What is Entry Level Software?
Entry Level Software, or Off The Shelf software, is generally the very first piece of software you buy for your business, that can get the job done sufficiently.
The pain and suffering of this, comes later. It creeps up on you, and slowly but surely, will end up making you feel stressed and anxious. If not you, then your employees.
When you first started your business, you probably had MS Office or something similar, and some sort of accounting system. Most people start out with MYOB, Xero, or something similar.
Already you’ve got two pieces of software you need to manage.
Payroll, time clocks, manufacturing, job costing, asset management and consolidated reporting, are all pipe dreams, or more add-ons that also need to be sorted.
There’s nothing wrong with entry level software, nothing at all. We all have to start somewhere at least.
But when you’re serious about growing your business and managing it properly, the pain and suffering can’t continue.
The Pains of Entry Level Software
If you take a quick audit in your head right now, of all the software your business uses, how many do you have?
I will bet I can name a few right off the bat, without even knowing your business.
- Excel or some other spreadsheet program
- Calendar
- Tasks
- Accounting
How am I doing so far?
To be fair, some of these programs have add-ons and other compatible systems that allow you to export and import data as you need.
Exporting and importing, there’s a pain right there!
You can’t view or use any data from another department, employee, or your own workstation until you import the data yourself. All of a sudden, data is stored all over the place with no single source of truth.
It’s costing you money, and wasting employees time.
This fact alone is why a business management ERP system is such a help to SMEs.
If you have continually added to your entry level software arsenal, all you’ve been doing is increasing the suffering within your own business.
It’s easy to do, so don’t feel bad about it. How are you meant to know if no one tells you what to look for?
I’m going to do just that!
Symptoms of Entry Level Software Use
Entry level software has shown to increase stress levels when it’s used for purposes it was not designed for.
Tell me, which of the following symptoms can you recognise your business is suffering from:
- There are one or two staff members that know how to use all the software you have properly, and when they’re not there…
- Each department has their own software program that is specialised for them, and the data can’t be shared easily
- You lean heavily on spreadsheets, but there isn’t a central data location, and there’s a lot of copy/paste going on
- You’re paying wages for staff to walk back and forth between locations because information isn’t grouped
Think of an ERP system as the painkiller to help end your suffering.
Relieving the Pain and Suffering With ERP Software
When you’re in real pain, you just want relief. An ERP system for your business is the relief that it needs.
After a successful implementation, an ERP solution will have replaced some of your entry level software. But not all of it…
It’s all too easy to get excited and expect the new software to have full control from day one. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Implementing an ERP system takes time, and is an on-going experience for many businesses. This is due to the large, complex nature of the program, and the many customisations you can make.
Generally, you start by replacing one or two functions at a time. In most cases this is the financial accounting and general ledger side of the business.
As you become more familiar with how powerful Accentis Enterprise is, you can start to integrate more of your business requirements into it.
There’s a lot to think about, but the main thing that you need to do first is make the new system do the same as the old. Then, it’s time to grow.
Within a few months of use, especially as your efficiency and confidence grows, you’ll have more time to dedicate to powering up your business.
Conclusion
There’s nothing wrong with using entry level software in your business. None at all. It just doesn’t stack up to being used forever.
As the business grows, you can’t rely on every process to be performed as efficiently as possible. As you hit a roadblock, you either work around it, or fall behind. It costs you money and wastes your time.
An Australian ERP software system such as Accentis Enterprise helps to manage your business, improve your process and increase your efficiency.
Our business management software has been designed for Australian SMEs who have outgrown their entry level software. It’s powerful, customisable, and supported locally by Accentis in Brisbane.
Our downloadable ERP eBook is available free if you want more information.
Interested and want to know more? Contact us to have someone answer your questions on how we can improve your business.
Are you ready to make more money for your business?
Click here to start your journey today!