Service Business Software

Service business software is available for a wide range of service based organisations. Software tends to fall into two categories: software useful for every type of business (such as business intelligence or accounting software), and specialist services software for businesses in a specific business niche. Niche software includes the PT billing software popular with physiotherapy private practices.

Most types of business software used by service companies can be used either as a desktop based solution or delivered as a software as a service (SaaS) solution. SaaS is increasingly popular because Internet based applications offer flexibility for employees who might alternate between working in the office or at home, or at a client site. Internet applications can also be delivered wirelessly to wifi enabled computing devices or via mobile phones. SaaS software offers other benefits such as reduced IT support costs as well as normally being delivered on a fixed monthly cost basis.

Accounting Service Business Software

Service businesses are major users of accounting software. There is a wide range of accounting software solutions, including products aimed at small businesses and bookkeepers to those with ERP capabilities of value to large multinational organisations.

Popular accounting software vendors include the UK based Sage. Sage offers a wide range of products to companies of all sizes. There are also a multitude of 3rd party add-ons that can be useful to particular industries. QuickBooks from Intuit is Sage's major rival, especially in the small company market.

An increasing number of accounting packages are available as a SaaS solution. This can reduce the total cost of ownership as well as make it easier for staff to access the software regardless of their location.

Many accounting software packages are modular in nature. Core basic modules include accounts, stock inventory control and client/customer billing. Optional modules often include integration with employee timesheets, integration with online payment processing facilities such as WorldPay, and recording of employee expenses. For companies that are based in particular countries there are also modules to deal with local tax and other laws such as the facility for recording and paying VAT or local shopping taxes. In the UK many accounting packages are integrated with HMRC's facilities for paying tax, VAT and employee national insurance contributions remotely.

Service Business Software for Invoicing

Since so many service orientated companies bill their clients for the work undertaken, invoicing software that can be integrated with time tracking and recording software is essential. Many of the larger time recording applications are able to integrated with popular invoicing solutions. Alternatively many of the larger time trackers have integrated invoicing facilities.

Business Intelligence Software

Thanks to the massive growth in the usage of computing facilities, businesses have more data than ever before to analyse. An analysis of business data can lead to huge efficiency savings as well as point to areas of future potential growth for the business.

Popular Business Intelligence (BI) software vendors include Oracle, IBM Cognos and Business Objects. Popular database products such as Microsoft's SQL Server also allow data to be analysed through the use of data warehousing and analysis.

Any business that has a website also has the potential to perform business intelligence analysis on the data recorded by the web server. Google Analytics is a popular website analysis package. It integrates with a range of ecommerce facilities in order to offer sophisticated business intelligence capabilities for any company that needs to measure website performance in terms of sales and conversions rather than just the number of daily visitors.

Servicing Business Software

For businesses that offer services to homes and businesses there are a number of suppliers that provide specialist servicing software. One major supplier is Insight Direct. Their ServiceCEO range of software provides a full management suite of applications for a number of service businesses including:

• Software for Tree Surgeons
• Software for Window Cleaners
• Software for Roofing Contractors
• Software for Pest Controllers
• Software for Plumbers and Heating Engineers

The software offers similar functionality for each business niche, including:

• Estimates
• Storage of customer information
• Equipment tracking and servicing
• Scheduling and job management
• Management of service schedules and warranties

All kinds of service based businesses can benefit from software products to help manage the business. As well as improving business effficency, studies have shown that in sectors such as physiotherapy practices, businesses that use physiotherapy billing software have much higher rates of successful invoicing compared to practices that use paper based systems.