best for your business. There are some important steps that you shouldn’t skip when you’re doing research.    

Step 1: Start by evaluating your business.

What information is most important to your company? Which KPI:s do you use to measure results and set goals? Make sure that the business system can deliver this information in a good way. How does your production and flow of goods work? Find a business system that can help you improve your weaknesses and at the same time allowing you to further developing your strengths.

Step 2: What works best for my business – a standard system or a customizable system?

If your business has unique needs, you should consider a customizable system. Keep in mind, however, that it often requires extensive consulting efforts for both execution and maintenance/upgrades. The benefit of making your own customizations must be weighed against the increased cost. If the business is similar to many others in the industry, you should choose a standard system that gives you a predictable (and low) cost. A standard system built according to your industry has already been adapted to other people’s experiences about what works best. You avoiud going into the same traps that many similar companies have already done. In addition, a standard system that is continuously upgraded has a longer service life than a system that is partially built just for you.

Read more about Bex Online’s cloud-based standard system

Step 3: How expensive business system do the business need?

Make sure to not overpay for mass features of the business system that the company has no use for. When evaluating different alternatives, make sure that the functions you actually need are extra sharp. Evaluate factors such as how much storage space and how many users are needed, so that you do not pay for more than whats necessary. That being said, the functionality of the ERP system shouldn’t limit the possibilities of your business expanding in the future.

Step 4: Does the business have an opportunity to grow in the business system?

What happens, for example, if your business grows and you need to add more users to the system? If a company grows, it may also be necessary to add additional modules, which often adds extra costs. Make sure you get a complete price list before you decide to identify which opportunities to grow the business system have.

Read more: With Bex Online you can add and remove users at any time.

Step 5: Investigate the possibilities of maintenance and support

If problems arise with your business system, you want to be able to get help from your supplier quickly. Otherwise it will quickly cost you a lot of time and mone. It’s important to consider not only how accessible they are – how and when you can reach them – but also what type of support is included in the price.

It’s also important to check for updates and continuous maintenance. A business system that is constantly updated both in terms of functionality and laws and regulations provide good conditions for not having to contact the support department.

There are many business systems that are specialized and adapted to different types of industries. Choose a business system provider that has the knowledge and experience of companies in your industry so you can feel confident that they know what they’re doing.

Bex Online is an expert in delivering smart business systems to trading companies. It doesn’t matter if you are a small, ambitious company or a large international company. Bex Online has a good solution for you.

Related: What is WMS system? A helpful review 

What is the advantage of a warehouse management business system?

One of the advantages of having a business system with inventory management is the integration with the rest of the parts of the system. This means that information from the warehouse is automatically stored and synced with other parts of the business.

An example is that those who mostly sit and work in the company’s CRM system have access to the same information as those who work at the warehouse and thus can deliver correct information to the customers directly without any intermediary steps. This generates better customer service and more satisfied customers.

There are many other benefits of inventory management systems in general, such as more efficient processes in inventory management and less error margin.

If you are interested in reading more about inventory management systems and their benefits, you can do so here (link to the article on WMS)

Is it easy to change business systems?

There is a lot to think about before switching business systems. One aspect to take in consideration is how it works to import old data as you will want to transfer as much information as possible from your old system. 

Most modern business systems use standardized formats such as Excel and SIE for data exports, which makes exports easier. If you are using an older business system or program, you may need to convert the data in order for it to be imported into your new business system.

If so, find out what it would cost and how it would go in practice so that there will not be a problem or unexpected costs later on.

Although it can be complicated to change business systems, it is definitely worth the effort since it van improve business in the longer term. Be sure to document all the processes through the system bypass so that no information is lost on the way.

It’s also important to have someone or some key people in charge of the project. You need to keep everyone involved informed at all stages of the process to make the switch as painless as possible. Choose the key person(s) who is interested and thinks it is fun. You’ll want positive commitment to the project.

Is it profitable to implement a business system?

While it may be an extensive project to change business systems, it’s worth it in the long run if it increases the profitability of your business. If you have done your research correctly and come to the conclusion that the opportunities a business system comes with outweigh the cost, then it’s profitable in the long run.

If administrative activities that you currently manage manually become digital, you save valuable time that you can spend on other value-creating activities. You also get a better overview of your business which allows you to go in and see which activities are actually profitable and which you mayne need to change.

Implementing a new business system can also be profitable in other aspects. By getting a better overview of your business and better access to relevant information, you can increase the efficiency of your decision-making. This means that you can be more flexible in your actions and adapt your business to different situations faster, which is profitable in the long run.

In many cases, a new business system can lead to more efficiency and increased profitability for the company. However, it is important to remember that implementing a new business system doesn’t solve all problems.

Before making any decisions, you must examine whether the problem lies in the business itself and doesn’t depend on the business system. In some businesses, they have adapted their operations to a business system they implemented many years ago.

This means that it isn’t enough to just update your business system. You also have to renew your processes within the company in order for it to be profitable to implement a new business system.