Mobility, a strategic asset for your small business
Today's mobile applications include business management tools with a wide range of functions. An undeniable operational advantage, particularly for VSEs, which can be transformed into a competitive advantage.
The expectations of very small businesses
Connected on the move
Wifi is everywhere. It's become the norm. It's desirable to be connected wherever you are, whenever you want, for personal as well as professional reasons. This is why work tools, whatever their field of action, must adapt to become accessible on the move. Business management software packages are no exception. Sage, a pioneer in this field, is launching a mobile application for its solution dedicated to very small businesses: Sage One.
The benefits for managers
For the entrepreneur or manager of a very small business, being connected means being able to manage their activity in real time. Being able to consult, collect and transmit relevant information on their phone or tablet is an obvious operational advantage. Already in 2013, more than half of VSE/SME managers chose to equip themselves primarily with a smartphone to be able to work on the move (Linkeo study).
Greater autonomy and comfort
The benefits for employees
It's one thing for managers to be connected as soon as possible, but what about your employees? Well, for employees, the benefits are real too. Before, not having access to your work tools meant you had to "be in the office" to work. And, as a result, you had to "do your office hours", with the risk of drifting towards an unproductive, involuntary face-to-face working environment. The accessibility of mobile working tools helps to undo these perverse effects. Employees are no longer bound by an obligation of means, but by an obligation of end, and have more leeway to organize their work. Sales people on the move, for example, can also ensure continuity in the more support-oriented part of their work.
Changing working patterns
New work arrangements are flourishing with telecommuting, which is becoming increasingly popular. BYOD: Bring Your Own Device, the use of personal tools such as telephones and computers in the workplace. For the employee, it's part of the comfort gained on a daily basis. They keep their bearings, their habits and work in a familiar environment: from home and/or with their own equipment. And this can have a positive impact on productivity.
Operational side
More collaboration
The benefits of mobile access to work tools are also felt on a collective scale. In company management, for example. The fact that someone wishing to issue a quotation can do so wherever they are, unblocks the situation for their colleagues. There's no need to wait until the person has returned from a business trip: the quote is recorded in the tool and the information transmitted to the people concerned. This remote coordination makes work more collaborative and efficient.
Greater responsiveness
This ability to maintain continuity of service has a positive impact on customer relations. Information circulates, and company members are kept abreast of progress in real time. As a result, the responsiveness and availability perceived by customers and/or prospects are at their highest. This fluidity in customer interaction is the key to efficient, long-term sales management.
Competitive edge
Better customer service
By keeping your accounting and sales management up to date, you project a positive, professional image to your customers and partners. Satisfied customers are customers who will stay with you. The word-of-mouth effect also means that you won't have to go looking for potential prospects. This saves on canvassing costs and creates a virtuous circle.
A competitive advantage
Your choice of management tools is a strategic one. By gaining operational agility, you'll gain market share and stand out from the competition. That's why you need to opt for high-performance enterprise software that's also adapted to today's working methods. And in this respect, mobility has clearly become a must.
Enterprise software is at the heart of operations. And for entrepreneurs and small businesses too, they represent an undeniable success factor. If you or your colleagues can access the same interface, in real time, wherever you are, you'll be better coordinated, and by extension, more responsive to your customers. That's why the mobile version of the Sage One business application is a real competitive advantage for your small business.
Article translated from French