Friday, June 16, 2006

Business Through Your Browser

How seven small businesses are using the Internet to increase profit and improve customer satisfaction-and how you can be a success story, too.

As the U2 song goes, "Sometimes you can't make it on your own." That's very true for many small and medium-size businesses (SMBs). By turning over IT tasks to online services, SMBs are saving time and money-and increasing customer satisfaction. In this story, we profile companies that use online services to do everything from providing telecom service to handling payroll. After you read their stories, turn past the gatefold for three pages of tips on how you can follow in their footsteps.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

ERP solutions are typically back-office systems and applications that automate business practices. For example, supply-chain management systems are designed to keep businesses connected to suppliers.

  • To put ERP systems into place, you can use an ERP software maker or a consulting company specializing in ERP. Oracle Applications, Oracle's PeopleSoft, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, and The Sage Group are all good sources. You can also find many smaller ERP service providers, such as 24SevenOffice.
  • Many software providers offer prebuilt ERP solutions that you can buy and implement yourself. Some of these include Epicor Enterprise, Oracle's JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, andNetSuite's Net-ERP. There are also providers of open-source ERP software, such as GNU Enterprise.
  • Baseline (published by Ziff Davis Media, the parent of PC Magazine) offers resources for ERP solutions at http://www.baselinemag.com/. Baseline's content is conveniently categorized so that you can find case studies and resources on, say, supply-chain management or security solutions.

Collaboration

Collaboration services can help facilitate work among teams within your company as well as with clients.

  • Some online meeting services, such as WebEx.com and LiveMeeting, include video conferencing, and many others, such as GoToMyMeeting, allow for quick and easy online meetings.
  • Collaboration also involves sharing files, databases, calendars, and contacts. Look for reputable companies that devote significant attention to security. PC Magazine's Editors' Choice for online collaboration is WebEx WebOffice, and we're keeping an eye on Microsoft Office Live beta.

Database

Web-based database services are so easy to use, they double as collaboration tools. At PC Magazine, we use Intuit's QuickBase (http://www.quickbase.com/) to track new products and organize stories. Think of an online database as a (very) beefed-up spreadsheet everyone has access to.

  • In addition to QuickBase, other low-cost hosted databases include eCriteria (http://www.ecriteria.com/) and Caspio (http://www.caspio.com/).
  • Don't be afraid to customize. Almost anyone can open a Web browser and tweak a database to his or her liking, adding fields, moving fields, and changing field names.
  • Looking for something a bit more substantial? Traditional database companies like Oracle offer on-demand versions of their database products, letting you run massive full-fledged databases via Web browsers.

Technical Support

Online tech support services can assist you with everything from installing a Wi-Fi network to taking angry calls when your employees' PCs crash. SMBs often turn to the value-added resellers (VARs) that initially installed their IT equipment. Where should you look for your tech support solutions?

Telecom

Managed VoIP isn't for everyone. While it puts the burden of maintenance on someone else's shoulders and can cut your hardware costs-along with the size of your IT department-it also gives you less control over your phone system. Adding a new user to the phone network, for example, requires you to contact your service provider-and hope they get around to it soon.

  • Find a vendor that has a large, responsive support team, and be sure to test a company before you sign a contract. At the very least, see how long it takes to respond to a service request.
  • Consider a private data link to your telecom service provider. It will cost you, but you can expect higher call quality in return. Voice traffic will be given a priority, and you won't be sharing bandwidth with every e-mail, Web page, or MP3 tune passing over the public Internet. Be sure to ask about redundancy, in case your T1 link ever goes down.
  • Make a lot of international calls? Be sure your service provider has agreements with multiple long-distance companies. That way, if one carrier doesn't work well, you can switch to another.

Security (antispam)

You don't have to give up all control when you start using an off-site service: You can relinquish control entirely or choose to retain the ability to tweak filters and browse quarantined messages via a Web browser.

  • Many companies, including MessageLabs and MX Logic, offer antispam and antivirus services. Even traditional antivirus vendors like Trend Micro offer off-site services. You can even let your employees browse quarantined messages. Companies like Postini can set up Web-based quarantine folders for each individual user.
  • There are two more advantages to using a service rather than an on-site app: You're never hit by directory harvest attacks (they hit the service instead), and you don't

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Nowadays the term CRM is a tad misleading-or at least, limiting. CRM can be used to manage business practices such as sales and inventory as well as the more traditional customer support, contact management, and project tracking.

  • Salesforce.com is the biggest name in Web-based CRM, but it's not the only one. Check out rivals BScaler, Entellium, RightNow Technologies, Salesnet, and SMB Live.
  • Salesforce.com's basic tools aren't what you're looking for? The company now offers AppExchange, an online marketplace where businesses can build their own Web-based applications and share them with others.
  • If a company's CRM tools don't fit you to a T, try customizing them. You needn't be a hardcore programmer; all it takes is a general familiarity with the applications.

Payroll

Online payroll services will process your payroll accurately and on time, but don't look to them for financial advice-in other words, don't fire your CPA!

  • Don't get too comfortable. Just because the process is automated doesn't mean you should keep your hands off it. Mistakes like missed or mislabeled payments do happen. Check your statements and quarterly reports.
  • Stick to a single online payroll provider. Accessing old records is simple if you use only one program, but the process can be tricky-if not impossible-if you've used multiple vendors over the years. Be sure to ask your vendor how-and for how long-you can retrieve records once you've canceled your account.
  • Call the customer support number before you sign on for the service and see how responsive and knowledgeable the staff members seem. If they can't answer your questions, they won't solve your problems.
  • Look for a Web-based interface. This will let you access and manage your payroll from any location at any time.

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1 Comments:

At 4:59 PM, Blogger Editor said...

Hi Gilberto, nice blog!
thought this can help you:
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Thanks,
Nicolas

 

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