What is the impact of technology on business management?

Technology is part of our daily lives, both in personal and professional life. We can no longer live without access to the Internet and without a mobile phone, so technology is increasingly playing a prominent role in our routine. In companies this is also true, as in many areas virtually all work revolves around the network. Technology has a significant impact on organizations, enabling them to improve processes and achieve better results. In today’s article, we will see how technology impacts business management!

Cost reduction

More efficient resource management significantly reduces costs. The use of technology is a great ally of good management. For example, software such as Multipeers allows you to follow in real time everything that goes on in the company, giving a global and updated view on each expense and each gain. This way, you can make immediate and conscious decisions that will benefit the business. This continuous monitoring allows us to guide the company’s investments, avoiding unnecessary losses. Also the use of cloud solutions allows to reduce equipment maintenance costs.

Better communication with stakeholders

Technology has a strong impact on the relationship with the various audiences with which the company communicates. Today, in addition to conventional means of communication such as telephone and email, companies can and should communicate with their audiences through social networks and Whatsapp. Using chatbots enables faster response to customers and this is a great competitive advantage in today’s business world as consumers are increasingly demanding to meet their needs.

Greater control over operations and processes

Automating a company’s procurement processes through technology ensures that all actions taken comply with established standards. All actions made related to purchases must be introduced in digital environment so that you can consult your history whenever there is a need to know what happened with a particular purchase. By 2020, RPA is expected to have an increasing presence in companies, allowing them to automate such processes and eliminate red tape and the likelihood of making mistakes.

Optimization of work meetings

Meetings are often longer than what was needed, which wastes a lot of time. Fortunately, there is software that allows you to plan meetings so that they do not last longer than strictly necessary. Similarly, meetings can be held via Skype and other similar programs, which eliminates the need for everyone to be physically present, reducing travel expenses.

7 KPI’s That All Businesses Must Have

KPIs are fundamental elements for the proper functioning of a company. They allow us to understand where our goals are and guide us towards the company to achieve good results. Although each company has its own reality, there are KPIs common to all areas. In today’s article, we present the 7 KPIs that every business should have.

Number of proposals submitted

The number of proposals submitted is important to understand how many potential customers really expressed an interest in buying something from our company. The number of proposals submitted must always be based on the total number of contacts made.

ROI

ROI stands for return on investment and is the return on investment made. This value is the result acquired with the investment made. It is a very important KPI for maintaining the financial health of the company.

Market share

Market share means the participation of a company in its market. This value can be found through measurement of invoicing, number of customers, among others.

Cost per Lead

This is a value widely used in the digital world, which is increasingly gaining weight in the business world. Cost per lead is the sum of marketing action spend divided by the leads generated through these actions.

Application Performance

This is one of the most important IT metrics, and for this purpose it is necessary to make use of constant monitoring tools that evaluate the performance of applications from the end user perspective. More and more companies are entrusting the management of their IT assets to specialized companies that ensure security, high performance and permanent availability.

Avg. Offline Time

This KPI is used to analyze the average time that an IT device or infrastructure was not available. It is a metric known as mean down time (MDT). This metric tells us all the time that the service was not available, either because of minor problems, malfunctions, among others. This value is obtained by summing the time that the system was not available to divide by the number of occurrences in that period.

Average cost per employee

This indicator shows us how much, on average, each company employee costs us. It is obtained after summing all personnel expenses (salary, food allowance, holiday and Christmas allowances, state contributions, among other expenses) and dividing by the total number of employees of the company.

Get to know the importance of indicators management

Indicators are fundamental to the good performance of a company. It is the indicators, or KPIs, that tell us what state the business is in and whether we are actually meeting the previously established goals. Based on company performance indicators, managers can make more assertive and informed decisions. BAM tools like Multipeers allow you to keep track of KPIs continuously and in real time, allowing you to pay greater attention to meeting your goals, effectively increasing the company’s degree of success. Let’s understand in today’s article how important is the management of corporate indicators!

Company strategy known by everyone

“If we don’t know where we are going, any path is good,” so it is very important for companies to know where they are going and for each employee to know the work they are supposed to do. If we are unaware of the results we must achieve with our work, we can do anything, and this is possibly not in line with the overall goals of the organization. Defining the indicators of each employee and linking to the monitoring system is essential for obtaining a global and integrated view of the company’s state and performance.

Making the right decision

The indicators give us a lot of information about the company and to that extent make decision making much more efficient. Managers often complain about the lack of information about the company to make a conscious decision and these performance indicators play a prominent role when making decisions about the future of the company. Managers can only make assertive and correct decisions if they have a complete knowledge of the business reality. And nothing better than updated management indicators that are appropriate to the reality of the company.

Give us real numbers about the state of the company

Indicators allow for measurable results. And this is very important in a company, because numbers don’t lie and help us understand where we go wrong and where we get it right. It is not enough to have a subjective knowledge about the company’s results: it is necessary to know objectively the true values ​​of the organization. By analyzing the KPIs it is possible to redefine strategies and change what is not giving positive results.

Increase sales and improve overall business performance.

When well defined and implemented, management indicators help drive sales. When there are definite goals and rewards associated with achieving them, the tendency is for employees to strive even harder to achieve their goals. This creates healthy competition between the different salespeople and in the end the company gains from increasing sales.

5 Tips to Set Good Performance Indicators for Your Business

Business performance indicators, or KPIs, are an essential tool to ensure that your business is moving in the right direction. Based on the indicators and the company’s performance, managers can make more informed decisions. In today’s article, we present 5 tips for setting good performance indicators for your business!

Simplify indicators

KPIs should be simple so that the entire team is able to understand them. If you get too complicated a KPI runs the risk of not being able to extract any useful information from your analysis because it will not be understandable by your team. And if the employees do not understand the indicator can be unmotivated, which harms the company’s performance.

Define able indicators to evaluate

For an indicator to be well defined, it is necessary to measure it simply or quickly, that is, it must always opt for quantitative and non-qualitative indicators. In the case of qualitative indicators, there is a high probability of a subjective evaluation. For example, instead of aiming to improve sales, set an indicator on the conversion rate to sales with a set value range. It will be easier to see if the goal of the indicator is being achieved.

Conduct thorough analysis before setting indicators

There is no miracle recipe with regard to indicators. There are indicators that fit one type of business, but that do not make any sense in other areas of activity. Defining indicators only to be defined will create harmful noise to employees’ performance and this will have a negative impact on the company’s final results.

Make this process dynamic

An indicator that yesterday was quite important and completely adequate to the reality of the company, today may have lost its relevance. Companies are living and dynamic organisms and as such changes must be monitored in all areas of the company. Evaluate at least every three months whether the indicators that have “assets” remain the most appropriate for your business.

Involve the whole team in the definition

It is much simpler to get people to collaborate if they are present when defining the indicators they should reach. The teams know their reality better than the top managers, so it is advisable to count on the collaboration of each team when defining the indicators of each department. In this way, each employee will feel involved in the process and, consequently, will be more motivated to achieve the desired goals!

What kind of information should my dashboard show?

Dashboards are increasingly important in the business world as they present the most important information in a simple and intuitive visual form. Softwares such as Multipeers allow the information to be presented in a practical way and it is updated to the second one, because only with current data will the decisions taken be beneficial to the future of the company. Dashboards let you understand what the company is heading for and whether business objectives are being met. However, if a dashboard is not customized correctly it can become a confusing tool, which complicates the manager’s life rather than helping him. In today’s article, we’ve covered the kind of information your dashboard should show!

Executive Information

An executive dashboard serves to simplify the general understanding of information. It is a very useful dashboard to analyze the KPIs and processes of a company at a global level. This executive tool is usually based on management methodologies such as the Balance Scorecard. The objective of this panel is to provide all executives with access to important data for the correct evaluation of new opportunities and improvement points. A top manager needs to know at every minute what is going on in the company, because only then will he be able to make important and beneficial decisions for all areas of the organization.

Project Management Information

Project management dashboards allow you to follow all project management, from planned activities, schedules, and other aspects. It is a very important tool because it decreases the probability of error and increases the effectiveness of communication.

Marketing information

The marketing area is very important in all companies and only with an effective follow-up of what is happening in this sector can the company improve. A marketing dashboard with real-time information about a company’s social media activity allows you to identify opportunities at the very moment they appear, allowing you to stay one step ahead of the competition. A fluctuation in the demand for a product, for example, could lead you to launch a specific campaign, increasing sales and improving company results.

Information about results analysis

This dashboard provides detailed information and is used to set trends against corporate goals. This panel allows you to perceive the results of internal actions as well as external public reactions to campaigns. A good example of this type of dashboard is Google Analytics, which lets you know the exact behavior of your website visitors.

Information on day-to-day operations

This panel is used by the work teams and focuses on the processes that each team needs to perform its functions. The data contained in this panel are intended to identify critical points of the operation, helping to correct them. They also facilitate communication between all members of the same team. It is a dashboard that varies depending on the department of the company and the activities to be carried out each day.

 

[Guest Post] How to choose between local and cloud ERP system

The adoption of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system presents numerous benefits for a company, integrating the sectors and optimizing its management. Knowing all these benefits, you are eager to invest in an ERP system, but don’t you know which one is best? Choosing the right kind of ERP software for your company is rather a challenging task. At this time, it is very important to consider your needs and make the right choice. Among the many options available, one feature that may raise questions is the decision between a cloud or local cloud computing solution. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of each system to help you with this choice.

What is local or cloud ERP?

The basic difference between the local ERP system and an ERP in the cloud is very simple. A local ERP is installed on the company’s own servers and computers. In this case, the company is responsible for its management and maintenance. In the case of cloud ERP, the system is accessed over the Internet and paid on a subscription basis. The software itself is neither owned nor licensed by the end user, but is provided as a service. Cloud technology is a watershed in the ERP industry because it offers enterprise-class software at an affordable monthly price and greater flexibility. The type of ERP solution you choose will have a significant impact on your business. In the end, the functionality of the system is what determines which system you choose. Here are some considerations when choosing between a local or cloud-based ERP solution:

Costs

A local ERP typically involves larger investments to purchase and manage software and hardware, servers, and related facilities. This type of system also requires IT resources to keep the system running. The initial costs of the cloud system are usually much lower because there is no technical installation required. The cloud ERP provider hosts and supports, giving you all the IT assistance you need. Generally, these systems work for a prepaid subscription model.

Updates

Software updates for local solutions are not always straightforward. When it’s time to update your software, your IT staff may have to restore your custom settings and install a newer version of the database. This causes some companies to avoid updating their ERP software, rendering the technology obsolete. Cloud ERP solutions are automatically updated by the provider, so you’re always using the latest version. In the cloud, regular updates do not affect your customizations and integrations.

Safety

The security of the data in a local ERP depends on the procedures and equipment of the own organization, being it adopting protection tools in relation to virtual attacks and frauds in the system. You will also need storage for backups. In the case of cloud ERP, the system provider is responsible for security. These systems typically integrate recovery and backup services.

Accessibility

As mentioned earlier, cloud ERPs have an advantage over accessibility because they can be accessed at any time, on any device, as long as there is an internet connection. Although more laborious, you can configure remote access on local systems. This will require the installation of virtual private network (VPN) software on each device, seeking access to the ERP. If you have multiple offices or branch offices that require access to the on-premises ERP system, you may need to configure a secure WAN infrastructure.

Customization

The customization feature is easily available on a cloud system. You can choose the one that offers the best facilities and meets your needs and business requirements. You can also customize and integrate the local system, but this includes an additional cost, and requires rework in software development.

In conclusion, every business is unique and has its needs as well. Therefore, when choosing an ERP system, it is important to choose the right software, which offers less limitations, more security and at a lower cost. So it is good to look at all the above factors and make a smart decision when choosing the best ERP system for your company.


5 Reasons to invest in an ERP

ERP stands for Entreprise Resource Planning. It emerged in the late 50’s, when it began to combine management with technology. Initially, its purpose was to optimize the time spent on manual tasks, but today this resource is able to integrate all the information and processes of an organization in one place. The mission of this tool is to group all departments of the company, providing better communication, through a continuous flow of information. This factor proves to be very useful because the processes of a company depend on each other and a failure of communication or loss of transmission of the data can mean great losses of productivity and profit. In today’s article, we present 5 reasons to invest in an ERP!

General business control

This is the main reason why you should invest in an ERP. The centralization of information is increasingly important as it allows greater control over data and more efficient decision making. The processes become simpler and can reduce costs with training of users and infrastructures. Knowing what is going on in your business is critical to making the right decisions, and in the hectic day-to-day running of a manager, grouped information becomes an asset.

More efficient customer management

Information in ERP about customers and potential customers of the company can be a great competitive advantage for companies that want to adapt to changes faster. Monitoring systems allow you to get immediate data about customer actions and interactions with the company, as well as information about your purchase history. This allows communication with the customer to become more personalized and objective.

Makes business processes more agile

As management programs present the information in a condensed and ready-to-analyze form, the need to make extensive reports will disappear. In this way, employees who previously had this responsibility will have more time available for other tasks, which will certainly contribute to an increase in productivity. Real-time analysis in conjunction with the ERP eliminates the more bureaucratic tasks, which makes the company more agile.

Decreased likelihood of error

Using an ERP reduces communication failures and speeds up data consolidation. All company information will only be in one place, which makes analytical processes more agile and effective. Thus, the probability of communication failures becomes much reduced, which contributes to more assertive decision making.

High Mobility

Currently, almost all ERPs have the potential to be used on mobile devices. Therefore, it is possible to be in a meeting or a trip and have real and updated information about the state of the business. This is a very important advantage, since increasingly your business is where you are, so it is vital that you always have access to the most up-to-date information about your company!

 

 

How can your company use big data to be more competitive?

Data, data and more data: this is the life of a manager today. With each passing day, we produce more information and it becomes increasingly difficult to deal with so much data. If companies fail to extract reliable information from the data they generate daily, they lose their purpose. Only with correct and up-to-date information will companies be able to make the right decisions for the future of the business. In this article, we’ll realize how your company can use the big data to be more competitive!

Analyze business in real time for timely insights

Information is growing at a very fast pace, which makes its analysis increasingly difficult. The solution is to analyze the data in real time to get the most out of the information. Products like Multipeers allow you to analyze every second what is going on with the business. In this way, you can make the most of the data to make the best decisions for the business. Allying the large amount of data generated in companies to a real-time analysis allows you to gain essential insights for business success.

Better data collection

The data come from the most diverse channels and through Big Data it is possible to centralize them and group them by affinities. It is possible to be closer to the customer through the collection of data through questionnaires, applications, loyalty cards, among other instruments. The data collected is essential for assertive planning of marketing and communication actions.

Use the large volume of data in HR management

Many companies face the challenge of seeing their teams change multiple times in a short period of time. Without realizing why, they are not able to retain the best talent, which means that there is little stability. By analyzing the data, it is possible to get to know each employee better and help him to feel good in the workplace, thus avoiding his exit. It is important to know the motivations, long-term desires and opinions of the employees, since only in this way the management positions will be able to create a pleasant environment and where each employee feels good. Big Data in human resource management is a key factor in finding the right people for the right jobs. For example, through Big Data you can find out if people who have an interesting work experience are more likely to stay in the company for long periods of time or if the duration of previous experiences impacts on the performance of the current job. Based on these results, the company can focus on the most relevant factors at the time of recruitment.

 

Types of Big Data Analysis That Will Benefit Your Business

Descriptive analysis

This type of Data Analytics answers the question “what is happening now?”. Through the response, companies can analyze data on customer losses, sales for a particular product, and the outcome of launched campaigns. Descriptive analysis allows immediate decisions to be made with a high level of security, since the analysis is based on concrete and current data. The information coming from this type of analysis is usually displayed in graphs and tables, which allows the manager to have an overview of the processes monitored.

Predictive Analysis

Predictive analytics is an advanced form of Data Analytics that aims to answer the question “what will happen?”. It is a type of analysis that makes predictions through probabilities. This analysis is possible thanks to techniques like regression and progression analysis, pattern matching and various types of statistics. This type of Data Analytics is widely used in stock market and investment companies.

Diagnostic analysis

Diagnostic analysis will explain why something happened. This type of analysis will relate all available data and information to find patterns of behavior that may explain the results. It is an important analysis to find problems and above all to avoid repeating them in the future.

Prescriptive analysis

The prescriptive analysis is the analysis of premonition. It answers the question “what could happen if we take this action?”. This type of analysis is very important especially in the sales area. For example, “if we think about giving a 15% discount next month on the company’s lesser-selling product, the likelihood of increased sales is 40%”. The prescriptive analysis raises hypotheses about possible results of actions taken by the company. It is an essential analysis for managers, as it helps them to evaluate the best way to choose a certain strategy to solve a problem.

How can a dashboard help make business decisions?

Dashboards are of increasing importance in companies. In busy day-to-day business, managers need to consult various sources of information in order to get all the data they need for informed decision-making. This is a time-consuming process, and often the information is disorganized, which greatly undermines rapid and effective decision-making. So, a dashboard is a key business tool today, and in today’s article let’s see how dashboard can help you make business decisions!

What is a dashboard?

A dashboard is a dashboard that visually presents the most important information about the business. In case of using a tool like Multipeers, the information is updated permanently and automatically, so that you have at your disposal the most current information about everything that happens in the company.

Constant knowledge about business goals

By using a dashboard, you can easily see if your business goals are being met. Linking KPIs with day-to-day activities is essential if individual and global goals are to be achieved more simply. Only with an effective knowledge of what is happening in the company and the evolution of the areas will you be able to make the right decisions for the good continuation of your business.

Permanent Business Assessment

One of the main advantages of using dashboards is that you can constantly analyze the present and past of your business. With a dashboard, it’s easy to analyze company history and find patterns of past behavior that will help you make present-day decisions that do not compromise the future!

Identifying problems in a timely way

Managers are not always able to identify deviations from work routines in a timely manner, which compromises business productivity. The dashboard will aggregate the history of the company’s operations and can set defaults to detect deviations and anomalies in real time. So the system is able to realize that something is not right and to alert you right away so that you can act before it becomes a serious problem.

Condensing all company information in one place

In this field, care must be taken not to have a dashboard that is too full, that is, information that is not relevant to your decision making. This will only create visual noise and complicate your analysis. You should create an easy-to-read dashboard with only the data that really matters to you.

 

The advantages of automating logistics management

The logistics sector is one of the most strategic in a company and it is an area that requires more attention and care during the day-to-day. When this sector does not work properly, the entire productive process of a company can be called into question. Automation in this industry boosts results and brings several benefits to companies. In today’s article, we present the main advantages of automating the logistics management of your company!

Total process control

To automate the management of information in the logistics sector is to ensure that there is a large organization at all levels. Through real-time monitoring systems such as Multipeers, the company is able to know at every moment what is happening along the logistics chain, and can take immediate decisions that benefit the business. Employee routines become simpler because they can perform faster analyzes and do not need to search for information from a variety of data sources.

Reducing Costs

Reducing costs is a constant concern in companies. Greater control over processes allows for more conscious actions that will automatically lead to better and more advantageous decisions for company accounts. In addition, the replacement of manual processes with automated solutions, with the consequent reduction of errors and early identification of failures, contribute positively to the control of costs.

Integrated Information

An automated management system allows all company information to be concentrated in one place and this makes access to data easier for all employees. This rapid access to logistical information allows faster and more conscious decisions to be made, avoiding delays in the execution of tasks. The integrated information allows you to create reports in real time, allowing the immediate detection of any problems that compromise the workflow.

Higher efficiency

The correct partnership between man and the machine allows a higher yield in the day-to-day. It also allows for the elimination of excess labor costs, since it is easy to optimize the work of the employees. Automation in the logistics industry has this advantage, because tasks that previously required human intervention can now be performed automatically and much faster.

Quick identification of business opportunities

With the use of automated tools you can identify opportunities right when they arise, allowing you to stay one step ahead of the competition. A change in demand for a product, for example, could lead you to launch a specific campaign, which will increase sales and improve overall results.