Jan 22, 2022
You’ve got a system, maybe even a number of systems and they work. But are they all working as well as they should?
When you’ve got a system that the team is used to working with, change is almost always daunting. The barriers that tend to go up include the hassle of identifying the right solution, the disruption that a changeover could bring, costs and time. The result is that it’s all too easy to postpone any overhaul because the system still works, even if it doesn’t work very well.
But if any of the following three ring a resounding bell, your system is struggling and could be performing much better. And the overhaul probably isn’t nearly as complicated as you might at first think.
Data error
It happens. Human error. Whether it’s inputting a client name into the system incorrectly, missing a deadline, misfiling something or just failing to follow up a new enquiry. Once is perhaps understandable, even forgivable but when errors are starting to undermine what you do and the service you deliver, then it’s a sign that all is not well with your systems.
Using FileMaker, we can custom design a system based around how you work that minimises the risk of human error. We can add simple drop-downs, checkbox or radio button selection for staff, or we can set things up so that information is automatically input into forms, or cross referenced. We can catalogue, label, add barcodes and centralise information so you have real time, accurate data at the click of a button.
For example
One client we worked with had 8 different spellings of a company name and each time a staff member tried to contact them, it was a guessing game as to which was the correct and most up to date version of their record. We designed a new system that only allows a company name to be selected if it exists in the system, and if it is not there, an option to create a new one is offered.
Wasted Time
If one or two members of your team are spending unreasonable amounts of time on laborious admin chores, the chances are there is a better way of doing things. With most of our clients we find we can save them at least an hour a day in admin and often much, much more.
For example
We worked with a client who needed to streamline their annual process of checking 1.5 million lines of spreadsheet data and converting them into payments. This process took two members of staff three months each. We created a simple piece of software which imports the spreadsheet data into the system and can be left overnight to be processed. In the morning, a single button click allows all of the processed payments to be allocated to the correct person and payments made to them, saving the client six months of staff costs every year.
Different systems cobbled together
By the very nature of the way most businesses evolve, you get to a point when you may have a number of different systems and processes that just about work together. Maybe you have a virtual filing cabinet which almost works with your mailbox. Or an accounting package that you want to work with your CRM. It works. But not brilliantly.
For example
We can integrate with most software, and we’ve done full integrations with Outlook, Xero, QuickBooks, MailChimp, HMRC (VAT for Making Tax Digital), G-Mail, Google Maps and many more. These can be anything from a simple “Upload Invoice to Xero” button or a “Show in Google Maps” window to an overnight sync with a different system. We make sure your systems talk to each other and work together in a way that is seamless and makes your life easier.
Every business is different. But whatever part of your system is causing you grief, we can improve it. Just give us a call to arrange an appointment.