Most small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) don’t produce what the industry would call “Big Data.” They just don’t aggregate that amount of information — yet, anyway.
But these smaller companies do have some data that’s able to offer them powerful insights into their business. So while SMBs don’t need mega software to process Big Data, they should use technology to produce powerful, actionable information.
Here are six reasons for SMBs to jump ahead of the competition using cloud ERP dashboards.
- You can start small: Depending on your role at the company, you can pick anything to track. Take this finite data set, track it and then add more pieces. People often feel intimidated because data analytics seems so complex. They think they don’t have time to do it and feel like they’re already stressed out so much that it seems impossible. But starting small with your data analysis efforts makes it more manageable and removes that stress.
- The technology is easy to use: The nice thing about cloud ERP’s built-in dashboards is that they’re very simple to use. Configuration capabilities with this platform are tailored to the nontechnical user. In most ERP and CRM platforms, it’s quite simple to pull data into a graphical representation or chart that shows trend lines or other metrics. The ease of creating these in a modern-day financial accounting system is definitely a big benefit.
- It’s affordable: Not only does the cloud offer a user-friendly environment, but you’re not required to “break the bank or “sell the farm” to get these sophisticated platforms that offer dashboards. Subscription-based models provide consistency to your IT budget as well.
- You can try before you buy: It’s important to find a solution that offers a user-friendly, familiar environment, and one that’s able to integrate with other software application platforms you use to run your business. Unlike legacy ERP systems, where companies need to invest thousands of dollars immediately, cloud ERP tools are subscription-based. So, try it for a while and if it doesn’t work, you haven’t invested too much money or time. While the 30-day trial seems to be status quo for many software providers, others offer a more accelerated approach with trial environments already set up for companies to test data, post journal entries and run reports. In other words, it really only takes a few days before you know if the system is right for you.
- Technology can help you gather information about marketing sources: For SMBs, it’s very important to track marketing and sales efforts, build KPIs around those areas of the business and then set goals. During this information-gathering process, determine your marketing sources and website referrals. Find out who’s coming to your site and where they’re coming from. It’s also a good idea to track keywords.
- Cloud ERP can monitor bounce rates and landing page data: These KPIs are critical for SMBs. Is the majority of your traffic coming in on the wrong landing page, or is your format and content impactful? You’ll want to track the effectiveness of your landing pages so you’re able to start critiquing your content.
SMBs need to understand their data so they’re able to confidently measure their desired outcomes. That’s why it’s critical to track marketing trends, customer feedback and all financial information such as outstanding invoices, cash flow and inventory. The key to this effort is using cloud ERP dashboards to gain deeper insights into the business.