Category: Business Process Improvement

It seems that every time we turn a corner, there is a new project management trend emerges. It doesn’t matter what industry you work in; the target keeps moving in the ever-changing business world. The culprit is usually new technological advancements. A company that wants to remain cutting-edge must adapt to be competitive within the market they serve. 7 Current Project Management Trends In 2019, there are some notable project management trends to keep tabs on. These trends manifest differently depending on your industry. These trends include: Leveraging Automation Corporations are using new automation tools, like AI, for scheduling, data visualization, and much more. TheDigitalProjectManager.com calls Artificial Intelligence (AI) the “fourth industrial evolution.” The applications will continue to grow as technology does. This trend offers businesses real-time data that simplifies business processes and increases productivity. AI and automation can also improve the accuracy of forecasts. Embracing AI is the best thing you can do for your company. A People-Oriented Focus Somewhat ironically, as artificial intelligence increases, focusing on human interaction is more important than ever. It’s critical to create a service with the user’s needs in mind. The same study above states, “human-centered design grows in importance as technology evolves.” Success is not in what the service can do, but how easily the end user can implement it into their business processes to increase productivity. Cybersecurity The more companies work with technology and cloud-based solutions, the more important cybersecurity becomes. Just as technology is advancing, hackers are increasing their methods of gaining control of your personal business information. While having a good defense does not mean you are completely protected, it is a necessary start. Thankfully, the right project management software can have many cybersecurity measures built in. The Quickbase platform is a great example of this. Agile Methods Agile methods allow for evolution as the business cycle changes. They recognize that, after one project is completed, there may need to be adjustments to the process to keep your goods or services from becoming obsolete. Business agility is about being responsive to changes in the business that keep you moving forward. However, it is more than a methodology. An agile project is personal in nature; it relies on communication and collaboration. Having flexible, scalable tools that support collaboration across business departments is a very important component to agile project management. Data-driven Decisions A company can have all the data it needs to complete a project, but unless it is formatted in a user-friendly and real-time fashion, the data might not be used properly. Data presentation is just as important as quality information. With the right reporting and dashboard , your data is presented beautifully at your fingertips. This will naturally improve your decision-making. Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence boils down to people skills. Just as a company can be data-driven and deliver great information, unless the team members handling clients can build a strong rapport with customers, the future business will suffer. These “soft skills” are becoming prevalent, especially with the diverse culture we now live in. Remote teams Never have companies relied so much on individuals who do not work in the same office together. Teams can now span cities, states, and even countries! With cloud-based technology, office staff can be thousands of miles away from each other and still conduct business successfully. Remote work can increase productivity, it gives freedom to employees, and cuts back on sick days. Giving your employees the right tools is essential to a successful remote workforce. Thus, the software you choose to base your business on can dramatically impact this success. How Can Project Management Software Support Current Trends? To leverage these 2019 project management trends, you need a fluid, responsive, and malleable solution that will easily adjust to changes in the business cycle. With the right project management software solution, all of the methodologies mentioned can be monitored, analyzed, and modified based on business changes. The first step is to digitize. Paper copies are outdated the moment they are printed. It is more difficult to track progress when numbers can change in the blink of an eye. A schedule change here, a delivery delay there, a rush order placed at the last minute, or supplier issues all can complicate your normal routine. When you have several projects running simultaneously, it is good to have seamless team member communication of real-time changes without having to make multiple calls, send a blast email, or rely on other outdated communication methods. Project Management software, like that built on the Quickbase platform, can help you sort through the redundancy and get everyone on the same page. Everyone is connected through cloud-based applications. From resource management to scheduling, all team members have access to current information and can adapt to the changes that are occurring. Trends are always shifting; it is beneficial that you have a project management partner that will allow you to go with the flow without having to change the entire structure of how you conduct business. Quickbase is Your Project Management Solution Partner Quickbase is an application development platform that gives you and your team access to current company information through pre-built or custom-made applications. These apps can be tailored to your methodology. The Quickbase platform is used to create no-code applications. This means they are much easier to implement, user-friendly and can be integrated with most programs you are currently running. Quickbase uses a cloud-based platform that helps automate and streamline project management methodologies. The cloud-based platform offers a centralized location for storing company data that can be accessed from anywhere you have an internet connection. This is especially helpful if you work with a remote team. Trinity Can Revolutionize Your Project Management Trinity is a Quickbase Solution Provider.  We embrace innovation by helping you customize apps to your company niche and where the future potential lies. Our top priority is delivering excellent application programs that are seamless to integrate with any current systems you may be using. As your project management support […]

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All companies have assets. If you are a multi-million-dollar corporation or a small startup, you have assets. With these assets, you conduct business that turns hard work into profit. The business cycle would not function without the regular use of company assets.   You may be wondering whether your business needs asset management software to be successful? In today’s age of technology advancement, the answer is an emphatic yes — that is if you want to remain competitive in today’s ever-evolving market.   What Are Business Assets and How Do I Manage Them?   Assets vary between companies, but once defined, you can develop solutions of how to best use them to turn a profit.   To put it simply, an asset is anything your business has that can be used to generate income. Examples include computers, vehicles, furniture, equipment and anything else that is used in the daily operations of a company.  The full list of assets is quite extensive.   Thus, proper management of them has many financial implications for your business and bottom line.   Why are Company Assets Important?   Businesses exist to make a profit. Your company needs assets to complete jobs they are hired to do. Construction workers need hammers; an office clerk needs a computer, lab techs need equipment to conduct research. Without assets, there is no business.   What is worse than having no assets is mismanaging existing company assets. One can have ten work trucks stocked with tools needed to complete a job, but with no solution in place to manage the trucks and tools, assets are lost or their locations are unknown.   Many times, this leads to the unnecessary purchase of new assets, ultimately costing your business money in the long run. It is imperative you have an asset management tool that gives your team full visibility into what assets are available to them.   How Your Industry Can Benefit from an Asset Management Solution   While every business owner can benefit from asset management, we have selected a few industry categories that have traditionally shown the greatest need for asset management software.   Construction Equipment   From the hammer that drives the nail, to the front loader that moves a mound of dirt, a construction company is only as good as the equipment it uses.   When a business uses good equipment and keeps track of where everything is, that business will experience greater success than the one who doesn’t.   Asset management for construction equipment involves: Documentation – Keep track of your equipment and use it wisely. Scheduling equipment properly – You don’t want to double book the only flatbed truck you have and risk losing business. Protecting against theft or misuse – GPS location of asset equipment. Routine maintenance of your equipment – You cannot work if your equipment is broken down. Keeping a maintenance schedule is beneficial to you and the clients you are serving. Keeping accurate records of money spent – Knowledge of fuel consumption, drive times, and engine hours can help you in your bidding processes.   When you have records of these figures, you know how to bid a job properly, even showing your client in writing how you plan to execute their project, giving you an edge over the competition.   Electronic Equipment   Asset management is different for electronic equipment than for a grader or bulldozer.   However, the same attention to detail needs to be applied to computers, laptops, and other electronic devices. Asset management for electronic equipment involves: Data Protection – Understand what information you have and what needs protecting. Back-up System – Just as a construction company has a backup generator, computers must have some form of redundancy to protect stored information. Routine maintenance schedule – Protect sensitive electronic equipment with updates. Assignment – Who has what equipment is critical to the daily operation of a company.   Office Equipment   Other than computers, office equipment needs the same care. Asset management for office equipment involves: Routine Maintenance – Office equipment needs to remain operational for your office to be productive. Equipment Accountability – Equipment needs to be accounted for, so the whole team has access to it. Workflow process is interrupted when an agent has the equipment others agent is seeking; video projection units, meeting offices, or even funds spent on client acquisition. Scheduling – Know where equipment is and when it will be available again. Accurate Record Keeping – Records of asset inventory is beneficial when you need to submit a sales order. You don’t want to run out of something when you need it the most. Documentation – Know the brand and models of equipment you have and any software licenses that need to be maintained or paid for. Organization – Have a centralized location for everything. The whole team will know what is in stock. When everything has its place, less time is spent searching for needed items, thus improving productivity of your employees.   Lab Equipment   Lab equipment management works much like we have explained in the other sections. Asset management for lab equipment involves: Routine maintenance – While it may hurt workflow to stop business for two hours for a Mass Spectrometer to be fine-tuned, it would be devastating for the instrument to fail and be down for two days. Keep Accurate Records – Not only of maintenance but what model numbers you have. This can help in the event of a recall or system update. Documentation – Who is authorized to use it and where it is located in the office for regulatory compliance. Scheduling – Keeps workflow processes from freezing up if there is a limited supply of instruments.   What will Asset Management Software Do for My Company?   There are five things that excellent asset management software will do for your business. Save you time – You and your support teams will not be hunting down where equipment is. The Asset Management solution will give […]

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As technology advances, old dinosaurs become extinct. Before the days of online shared calendars, there were PDAs. Now, many businesses think a basic shared calendar will suffice. When you run a business, using these archaic devices can leave you left behind and damage your company’s reputation.   If it is just you with one schedule book, it may work, but when you have multiple team members sharing office space and resources, separate schedules can create conflict and even cost you business. That’s where an online scheduling application comes in.    The Risks of Going Without an Online Scheduling App   Most businesses share the same goal at the end of the day: growth. As business pours in, schedules fill up. This should be a good thing; more customers equal more revenue.   However, an outdated or inefficient scheduling system can bring your company’s growth to a grinding halt. Inadequate scheduling procedures can pose serious issues.   Scheduling Mishaps – When a company has multiple employees, assets, or locations, ineffective scheduling hinders your company. If you have scheduled a specific resource, this needs to be transparent to everyone to avoid overbooking.   Performance Inefficiencies – If your scheduling mishaps go unchecked, this will naturally trickle down into performance problems, reducing your revenue-making opportunities.   Lowers Employee Morale – If can be frustrating to have your workday bogged down with scheduling inefficiencies. If you don’t give your employees the management organization they deserve, they won’t be able to perform at their best.   Image Damage – Not only is your team impacted by poor scheduling procedures, but your company suffers as a whole from image damage. When you have to bump meetings due to lack of time, space and resources, your company inherits labels such as unprepared, unorganized, or unreliable.   Even if your team has a shared in-office team calendar, scheduling issues can still arise.   The solution is an organized scheduling application has scheduling and workflow capabilities and updates in real-time. That’s why Trinity created an online calendar and scheduler, TrinityCalendar.   An Online Scheduling Application That Supports Processes and Workflows   An online scheduling application gives team members insight into what others are doing and which resources are taken. It streamlines key business processes and workflows, allowing your business to run optimally. Below are just five of the countless unique examples of business processes that can benefit from using an online scheduling tool.   Client and Staff Scheduling   If you run a business where you have many field reps, no matter what type of job, an online scheduling tool is vital. This is especially true if you delegate the task of setting appointments to someone other than the staff member who will be taking the appointment.   You need the real-time visibility of knowing when each member of your team is available. If a client needs to reschedule, finding another time slot will be no problem at all.   Check out our case study on one of our clients used TrinityCalendar to transform their scheduling process, resulting in 20% increased staff utilization:   SEVATI Therapeutics, Inc. Case Study   Team Work Scheduling   Scheduling when you are in charge of teams is even more complicated. When you receive a work assignment, a tool like TrinityCalendar can make assigning that work to the appropriate teams easy.   You can also set up recurring scheduled events to work as an automation feature, saving you future time. With this process in place, unplanned absences and other unexpected scheduling needs can be addressed.   Video and Production Management   When managing video production, you have a lot on your plate. From video equipment to videographers, to locations for editing and filming, it’s your job to make sure everything is scheduled properly.   TrinityCalendar can take the chaos out of this task since it’s easily integrated with your other systems and offers easy drag-and-drop features. Make your scheduling process smoother and allow your team to have the equipment they need when they need it.   Employee and Vehicle Scheduling   When it comes to transportation management, a lot of people will be impacted if you are allowing inefficiencies and scheduling mistakes to occur. We don’t need to explain how this is bad for your business.   With a tool like TrinityCalendar, you can ensure that your customers are getting the transportation they requested on time, every time.   Lab Experiments Scheduling   TrinityCalendar has many capabilities for those involved in managing a laboratory. This process can schedule both by resource and by equipment.    By utilizing your space and equipment efficiently, you can increase your turnaround time and ensure nothing gets double-booked.   TrinityCalendar Will Upgrade the Way You Do Business   TrinityCalendar uses cloud-based technology to integrate your scheduling into a user-friendly, informative, and secure platform. This scheduling solution will set your company apart and keep you up to speed with modern technology.   Some of the features that TrinityCalendar offers:   Views – You can set your calendar view to different modes. Monthly, Weekly, and Daily. Filters – This is one of the most attractive features of TrinityCalendar. You have the ability to color-code to see key information of your scheduled event in greater detail. Links and Buttons – Because the calendar integrates with Quickbase, all your documents and files that are stored through Quickbase app storage are accessible. You attach a link or a button to the scheduled event, and with a click, you can pull up the documents needed for your meeting. Popup Modal – A popup feature allows you to see additional information that may not be in the meeting preview. With just a click the details will appear. You can see special instructions or notes you have on your scheduled tasks and assets. Drag and Drop – While the scheduling process is easy in itself, this feature allows you to drag and drop appointments. This is great if you must reschedule a meeting or to duplicate recurring […]

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From the time your team gets to work, until the time everyone heads home, they strive to get as much done as possible. Every task in the day supports the purpose of growing your business. Or at least they should be.   You want every department to be working efficiently and effectively, constantly evaluating ways of how to improve their workflow. Optimization is about taking existing processes, evaluating them and making necessary adjustments, thus improving workflow productivity.   Why is Optimization Crucial to Business Workflow?   Every business is concerned about growth.  However, growth can’t occur if you don’t have a well-oiled machine. When your team works together, productivity ensues. But if one gear is out of place, it can cause a chain reaction that results in operational breakdown. Your company’s workflow patterns determine the failure or success of the company.   Pictures of Poor Workflow   When a company has poor workflow issues, its evident in many areas of your business. Examples of poor workflow might be: Encountering Obstacles – When a team has an operational breakdown, work processes halt. Whether it is a misplaced file, scheduling mishap, or technical issue, the business cycle freezes until the issue is resolved. Inefficient Operations – Team members doing work that is inefficient or even not needed can cause slowdowns in your operation.  It can also cause issues between team members. Lost Business – By having the appearance of incapability, potential or existing customers will have reservations about conducting business with you. Haphazardly Run – This team has no cohesion, causing everyone to run in circles thinking they are being productive. Without clear communication, nothing gets done.   Pictures of Positive Workflow   When a company knows how to improve workflow and executes it, issues are handled quickly and efficiently. Examples of a company with positive workflow: Handles obstacles – This team has a plan for any contingency. Once a problem arises, they act accordingly to get back on track. Enables Business Growth – A prepared team can expect growth. The ability to work efficiently has set them up to attract and be able to handle more success. Runs Smooth – Through defined processes, they optimize their workflow to get the most done within the time allotted.   If you are a business owner or lead a team at your company and your company suffers from breakdowns, slowdowns, lost clients, unhappy team members, and revenue issues, the following steps will assist you in improving workflow and productivity.   The 10 Steps of How to Improve Workflow   Identify the Need   You can’t begin to change unless you identify what issues need resolution. You don’t need to know where the problem is, but you do need to recognize that inefficiencies exist within your existing processes.   Map Out Your Current Workflow   What are you doing? How are you attracting clients? What are your procedures to complete a business transaction? Document everything.   This process should include the time it takes to complete each process. Business workflow is dependent on time. Determining where your time and efforts are focused will reveal what you feel is most important to business success.   Analyze   Once you have mapped out your workflow, analyze it. Look for where the kinks are: processes taking longer than they should and areas where you see potential for system breakdown.   Collaborate Remember, you are a team. Communication is key. When a team compares workflow notes, unnoticed issues can be brought to light. Only then can interdepartmental issues be addressed and dealt with.   Generate Ideas for Solutions   Now that you know where the pitfalls are, begin to discuss methods, like Trinity’s discovery process, to improve efficiencies. This process also involves collaboration. When there are joint efforts to fix the malfunctioning gear, you have a greater chance of success.   Compare and Contrast   You have identified the issue, found where the breakdown is occurring, analyzed the costs at stake, and discussed solutions. Next comes weighing each option.   Cost is going to drive your decision-making process. It’s imperative that you not only consider short term options but how this will prove beneficial for future profits.   Call Trinity to Assist   Now is the time to call Trinity – the business workflow solution experts. We assist you in improving workflows and developing solutions to streamline your business processes like project management, issues management, business scheduling, compliance and much more.     Customizing solutions on how to improve workflow will generate results like: Overall workflows can be optimized. As specific tasks are completed quicker, focus can be shifted to other areas. Knowing each other’s schedule and being on the same page with your team can maximize productivity. Communications, both internally and externally can be improved. Compliance issues can be alleviated.   Remap New Workflow and Compare   Once you have implemented your customized changes, allow some time for the adjustments to take place. How does it look? Are there notable improvements? Are there still potential roadblocks that need to be resolved?   Adjust if Needed   Implementing a new procedure is always a process. Adjustments may need to be made. Trinity can be with you every step of the way. Through regular evaluation, you can stay on top of technological advancements that keep you cutting edge in your industry.   Enjoy the Success of Optimized Productivity   By completing, implementing, and reevaluating this cycle, you can enjoy the success of your business. You are the picture of a positive workflow. With an optimized workflow process, you can improve the efficiency of all business tasks. This will, in turn, streamline the productivity of your employees.   Trinity Creates Solutions to Optimize Productivity   Trinity is a Gold Partner Quickbase Solution Provider. We work with companies like yours to streamline business processes and develop solutions that meet your exact needs.  We care about how your business succeeds. We go beyond the title of consultant; we have a passion for getting […]

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When it comes to project management, we’ve developed some best practices based on Trinity’s extensive work with our clients. Projects are by definition unique undertakings. No one project will be identical to the next.   Thus, having tried and true general guidelines can provide a lot of support in making sure projects are handled successfully.   What is Project Management?   Project management is defined as planning and executing an undertaking with a team to attain specific goals in a defined window of time. Thus, a project manager has a lot of constraints to work within.   Efficiency, service, and quality are paramount to any project’s success. Companies that value business agility are always evolving their methods and tools to increase the efficiency of critical business processes.   Depending on a project’s key processes, a project manager can either establish themselves a competitive edge or find themselves failing to meet imperative deadlines. Over-allocated resources, poor communication, unreliable estimates, and poor monitoring are all things to guard against.   7 Best Practices to Ensure Great Project Management   With that in mind, let’s take a look at 7 project management best practices that will aid in your project management success.      Set Clear and Realistic Goals   Setting realistic and clear objectives is essential for a project’s success. It’s important that key stakeholders are aware of the goals from the get-go. If the chosen goals are unattainable, even the best efforts will result in failure.   Likewise, if the team isn’t on the same page about what the objectives are, setbacks are surely going to occur. From the onset, clearly defined goals will help a team focus and make educated decisions.   Each process should be designed and implemented with the goals in mind. By keeping the goals realistic and developing the right processes, success will follow.      Accurate Resource Forecasting   Resource forecasting is a vital aspect for allocating human capital and financial resources. Since each project is different, there is not always a lot of uniformity when it comes to constraints and deadlines. However, that doesn’t mean forecasts can’t be done accurately.   A good project manager will use the right analytic data to forecast estimates. The more past data that’s available, the more accurate a forecast will be. However, if you are new to project management, there are always business consulting experts, like Trinity, who have extensive experience across a wide range of businesses.   By scheduling your team effectively and optimizing your resource utilization, you will stay on budget and on time. This, of course, is every project manager’s goal.      Accurate Time Estimation   There’s a common saying that every project takes double the time and double the money than anticipated. However, with great project management, this isn’t the case. Similar to resource forecasting, timelines can be predicted accurately with data and analysis.   Unexpected events can happen to anyone, but this is much less likely to happen if each task is tied to a project timeline. This way, every task is accounted for, and nothing is susceptible to falling through the cracks.   By setting attainable goals and deadlines (going back to Best Practice #1) the prospect of accurately estimating a projects length becomes much more realistic.      Budget Management   As I’m sure you know, money doesn’t grow on trees. This is especially true with projects. Since a project involves many stages, you must make sure you manage your money effectively.   Budgets will almost always be a notable constraint of project management. Thus, from the beginning, it’s important to map out where your money is going to go. A well-planned budget takes into account every necessary task.   Reference past budgets, track all adjustments, and plan for some unexpected costs along the way. This way, you know you are covered.      Utilize the Right Reporting Capabilities     A well-executed project involves a lot of reporting. The team will develop periodic reports to the project manager. And the project manager has to report to the stakeholders.   The right reporting software makes sure all data is being collected and presented properly, in order to keep everyone involved accountable. As previously mentioned, these reports are a gold mine of data for future projects.   There are various types of reporting commonly seen in strong project management. Status reports Risk reports Board reports Resource reports Tasks Overdue reports Expense reports Budget reports Role-specific Dashboards   Using a tool that allows for automation can save a lot of time when creating your reports. Trinity offers a Quickbase reporting application, called  TrinityDashboards+. It’s a flexible reporting software that allows for filtering through multiple reports at once.      Define and Evaluate Quality Standards Throughout the Project   A common problem in working through a project is adherence to quality. What might be an outstanding result for one project can be mediocre for another. The definition of what constitutes quality will change, but what remains constant is its’ importance.   Quality standards must be based on criteria acceptable to every stakeholder, especially the executives who have the responsibility of signing off on the closure of the project. Maintaining the proper quality standards from initiation through completion will pay dividends in the long run.      Consolidate and Streamline the Project Data   Place all project-related data in one easily accessible location. The last thing you want dragging down your timeline is required documents missing in action. These templates and tools will help you stay organized and keep everyone on track.   A cloud-based workspace, as provided by Quickbase, is a great tool for improving accessibility. Templates, schedules, budgets and documents should be easily accessible to relevant team members. Past project data is another resource you want to keep handy.   Trinity Wants to Share Our Project Management Insights With You   It’s common for companies to struggle to find software applications to meet their needs and help with the best practices we’ve outlined. Since every business is different, generic solutions just […]

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Customers are the heart of any business. Maintaining great relationships with them can propel your business towards success. On the flip side, failing in this department could make all your other business efforts futile.   How do you develop these quality relationships? Like with any relationship, it comes down to listening to them and connecting with them where they’re at.    For example, remembering details about prior conversations with them and bringing those up can provide a personal touch. This often makes a customer feel heard and valued like a person, rather than simply a sales prospect. Customer Relationship Management software, also referred to as “CRM” software, makes this process easy.    What is a CRM System?   CRM software provides business owners with simple tools to efficiently manage customer interactions. They also result in greater alignment between marketing and sales efforts. CRM software stores all relevant information about a prospect in one location, where it can be easily accessed and updated.    Rather than committing important customer dates to memory, CRM software stores the information digitally and alerts you to important pending customer dates. A CRM application also helps salespeople understand where a particular prospect is in their buyer’s journey and follow-up dates for important communications.    CRM software systems are not limited to fostering customer relationships. Many CRM applications now offer the ability to include other adjoining business processes into their offerings. A great example of this would be project management. Project management software also improves relationships with vendors and team members by connecting them together and providing visibility to key tasks.    When talking about CRM software, there are three important components to keep in mind: Process Strategy Technology   CRM allows for a comprehensive process of managing interactions with loyal and potential customers alike. Every relationship evolves and having a background of information during this process is incredibly helpful.   The strategic component of CRM represents the business philosophy of how to build long lasting customer relationships. Each business will be different, but any good customer relationship strategy has a foundation of a solid CRM.   The technology used in a CRM application is often cloud based. It records and analyzes interactions between customers and company employees. By being on the cloud, access is from anywhere and can be granted to as many employees as needed.    Why CRM is Important    CRM software offers tools that keep track of prospects and improve the quality of your customer service. By having all customer data stored and organized in one digital location, you can make the most of that data.    Businesses can customize dashboards that present to their end, user’s customer histories, order status, and service issues that require prompt attention.    Experts at Gartner released results of a study that stated by 2021, CRM software will be the largest area of computer software spending for businesses of all sizes. If you want your business to sustain profitability, it is important to implement a compelling CRM strategy to attract and retain a growing loyal customer base.   Benefits of a CRM System   CRM software allows employees working in different departments to seamlessly forge bonds that lead to more phone calls with customers. With detailed CRM data, a business can develop tailored-made marketing strategies for a variety of customer demographics.   By accessing contact information through a  CRM application, every team member can move forward a conversation with a customer, without asking for repeat information. This allows customers to avoid irritation, and to actually feel valued.   Clearly, CRM offers great value to a business. Here are 4 specific reasons a customer relationship management tool  needs to be a part of your business strategy:   1. Improved Productivity   Cloud based CRM software can accurately account for every email and phone call made to each of your customers.  Thus, CRM applications eliminate redundant management and administrative tasks. This ensures that no potential customers fall through the cracks. Take our client, Defenshield, for example: our team at Trinity built a CRM application that tracked 100% of all their customer data according to their needs. CRM apps also will improve your productivity and efficiency.    2. More Accurate Reporting   CRM platforms provide users with a one-stop place to analyze data. The software ensures important data is easy to obtain and, more importantly, easy to understand. For example, PatientNavigator is a CRM tool for healthcare professionals that simplifies compliance reporting.   More accurate data reporting saves your team members time, which allows them to spend more time developing customer relationships by using the old school approach of the human touch.    3. Improved Understanding of Customers   Before customer management software, many business operators wasted time by targeting the wrong customer prospects. CRM software highlights important sales metrics, which allows you to target the right customers for up-selling and cross-selling.   This will optimize your ability to close deals, and also save your team time and resources.   4. Exceed Customer Expectations   Employee retention is a key metric for any quality business. Well, the same retention principles apply to customers.    There are many customer retention strategies that are easily applicable when using CRM software. CRM software presents clear information that describes customer interactions. Understanding these interactions leads to better anticipation of customer needs and a quicker response to customer complaints.    By offering a more positive experience for your customers, you develop the kind of relationship that leads to customer loyalty and word of mouth promotion.   How CRM Applications Benefit Different Business Functions   As we mentioned, CRM software brings different organization departments together to form a cohesive team. Your sales team receives data from the marketing department that leads to enhanced service.   In return, the marketing experts on your team receive data from the sales team, which present a much clearer picture of customer profiles and buying behavior. Marketing professionals can then create more effective campaigns.   As you can see, CRM […]

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What is Business Process Improvement?   Business process improvement (BPI) is a practice of analyzing business procedures to identify where improvements can be made. After pinpointing those areas, the next step is to transform those procedures to allow for increased accuracy, effectiveness and efficiency.    How Can Business Process Improvement Transform Your Business?   A successful BPI campaign starts with defining a company’s goals and taking a look at the current processes in place. Are these processes supporting the goals? Oftentimes, they could actually be hindering them.   Thus, company leaders must clearly identify every process within the organization that has room for improvement. Through the use of business process automation tools, companies can increase the ease and efficiency of various key processes.   For example, a company might store its customer data on business spreadsheets. Locating a specific data point in the future could be challenging, especially if files aren’t organized or properly updated.  The result will be inefficient and unsatisfying customer interactions. Data could be their best friend, if only it was quickly and easily discoverable. This is just one example where business process improvement could be leveraged.   Regardless of field or niche, every business relies on key processes. Business leaders should look into revamping any processes that benefit from adjustments. Depending on the level of inefficiency, these adjustments could result in substantial improvements.     5 Benefits of Business Process Improvement   What sets successful businesses apart? Successful companies consistently implement business process improvement solutions when needed, and they keep ongoing tabs on efficiency.   Here are five compelling benefits of using project management tools to improve business processes:   Organizational Agility   Businesses of all sizes have to adapt quickly as the market changes. Companies that fail to keep up will eventually fall behind. This is why business agility is so important. Adopting software solutions that enable business process improvement is a key element of embodying agility.   Trinity helps companies adapt to new technologies, such as advanced cloud services and scalable, flexible business software solutions. These innovative systems allow businesses to continually adjust processes as needed over time.   Improve Productivity   Improving productivity is a universal business goal. BPI solutions are great for automating processes that would otherwise be done manually. Not only does refusing to automate waste employees’ time, but these tasks are often prone to manual errors.   By removing redundancies and troublesome bottlenecks, efficiency naturally skyrockets. Improved productivity permits team members to spend time working on more important projects and reduces operational costs.   Lower Security Risk   While we wish it wasn’t true, business come with a variety of security risks. To minimize vulnerability to fraudulent activities, leaders have to stay vigilant.   At the heart of customer service is the protection of valuable data. Many business process improvement tools exist that have great security and monitoring measures built in.   For more about cloud security, check out our blog: 5 Reasons Cloud Security is Safer Than Traditional Security   Boost Employee Morale   Nothing discourages employees more than having to deal with process inefficiencies. By giving your workforce the tools they need to work efficiently, their productivity and job satisfaction will boost as a result.   BPI solutions deliver two other workforce benefits for companies: Measurability and sustainability. Measurability holds everyone in an organization accountable for their performance and sustainability allows businesses to improve processes on a daily basis.   All around, BPI will help your employees achieve their best work with fewer distractions and frustrations.   Make Customer Service Priority Number One   Customers want efficient and quality service. While slow, unreliable processes are annoying for employees, they leave an even worse impression on your customers. No one wants to wait around or repeatedly give you the same information.   Customer service should be the first priority of any company. Service-focused businesses, from hospitals to hotels, could greatly benefit from the implementation of a BPI solution. This case study with Defenshield showed how a new CRM application enhanced their business process by organizing their customer data and improving their quote delivery for customers.   Turn to Trinity for Business Process Improvement   Trinity is team of experts in business process improvement. Although we are best known as a respected Quickbase Gold Partner, our BPI knowledge extends beyond applications.   We are able to pinpoint a company’s productivity, service and quality challenges and develop a solution that’s a perfect fit for their goals. Before you choose Trinity as your business solution provider, we take the time to get to know your company and build a comprehensive plan.   Trinity’s formula for success is to: Understand the need Define the best practices Develop the solution Deliver a world class application Train for success Provide unparalleled ongoing support Flexibility and scalability are integral to the solutions we develop, since Trinity understands that growing businesses evolve over time. For over 21 years, Trinity has worked with clients to improve their efficiency, increase service levels, and upgrade their quality of output.   […]

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