Setting up and Managing your Business Support Systems – Why you should get a professional
It is fairly easy to set up and manage basic business support systems yourself. There are numerous suppliers that will give you key services including e-mail address, CRM systems and websites that proficient tech users will be able to navigate. Why should you engage tech professionals to support you? What value do they bring?
If you are starting or managing a business that is expected to grow, your systems are a key part of that growth. They can be set up to facilitate it or to hold it back. This goes way beyond having e-mail and website set up. It means considering the other tech systems that are appropriate for your business that could deliver an improved customer experience or increased productivity. However, even with the basic systems, many businesses encounter serious problems.
As user friendly as many of the self-service systems are, there are features and issues that are often overlooked by someone who is not an expert. Of course, security is a major issue. One of the most common problems, that you might not even be aware of, is that your e-mail can be identified as ‘junk’ by other e-mail security systems and never reach your audience if not set up properly. However, there are even more serious issues that will leave you exposed to hackers.
Different suppliers of business support systems will all try to sell you their product. Some of those software systems are extremely useful, others would be a waste of money. In some sectors a software system dominates for a very good reason, in others you may find a way to secure a competitive advantage by using something different. In all cases you need to review tech strategically. It is difficult to do that if you don’t have a good understanding of both what’s available and how they work together.
Your tech should evolve with your business and with new developments in tech. Things change very quickly in the tech sector; what is the best option at the beginning of the year may be overtaken by the end of it. Where innovation has a marked impact on productivity or customer service, you cannot afford to be left behind. However, it is also expensive and unfair on staff to change continually. To strike the right balance is not easy, it needs experience and a deep understanding of tech and how it’s evolving and what is likely to happen next.
One example of this is AI, which is starting to impact many sectors. None can afford to ignore it. It has the potential to be transformational in terms of productivity and customer service. Do you have a good understanding of how it will impact your sector?
Many of the above issues cannot be solved by quick fixes, it is not enough to get things set up and then ignore them until you start to worry again. They need to be managed continually by an expert with a long term overview of your business and sector.
There is an old saying, “Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should.” Setting up and managing your business support system is one of those things best left professionals. The cost of getting it wrong, as so many businesses do, is expensive. We would love to help you get it right for your business.
