Do you make it easy for people to do business with you?

We’ve all been there. We’ve done our research, sorted out our budget and we know what we want to buy and who we want to buy it from. Simple, right? And then you’re met with poor service, a lack of information, missed deadlines, products out of stock... And you’re left wondering why it’s so difficult to spend your money.

This can also be true for your suppliers. Do you communicate well with them? Have you built up a good relationship? Can you trust each other? Do you pay them on time?

Are there any other ‘boxes’ that you’re not ticking?

Many of these challenges can be resolved with the right technology. When you’re thinking about what tech you need for your business, it can be tempting to invest in exciting, front of house solutions which have a wow factor for your customers. But the wow factor is quickly forgotten if you don’t have the right back-office tech in place to support it.

Let’s look at the tech that can help.

For great Customer Service

A Document Management system

Allows you to securely store all your business documents in one central place. Information can be stored, with indexes, to create searchable content so that you can create, capture, store, and retrieve files within seconds. So, your team can help customers or suppliers in record time. Files can easily be shared with the rest of the team within the system improving collaboration and allowing any team member to respond to a customer or supplier query. Access is permission based to ensure that users can only access the documents they need to, and an audit trail is automatically generated to show who has accessed which files and what actions they performed.

A Document Portal

Allows you to share documents securely with customers and suppliers that need to be approved or signed, such as invoices, contracts, agreements. This is not only easier than posting out paper copies, but the stats also tell us that it quicker too, taking around 37 minutes to obtain documents signed electronically, compared with 5 days for documents signed manually. You can also add forms with required fields for a quick and easy way to obtain information. For example, a new customer/supplier registration form.

For building great supplier relationships

Accounts Payable automation

Allows supplier invoices (paper or digital) to be automatically captured, recognised and processed with little or no intervention from your team. The system can be set up to work with your business rules so that invoices under a specified amount can be automatically approved, and invoices over a specified amount can be automatically sent to the correct approver or manager. This streamlined approach allows you to approve invoices in record time, negotiate prompt payment discounts and build strong supplier relationships.

Recent research by Vertex into the growth challenges facing ambitious eCommerce businesses reveals that 59% of finance professionals working in companies that sell products and services online, believe that the digitalisation of core financial processes presents one of the most significant opportunities to maximise business growth this year.

For great operations across the business

Systems Integration

Allows you to share information between your business systems which gives you one point of access; reduces data entry, human touch points, errors and inconsistencies between systems; and saves time. For example, we have worked on projects for our customers where we have integrated their Accounts, Document Management and Invoice Processing systems and processes. What does this mean for the end user? If they update a reference in their Accounts systems, it will automatically update the same reference in the other two systems. They only have to make the update once and all systems show the same information.

For agility and informed decision making

Business Intelligence

Allows you to easily analyse data, in real-time, from multiple sources across your business, which can be used to inform decision making, strategy and budgets. Get the answers to any questions about your business, such as… Which product are we selling more of? How do our customers prefer to shop – in store or online? Which supplier are we spending the most money with? With real-time insights, you can be agile and proactive and respond to changes in the market.

Having smart, automated, integrated back-office technology supports everything else you do in your business. Your customers and your suppliers want great service from you and when they receive it, it can lead to personal recommendations, winning new business and an excellent reputation.

If you would like to find out how our solutions can make it easier for your customers and suppliers to do business with you, get in touch with Jack Wright, Sales Director at YourDMS. Call 01285 810606 or email [email protected].

South African court revokes license for oil project

The High Court in Makhanda, South Africa has revoked energy giant Shell's licence to use seismic waves to explore for oil and gas potential along a biodiverse and wildlife-rich stretch of Indian Ocean coastline.?

The seismic surveys, which fire high-volume airguns at the seabed, would have potentially caused damage to habitats and communities, harming marine species and disrupting their routines. The Wild Coast is one of the world’s best destinations for whale-watching.

“Allowing Shell and the government to continue exploring for oil and gas and other fossil fuels would be detrimental to everybody’s lives and to the life of the planet,” said Sinegugu Zukulu, Wild Coast Programme Manager.

“Winning means a sustainable life on this planet.”

Greenpeace Africa said the win was a “massive victory for local communities”.

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