IT systems should help drive up sales

7 June 2010

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the growing empire of Tesco. You may have thought it was already taking over the shopping experience and it will soon be building the road network too, when Tesco towns are developed.

Asda is also set to expand, with its recent purchase of 193 Netto stores around the UK. Meanwhile, in the mortgage arena we’ve seen the purchase of Home of Choice by LSL Property Services.

All these are examples of big companies expanding their distribution channels and increasing their opportunities for sales. Clearly, they have significant funds available but whatever your size, if growth is in your plan you’ll want to achieve this cost-effectively and smoothly.

Getting new sales people up and running and meeting clients is of the utmost importance. But if they perform a significant function in your business and you’re faced with delays in Financial Services Authority registration you need to mitigate against any other barriers to trading.

At the hub of most companies now are their IT systems, but unfortunately these can sometimes also be a weak link. Your system should be straightforward to use so everyone feels comfortable with it.

It’s worth looking for a system that provides support for the life of the client or business front, middle and back office.

It should also provide all the management information you need to run your business and provide your team with the tools to service their clients and drive up revenue.