Provider of intelligent business systems for SME’s, Attaché Software, has launched the Business Improvement Guide, which provides businesses with over 700 ways to effectively use and monitor information technology within their organisation.

A key feature of the guide is its embrace of the international standards for governance of IT.

The 700 tactics within the guide are divided into seven strategic areas of business, including debtor’s reduction, stock reduction, expense reduction, sales increase, fraud reduction, carbon emission reduction, and payroll efficiency.  Each strategy is comprised of specific tactics, with a wealth of information on business improvement in areas such as staff education, customer relationship management, systems automation, payment systems, and business intelligence.

“SME directors should continually evaluate, direct and monitor their current and future use of IT, focusing on fundamental business objectives, such as maintaining a competitive advantage,” said Mike Rich, Managing Director of Attaché, and co-author of the guide.

“As a result, the guide enables directors to assign responsibility for specific business aspects to managers, while accountability for the organisation’s effective use of IT remains with the directors,” Rich added.  

Recent research by Infonomics confirms that while most organisations are dependent on IT for day-to-day operations and strategic development, 80 percent of respondents in both large and SME environments, said that the market does not provide enough relevant and accessible guidance to help them understand and govern their business use of information technology.