Have you migrated your small business to the Cloud? Most businesses have now made the leap to Cloud services in some shape or form. Perhaps you are using Outlook, Microsoft teams, SharePoint, and your company is more efficient as a result.
However, it is also likely that the additional intelligence that the Cloud provides is still largely untapped and there is so much more available that can really power up your business, but it can be challenging to understand where to start.
We may have already spoken to you about maximising your Cloud, but to help you get to grips with the next level of Cloud capability, here are four key questions to ask yourself.
Question 1: Do you know what apps are available?
Businesses with a Microsoft 365 Enterprise subscription have access to an extensive range of apps that you may not be familiar with. It is worth taking a moment to check what you have available and where they could be of benefit to your business. As an example, and we often reference these with our customers, using Power Apps gives you the freedom to build and launch apps simply with prebuilt templates. This can help with multiple areas in a business such as HR and finance, as well as process management.
According to Travis Carter, Director at Retrac, features like Microsoft Forms and Power Apps are commonly untouched but are incredibly powerful tools for SMEs.
“Often business leaders immediately look to an external solution to a problem or business process where there might be an app already available that could automate a simple task and it’s already been paid for. Don’t fall prey to duplicating expenditure,” says Travis.
If you don’t work with us already or have a dedicated IT team, Retrac are experts in managed IT services and applying these applications in the right way to optimise small businesses and importantly, provide solutions to more complex problems if an app doesn’t already exist.
Question 2: Have you automated processes?
Automating any business process is always going to pay dividends. The Cloud can streamline most time-consuming processes that are currently a time drain on your business. Put simply, where there is an action, it is possible to automate a reaction and when businesses can spend a small amount of time on administrative process, automating outcomes is invaluable to save time and increase accuracy.
“If you own a document that is a single source of truth, it is possible to get a notification when someone has edited it. Or systemised workflows can be created based on someone’s actions. Another common example would be a timesheet system that is Cloud based. It populates automatically and reduces errors or data tampering, unlike a paper-based system that is open to manipulation,” explains Travis.
The peace of mind the Cloud can provide when implemented properly is immeasurable. However, as you may have already experienced with us, it is important to understand that there are many approaches to automating a business and it pays to get it right from the start. Using the right team to do this provides the best outcome for the future.
“If you can think of a process that needs to be automated – tell us what it is, and we’ll help you make it happen.” states Travis.
The team at Retrac have a solid understanding of how businesses can streamline with automation, taking into consideration the complexity involved rather than a one size fits all approach. If you would like to speak to one of our team about automating your business today, we’d love to talk.
Question 3: Is your business future proof?
Use the Cloud to make systems and processes secure. Every business needs to be thinking about how they future proof themselves to ensure their business remains safe and sustainable for the long run and the Cloud is the place to start. It’s likely we are already discussing this with you, but if it’s still something you are considering, it’s time to put those thoughts into action and fast.
If you have an automated system online, data is populated and collected digitally and should be kept secure. The business owner has absolute control on who, when, where something was created, amended, or changed.
Putting in place a structure where process can be automated, accountable, secure, and accurate, is not only a logical step but a critical step to ensure your business is geared up for the future. Retrac work to ensure they understand every layer of your small business, so that it is set up for success from the start. Talk to the team today to set up your business IT solutions for tomorrow.
Question 4: Information is gold – are you harnessing it?
Retrac actively work with our customers to optimise not only process but also use the data that is gathered to improve business performance for the future. Put simply, anywhere there is an action there is useful data that can provide insights into how you can optimise your business and that can equate to more profit or saving money.
“There is still so much more available to you on the Cloud for achieving A grade productivity. Data is the new gold, the more info you have, the more you can do, it is very valuable.” says Travis.
Where automation can save time, the information you can get from data creates the value. Data can be collected, optimised, and used to create actionable results such as, increased output and therefore, increased revenue. Retrac have recently worked with the manufacturing industry where data from sensors has been used to understand how to maximise productivity and that is powered by Cloud solutions.
Get more from the Cloud
If you are asking yourself whether you could be achieving more with your Cloud solution, or you know there are manual processes in your business that could be automated but you are unsure how, talk to the team at Retrac. We offer the Complete Cloud and Security Bundle that help you secure your business.
“Tell us what you want to achieve, and we will show you how to do it or we can do it for you. It might be that you have something in place, but it could be better. No matter how simple or complex it may seem, we can solve it.” says Travis.
Get in touch with Retrac’s team today.