How to Computerize Business Operations

Business operations management often relies on lots of different spreadsheets, notes and data that is spread across many applications. You can computerize your business operations to make everything easier to handle, although you need to be careful when and how it's done.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Backup all of your business management files on several different drives. Check with the security in your office to be sure that the drives are locked up and access to them is restricted to prevent a leak of your important information.
2. Meet with the directors of different departments to find out what business data is not yet computerized. Lots of records may be kept as hard copies and you'll need to enter this data into your network to run models using your past progress.
3. Clear several members of your IT team to handle the data entry process. Check their security clearances because they may run into some sensitive and confidential company information. Have two or more people check each document before it enters the system to prevent errors.
4. Figure out the best time of the year to computerize all of your business operations into one program. Expect the move to cause significant disruption to your work, so try to do it over a long vacation or during a slow business period.
5. Convert all of your data so that it can easily be transfered into several different modeling programs. Find a program that is specific to your industry, like an iAgri program for farming business (see Resources below).
6. Secure your new computerized business management software and files. Consult with an IT professional to be sure that your computer network is safe from outside connections that could intercept the transmission of important data.
7. Run models of your past data to see how you can better manage production and operating costs in the future. Account for outside influences, like market volatility and wavering operating costs, before you apply the simulations to your business.

Tips & Warnings

• For small businesses, you may only need to computerize your financial information to improve your business operations. A simple spreadsheet program should be adequate for these situations.
• Never destroy your original documents after you load them into the computer. Most legal situations will require the original paper trail.
• Data entry must be proofread because a small mistake could cause a massive error in a computer simulation.