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i-way newsletter

June 2004

Making the Most of Information

Information is the key to success for many businesses.  For example, analysing customer feedback and using the results to improve products. 

Over the last 3-5 years, these businesses have faced transition into an online world, with the now essential tools of e-mail and web sites underpinning business activity.

This transition is usually a series of unplanned steps using technology which is not well understood by business people.

Perhaps it's time to step back and look at how your business uses information in the new online world, to gain the efficiencies and potential available.

Remember that, in the online world, the information you need will be in your own computer systems, but can also be external: on other web sites, or in resources such as photo libraries.

Firstly, ask these questions:

What information is collected?  Why (do you really need it)?  How is it collected?  Can changes bring improvements?

How is the information collated and stored?  Are there better ways of doing this?  Maybe to make it more useful?  Can this process be automated?

Is the information you need conveniently available when you need it?  Is it easy to find?  And do your staff know what information is available to them, and where, so they can be at their most productive?

Can you use this information in new ways eg. in marketing, or to improve customer service?

And don't forget to regularly backup all the important information you have on all the PCs and systems in your business!

Some Pointers

Have you recently reviewed manual processes associated with, for example, web site based order entry and customer enquiries?  Can you link these directly into your accounting systems, or customer and marketing databases, to save re-keying data.

Are you making the most of information available externally, particularly on the Web?  Information for example that gives you greater insight into your industry, or a better understanding of international trading conditions to help your business development. 

 

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