It used to be that an integrated information technology platform was restricted to the realm of big enterprises with budgets available to support multi-million dollar implementations of mainframe based enterprise systems such as SAP, Oracle, etc.
Nowadays there are world class software applications available through affordable subscription models that are fully capable to support any business.
An integrated information technology platform enables business transformation through increased efficiency and enabling deployment of an effective strategy for social media in small business.
However, to extract the most value from the half-dozen or so applications required to operate efficiently it's an absolute must to integrate the systems so they all "talk" to each other.
Six examples of software applications to equip a business for the 21st-century.
Integrated information systems result in a value that is greater than the sum of the individual parts.
Most companies already have some kind of accounting system, probably use PayPal for any e-commerce business and have a website. Fewer small companies are using a CRM platform such as MS Dynamics and a digital marketing platform such as HubSpot. Even fewer have integrated so all the components "talk" to each other. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Authors Note: This post was originally published in February 2015 and has been updated for accuracy.
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