The lack of a strong digital presence is thought to be a contributing factor to how customers fail to identify to your brand as a business.
With limited marketing budgets, SMEs need to be wise about how they utilise digital technologies for maximum impact.
In this article, MD of the award-winning technology integrator Seidor Africa Heinrich de Leeuw, unpacks how SMEs and established brands can turn to digital channels – using ERP technology – to improve supply chain and better customer experience at the same time in this trying times of coronavirus.
According to recent statistics, 75% of companies worldwide have reported supply chain disruptions as the result of COVID-19.
Since the pronouncement of South Africa’s state of emergency and the subsequent national lockdown, the experience of many industries demonstrated just how important it is to be able to run uninterrupted operations and communicate with customers.
For companies of all sizes to continue with their day-to-day operations and drive overall efficiencies, they need to become digitally integrated. De Leeuw pointed out that ERP technology enables SMEs to have a real time dashboard of important data in the business.
“Now is the time when business owners need a 360-degree view of their company with an integrated, easy-to-use solution that links all components,” De Leeuw said, adding: “The bottom line is that the benefits of an ERP system far outweigh the upfront cost, because it can really transform the fortunes of a business.”
The benefits of an ERP solution include:
1. Increased ROI: Return on investment is achieved through integrated information sharing, increased efficiency, real-time data access and governance, improved inventory management and reduced costs.
2. Improved analytics: Analytics allows for more informative decisions, helping companies to work through stressful times.
3. Realtime information: Realtime information is available across any part of the business.
4. Improved productivity: By enhancing business workflows, employee performance is improved.
5. Increased customer satisfaction: An ERP system helps companies deliver goods to customers faster, improve productivity, and implement inventory control. It can foster better customer communication, at a time when customer retention is vital.
6. Compliance and risk management: ERP systems facilitate regulatory compliance.
7. Flexibility, scalability, longevity: With cloud-based ERP there is no need to go through numerous different software systems and implementations in the future.
8. Standardisation: Standardised business processes ensure increased control and reliability of information.
9. Improved reporting: With instant visibility analysis capabilities, companies can manage and monitor financial performance in real-time.
10. Improved inventory management: Stock availability and location information is available in real-time, whether in transit, in the warehouse, in the online store or in the shop.
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