According to a research, it was found that the number of mobile-only internet users surpassed that of desktop-only and people spending at least 54% of their digital media time interacting with mobile apps. Emma Sarran Webster (contributor to Business 2 Community), writes in her article about the developments in the mobile marketing space which will help to make the process of discovery and outreach far more relevant and personalized, and provide customers with branded experiences. She also writes about some trends of mobile marketing for the year 2016 at - http://www.business2community.com/mobile-apps/6-mobile-marketing-trends-to-expect-in-2016-01376750#jJGsIEdEV8KmD7eF.97

The work of a customer advocate is to identify the right people to support your product, represent their company’s needs and create trust in your brand. They also speak to your customer with an insider’s view and share their personal knowledge and positive experience for your product with their coworkers. They also provide valuable feedback on what users like, what can be improved, or even what should be shelved. A customer advocate also helps generate new customers for you, in an effective way. The ideal customer advocate for your company has four main traits: dependable, sincere, passionate, and smart. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/itmanagement/four-traits-to-look-for-when-identifying-a-customer-advocate-70381

Sales cycle varies by product and service and from business to business. It adds complexity to the business. But, with the help of a good CRM system, you can shorten the sales cycle and make a positive impact on your company's bottom line. CRM can track the entire sales process from the initial effort through final sale and also can keep track of your prospects and potential customers. Read more about how CRM helps in shortening the sales cycle at- http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/crm-shorten-the-sales-cycle-70388

Data file needs to be cleaned regularly to eliminate errors, duplication and outdated information. If incorrect entries are made, customers drop off, people change jobs or leave, and companies merge or go out of business. Lists of names, addresses, contacts, and contact history, etc. needs to be reviewed and corrected if you want your database to work efficiently. Rick Cook (writes articles on computers and related technology), writes in his article about how to clean data file. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/crm-clean-your-data-70375

Retail is a field of ERP, but it has some challenges. Implementation of ERP in big retail organizations takes a lot of planning. Big retail organizations are characterized by a high volume of transactions originating in many different locations. The more attention paid to details in the planning and implementation stages, the more smoothly the implementation will go. Rick Cook (writes articles on computers and related technology), writes in his article about the challenges faced while implementing ERP in the retail sector and why planning is important at - http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/inside-erp/implementing-retail-erp-70373

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems provide data which help employees to take better decisions, to make core business processes more efficient, and to help reduce costs across your organization. Nowadays, ERP solutions have become more user-friendly. But, ERP remains an expensive, time-consuming implementation that requires a lot of planning. Before choosing a solution, you must consider the organization’s business goals, expectations about the benefits from ERP, and the business processes that will be integrated with the ERP solution. In this article, the author writes about some rules that will help to choose the right ERP system for any organization. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/inside-erp/10-golden-rules-for-choosing-an-erp-system-70374

IoT security needs to be improved – the latest buzzword in the business world. According to a survey, it was found that 73% considered it likely that their business would be hacked through an IoT device, and 61% felt that businesses of all sizes are equally vulnerable to this danger. Peter Kowalke (journalist and editor covering business, technology) writes in his article about some ways that businesses can harden their security efforts. Read more at:  http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/itmanagement/five-keys-to-good-iot-security-70376

ERP implementation is very complex. So, you have to focus on the few critical parts of your business in implementing your ERP system. One must figure out which part is important to the business and which needs to be improved. But, it is not very simple. In determining what is really important, you need to consult at least with the steering committee and with all the stakeholders in the company and the best way to keep an eye is to make a list, in order of importance, and keep that list in front of you. The next step is to refer to the list often and make sure you share it with the others. This will help to concentrate on what is important while implementing an ERP system. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/inside-erp/erp-focus-on-whats-important-70372

Customers want consistency and they value it. A CRM system keeps track of all interactions with customers and helps prevent any aspect of the transaction from failing. It also helps to keep promises to customers, follow up with customer contacts and generally present an effective face of your business to your customers. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/dont-let-your-customers-fall-through-the-cracks-70360

Poor performance of a CRM system is a serious problem. This might be because your business has slowed down or never changed. This slowdown can be due to many reasons. One reason may be the system has become overloaded and too many people are trying to handle too many entries which in turn results in poor performance on any kind of computer system. One solution may be to reschedule the competing application to run at a time when the CRM system isn't as busy. Running applications like accounting programs during off hours is a reasonable way to speed up system performance. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/speeding-up-your-crm-performance-70362

Big Data analytics is coming up in a big way. According to Forrester Research, companies estimate that they are analyzing only 12% of the data at their disposal. The demand for predictive analysis combined with the small number of data scientists explains why 88% of the data captured by businesses fail to produce actionable insights. So, automation in Big-Data Analysis comes to the rescue. Benefits of Big Data Analysis are - Automation supports existing staff, Automation reduces the need for additional staff and extensive training, Automation saves time and money. Read more at:  http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/byod-cloud/the-benefits-of-automating-big-data-analysis-70335

An e-commerce website is important for any organization. Brandt Reed (valued contributor to Business 2 Community), writes in this article about some tips that will guide you to creating a useful, engaging and beautiful e-commerce website. They are - Clear Calls to Action, Include Several Large, and High-Quality Images on Product Pages, Show Related Products, and Show Customer Ratings for Various Product Features, Create Intuitive and Useful Site Navigation, and Checkout. Read more at: http://www.business2community.com/digital-marketing/7-essential-ecommerce-design-elements-for-successful-stores-01365830#G5Fxps1ZUQcAK4Ll.97

CRM offers excellent customer service because it equips you with the tools you need to understand your customers and their wants and needs. But the effort is wasted if you don't use them properly. You can make full use of your CRM by delivering excellent service. CRM also provides the basis for excellent customer service by giving you a 360-degree view of the customer. Ideally, CRM system should contain records of all your customer contacts with your business, including any problems that might have arisen and especially any promises that have been made to the customer. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/crm-and-consistent-excellence-70338

According to a study, 63% of CRM initiatives fail, costing companies thousands of dollars in out of pocket expenses, which negatively impacts future revenue due to missed sales and opportunities. CRM is effective for those who manage several sides of business, which includes sales, marketing, customer relations, and product updates. There are three reasons for these failures – flawed communication of goals for the CRM system by company leaders, lack of organization-wide use, and inability to integrate with existing tools and applications. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/3-reasons-crm-implementations-fail-70341

Stephanie Khoury (Marketing Manager) writes in her article about small business IT trends of 2015. The number one trend, according to a survey of 500 small businesses, was the increased spending on technology. The second trend is integrated cloud-based systems and the last trend is mobility. In short, small businesses should implement the right systems which will in turn make a huge difference in overall business efficiency. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/grow-software-solutions/small-business-it-trends-of-2015-70323

Organizations can have different reasons to implement an ERP system. But, the most successful implementations are the ones which have the highest benefit. It was found in a 2015 report that most organizations fail to realize at least half of the business benefits that they expect. In general, most successful implementations deliver some common benefits. Eric Kimberling (Managing Partner of Panorama Consulting Solution) writes in his article about the business benefits that can be achieved with the right focus and expertise. They are - Increased revenues, Decreased inventory cycle times, More efficient business processes, Integrated business processes, and Higher employee morale. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/erp-roi/five-tangible-business-benefits-to-expect-from-your-erp-system-70324

Defining ERP requirements is important for an ERP system. Requirement mapping starts with taking a close look at your business, how it performs and what is right with your business. Basically, it consists of identifying what you're not satisfied with. In short, ERP mapping is required to improve, mapping out the processes as they now exist and looking at how you can change them with ERP to make them function more efficiently. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/inside-erp/mapping-requirements-for-erp-70310

Nowadays, ERP systems are capable of generating all types of reports and backed by different tools. The main task is to get the most out of these tools. Unlike spreadsheet based reporting, the tendency with ERP reports is to overdo it. But, moderation is needed. It's best to apply the principle of parsimony to generating reports. Generate as few as possible and distribute them as narrowly as possible. It is advisable to remember that the purpose of the reports is to convey useful information on the status of your business. Read more about ERP reports at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/inside-erp/getting-the-most-from-erp-reports-70313

Standardization drives efficiency and one of the many ways ERP improves efficiency is by standardizing business processes. It also increases certainty and reliability by setting standardized expectations. Another reason is that ERP increases efficiency to make the business processes automated as this speeds up the processes. The other reason for spending so much time on business processes is increasing optimization. ERP also increases efficiency by integrating functions tightly across the entire business. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/inside-erp/improving-efficiency-with-erp-70311

Web Real Time Communication (WebRTC) is the latest trend in the business world. It allows businesses to leverage the cost efficiencies of online and app-based services while creating a user experience that is more similar to real life by adding audio and video communication and is cost effective. Every tablet, phone, computer, television, or any other connected device is now capable of RTC-enabled communication. JT Ripton (a valued contributor to Business 2 Community), writes in his article about some benefits of WebRTC in business. Read more at: http://www.business2community.com/strategy/5-reasons-business-take-advantage-webrtc-01359173#pHVf8Jm4ajdc6rrH.97