Our working world is becoming more and more digital, and companies must not fall by the wayside when it comes to digital expansion. In particular, small and medium-sized companies can save work or accelerate and simplify processes with the right digital tools. However, this is where the difficulty begins: The selection of digital tools is now enormous.
Not to lose the overview is a mammoth task. There is often the risk of introducing too many digital tools that are ultimately not used at all. At this point, we have summarized how new digital tools should be implemented in the company and which programs can be helpful for companies.
Test & Implement Tools
First: Clarify Your Needs & Get Recommendations
Every company is different and therefore has different requirements for its software to drive digital transformation. The need depends, among other things, on the industry, the number of employees, and the financial leeway. In the first step, an analysis should therefore be carried out that ascertains your own company’s current status and this clarifies the need for software solutions.
The most common areas of application require digital tools that facilitate communication between employees, that simplify administration, or that are used to structure work processes. Here every company has to decide for itself what exactly it needs. In the second step, recommendations can be helpful. Despite everything, there are specific frontrunners in every field – including digital tools – and programs and companies that others recommend with a clear conscience.
Because of the variety of requirements that companies sometimes place on the tools, such recommendations can be an essential first point of reference to get an idea. You should, therefore, first, ask around in the industry and collect feedback.
All-In-One Tools, Or Do You Prefer Individual Solutions?
Once the need for software solutions has been clarified, another decision has to be made: Should the company work with an all-in-one tool in the future, or should it use several individual solutions? This decision is also to be made individually and depends on the needs of the respective company. For example, if a company wants to facilitate communication between employees, a tool that fulfills precisely this function is sufficient.
However, if a company bought an all-in-one solution for this purpose, it might pay for functions that are not used at all. So it is ultimately a cost factor that should not be lost sight of. Combined solutions are recommended for companies that want to cover several aspects with one tool. They combine several functions and, in the end, can sometimes be cheaper than many individual tools.
Don’t Get Lost In The Tool Jungle
The selection of digital tools is enormous these days – so large that you can quickly lose track of them. Especially when companies opt for various individual programs, the risk increases that bosses and employees may get bogged down. Some functions may overlap, which means chaos is inevitable. It must therefore be communicated which program is to be used for what. This should be done as part of employee training.
Test Sufficiently In Advance
After the training of the employees, an extensive test phase should follow in the company. Digital tools are subjected to a simple test. This phase is initially limited to selected employees who deal more intensively with the programs. If the test is successful, further employees can be invited to take part in the program. Allow sufficient time for this process.
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Concrete Tools For Different Areas Of Application
Digital Tools: One For All
Agencies, in particular, can benefit from comprehensive programs such as Teambox. It’s an all-in-one tool that specializes in agencies. It was developed together with agencies, so everything is included here that you need in everyday work. The spectrum of functions ranges from customer management to time recording and controlling.
Another example is Comarch ERP Enterprise, a merchandise management system for companies that work with ERP. ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning, with which resources such as capital, personnel, or material can be managed and controlled. With this tool, many areas can be covered – from document management and IoT to connecting any sales channels such as a webshop to warehouse logistics, project management, financial accounting, or time recording.
Communication Between Employees
Fast and, above all, uncomplicated communication between employees is essential for a successful company. In the pandemic, many people work from home, which, however, makes communication more difficult. Messenger applications can be a great relief here. The best examples of this are Skype, Slack, Zoom, or Teams from Microsoft. The functions of some programs even go beyond pure communication, for example, when they are coupled with other applications such as Dropbox or Google Docs.
Manage Projects Wisely
Intelligent management of upcoming and ongoing projects is also essential for companies. Programs should manage the tasks wisely and keep everyone involved up to date. A handy tool in this context is the Trello app. With the app, users work with so-called boards. Tasks, ideas, notes, images, documents, and more are collected and processed. The look is reminiscent of school timetables. Different boards with tasks can be assigned to the employees. In this way, everyone always knows exactly who is working on what.
Databases For An Expected Level Of Knowledge
Customers, articles, products, work, or employee data – no company can do without a solid database these days. The Groove program, for example, can take on this task. This ensures that all data is in order and that everyone can access it.
Digital Solutions Are Fundamental In Times Of Home Office
The corona pandemic, which still has the world under control, has shown us that we are dependent on the advancement of digitalization. Especially in times of home office, it is becoming more and more important to communicate with each other anytime and anywhere and have access to relevant data. The tools mentioned can help here. However, it always depends on each company’s individual needs and which solution – be it all-in-one or individual tool – it ultimately decides on.
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