office software

A quick guide to the different types of business software. If there’s a task you need to complete at work, there is a piece of software out there that can assist you.

The trick is to know what you’re looking for, which, in an age of market saturation, can be difficult. So here are five types of innovative software for your business.

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Payroll Software

When you think payroll, you think efficient and reliable. For some, payroll is about paying their own employees on time, every time. For agency businesses that might need to pay contract staff on behalf of their clients too, the software needs to be hassle-free.

Key features to look out for when seeing what a payroll software offers include: invoicing, purchase orders, unlimited payroll runs, unlimited email support, direct credit card payments, direct deposit, deductions, tips, reimbursements, and bonuses.

HR software

Ah yes, HR. What doesn’t fall under HR these days? When looking for good HR software, you need to think about ticking boxes such as:

  • A staff planner to manage absences and accept or decline holiday requests.
  • A simple, colour-coordinated rota planner to make sure you know who is working and when. Ideally, this rota should be amendable to account for changes.
  • Secure storage for documents, including employee files, policies, handbooks, and more. The best HR software will enable you to set access levels so employees only see what you want them to see.
  • Employment law advice. What business doesn’t want expert legal advice, if it’s there?
  • A mobile app as well as a desktop website.

Research what other unique features HR software companies can offer you. For example, is mental health support available for your employees?

HR software company BrightHR believes that “when it comes to your business you can only achieve so much without the support and hard work of your dedicated staff.”

Expert HR software will offer you features that support your staff while they support you.

Accounting Software

Are you looking to automate and store your financial data in a secure, encrypted cloud space?

You should be.

The best accounting software can take care of the exhausting stuff that you’ve got saved on nineteen different spreadsheets—look for a product that offers financial reports and forecasts (with analytics), a general ledger with budgeting tools, purchase orders, order entry with invoicing with fixed assets, financial modelling, and admin tools.

CRM Software

Track contacts, track sales, track projects, track tasks—track everything with great CRM software.

Make sure you search for products that integrate with applications such as Google, Outlook, Xero, and more.

The best CRMs will be available in mobile app format as well as web app, and your minimum expectation should be for a dashboard that gives you real-time information. The crème de la crème of CRM software will allow you to follow up a project commitment after you’ve closed a deal.

And remember, when you or your teammate closes a deal—round of applause!

Workflow Software

Workflow is the process of getting stuff done. You want efficiency in your teams, and you want everyone to be on the right page.

While surfing the web for your workflow software, you should keep your eyes peeled for features such as:

  • Calendars
  • Tracking
  • Production roadmaps with priority task setting
  • File management and backlogs
  • Real-time status updates
  • Task assignment

Do your research and see which workflow software offers integration with tools like Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Outlook, MailChimp, and many more.

What Other Questions Should I Have When I Invest in a Piece of Software?

  • What is the size of my company?
  • What actions in my business can I automate?
  • It is cloud-based?
  • Does the company offer a free trial or demo for their software?
  • Do they have a free app, website, or both?
  • Do they offer live support?
  • Does their software support my platform? (Windows, Apple, Linux.)
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