As your SMB takes on new staff, implements new processes and expands its operations, it’s important to have a robust business system that supports this kind of growth. If your goal is for your SMB to grow into a large enterprise, start running it like one.

Running your SMB like a large enterprise will help you improve productivity, cut costs and keep your business running smoothly.

Here are some tips and lessons learned by the big IT operations over the years that you can implement:

· Choose a business management system that is flexible and will grow with you, such as an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. An ERP system integrates most functions of a business, including quoting, planning, manufacturing, sales and marketing.

One of the main reasons business owners and managers source alternative business software is purely due to growth. As a business grows and more staff are added, entry-level accounting systems like MYOB start slowing down and losing performance.

An ERP system such as Jim2 Business Engine will not slow down as you add more users, customers and suppliers. As you change a process or procedure in your business, you can change your ERP system’s workflow rules to match your company policy.

Jim2 Business Engine is a powerful multi-user ERP and accounting solution, built for SMBs that retail, manufacture, distribute, import and/or service. It manages each phase of a business’ workflow cycle – from stock control, sales, servicing and customer contact to quoting, invoicing, financials and reporting.

· Implement a virtual office system. Becoming a (virtually) paperless office and changing manual processes into automated electronic processes can save hundreds of hours per year in administration.

An ERP system allows quick access to all files and records within a business so data can be retrieved on demand. Information can be integrated across applications and shared between offices, suppliers and customers, with multiple access allowed to the same file without corruption of data.

· Report like a ‘big business’. Reporting for SMBs often means pulling different data from a number of different systems and putting them together to form a meaningful, consolidated report. This is inefficient, cumbersome and time-wasting.

An ERP system brings all your data together and lets you customise your reports so you can see exactly what you need instantly. ERP systems provide true stock control and true costing as opposed to average costing. Reports such as “job costing”, “profitability”, “job profit”, “daily labour” and “actual time” can be extracted from a good ERP system.

Jim2 Business Engine is an ERP system designed specifically for SMBs so they can take advantage of their data for maximum efficiency in conducting business. It helps companies drive down costs, manage their information more effectively and operate more efficiently.

ERP Systems also let you expand overseas

One company that implemented Jim2 for business growth is Australian Innovative Systems (AIS), an International Award Winning Brisbane-based specialist manufacturer and exporter of salt-water chlorination systems. It has expanded internationally over the last decade and invested significantly to develop and incorporate state-of-the-art technology into its salt chlorinator products.

Expanding offshore required a more robust business system that combined accounting with workflow and operational information reporting. AIS needed a solution that could provide support with multiple foreign currency transactions, improved stock control and workflow management including stock serial number tracking.

AIS discovered Jim2 could provide it with more flexibility and accurate controls over its manufacturing processes following some initial testing.

Elena Gosse, executive director, AIS, said, “Jim2 allows for accurate recording, documentation and tracking of overseas contracts. It also helps us save time on administration work and concentrate on winning new business overseas.”

ERP Systems help you to grow and expand

Another company reaping the benefits of Jim2 is Copy Print Scan (CPS), a digital document production and management technologies specialist based in the Albury-Wodonga region. CPS expanded its operation into Shepparton, VIC, in 2008 and added Lexmark and Panasonic brands to its offerings to further develop a ‘best of breed’ approach to all facets of document management.

At the forefront of CPS’ growth strategy was the need for more comprehensive reporting, better control of data and data management, integration of key business software functions and less labour-intensive administration.

CPS implemented Jim2 to accommodate all its new and existing customers across multiple sites and improve its business workflow management, reporting, billing and service provision. The immediate benefits were accurate reporting, cost control, improved business processes and enhanced quality of data and information.

CPS and AIS are just two examples of SMBs using ERP to run their businesses like large enterprises. If you feel like your business has outgrown small business accounting software such as MYOB and Quicken, then it may be time for you to consider taking that next step to ERP. For a relatively small investment, you too can start running your business like a large enterprise.