-
Here Are 5 Big Advantages to Choosing a BPA Software Suite
Automating your core business processes is one of the best things you can do for your company. With so many benefits from business process automation (BPA), deciding to automate is pretty easy. After making that decision, though, it’s followed by questions you might find harder to answer, such as:
What’s the best way to automate?
How do you know which software to use?
For that last question, there’s a wide range of options to choose from when you’re shopping for BPA software. Different software suppliers offer different features. Some offer automation for only a few business processes while others have BPA software suites that cover automation in several different departments. This gives you a variety of software types and suppliers to choose from. In addition, you might also be using ERP software and you’ll need to consider that when choosing a BPA software to work alongside it.
With so many options, you might wonder if it’s a good idea to pick and choose software for different applications/departments from different Service as a Software (SaaS) providers. After all, you pick and choose from various suppliers for other products you purchase. This brings us to another question:
Does it matter whether you use different software suppliers when automating different departments?
While picking and choosing software might sound good in theory, there are several compelling reasons for sticking with just one company for your BPA needs. Mixing and matching can be great for your wardrobe, but it’s a recipe for disaster with software. As you consider how to proceed with automating various business departments, keep in mind these five big advantages to getting all your business software solutions from the same supplier.
1) No Software Conflicts
Programs from different software providers don’t always play well with others. File formats don’t transfer right, something glitches when trying to share information—it’s a problem many of us are all too familiar with. You don’t need the headaches that go along with handling those sorts of software challenges. Especially not when you’re implementing a BPA solution that’s supposed to make things easier.
You want to look for a holistic business software solution that can also integrate with your existing systems. That’s what we’ve worked to create here at NextProcess. Each of our software modules works seamlessly together and they’ll also work with all major ERP systems. This ERP compatibility is vital, and not something that other BPA suppliers consistently offer with the same level of detail we can give you at NextProcess. We’ll even customize the integration to fit your exact needs. Our software can also pull in a variety of different file formats, from Excel spreadsheets to .jpegs to PDFs, to make integration go smoothly.
2) Simple Software Collaboration
Each of our software modules works great as a stand-alone software solution for individual departments. And since they integrate well with other software, you won’t have to worry about glitches caused by software conflicts. But things get even better when you start using our software modules together as a BPA software suite.
If you’re using multiple modules, it’s incredibly easy to follow paperwork trails and check on projects in all different stages. For example, let’s suppose you’re running three of our modules: accounts payable, procurement, and capital projects. If you click on an invoice in the accounts payable module, you’ll see a link that will take you to the associated purchase order. You’ll also be able to see if that transaction is associated with a capital project, and if it is you can click through to your CapEx software. It’s very straightforward. Just click, and you’re there.
This is quite a contrast to using multiple, disconnected programs. In that case, if you want to check on a purchase order associated with a specific invoice, you’d have to switch from your accounts payable program to a different program for procurement and then look up the purchase order there. And then you’d have to open another program to check which capital project they’re associated with. Running all three using a software suite that works together is much more streamlined and efficient.
3) Ease of Implementation
When you first switch to using automated software, there’s a certain amount of downtime while getting the new system up and running. Choosing a SaaS company like NextProcess for your automation minimizes this downtime because it’s relatively easy for us to get things set up. Software as a Service makes automation fast and easy to implement. Going with the same company for all your BPA software just makes things even more simple.
By using a single BPA software suite, you’ll be able to roll out the new software across your company all at once while working with a single provider. You won’t have to worry about scheduling conflicts between different providers. Plus, there won’t be any delays that come from trying to get the different brands of software to work together. Just one streamlined implementation. And if you’re working with NextProcess, you’ll also have the confidence of knowing we have a near-perfect implementation rate.
4) Simplified Learning
Every software system is a little different, but there are commonalities between business software solution modules made by the same provider. For example, once you learn how to use Microsoft Word it’s much easier to learn Excel and other programs in the Office Suite.
Similarly, employees working with multiple BPA systems in different departments will have an easier time if they’re all made by the same SaaS provider. Once you learn to use NextProcess’ AP automation software, for example, it’s easier to learn other NextProcess modules than to switch to software made by another provider.
You’ll get an additional advantage here by going with NextProcess because our system is very user-friendly. You can quickly learn to use all our software modules without any previous experience with similar software. We’re also happy to provide training and answer questions.
5) Streamlined Customer Service
If you’re collecting business software solutions from a variety of different companies, you’ll also have to maintain business relationships with each company. And if something goes wrong with the software, you’ll have to deal with more than one customer service department to get things sorted out. This is another reason that mixing and matching different BPA solutions isn’t a great idea. You’re just setting yourself up for more hassle in the future.
Having as many of your SaaS needs as possible met by the same BPA software suite makes it easier to resolve issues and scale the software as your business expands. This is also good for keeping your BPA software communicating with ERPs as both systems receive updates. Plus, contracting with just one BPA company simplifies billing since you’re paying one company instead of many.
Automate Today with a BPA Software Suite
Automating essential business processes will save your company time and money. Automation and digitization are important steps in keeping your company up to date in the modern business world. Ideally, automating will help your company meet goals more efficiently, speed up routine tasks, and cut costs without adding any additional stress. A good BPA system makes life simpler.
Choosing a business software solution that integrates well with your existing processes helps make the whole automation process go more smoothly. A good system should also offer a BPA software suite that lets you quickly and easily automate multiple departments.
To see how much a financial software suite can help your business, simply get in touch with us. We’ll be happy to schedule a free, no-strings-attached demonstration of our software. You can see how it works first-hand before deciding whether to purchase it. We’re also happy to answer any questions you have and talk about how we can customize our software to fit your unique business processing needs.
