Every business depends on some type of software, but some businesses seem to have an application for every single thing and it can be too much for employees or administrators to manage. So the question has to be asked: What is the right amount of software for your business? Today, we’ll discuss the types of software every business needs and how to determine what you need. 

Mandatory Software

Obviously, the choice to use certain pieces of software is dictated by your organization’s needs. For example, a manufacturer will need different software than a retail organization, but there are some applications that every business needs to simply run their operation. These titles include:

Accounting 

Managing your business’ finances is made infinitely easier by using software that is specifically designed to do so. Every business needs software that will allow them to keep their taxes in order, manage their payroll, and do general accounting. Let’s briefly go through the features of each application. 

Tax

The object of tax software is to properly track and manage your business’ tax liability so that you are able to pay your business taxes on time and in accordance with the law of the land. Since taxes are mandatory, having software that will allow you to know how much you owe over time is important.

Payroll

Your employees are at the center of everything you do. Ensuring they get their payment every pay period is important. A comprehensive payroll system will have payroll processing, direct deposit, tax filing, and compensation features that allow your HR department to do all that needs to be done in terms of payroll.

Bookkeeping

Keeping the books clean and clear of errors is essential to running a successful business. A good bookkeeping system will have invoicing options, asset amortization, bank reconciliation, and thorough report generation to ensure that your business can stay on top of its money. 

Time Tracking

Time is an asset you simply can’t get back, and for a lot of businesses managing time is the way they dictate efficiency and overall productivity. By being able to track all the time that every service or project takes, you can make critical decisions that will dictate how your business runs. 

Project Management

Project management software covers a lot of ground. Essentially you need a platform for your team to share files, communicate about projects, and give the project manager the ability to assign tasks and coordinate the different resources needed for project completion.

Productivity

Most businesses use word processing, spreadsheet platforms, and presentation tools as a part of doing business. Today, there are a few really useful cloud-hosted tools that provide these applications and more. 

CRM

Customer Relationship Management software allows customers a way to interact with your business and provides your workers a place to store and share information concerning those crucial customer relationships. It is an essential productivity tool for any service provider.

Security

All businesses will need to handle their operations securely. In terms of cybersecurity, there are a lot of digital tools that can be used. These include antivirus software, content filtering, and firewalls. 

That is just a fraction of the software that most businesses have. Here are some other applications that businesses use:

Communications

Being able to effectively communicate can make or break a business. Typically, businesses utilize a combination of mail, email, telephone, video conferencing, and online collaboration. Finding the right communications platform not only improves operational efficiency, it can do wonders for customer satisfaction as well.

Marketing

The right marketing and advertising can put your business in front of the type of people that are looking to buy your products or subscribe to your services. Today, there are many different applications that allow businesses to manage their social media, run campaigns, and target prospective customers.

Sales

Likewise, sales teams often have their own dedicated software to help them track leads, schedule appointments and keep track of their sales funnel. 

Miscellaneous

Most of the software your business uses will be listed under this moniker. Software like operating systems, networking software, and Internet browsers all need attention so as to not cause security problems for your business. 

We Can Help You Get the Tools You Need

With so many parts of your business having to be addressed with software, our knowledgeable technology experts can help you get the tools you need to effectively run your business. Give us a call at (203) 261-2201 to learn more.