Author Archives: Brett Mundell

About Brett Mundell

Brett has more than 20 years of business software sales and company management experience. Brett has been involved in more than 300 ERP projects. His passion is customer satisfaction, making sure every client is more than just satisfied. Brett wants our customers to be driven to refer their friends and peers because we offer the best services and technology available and because we exceeded their expectations.

Make a bigger impact in B2B sales with ERP and e-commerce integration

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Want to expand into online sales? Don’t overlook integrated systems to deliver a seamless shopping experience.

Businesses that don’t deliver a seamless shopping experience across both traditional and digital channels risk falling behind their competition.

To embrace e-commerce as a key part of your digital transformation process, you need to be able to coordinate information flows more readily, and access reliable, real-time information about sales, orders, and stock availability across your business.

Achieving visibility of all of your inventory at various points on the path to purchase is a significant undertaking. A flexible Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that gives you control of stock and order fulfillment, perfectly matched with an e-commerce solution, makes it easier.

Are you meeting the needs of your business-to-business buyers?

Business-to-business buyers share a lot in common with individual shoppers — they want choice, convenience, value, and speed. But B2B purchasing is different in other ways.

There are usually more people involved in business-to-business purchasing decisions, leads can take longer to convert, and buyers often have higher expectations about the benefits a purchasing decision/relationship should drive — especially when it comes to high-value items.

Writing for Forbes, marketing expert Shama Hyder says the considerable changes that have occurred in the B2B buying space include: “Shorter sales cycles. Fewer contacts with sales reps. Stronger gatekeepers. Greater demand for data and evidence, with lower importance placed solely on singular relationships.”

Hyder suggests that winning over B2B buyers requires understanding and personalising interactions with a more diverse group of decision-makers, and providing the right amount of detail at different stages of the sales cycle.

A digital channel delivers more sales

An e-commerce channel is an ideal opportunity to customise the content and experience that you offer B2B buyers. Websites can satisfy people’s desire to gather information independently and facilitate a smoother sales process.

The benefits of an online channel:

Makes your product range available to more people
Reduces operating overheads and cost of sale
Gives people access to richer product information
Makes buying more convenient and mobile
Supports a wider range of payment options
Enables self-service capabilities that customers want.

E-commerce doesn’t replace face-to-face, email and over-the-phone contact. Instead, adopting e-commerce makes it possible to gain additional sales and revenue through an omnichannel approach.

You can’t underestimate the importance of allowing people to research and shop via mobile devices — even business purchases of considerable size happen this way because so much of day-to-day business happens on the move. It also makes it easier to test the waters in overseas markets or enable interstate buyers to find and engage with your business.

Establishing a website and online product showcase will improve the speed and effectiveness of your marketing efforts, helping you close more sales with a broader range of customers.

Integrate enterprise software and e-commerce for sales prowess

Creating a cohesive experience across a number of touchpoints is inherently more difficult if your business has a lot of ‘islands of information’: where records, processes, and knowledge are managed separately within each team or functional area.

A single source of truth is critical. An ERP solution helps you to track, thoughtfully interact with, and accurately inform customers at any point in their lifecycle — by drawing on contextually rich information from your value chain.

An ERP solution links and streamlines activities including financial management, purchasing, customer management, sales, production, inventory, logistics, and after-sales service.

The good news is that leading enterprise software like SAP Business One, Sage X3, and MYOB Advanced are built on cutting-edge technologies that make it easy to connect and configure e-commerce applications for your unique needs.

When your ERP system is integrated with a powerful e-commerce platform, data about online transactions are shared and updated automatically. That means:

Everyone is working from the same product and price-lists
Less chance of stock-outs
Better information being fed into purchasing and production workflows
Fewer ordering and fulfillment errors
Quicker time to delivery and quote to cash
A smoother customer experience and more expedient delivery.

Integrated systems that capture and combine information about on and offline activity also gives you more accurate data for reporting and analysis, supporting better decisions about how to function better, enhance customer experience and tackle new growth opportunities.

Unify traditional and digital channels by linking e-commerce with a robust enterprise solution to provide your B2B buyers with a tailored and consistent customer experience and drive more sales.

Contact Leverage Technologies now to begin a conversation with one of our experienced consultants about how your business can benefit from e-commerce.

Why are niche products more popular and how can your business capitalise?

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This post examines what’s behind the increase in niche markets and what kind of approaches and technologies can help manufacturers and distributors to benefit.

Greater diversity among consumers and savvier purchasing behaviour has implications for businesses that make and sell goods, whether you’re selling to retailers or direct to consumers.

When it comes to niche markets, businesses in manufacturing, food processing and distribution industries need to focus on both products and the experiential component of purchasing. High levels of coordination and clarity are needed across all parts of your business in order to engage and delight a wider selection of customers with the same level of proficiency.

Just how different is today’s consumer?

A year-long study of consumers conducted by Deloitte found that changes in consumer behaviour are reflective of a more diverse and fragmented population that has more options available to meet their needs—driven by technology.

But when it comes to what matters to consumers, the study found, “…consumers still look to value, product, and convenience as the overwhelmingly important attributes while making decisions.”

Today’s consumer is more educated, more empowered and potentially more overwhelmed than ever before. They have distinct needs, and they gravitate towards businesses that understand and address their needs at the right price point.

A great example is meal kits: up to 20% of people use meal kits at least once a week because they can satisfy their unique dietary or culinary preferences, they are affordable and reduce the amount of thinking and prep time required to cook.

What does increased fragmentation mean for your business?

Writing for Forbes, Megan Totka posits that as the social fabric evolves and more niches are created, appealing to a niche allows businesses to enjoy larger margins on their products and services.

Using food as the example again, Totka says many businesses are flourishing by appealing to niche preferences for paleo, keto, vegan, coeliac, and organic cuisine because customers will often pay a premium for these products. She says it’s also easier and more cost-effective to advertise and personalise offers to niche markets than ever before with digital marketing.

Given the array of choices consumers have, and the competition for their spend, personalisation and customisation are clever ways for businesses to stand apart. Consumers appreciate offers specific to them: a 2017 survey found 80% of people were more likely to do business with a company if they offer a personalised experience.

How can manufacturers and distributors capitalise on niche demand?

Catering to demand for specialised products and better experiences can help differentiate your business in the marketplace. That may mean increasing your product portfolio, providing customisable options, as well as personalising and streamlining the customer journey.

For instance, manufacturers and distributors could explore:

developing configurable product lines to give greater control over finishes or dimensions.
differentiating between budget and high-end versions of products.
packaging items together to cater to niche interests.
introducing more luxurious or sustainable materials/items to appeal to customer values.
providing more detailed and descriptive labelling or sustainable packaging options.
introducing e-commerce channels and online self-service options.

In doing so, manufacturers and wholesale distributors must also avoid potential pitfalls such as:

holding too much stock that you can’t keep track of, or won’t sell.
making selecting and purchasing products too confusing/frustrating for customers.
wasting resources on customisation options that aren’t profitable.
losing sight of your biggest and most profitable customers.

What’s required to successfully evolve? Many growing, mid-sized manufacturing and distribution businesses are turning to technology to help them optimise customer and product management.

An integrated system makes appealing to niche markets easier

Modern Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions are the go-to for businesses facing complexity in how they market, make, store, sell, and deliver finished goods to both B2B and B2C markets.

That’s because innovative ERP systems are comprehensive: they give you a clear and connected view of your product data, supply chain, production processes, financial position, sales and customer experience and transaction history.

With the right ERP solution, manufacturers can gain greater control of their lead times, production schedules and ability to deliver on orders, including accurately quoting on configure-to-order products and analysing profit margins on new products.

Enterprise-wide software helps distribution businesses to link purchasing, sales, stock movement, and cash flow reporting so they can more effortlessly balance inventory levels and meet customer demand with confidence.

You can also integrate ERP solutions with e-commerce channels, so product data and web catalogues align, and information about online sales flows into your financial management, analytics and reporting tools.

In helping you operate a more streamlined and data-driven business, ERP solutions can make your business more capable of targeting growing niche markets.

Curious about the potential benefits of an ERP solution to your business? Our friendly team can guide you: contact Leverage Technologies now.

How might the future supply chain be impacted by blockchain?

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Learn more about Blockchain and how it will likely enable new ways of delivering value across the supply chain.

The tools of every trade are changing—digital platforms, devices, and technologies are redefining what it means to be in business. Every industry must evolve as the world becomes more interconnected and data-driven.

Blockchain is one emerging technology with enormous potential to improve the traceability and security of transactions across networks. Those qualities make it of particular interest when it comes to improving supply chain management.

Firstly, what is blockchain? Why should wholesale distributors pay attention?

Australian entrepreneur Jamie Skella, who won a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer award for his Blockchain voting system, provided a straightforward explanation of blockchain in a LinkedIn article.

Skella describes blockchain as a distributed database known as a ledger, which you can more simply think of as a shared record book. Each ‘block’ in a blockchain can be considered a line item in the shared record book.

There are many copies of each record book, stored on computers all around the world, each of which must confirm (or disagree) that additions or changes to line items are legitimate before they are finalised. Every line item entry is irreversible—a chain that can’t be broken—so the details of what happened can’t be falsified.

Blockchain is capable of being used to record and verify a multitude of different kinds of data digitally—most common applications so far focus on information and money transactions (e.g., cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin).

In large and complex systems that rely on many intermediaries—such as supply chains—blockchain can improve the reliability and security of transactions, increase accuracy and compliance.

Practical examples of how blockchain and supply chains work together

IBM created a video to showcase how blockchain technology enhances the journey of a diamond from a mine to a consumer. The diamond industry has a complex landscape of legal, financial, regulatory, manufacturing and commercial practices and is significantly hampered by smuggling and fraud.

In the case of diamonds, the blockchain ledger keeps a record of high-resolution photos of each diamond at every touch point, certificates of authenticity, real-time records of every payment, and product details like cut, clarity, carat and serial numbers.

It’s easy to see how this could apply to the journey of other products being purchased, stored, sold and moved by businesses in the manufacturing, wholesale, distribution, and retail industries.

Blockchain technologies may enable businesses that manage distribution to:

monitor temperatures of perishable food at every point in the cold chain;
use data from sensors and GPS trackers to track shipments and stock movements;
automatically prove compliance in networks shared with regulators;
ensure products meet specific requirements like country of origin; and
provide authenticity information and better experiences for customers purchasing high-end products.

Blockchain could smooth out processes and reduce operational costs when it comes to transactions between the myriad of connections that underpin your business success. It has implications across the full spectrum of the supply chain.

The Australian merino wool industry has developed their own blockchain-backed platform to help growers improve the supply chain through streamlined connections to processors and end-users, plus meet their external compliance requirements.

Blockchain-powered app Provenance helps brands improve transparency. For example, by allowing consumers to access verified sustainability information about the materials used in a handbag simply by scanning a QR code in-store.

What technology should your distribution business bet on?

A report by CSIRO and AlphaBeta Advisors estimates a $315 billion boost to the Australian economy over the next decade if Australian businesses embrace digital technologies and ways to capture, analyse and apply data. AlphaBeta Director, Dr Andrew Charlton said, “almost half the economic benefit from digital innovation comes from the adoption of new technology across existing industries.”

When it comes to technology, it’s not an either/or scenario. Blockchain-based systems can be combined with RFID, nanosensors and the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)—and probably tools and technologies not invented yet.

It’s a smart move to underpin your everyday data capture and analysis with comprehensive business systems if you want to leverage a suite of technologies for future growth. An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution lays a firm foundation for business-wide connectivity and empowering your team to do more with your data.

For instance, a well-chosen ERP solution helps you to keep accurate, real-time records within a centralised database so you have reliable data required to share to a blockchain ledger. Or use data from blockchain platforms to feed back into your internal business improvement and reporting processes.

Digital transformation that starts with a holistic view of your own business sets you up to capitalise on innovative tools like Blockchain as they become more accessible.

Want to talk to an expert about how an ERP solution could help your business adapt and remain competitive in a world of emerging technologies like Blockchain? Talk to us today.

What is project governance and how does executive oversight shape ERP projects?

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This article explores project governance and the role your Board and executive team can play in guiding an ERP implementation.

Running a complex, mid-sized business in this day and age is difficult without integrated, digital business systems. The question business leaders now face is not so much whether they need an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution, but which one and when will they implement it?

Savvy business leaders know digital transformation is inevitable to remain competitive in a world driven by technology. It is often Board Directors, business owners and senior executives that initiate an investment in new approaches and modern business management solutions.

But overcoming choice paralysis and committing to becoming a digital business is only the first step towards achieving gains in performance and revenue. It takes expertise, time and energy to implement and embed new systems into your organisation in ways that will be sustainable.

So, what is the role of senior leaders in the governance of ERP solution implementation projects to ensure their long-term success?

ERP solution projects are strategic and will require strategic guidance

Transforming business-wide systems, and the processes that sit behind them, has long-term implications. It requires careful consideration and should be driven from the top, possibly guided by a strategic plan or digital business strategy.

While the work of completing tasks, liaising with implementation partners, coordinating training and internal communication is best left with the project manager and internal champions/sponsors—without genuine and visible support from the very top, the adoption of enterprise software is more likely to fail.

As well as backing the project management team, in many cases board directors and executives will provide formal project governance.

Taking accountability for how implementing a new ERP solution will enable the vision and go-to-market strategies of your organisation clearly fall under the remit of senior leadership.

When the Governance Institute of Australia surveyed almost 500 governance leaders about risk in 2019, it revealed leaders were most concerned about regulatory and legislative change, reputation damage, increased competition, finding talented people, and cybercrime.

A poor ERP software implementation can cause havoc: hampering your ability to remain compliant, secure, productive and responsive to customer’s needs, which in turn reduces your competitiveness and tarnishes your brand.

What is project governance and what’s needed to do it well?

Project governance is the layer above project management. It should be limited to high-level input about performance, risk, and issues that influence the success of a project—not day-to-day milestones.

Clearly defined roles and lines of reporting are important aspects of good project governance, to ensure that decision-makers know the boundaries, understand their obligations, and get useful information but aren’t bogged down in detail.

Digital strategy consultant Dr Malcolm Thatcher believes governance lies at the heart of IT investment failures. He said steering committees often don’t make the best use of member’s time and expertise.

He said, “Ideally the committee should spend 90% of their time on the project risks and issues, determining how the committee can assist the project team and provide them with clear direction.”

Why do some project governance groups lose focus and become ineffective? “A lack of focus by project steering committees is often matched by a lack of organisational focus on digital investment benefits and outcomes,” Thatcher argues.

It raises a key point. You won’t realise the full benefits of a new ERP solution unless your senior leaders know and embrace the role technology will play in enhancing your business and empowering your team.

Introducing a modern ERP solution—whether you’re stepping up from basic software or replacing legacy systems—can improve internal processes, make data more useable, streamline workflows and reveal deeper insights. It provides a means to do these things: if your whole business adapts with those objectives in mind.

Do you need help planning for a digital transformation? Leverage Technologies is a leading ERP solutions consultancy with hundreds of successful implementations to our name. Start a conversation today.

5 sustainability trends changing the future of wholesale distribution

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What does an increased emphasis on environmental sustainability mean for wholesale and distribution businesses?

Sustainable practices are becoming a prerequisite for doing business in a world where environmental degradation threatens the stability of global economies and the health and wellbeing of human populations.

Global supply chains will be shaped in the near future by consumer trends, regulations, and technologies focused on improving environmental outcomes. A new report by environmental disclosure platform CDP shows that large companies with massive purchasing power are demanding more environmental action from their suppliers: in order to push positive change down the supply chain.

How will this affect the way distributors operate? Let’s take a closer look at some of the sustainability trends influencing the wholesale distribution industry.

1. Clean, green deliveries with electric vehicles

A drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is changing expectations in industries reliant on transport, such as distribution. Your customers and partners are more likely to be looking for ways to demonstrate a lower carbon footprint—that puts the pressure on to maximising the efficiency of delivery processes and create a more eco-friendly fleet.

In the lead-up to the election, the Australian Logistics Council (ALC) highlighted enthusiasm in the logistics sector around the greater adoption of electric vehicles—for the environmental outcomes, but also operational and cost advantages.

For instance, IKEA Australia recently announced a commitment to use only electric vehicles (EV) for all of its operations and services by 2025 as part of a broader goal to reduce more greenhouse gas emissions than the IKEA value chain emits to become ‘climate positive’.

2. Warehouses with a smaller footprint

Reducing costs and demonstrating environmental credentials is easier when your operation is leaner, run well and uses space more effectively. For those reasons, vertical and multi-storey warehouses will become more common.

According to CBRE, the ability to save on occupancy costs and meet the demand for fast delivery means that multi-storey warehouses in central locations close to customers offer a competitive advantage. Reducing physical land use and delivery distances also reduces emissions.

Similarly, vertical warehouse systems and lift technologies—which allow products to be stored using the full height of a warehouse—maximise space utilisation to reduce energy consumption.

3. Smart packaging to enhance products’ lifecycle

Global consultancy Deloitte released a report in 2018 on innovative ‘smart packaging’, which revealed the enormous potential for clever packaging to create value and improve sustainability.

Packaging that uses advanced materials or embedded technologies like sensors, barcodes, and RFID chips can be used to reduce the environmental footprint of products throughout their lifecycle—such as by reducing spoilage and wastage, and improving traceability and inventory management.

In addition, smart packaging can help facilitate more sustainable disposal or reuse methods. They cite the example of using technology to cleanly separate labels from plastic containers, to reduce the amount of adhesive residue and enable higher quality recycling.

4. Eco-conscious product lines

Doing more to protect the planet is a real driver of purchasing behaviour, and will necessitate changes to your procurement processes and product lines.

Health and environmentally-conscious consumers that adopt plant-based diets and want more ‘natural’ ingredients are changing the product mix in the food and beverage industry. Consumers are also more likely to read labels and reject unsustainable ingredients like palm oil.

An awareness of the true impact of fast fashion is prompting retailers like The Iconic and H&M to develop specific sustainable product lines.

5. Sustainable packaging and the circular economy

Research from Mintel indicates Australians prefer to buy products sold in eco-friendly packaging (32%) as well as produced using sustainable sourcing methods (34%). As many as one in three Aussies said it was important for a brand to be sustainable.

In Australia, governments at all levels have committed to a target that all Australian packaging should be reusable, compostable or recyclable by 2025 in light of China’s ban on imported plastic waste.

Manufacturers and retailers will be keen to increase recycled content and support consumers to reuse and recycle products more easily—and distributors that support these goals will be well-placed to succeed.

How can wholesale distribution businesses remain relevant and sustainable?

To reduce costs, address environmental risks and maintain a strong reputation, wholesale distribution businesses need to get serious about operational efficiency and adaptability.

Staying ahead of the curve and enabling a sustainable supply chain puts the onus on distributors both small and large to develop systems and approaches that:

make better use of resources and contribute to reduced waste.
proactively address environmental risk and manage compliance.
facilitate consumer demand for purchases to be green, clean and ethical.

The adoption of innovative and integrated business systems, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, is increasingly a must-have—especially for growing, mid-market businesses with complex networks and processes.

The right ERP solution provides distribution companies with a solid foundation for identifying and coordinating business-wide improvements that reduce cost and waste while optimising workflows, compliance, inventory management, and customer experience.

We’ve helped many Australian wholesale distributors to embrace better practices by adopting an ERP solution—we can help you too. Call 1300 045 046 or email [email protected].

Here’s why you need a digitally-savvy supply chain workforce

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This post explores the importance of empowering your employees to achieve success in a digital supply chain.

Your business needs to adapt to succeed in a digital era. But it’s not just about new business models, online platforms and emerging technologies. What you make or sell—how you deliver value in a digital supply chain—arises from the convergence of people, processes and technology.

When we say businesses need to change, we’re talking about people too. Every new approach, tool or system you introduce needs to be managed or used by human beings.

That’s why one of the most pressing concerns for businesses of all sizes in manufacturing and distribution must be how innovation will impact your workforce. That includes your ability to find and develop talented people, and create an engaged and unified team that works collaboratively towards an ever-evolving vision.

Are you doing enough to enable your team to excel in a digital supply chain?

A report released in May 2019 titled Transforming Australian Manufacturing: Preparing businesses and workplaces for Industry 4.0, proposes a range of initiatives that support lifelong learning and skills development throughout a worker’s lifecycle in the industrial value chain.

According to the report, manufacturing and distribution workplaces will become more digital across every role. Digital literacy will be vital: “Workers will need to have the skills to make decisions and solve problems in this environment, understanding how data, systems and machines fit together.”

In addition to targeted training, the report highlights the need to create an internal digital culture that encourages and empowers workers who may not have traditionally engaged with digital systems and processes.

In uncertain times, the adaptability of your team and digital systems matters

Volatility across costs, economies, and customer demand create challenging conditions for many manufacturers and wholesale distributors. This is especially true for small to mid-sized companies that want to scale their outputs and customer base yet remain lean and cost-effective.

It’s no wonder then that an increasing number of employers see adaptability as an essential work skill. Regularly changing focus, making faster decisions, and trying new approaches are all vital qualities when your business is facing upheaval.

Achieving a more adaptable team might be easier than you think.

Results of a global survey published in the Harvard Business Review in 2019 shows that frontline workers at risk through automation are more open to change than many employers believe. In particular, people are positive about the prospect of more interesting, flexible, and higher-paid work that automation and technology might allow.

People want the chance to contribute to a higher capacity, with effective tools at their fingertips. Of course, that also means the successful pairing of people and machines hinges on the quality, flexibility and relevance of the digital technologies you choose.

GE’s former boss believes helping workers drive digital systems is essential

Why should you listen to Jeff Immelt, in light of GE’s poor results of late? Immelt was at the helm during the decimation of the celebrated industry stalwart. But he is also a seasoned leader with a unique perspective on what not to do: he has admitted that GE did not track or capitalise on digital technologies closely enough.

Talking recently to Industry Week, Immelt said there are two sides to leveraging digital: fostering a high-level enthusiasm for what is possible, plus understanding the execution side—how digital systems fit into people’s daily work environment.

He believes a key challenge for the industry is how to empower frontline production supply chain workers to harness next-generation technologies.

“If you’re investing in a manufacturing or production system or an ERP, the CIO makes that decision. And the manufacturing person is the implementer of that system,” he said.

“And I think particularly in manufacturing, there’s going to be a wave where the workers are the drivers, not just the receiver of all these technologies. I personally don’t think it can be led exclusively by the CIO. It’s got to be led by a digitally savvy supply chain person.”

The technology you choose affects how well your team can embrace change

Fostering a learning culture and empowering your team to embrace a digital mindset in part comes down to the technologies you choose.

For instance, whether you have disparate software systems or a unified enterprise solution that makes collaboration quicker, how intuitive and mobile-friendly your interfaces are, and how easy it is to extract insights and recommendations from aggregated business data.

Integrated workflows, more fool-proof processes, and less room for human error are a key benefit of digitising the supply chain for manufacturing and distribution businesses. When people partner effectively with technology, it creates the right conditions to improve overall business performance.

Do you want to embrace more integrated digital technologies that empower your team to achieve more with less? Contact us today for help to evaluate your enterprise technology options.

Is “choice paralysis” holding back your businesses digital transformation?

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Know you need to digitise to grow your business but feel overwhelmed by too many technology choices? You’re not alone: we explain the reason behind choice paralysis, and why and how to overcome it.

Too much information can be overwhelming and result in no action at all. Many Australian businesses are missing out on the benefits of the digital revolution because they struggle to make decisions about the best way forward.

This is a problem because embracing digital technology drives competitive advantage. For example, digital transformation can help manufacturers streamline production, automate supply chain processes, and improve customer experience in the distribution industry.

Delaying your digital transformation means you can’t reap the rewards that come from leveraging technologies—such as cloud-based, enterprise software—to improve business performance, customer experience, and staff retention.

What is choice paralysis and why does it affect digital transformation decisions?

Psychologist and author Barry Schwartz is well-known for his work on the paradox of choice: that an abundance of choice doesn’t make us freer, but more paralysed. “With so many options to choose from, people find it very difficult to choose at all,” Schwartz argues.

Too many choices can cause confusion, anxiety and regret—and it’s made even more difficult in a digital age with expansive access to information, services, and e-commerce channels.

Choice or analysis paralysis can affect all kinds of decisions: but decisions that require a significant investment or will disrupt the status quo can be especially tricky.

We see this a lot when people start thinking about Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions. Usually, the company is growing quickly and all the signs indicate that current systems are inadequate.

But the metamorphosis feels daunting. How do you go from a mix of paper-based systems, spreadsheets, and disparate, entry-level software, to comprehensive digital systems that give you visibility across every part of your operation?

Browsing the internet can prompt more questions than answers. Which sources can you trust? Which solutions will cater to what you need now and what you’ll likely need as you grow? How do you ensure your business is getting value for money?

It’s easy to become frustrated by the sheer number of possibilities, or too caught up in the potential consequences of making the wrong choice.

Committing to digital transformation boosts business performance

Companies all around the world are facing the same dilemma about how to position themselves to compete in a more global, digital business environment.

Deloitte released a report in January this year on how leaders are navigating the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’, which revealed that the top two challenges were:

Lack of vision on the part of leadership.
Too many technology choices.

It also showed that organisations with leaders who were more willing to face the challenge of long-term technological change were growing faster and more confidently.

Closer to home, research on the digital readiness of Australian SMEs by ANZ revealed that many business owners struggle to get started because of the complex nature of tools and the breadth of options available.

More than half the businesses surveyed were dismissive or tentative about engaging with digital—and these businesses also reported the lowest average revenue earned per employee. On the other hand, businesses that were confidently embracing digitisation were making productivity and revenue gains.

Business leaders that implement more integrated, advanced digital systems to run their business will stand apart from their competitors. They’ll also have the upper hand as further technological changes emerge.

How to overcome analysis paralysis and make confident decisions about digitisation

These are four key ideas for overcoming choice paralysis to help you determine which technologies will make a meaningful difference to your business:

Prioritise the decision: Be honest. If embracing digital systems is vital to your future success, commit to making a decision and give yourself a deadline.
Create criteria: Define the goals you have for digitisation, your essential functional/technological requirements, and the resources you have to facilitate the change. Use this to create a high-level list of criteria you can use to narrow your options from the outset.
Break decisions into smaller steps: Making decisions in stages reduces the pressure on each choice, and helps you avoid being distracted by insignificant details.
Get qualified advice and support: You don’t make these kinds of decisions every day, but technology consultants do. Draw on the experience of a trusted, reliable expert.

[READ NOW – Leverage Technologies’ complete ERP software selection guide]

Don’t delay a digital transformation that could make or break your business

Being able to leverage technology is a business imperative. If you allow yourself to be stalled due to choice paralysis, the repercussions for your business can be severe.

Modern businesses that expect to grow, need the scalability of cloud computing, and more integrated business management approaches, configured to their unique needs. That’s why ERP solutions that offer end-to-end insight and control are a key aspect of the digital transformations undertaken by many leading SMEs.

The decision to implement an ERP solution requires forethought, but if you’re being held back by silos of information, inefficient workarounds, or outdated legacy systems, the time to take action is well overdue.

Talk to our highly experienced and awarded team about transforming your systems with a unified ERP solution. Call 1300 045 046 or email [email protected].