I’ve been spending considerable time helping clients select, design and implement ERP systems and leverage functionality and reports to make quick yet effective business decisions. It is considered “old school” to have to do these functions from a computer screen. We don’t even have to look solely at business – how many Grandmas use iPads, Samsung Galaxy 6’s and the like? Many!
No sales executive wants to log on his/her computer from the road instead of accessing information at his/her fingertips on a hand held device. During a customer meeting, isn’t it convenient to rapidly look up an answer to a question and show the customer a fancy graph from your iPad? Of course! Mobility has become an expectation.
One tip to implement this week:
So, how can we make progress on this topic this week? This is a tougher one as it typically involves your IT resources and ERP software suppliers. However, there is always a way to make progress. Pick one area you’d like to be able to access via your phone that would make a significant difference to your work performance. Ideally, it should involve customer service or collaboration. For example, one topic could be staying up-to-date on order status for your top customers.
If you are the leader, get your technical experts together and ask them to find a way to start down this path rapidly. Don’t worry about achieving nirvana; start with a good step forward. Keep taking steps forward while working on a more comprehensive, long-term solution. If you are not a leader, ask to meet with your leader. Explain why you think it would be valuable to automate information on the selected topic. Request that he/she pursue with technical resources. In the interim, suggest a relatively easy solution. Almost every company can provide access to email on these devices. Send a group email with updates on your selected topic. You’ll be surprised; even what can seem like a low-tech way to get started can achieve wonders as people begin to collaborate.
March 8, 2016