An Opportunity to Digitize
/BY: COACH KEVIN HACKETT
Traditional business owners are finding themselves shutting down or asking their employees to make the ill-advised commute to work. Meanwhile, everyone in quarantine is spending their money on ecommerce products and digital services.
Many businesses have infrastructure required to run their operations which limit their ability to make the digital transition. But, sales, marketing, accounting and supply chain management don’t have to be among those. Many companies would benefit these areas by starting their move to cloud-based tools.
Here is a breakdown of the 5 major tools a company can focus on:
1. Microsoft Office 365 - If your business is operating in the cloud you’ll have much more effective collaboration on documents and reports. Moving files from your work to your home office won’t require remote logins or the nightmare of emailing versions back and forth to yourself.
2. NetSuite ERP – If you’re a smaller business, you’re probably operating on Quickbooks or something similar, but if you have complex operations, you’re likely using an ERP that requires servers on site. NetSuite enables you to make your operational software available from anywhere, anytime.
3. Slack – This tool has gained popularity over the years, especially with digital teams. Slack enables you to communicate quickly without the need to search among lengthy email signatures and subject lines. It also has some interactive features that let you share screens and documents quickly.
4. Salesforce – This customer relationship manager will allow your sales team to enter sales orders, research customers, follow up on leads and send their forecasts all without ever stepping foot inside your office. With some basic management guidance, this ease of use can really energize sales teams and managers.
5. GoToMeeting – Digital Meetings have become a staple of quarantine life and with Zoom in the hotseat for privacy concerns, GoToMeeting is a solid alternative.
While you’re in quarantine, start thinking about how you can make the transition for your organization to the cloud. Maybe for your organization it’s as simple as signing up and getting started. If you have a more complex organization, the transition may need to be more structured and planned.
The products listed above are the Cadillacs of cloud technologies today, but they also serve certain niche markets better than others. If you are a larger organization, I do recommend looking at their competitors as well since some may serve your particular business better than others.
If you would like specific coaching on selecting or implementing the right technologies for your business, let us know and we’ll get you connected with Coach Kevin today.