5 Effective Ways to Streamline your Business Processes and Cut Costs

Every business owner is looking for ways to reduce costs, especially in these troubled times, yet cutting costs should not compromise service or quality. It goes without saying that you should be making good use of IT, with a cloud-based data storage system that can be accessed from any location, and here are some of the ways a business can streamline processes and save money.

1. Outsource logistics – Third party logistics, or 3PL, is a booming sector that supports the huge e-commerce industry and if you handle your own logistics, it might be an idea to talk to a local 3PL provider and see what they have to offer. Simply arrange for all your products and packaging to be sent to the 3PL warehouse and they will pick, pack and deliver all orders, which will massively free up your resources.
2. Specialised business software – If you’re not using a state-of-the-art software package specifically designed for your industry, this is something to change. Whether you run a beauty salon or a fleet of haulage vehicles, a leading software developer such as Prodocom would have a range of communication solutions to suit the client. Using custom software eliminates human error and double handling becomes a thing of the past, streamlining your processes while freeing up valuable resources that could be used in other areas of the organisation.
3. Bookkeeping & accounting – If you migrate to the cloud, bookkeeping and accounting staff can access required data from any location; this saves the employee time and your money; if you outsource everything to a small local bookkeeper and a chartered accountant, your costs will plummet. Custom software allows you to create your own systems that take the strain from employees and with a single administrator, your business software would play a major role.
4. VoIP communication – Every organisation relies heavily on up-to-date communication, with key players on the same page and VoIP solutions give you real-time audio and video, and as the system uses the Internet, there are no telephone costs. All employees wear headsets and using your secure cloud network, all parties can communicate on the move and you can call up a video conference when you need to inform managers of new developments. VoIP empowers a business and you can say goodbye to those high phone bills. Talk to a managed IT services provider and they can hook you up with real-time communication at the fraction of the cost of other platforms.
5. Automation – Warehousing and manufacturing sectors are making good use of automation and with the Internet of Things (IoT) and the 10x speeds of 5G, we are moving into a new era of automated solutions. Robotics and machine learning merge to create systems that run themselves and this is an exciting career move for those who are technically minded.

The Australian government offers a lot in terms of support for a new business and with the above ideas, you can make your enterprise more efficient by streamlining your processes.