Tips for building IT systems into your business
 
1. When buying your computer system, ensure you obtain good advice from an IT consultant or reseller.

2. Expect as much from it as you put into it. There are no magic solutions.

3. Set the expectations of your people in sync with the advice you get from your adviser.

4. Make sure your data is safe and well organised.

5. Ensure you have a good internet connection and service provider.

6. Make sure that your people can access your information when they need it - business intelligence matters.

7. Integrate your applications together to save time and effort and money and give you a single view of your business.

8. Look at your business processes with a critical eye - your computer will do what you organise it to do.

9. Once everything is in shape inside the company, it is time to consider external factors:

• Look to the outside of your business - your suppliers and customers;
• Start to exchange data with them;
• Integrate some of your business functions with theirs;
• Make sure you have good security - integrated supply chains are as good as their weakest link;
• Think about the next layer of competitive advantage that you can build and remember, that the partnership of technology and customer service can produce outstanding returns in both sales and efficiency.

10. Always look at ways of improving and building on your technology investment.