The security dealer who uses great back-office software to automate his operations likens it to having an extra employee on his team — one of those super-star employees who do all the right things and make you shine. A back-office application comprises software that a company uses to administer its operations. It usually includes functions such as accounting and billing, installation and service scheduling, inventory control, management reporting, even sales management. With the right software, your entire operation just runs smoothly and efficiently, and in many ways makes your company more competitive.
Among small business owners surveyed by Intuit Inc., producer of QuickBooks, 92 percent say they use at least one software solution to run their business. “I couldn’t imagine running my business without it,” says Larry Halpern, president of Safe Systems Inc., Louisville, Colo. “We’d probably need double the staff.”