Realizing the fact that your company needs a Customer Relationship Management software solution, is an exciting time. It means that your business is growing beyond, what your notepad, excel spreadsheets and brain can handle, You need a software solution to keep track of  those things for you.

What to look for in a CRM software

Discover your needs. Are you looking for a web based or hosted solution? What functionalities does the software need to keep up with your business needs?  What is your budget for the software?

Once you have discovered what your needs are, then you must start looking for a solution. There are a couple ways in which to find a reliable CRM software provider.

1. Ask a Peer: If you have a network of associates already using a CRM solution, why not ask for a recommendation or an opinion on the CRM they are using.
2. Google it: For example, if you were searching for CRM Software in Florida then you could enter that into Google and sift through the results.
3. Pick up the yellow book. Although this method is the least reliable it does give you a great starting point.

Kick the Tires

Before you commit to buying a customer relationship management solution, why not find a vendor who will provide you with a free trial or demo. This way you can play around with the software and determine if it meets your needs.

Reference check the vendor and software

The internet provides a lot of information about company reputation and software solution experiences. Once you have decided on a vendor and a software, do some digging on the internet to find out what is being said about your choices.

Once you have purchased a solution, it is important to remain in contact with your vendor as they will be the point of contact for all maintenance and upgrade issues that will occur.

With spring upon us and construction season about to get underway, I thought I would take the time to discuss Sage Software’s Master Builder & Sage Timberline Office products.

Sage Master Builder is an integrated end to end construction management software system. It is designed for construction and contracting companies that need more than just accounting. Information entered into the systems creates job costing budgets, purchase orders and subcontracts directly. These features allow you to track estimates, committed and actual costs .

Sage Timberline Office is the most widely used software today for General Contractors doing $ 10 to $ 50 Million in revenue annually. It is a modular system that can be tailored to your existing processes. Timberline Office is more than just job cost accounting software. Project Managers are able to track all communication on a construction job from the time of bid through completion.

When researching Point of Sales Software systems, it may be handy to have a list of questions to ask the software specialist, I came across this list on the Buyer’s Zone and thought it may be of help to you in making Point of Sale Software decisions. Enjoy!

• Does it interface with my accounting software? How extensive is that integration – does it simply an export of journal entries for the day, or is there a thorough integration of the two programs?
• How easy is it to make changes to the programming? You will need to be able to change prices, items, and employees regularly – make sure you can comfortably work with the setup interface.
• Does the credit card processing feature work with my current merchant account?
• What type of reports is it capable of producing? Every piece of software will give you basic reports – ask for samples so you can compare.
• Does it support gift card transactions? How thoroughly – can cardholders check their balances online?
• Can you make changes in advance? For example, can you create a Christmas menu sometime in October, and set it to automatically take effect December 1?
• Does it interface with liquor control devices? (LCDs track each pour of a bottle, reducing shrinkage and free drinks.)

Choosing an HRIS can be a daunting decision. With so many to choose from and so many different functionalities, finding one to suit your company’s needs can be tough. Luckily for you, I have broken it down into 5 easy steps. Good Luck!

1. Search for HRIS + your local location in a Search Engine (Ex. I would search HRIS Maine)

2. Find a website which offers, Whitepapers, Demos & Webcasts

3. Educate yourself on the various HRIS products

4. Try out the various HRIS Demo offerings

5. Choose the HRIS you are most interested and contact the implementation specialist for a consultation.

Easy isn’t it?