Last Updated on Dec 20, 2019 by James W
Regardless of whether your business has dozens or hundreds of employees, you need great software to get some of the more tedious work done. Easy-to-use solutions for handling and maintaining office documents, accounting and task management, as well as running a call center in the cloud, are a must for practically any company.
Here are four of the best software programs available for enterprise businesses today.
1. Best Office Software: Microsoft Office 365
Microsoft Office remains the gold standard in office software, enabling the creation, editing and sharing of text documents, spreadsheets, presentations and more. With the single-user desktop version of Office Home & Small Business 2019 also out the door, Microsoft also provides four improved options specifically for businesses, each at monthly subscription-based pricing.
The least expensive business edition, Office 365 Essentials, provides web editions of the core Microsoft programs — Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook — in addition to OneDrive for web storage, Skype for video conferencing, Microsoft Teams for chat, SharePoint for team file sharing and the Yammer internal social media network.
The slightly pricier Office 365 Business features downloadable editions of the four core Office programs, plus Microsoft Access and OneNote, along with the web-based OneDrive. Meantime, Office 365 Business Premium combines the functionality of Office 365 Essentials and Office 365 Business, while adding Bookings, for online appointment scheduling, and Connections, an email marketing client.
Finally, the more expansive Microsoft Office Business builds on Office Premium to add the Microsoft Invoicing app, as well as IT security and mobile device management capabilities.
2. Best Accounting Software: Intuit’s QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online is still one of the most comprehensive accounting packages any business can buy, offering advantages over the desktop version, particularly with regard to product upgrades.
All three editions of the subscription-based QuickBooks Online, including the entry-level Simple Start, provide a slew of beneficial features that include invoicing, tracking income and expenses, connecting with bank and credit card accounts, and accessing data from smartphones and tablets.
The slightly pricier Essentials version adds capabilities such as bill payment scheduling and profit and losses comparisons with industry trends. With the top-of-the-line Plus, you can view sales and profitability by company location, as well as perform inventory tracking. Additionally, Quicken recently extended support of 1099 contractors from Plus to the two lower-priced online editions.
3. Best Task Management Software: Wrike
Considered an eminent solution for task and project management, Wrike is available in both free and paid versions. Supporting up to five users and unlimited numbers of collaborators, the free edition lets companies manage tasks, share files and monitor team activities through a real-time feed.
Paid tiers are offered, too. Customers with 15 seats or fewer can learn to optimize processes with Wrike Best Practices, a package that includes workspace setup, process mapping and templates for streamlining repeatable work. Teams of 20 or more can purchase full deployment packages, which offer training, resource documents and media, and change management preparation. In other words, you can start small and work your way up.
4. Best Customer Service Software: Aspect IVR
Leveraging the best customer service software is essential for all companies to experience success. How your company handles inbound and outbound customer service communications makes an inestimable difference in customer satisfaction.
Recognizing that we’re all living in an increasingly omnichannel world, IVR systems and solutions preserve the context of customer communications across a multitude of channels. For instance, if a customer calls in after receiving an email notification, companies can be made aware that it has been sent and can respond appropriately via live phone support.
Companies that use IVR to their advantage can also predict a caller’s intention based on recent engagement, adapt to each user’s experience level, and send out communications proactively. To save time for customers, for example, companies can text web-based forms for the customer to fill out while they wait to connect to a live agent or to get a callback for a complicated issue like billing. Run your call center in the cloud, and keep customers coming back for more.
Let Software Streamline Daily Operations
As an enterprise business manager, choose your software programs wisely. Let software solutions like those above streamline everyday operations for you, so you can devote your attention to areas of the business demanding your talents and expertise.
