In the past, and even today, in very small sized enterprises, getting a company’s product out the door and delivered to customers wasn’t considered all that important a job – it had to be done; but, surely any reasonable clerk could take care of it all. Then, along came computers, the internet and the rise of competition from places like China; doing business was no longer such an easy, playground like activity.
Are You Equipped To Survive In Today’s Business Environment?
If you run a back room business out of your home and, at the end of each day, load your product into the trunk of your car to drive around the neighborhood delivering it to your regular customers; you should be able to survive a while longer – just so long as you are satisfied with the small returns on your small efforts. But, if your business is larger; or, if you decide to expand out of your back room, you are going to have to “move with the times”.
First, Computerize
Your visible investment in more production equipment and additional staff is unlikely to produce the growth you want if it is allowed to operate without systematic control and this is where computerized management tools come into play. Maybe you hire your own IT experts or maybe you sub-contract it all out to a firm of management consultants – yes, you are going to have to invest money; but, haven’t you heard of the term “return on investment” (ROI in today’s acronym laden speech). At first, you may be able to get by on standard, proprietary off the shelf software; but, more than likely, specialized software, tailor programmed to your particular operation is going to be needed. You will need programs to provide quotations to customers and then process their orders by way of production planning and control programs, inventory programs; through to invoicing programs and (heaven forbid) tax payment programs.
But, Do Not Forget That Clerk In Dispatch
You can have the world’s best set up to get your goods manufactured and into your dispatch bays; but, what good will those do you if the goods are not promptly despatched by the most efficient process to get them actually in the hands of your customers with minimal delay and zero mishaps? So, to really succeed, you need to turn that clerk into a Logistics Manager and provide him with good Shipping Management Software.
To ascertain which Shipping Management Software system is best suited to your business plans, you should contact Nexxio LLC who are experts at integrating your IT systems with those required by most shipping companies and transport documentation regulations. See their website at http://www.nexxio.com/ for full details.
