Technology has moved so fast in the last two years. Have you kept up? It’s one of those chores like checking you aren’t paying too much for your power or phonelines.
If you hadn’t realised we now don’t need to
Enter supplier invoices into our accounting package
Print off supplier invoices for review, approval, and then filing
Have the team complete
paper timesheets, for us to then enter into our accounting package
inventory receipting or counting on paper sheets, for us to enter into our accounting package
Supplier Invoices
There is amazingly cost-effective software available which can take an invoice from an email, send it to the team lead for approval, then send it to your accounting package. Not only that, the invoice will be available for viewing within your accounting package, and assuming you choose the right software all narrations and descriptions come across also. All you are needed for is the review and approval part. And export to the bank account for payment!
Paper Filing
If you are using software to convert pdf invoices into software for approval and then into your accounting package, then there is no need to print off to go and file. You can store the information electronically.
Timesheets
No one likes having to do timesheets, but it is a tool we use to reward our team with their pay and to raise customer invoices. With a bit of coaching most of our teams can adapt to entering timesheets themselves via their mobile phones or tablets provided onsite. The advantage of this is it stops the need to enter information i.e. the recording of the time occurs once, not twice. A second advantage is that you can actually get invoices out earlier (and hopefully get paid quicker).
Barcode Scanners
Barcode scanners provide so much flexibility for our businesses, they have been wireless for years, not to mention that you can even have scanners for your mobile phone. The advantages of using barcode scanners include:
Improved accuracy, which contributes to increased security
Time saving factor, which in turn is likely to reduce wage overheads
Real-time inventory control – which saves time and paper resources
Easy to use
The Business Case
So often as an owner we will solely look at the cost of the capital outlay such as the purchase of a scanner. Our decision making is often on the fly, or a round-table discussion with a manger. The conclusion is likely to be may be not this year, or we’ll be being mindful of the team knowing they are stretched, and assuming asking them to take on a new technology will push them over the edge.
The case for transformation isn’t just about the capital outlay, it is about the
Consideration of our team not doing meaningless repetitive tasks which we know if we had to do, it would frustrate us immensely
Wage cost in duplication of data recording and paper-filing (a task no-one wants to do)
Real-time stock availability for real-time sales
Real-time ability to invoice
Capital Outlay
Understanding your business process and repetitive or meaningless processes
What’s one process in your business your team would willingly do away with today?
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