For your system to be safe from attacks, an IT audit is crucial. In an IT audit, the main objective is to determine the availability of computer systems, the security and confidentiality of the information in the system, and the accuracy, reliability, and timeliness of the system.

Between the different software updates, the addition of devices, and the possible configuration errors, there are a thousand and one possible problems that can endanger the IT infrastructure and therefore jeopardize the productivity of a company.

Carrying out an IT audit makes it possible to better face these problems, or even to anticipate them in most cases.

WHAT IS IT AUDIT?

A computer audit makes it possible to identify possible flaws in a computer system or an entire computer system.

By carrying out a complete inventory, it is easier later to organize the work, correct certain systems, to update or even change such software.

The Objectives Of An IT Audit Are:

• Carry out a precise inventory: it will be necessary to inventory the operations on each computer station, on each server, each office application as well as the means of connection.
• Set up preventive security: it is access to data that is at the center of the concerns of an IT audit. It is necessary to locate and identify each piece of data to better protect it and to determine a threshold of tolerance and accessibility.
• Modify or improve the computer system: concern is given to material constraints as well as human resource constraints.

THE BENEFITS OF AN IT AUDIT

A GAIN IN PRODUCTIVITY

With an IT audit, you will save considerable time since you can anticipate possible problems related to technical errors and therefore react proactively and no longer curatively.

Your company will have a complete and recent inventory and this will allow you to measure yourself against the competition more calmly.

COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW

A computer audit also makes it possible to check whether your computer equipment complies with the legislation in force.

If your company had to face a merger, a resale, or an assignment, the IT audit facilitates the process to help any manipulations be carried out.

WHO CARRIES OUT THE IT AUDIT?

The manager or the IT manager can take care of this audit but their time is often limited, it is strongly recommended to turn to an external service provider to carry out this intervention.

By calling on an IT service provider outside the company, you ensure that you have a fresh and impartial look at your system and your IT equipment. Its assessment will be more objective and therefore more relevant for the company itself.

The external service provider will collect neutral testimonials and will not have to come up against possible hierarchy conflicts: its diagnosis will be 100% reliable and close to reality.

 Whether it is a first ERP project for your SME or the change of an existing solution, the choice of ERP software should not be taken lightly. Indeed, choosing the right ERP will positively impact the performance and productivity of your business. Before starting to compare the different solutions on the market, the first step is to precisely define and formalize your needs.

If your SME is already equipped and you hesitate to renew your current management solution, discover our article on the 5 reasons to change your ERP software.

So which ERP to choose for your SME and how? Among the criteria for selecting an integrated management software package (ERP), we suggest that you study certain fundamentals to take into account before you decide. Then, you can make a comparison of the ERPs on the market.

1. Knowledge Of Your SME/SMI Business

Some integrated management software packages can be adapted to a very broad industry spectrum (Trading, HR, Project, Production, Process, Logistics, Stock, etc.) and others are oriented toward a specific industry, sector, or profession.

Choose An ERP Solution Adapted To Your SME/SMI Specificities

When looking for an integrated management solution, SMEs regularly turn to publishers of generalist solutions with a strong reputation. This type of ERP, which is both “generic” and often oversized, involves more adaptations. Adaptations that increase the complexity, risks, deadlines, the costs of an ERP project for SMEs and also add difficulty to future updates.

Conversely, ERP software geared to your field of activity allows you to have a ready-to-use solution much more quickly, better expertise, and fewer specific developments to plan for. 

Choose An ERP Integrator Who Understands Your Business

Choosing an ERP integrator with expertise in your industry is just as important. With knowledge of your industry, the integrator will be able to analyze and resolve problems more effectively, saving you time and money.

2. Functional Coverage And System Agility

Your future ERP must offer a favorable environment for decision-making and be flexible enough to adapt to your organization and the needs that you have previously formulated. It should in no way force you to change your processes. Your ERP software must ensure the proper management of information flows between the different departments of your company: sales, production, accounting, purchasing, and management.

Flexibility And Adaptability Of The Software To The Medium-Term Strategy

The functionalities offered by an ERP must be able to meet at least 80% of the immediate needs of your organization but also the medium-term needs. Indeed, your requirements and your needs at the moment should not be the only arguments that guide you in your purchase decision.

It is, therefore, necessary to reflect on certain possible scenarios that can be part of the company’s development and medium-term strategy: internationalization, the opening of new production sites, staff mobility, new markets, etc.

The selected solution must be flexible and modular enough to support you toward new realities. If the ERP you want has excessive limitations in terms of functionality and customization, it is advisable to look elsewhere.

The selected solution must be flexible and modular enough to support you toward new realities. If the ERP you want has excessive limitations in terms of customization, it is advisable to look elsewhere.

3. User Experience And Adoption Of Your ERP Software Within Your Company

The adoption and appropriation of ERP software by the personnel of the company is a major issue and must be taken into consideration.

Naturally, a good ERP must be able to present the right information to the right people at the right time. But it must also be intuitive, and easily customizable.

Each employee of the company, whatever their function, will have to work daily with this new tool. Perhaps even employees who are not users of the current system will have to use this new ERP.

4. Medium-Term Costs

The cost of ERP software is a fundamental issue. But too often, the company limits itself to considering the initial costs whereas it is essential to take into account the total costs over the medium – long term to compare the offers and their ROI.

Even though business models are changing faster than in the past, an ERP system should be seen as a long-term investment. According to several studies, an integrated management software package has a life cycle of 8 to 10 years on average.

5. Sustainability And Quality Of Support

Sustainability must be verified at the level of the product itself, but also at the level of the service provider who will deploy the solution, and above all ensure support in the years that follow.

Ensuring the sustainability of software is not easy when you are not an IT specialist, especially considering that companies change ERP software every 10-12 years.

But do not hesitate to ask questions about the technologies used, and the architecture of the software, or even ask to have a presentation of the technical developments that have been made in recent years on the software. Many solutions available on the market today are more than 30 years old, and if technically the product has not evolved at all, this should concern you.

Beyond the solution, it is essential to choose the right partners because the human factor is the key to the success of your ERP project. Do not hesitate to inquire about after-sales service, customer service, ticket management, etc.

You must therefore carefully analyze the profile of the integrator and the ERP editor before you start. They will be present for several years at your side and will guarantee the performance of the system put in place. Be all the more vigilant if you are considering an open-source solution.

              benefits include  Benefits also include the ability to run the business more efficiently. Ever since ERP was invented, it has grown steadily to become indispensable.

The first thing to do to improve the quality of the company is to learn about ERP. There are different types of ERP software today, including those that have been designed for large enterprises. It is important to choose an ERP software adapted to the size of the company, which meets its needs, as well as its budget.

Once the company has chosen ERP software, the next step should be to educate employees in different departments about the usefulness of implementing an ERP.

The next step in ERP is to define the business functions. This will help the ERP software identify the right areas that need improvement and make the necessary changes. Certain areas should be considered when designing ERP software for a small or large business.

One of the best ways to determine areas for improvement is to use the tools available with ERP software. An example of this tool is the inventory management tool. When this tool is used, one can easily discover the problems that arise and make the necessary changes.

Once the company’s inventory has been identified, the company should also consider the distribution process. Indeed, the distribution must be carried out in such a way as to maximize profits. If the distribution is not carried out correctly, the profits of the company are reduced.

ERP is very important for any business and it must be installed by the business for success of the business. This will allow the company to better manage its processes, which will ERP is the abbreviation of “enterprise resource planning”. The term ERP refers to different types of software or rather software packages, which include ERPs for different sizes of companies and different types of ERP (Cloud, SAAS, etc).

ERP And Optimization Of The Quality Of Operation

Using ERP software has many advantages. These also help increase its productivity. With proper ERP implementation, a company will be able to conduct business more efficiently and can provide maximum profit.

We have to consider many things when it comes to ERP. But with proper planning, it can be managed effectively. As mentioned earlier, there are different aspects to consider when a small business uses ERP.

The next step is to look at the cost of ERP implementation. It always pays to spend more money when the benefits it can bring are worth it. Of course, benefits can only be delivered if the cost exceeds the costs.

The third step of ERP is to make employees understand the importance of ERP. Ultimately, they must ensure that ERP is used correctly so that the benefits of ERP are realized. Once the right people are in charge of using the ERP, the benefits will certainly follow.

What To Do If The Management Software Is Not Suitable?

For various reasons, it is possible that the PGI that is currently installed does not meet the needs or is obsolete.

In this case, do not hesitate and change ERP by studying the alternatives on the market.

Why An ERP Can Improve Business Efficiency?

The ERP software has made the management of business processes, production, sales, after-sales, accounting, etc., effective and efficient. With this software, the company can track data produced by employees and can also produce reports and make them accessible to executives. This is the reason why ERP software is beneficial for companies that want to improve their productivity as well as their business efficiency.

The benefits that an ERP can bring are many, but the main one is the increase in productivity. With this software, productivity will increase because the software can keep track of data and can provide the organization with all the information it has.

But ERP can also help the company identify its problems, not just because of its ability to track data. As problems are identified, the business will be able to fix them, get rid of them, and be more successful in the future

To improve a company’s efficiency, ERP can also help reduce costs. Indeed, the software can calculate the cost of assets as well as their value and provide information on the company’s cash flow. With the correct information, the company can reduce operating costs and increase efficiency.

In addition, ERP is also useful for business process management. It can help streamline management processes so employees don’t have to attend meetings. All tasks can be performed using the software.

Besides, ERP also helps in increasing profitability as the software will help the management to control the costs of the business and improve its efficiency. Therefore, ERP is beneficial for both business owners and employees.

Because of the benefits that ERP can bring companies will be able to afford to purchase the software. This is the reason why many companies buy this software. It is a cost-effective way to improve the efficiency of the organization and increase its profitability because this software is very easy to use and the organization does not have to worry about its management.

Another great benefit of ERP is that it will save the organization a lot of time. As the software does not have complicated and lengthy procedures, so it will help in speeding up the work of the company.

Finally, ERP can also help increase the productivity of the organization as ERP software is capable of increasing the efficiency of workers and employees. This is one of the reasons why this software is considered the most suitable for improving the efficiency of the organization.

Conclusion

Ultimately, ERP has several benefits and one of the benefits it can bring to any business is the ability to better manage overall business processes and performance. The company can get the most out of its investments by implementing ERP and improving the quality of the business.

What Is A CRM?

CRM comes from the acronym Customer Relationship Management, translated, as Management of customer relations. CRM is an intelligent approach composed of a set of tools and technologies that help companies improve the relationships they have with existing customers and win new customers in a short time.

The Use Of CRM Solutions Within A Company

CRM-type applications are used by at least one department within a company.

The key department that will continuously use the application is the Sales department. The CRM helps the sales teams to organize their databases, and diaries about clients, so that the information about them is very well structured and easy to find and filter.

Sales consultants can record relevant information about customers and the interactions they have had with them. Managers of sales departments also frequently use CRM software to create and impose new relations procedures with existing customers and win new customers by applying relevant sales strategies.

CRM is not just for the sales team Another department that will be interested in interacting with the CRM is the Marketing Department.

What Does CRM Mean In Marketing:

Accessing the data from the database and better understanding the client and the evolution of the market, the staff from this department is the main beneficiary of using the application. They use customer segmentation, helping them launch personalized marketing campaigns and, as a result, win new customers.

Another department that accesses CRM software is the Customer Relations Department, which records all interactions with customers: by phone, online, and at the headquarters. Thus, a complete picture of the client is gathered, helping to create an approach centered around her.

What Is The Purpose Of A CRM Application?

The purpose of a CRM is to unify the interactions that a company has had with its customers, in any possible way, so that it can then use this information to determine a company strategy.

How Do You Know That You Have Chosen The Perfect CRM Solution For You?

To ensure a perfect dynamic for your company, the implementation of a CRM starts with understanding how to approach existing customers and win new ones. The interfaces are easy and generate reports that will help you observe your business at 360 degrees.

CRM Advantages

Beneficial influence on sales growth, by optimizing the 4 most important factors: decreasing the average length of the sales cycle, increasing the number of potential customers and thus sales opportunities, increasing their conversion rate, as well as increasing the average value of a contract.

Sales can be efficiently and continuously monitored, customized flows can be established depending on the client and best practices can be improved at the company level, all of which contribute to the quality of the sales process.

Among the advantages of CRM is the fact that marketing activities can be automated in the marketing department, creating more sales opportunities.

In addition to all these advantages, CRM increases the quality of the relationship with customers. Within the application, employees always have access to complete information about customers, with the help of which they can solve any problem in the shortest possible time.

Other CRM advantages: providing employees with automated workflows induces a massive increase in productivity within the company. The CRM application can be accessed from any type of mobile device, desktop, or laptop, allowing the sales team to work from anywhere, anytime.

So, you have learned what a CRM is and what are the advantages of this application.

Do you want to have a website made or do you jump in the deep end yourself? Whichever of the two cases it is, you want your website to be a good website that keeps up with the times. The world is changing rapidly, including the online world. Visitors expect more and more, everything has to be faster and Google is getting smarter all the time. So more and more is being asked of a website, but what are the characteristics of a good website? Or rather, what requirements should a good website meet?

Are you going to have a website made or are you planning to make your own? We have listed the characteristics of a good website. With this checklist, you can check whether your website meets the requirements that a good website must meet! 

1. The Website Must Be Well-Designed And Functional :

Eye-catchy web design is very important for websites, just as a neat-looking interior is important for shops. Once a potential customer lands on your page, it only takes 50 milliseconds to decide whether they want to continue browsing or stay on your website. The web design must be in line with your brand strategy so that people immediately recognize your company when they land on the website.

Another important point to consider in the design is the usability of the website. Make sure the website is user-friendly in any browser. The best thing about web design is that there are no restrictions and you can experiment and innovate as you, please. After researching your customers’ preferences, you can act on what your customer keeps on the website and converts.

A beautiful website is nice, but a good website must also work well. Therefore, always make sure that the functionality of your website is not at the expense of the design of your website. If a website does not work correctly, there is a good chance that visitors will also drop out quickly.

2. A Fast-Loading Website Is Essential :

A slow website is quickly abandoned and does not convert. The society we live in demands that everything is done as soon as possible. If your page takes 5 seconds to submit, your visitor will drop out and go to your competitor. A slow loading time also results in a poorer position in search engines such as Google. Not entirely unimportant if you ask us! The speed of a website or a page can be measured in different ways. The most popular tool for this is PageSpeed ​​Insights. This tool is from Google itself and therefore very reliable. When you run your website through PageSpeed ​​Insights, you will have to be patient. After a few seconds, the tool will give your website a score of 0-100 for both the mobile version and the desktop version. They are also nice enough to mention what is wrong with the website in terms of speed and how you can optimize this!

3. The Website Must Have Clear CTAs :

And we have arrived at the ‘CTAs‘, but what are these anyway? A CTA is a Call To Action. CTAs are often displayed in the form of buttons such as “Contact Now” or “Request Quote”. A CTA translates as ‘Call to action. You want the visitor to your website to do something. With a good CTA, you can bring visitors to where you want them within 1 click. Think about the purpose of your website and make sure there are clear CTAs.

4. A Good Website Shows Customer Reviews :

Customer reviews show that you have proven yourself before and thus inspire confidence among potential new customers. Think about it for yourself, if you want to buy a product and you are in doubt between two parties. One party has a lot of good reviews and the other party has none. Then you are more inclined to purchase the product from the party that does have reviews. After all, this party has proven itself and provides good service.

Building trust is very important. People now know that unfortunately, not every site is equally reliable and often even prefer to spend a little more money for more security than to buy something from the cheapest, without being sure whether the service is good.

5. A Good Website Has A Portfolio :

This also applies to the previous one. As we said, trust is important. People simply want to purchase services from companies with experience and expertise. Show your portfolio and make sure that it contains works that you are proud of and of the type of customers you would like to attract again. A portfolio often has little relation to a site such as a webshop, but for a construction company or other type of company that offers a service, a portfolio is nowadays essential.

6. The Website Should Tell Your Story :

Make it personal! Make sure you tell the story behind your company. In this way, you build a bond with your customer and they also see that there are people behind your company. By telling your story, you also inspire confidence. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a B2B or B2C company; people do business with people. Potential customers, therefore, want to know who they are doing business with. 

7. The Website Must Contain A Frequently Asked Questions Section (FAQ) :

This is a perk, but very useful. If you have good content, all of your customer’s questions are often already answered. However, some visitors just like to have quick answers to all their questions. It is useful to prepare a FAQ for this. Here visitors can see all their questions and answers to these questions at a glance. Moreover, an FAQ does not take up too much on your page.

The cloud has become an indispensable part of our daily lives. We come into contact with it every time we open our emails, watch Netflix or follow an online course. Thanks to the increase in applications, the popularity of cloud services are all the more true for businesses. The shift to fully digital solutions is well underway and there are very good reasons for this. 

In some cases, cloud computing means completely shifting your office to a digital environment that can be accessed from just about anywhere with an internet connection. But even with a less drastic move to ‘the cloud’, cloud computing gives you a huge increase in functionalities via the browser and an increase in the number of devices that can connect to the internet to get started with your company data. 

Here are the most important benefits for you and discuss how they can make a difference for your company.

1. Savings on IT and Infrastructure

Switching to cloud computing can save you a lot in IT costs. For starters, you no longer have to worry about purchasing and maintaining all kinds of server installations to store data. You no longer have to configure this, you no longer have to make room for it and the associated electricity costs disappear.

Many cloud services also offer ready-made software packages, so you no longer have to invest in this. In addition, you also need fewer experts within your company who have to maintain your IT infrastructure and provide everything with updates, or you can use them for more important tasks. In case of problems, you can immediately contact the administrator of your cloud to assist you. All of this makes it extremely easy for starting companies.

2. Flexibility

Working in the cloud gives you enormous flexibility. By placing the entire digital work environment of your organization in the cloud, you can actually work with your data from anywhere and at any time, whether you are visiting a customer or want to quickly check something during the weekend. This also allows those employees who do not need direct access to the company to work from home. For example, it also gives you the opportunity to have experts from all over the world participate in your projects without any problem. Where in the past you always had to work with a fixed computer, that has become completely unnecessary. After all, many cloud applications are also accessible via a smartphone or tablet. 

3. Scalability

By moving your data and activities to the cloud, you have the advantage that you can easily determine the scale of your activities yourself. Would you like to expand everything quickly and do you want to be sure that your systems can handle the influx? This usually does not have to take long and in some cases, it can even be solved with a limited number of mouse clicks. Has the attention for your organization decreased somewhat and would you rather slow down? That’s no problem either. Everything can be perfectly adjusted to your needs, which gives you enormous flexibility. So you don’t have to worry about purchasing additional equipment

4. Security of your data

Putting your data and productivity applications all in the cloud can seem quite scary. After all, your data is no longer with you, so what if something happens to it? However, cloud providers are increasingly aware of the appeal of all the data residing on their servers, which is why they invest heavily in all possible means to keep the information safe, both in the event of disasters and external actors. This quickly ensures that your data is in safer hands with them than on your own IT infrastructure. Your data is often copied across different servers, so in case of an emergency, there is still a copy available.

Working with the cloud also gives you the option to work with multiple backups of your data and software. If something does go wrong, you can easily reset all data from your own cloud very quickly. Everything can be easily copied and re-applied, immediately limiting your potential downtime. So you don’t have to worry too much that your business will ever come to a standstill, regardless of your size.

5. Better Collaboration

The increase in home working has made it all the more clear how important it is to have an environment in which your employees can communicate easily with each other. However, cloud computing makes collaboration a breeze. The information your employees have to work with is available to everyone and can therefore be shared easily and securely. Some cloud services even offer standard collaboration software, which makes creating, adapting, and distributing information together child’s play. So you lose as little time as possible on communication errors and give employees the opportunity to interact as productively as possible.

6. Automatic Updates

Software needs to be updated regularly and that can quickly prove to be a time-consuming activity for your IT department. Thanks to the cloud, however, these updates take place behind the scenes and your provider always provides you with the latest software. In addition to software updates, automatic upgrades to the servers can also take place, so that you can always get started with the fastest and most powerful infrastructure.

Agile Working Methodology is a way of thinking, working, and organizing. It allows organizations to respond quickly and effectively to changes in the outside world. Customer satisfaction is paramount, especially in light of company well-being and healthy results.

          Nowadays Agile working is often applied in organizations; efficiency and effectiveness are central to this working method. Why should you also consider Agile working? Here are the reasons you should consider using this technique in your organization.

1. Increased Product/Service Quality

Logically, a customer does not want to buy bad products, but developers within a Scrum team do not want to deliver a bad product anymore. By working in Agile, developers have plenty of time to focus on developing the product, while other team members worry about peripheral issues. As a result, the product will be delivered on time and of high quality.

2. Predictability Is Made Possible By Agile Working

Where organizations were previously able to provide few details about the delivery time, making the switch to Agile makes the development process more transparent: customers know exactly how long it takes to develop a product and what to expect from it. With sprints as a guideline, the delivery rhythm of a Scrum team is extremely predictable. That’s what makes it so pleasant for customers.

3. Creating The Right Products/Services

Although this reason is very similar to the previous one, there is certainly an important difference. It is possible that a Scrum team builds exactly what the customer asks for, but that this product is put into use in a completely different way than was intended beforehand. So no value is created for the customer, even though that is precisely the goal. By delivering a partial product after each sprint and then improving it, the Scrum team has a better idea of ​​the customer’s actual wishes and what the product is ultimately used for.

4. Customer Satisfaction

Although Agile is not a panacea, customers do have the opportunity to follow the development process of the product. The Scrum team remains in constant communication with the customer to deliver the best possible product together. In addition, you make a customer extra happy when a team can add new functions to an existing product or service.

5. Agile Working Reduces The Risks

When an organization starts working with Agile, this has a direct effect on reducing the risks related to the delivery of wrong products and/or services. Agile itself is risk management. Because partial products are presented to the customer every 2 – 4 weeks and immediate feedback is given, the chance that an incorrect end product will ultimately be delivered is greatly reduced.

6. Faster Time To Market

A common problem that organizations encounter is the lengthy delivery period. This regularly results in the delivery of wrong products or services that the customer is no longer interested in. By working Agile you avoid this issue completely because a delivery period of 2 – 4 weeks is used.