Small businesses don’t have the huge staff or the seemingly endless resources the “big boys” have at their disposal. Every customer and every sale is important for the small business to grow and prosper. In a typical small business there tends to be a lot of manual entry of data. This can lead to disorganization, duplication, and a lack of sharing of information. The result is customer dissatisfaction and the loss of sales. Order entry software that automates much of that data entry and processing and integrates with your existing QuickBooks software solves many of the problems manual entry creates.
Greatly Reduce Mistakes
Humans are going to make mistakes. When data is manually entered and re-entered repeatedly, the odds of mistakes being made in billing information or shipping addresses increases. Names will be misspelled, numbers will be entered incorrectly, and inventory counts will be off. Software that automatically re-enters and updates information greatly reduces the chances for errors. Software that tracks inventory keeps customers from ordering non-existing products. Allowing customers and sales reps to enter their own orders removes several steps where mistakes in data entry could have been made.
Improve Communications
Where order software is not used, orders could originate on everything from scraps of paper to emails. Handwriting can be misinterpreted. Sales reps may have their own styles of recording and keeping customer data. Customer information could be located in several different places. Time is spent pulling data from one source to combine it with other sources to make reports. Customers may call in and nobody knows who talked to them last or where to find the information to answer the customers’ questions. Data gets changed in one place, but not in another, so questions arise about which information is correct and up-to-date. Having a centralized, automated way to enter and keep information helps everyone do his or her job quickly and efficiently. Changes are automatically updated where they are needed. Especially when the order software has search capabilities, information is easily located. Cloud-based order systems can be accessed anywhere, and they can allow sales reps and customers to find the answers to questions themselves rather than calling into the office.
Speed Up Order Processes and Improve Customer Service
The time manual entry and processing takes is always going to be an issue. People are going to have bad days where everything takes longer than usual. We live in an instant gratification society today, and commerce is no exception. Customers expect answers to questions immediately and orders to be filled promptly, without mistakes and on time. Order software that automatically populates fields in order forms and invoices is going to be faster and more consistent. Order entry software helps you make sure you are providing what your customer needs without mistakes as fast as possible.
Stay a Step Ahead
Cutting down on mistakes and improving communications creates a more efficient order process. Customer service improves without increasing staff and payroll. Being able to generate reports easily and view order histories allows you to see sales trends and identify strengths and weaknesses in your business. A cloud-based automated order system that integrates with your existing QuickBooks software will eliminate many of the problems you now face. It will give you the tools you need to continue to grow sales, provide for your customers, and give you an edge over your competition.
