In the past decade, businesses have evolved significantly due to technological advancements. From small businesses to large enterprises, most businesses rely on a wide range of software, tools, and applications to automate and manage all aspects of business operations. But then there are so many options out there that it’s quite confusing to understand which will be the best business software for your business.
With that in mind, we’re here to make things easier for you by highlighting only the top and best enterprise applications and tools currently available in the market for businesses of all sizes and industries.
So let’s get straight to it, and check out the top 10 business software that can streamline and improve different areas of business operations.
Top Accounting Software
Accounting is an integral aspect of every business in every industry. And when it comes to the top business software for managing accounts and finances, here are some of the most popular tools:
Quickbooks
Developed by Intuit, QuickBooks is one of the best accounting software for businesses. It is designed to assist individuals and businesses with managing their financial activities, such as invoicing, payroll processing, tax preparation, and generating financial reports. This application offers features tailored specifically for accounting needs, such as income tracking and expense management. Quickbooks is widely used by small businesses and individuals for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive accounting functionalities.
It takes the spot as a top-tier accounting software due to features such as:
- creating and sending custom invoices and quotes
- track sales and expenses in detail
- inventory management tools to track stock levels, manage orders, and optimize inventory control
- multi-user collaboration, and much more.
Pricing: Starting from $30 per month.
Zoho Books
Zoho Books is also an excellent accounting software and part of the Zoho suite of business applications and offers comprehensive accounting features tailored for small business owners. It includes invoicing, expense management, bank reconciliation, manage inventory, and many more functionalities. Zoho Books integrates seamlessly with other Zoho applications and third-party services.
Take a quick look at some of its key features which makes it one of the best accounting software:
- bank reconciliation for easy financial management
- expense tracking and management functionalities
- online payment integration for faster invoice payments
- detailed reports and analytics tools for gaining insights into business performance
- integration with other Zoho applications and third-party services
Pricing: Free basic plan, and paid plans starting from $15 per month.
Best HR and Workforce Management Software
Like accounting, HR management is also a core aspect of most businesses. Workforce is the most essential foundation of a successful business, and here are the top business software designed for HR and labor management.
Bamboo HR
BambooHR is a cloud-based HR software platform designed to streamline HR processes and improve employee management. It is a comprehensive solution that helps both large and small businesses manage their workforce more effectively, improve employee engagement, and drive business success.
Let’s quickly take a look at some key features that makes it such a popular HR software:
- complete employee database with self-service portals for employees
- recruitment and hiring process, applicant tracking, and onboarding processes
- performance management and time and attendance tracking
- customizable HR tools for reporting and analytics to analyze workforce data and track key metrics for strategic decision-making
Pricing: Must enquire for a price quote.
Workyard
Workyard is a comprehensive workforce management software designed to help businesses better manage and supervise their labor, as well as streamline and automate different HR management tasks. It’s an excellent all in one solution for businesses who work with hired labor for various jobs and projects, such as construction companies and contractors.
Workyard offers many handy features that improve business efficiency and flexibility, such as:
- GPS and time tracking of workers
- job tracking to monitor job progress of all workers
- job scheduling to ensure that all workers know when and where to perform jobs and tasks
- complete payroll system with accurate labor cost calculations for jobs
- ensure labor compliance, as well as detailed reporting and analytics for workforce optimization
Pricing: Time Tracking – $6 per month; Workforce management – $13 per month (+ $50 per month company base fee).
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software
An ERP is software system that organizations use to manage day-to-day business activities such as accounting, procurement, supply chain operations, inventory management, and manufacturing. ERP systems integrate various functions into one comprehensive system, allowing different departments to share and access information in real-time. For large enterprises, an ERP is perhaps one of the most essential business software to manage just about every area of regular business operations.
Currently, some of the top-rated and most widely used ERP systems are:
SAP
SAP is the most popular ERP software around the world, developed by the German multinational corporation SAP SE. It is widely used by thousands of organizations globally and is known for its comprehensive suite of modules covering various business functions. The company has launched different versions of ERP systems which include:
- SAP ECC for large enterprises, which has now upgraded to SAP S/4HANA.
- SAP Business One for small businesses.
- SAP Business ByDesign which is targeted at mid-sized businesses and subsidiaries of larger enterprises
Here are some factors that make SAP the top ERP system:
- a wide range of modules covering various business functions such as finance, human resources, procurement, supply chain management, manufacturing, sales, and distribution.
- designed to scale with businesses of all sizes, from small and medium enterprises to large multinational corporations.
- industry-specific solutions tailored to the unique requirements of different sectors such as retail, manufacturing, healthcare, utilities, and more.
- seamlessly integrate with other SAP solutions as well as third-party applications, allowing businesses to streamline their processes and eliminate data silos.
- with a vast network of partners and consultants worldwide, SAP offers extensive support and services to its customers across the globe.
Pricing: Varies based on the ERP system, active modules, and user licenses.
Dynamics 365 Business Central
Dynamics 365 Business Central is another popular cloud-based ERP business software developed by Microsoft. It is designed to help small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) manage various aspects of their operations, including finances, sales, purchasing, inventory, manufacturing, and more.
Here are the key features and capabilities of Dynamics 365 Business Central:
- robust financial management capabilities, including general ledger, accounts receivable and payable, cash flow management, budgeting, and financial reporting.
- manage purchase orders, vendor management, procurement, and supplier payments.
- advanced inventory management capabilities to help businesses track and manage their inventory levels, optimize stock levels, and streamline order fulfillment processes.
- basic manufacturing capabilities to help businesses manage production processes, bill of materials (BOM), production orders, and capacity planning.
- CRM functionalities to manage sales opportunities, track customer interactions, and automate sales processes.
Pricing: Essential license – $70 per user per month; Premium license – $100 per user per month.
Customer Relationship Management
CRM software is used by businesses to manage and analyze interactions with current and potential customers. The primary goal of CRM is to improve business relationships with customers, assist in customer retention, and drive sales growth.
It typically enables businesses to organize customer data, track customer interactions across various channels (such as phone calls, emails, social media, and website visits), automate certain sales and marketing processes, and provide insights into customer behavior and preferences.
And when it comes to the best CRM systems, two notable ones include:
Salesforce
Salesforce is a cloud-based CRM platform that offers a suite of tools and services designed to help businesses manage their sales, marketing, customer service, and more. Founded in 1999, Salesforce has grown to become one of the leading providers of CRM software globally.
The Salesforce platform provides a range of products and services tailored to different business needs:
- Sales Cloud: Dedicated platform for sales team with features such as lead and opportunity management, sales forecasting, contact management, workflow automation, etc.
- Marketing Cloud: Comprehensive platform for marketing teams with tools for email marketing, social media marketing, digital advertising, customer journey mapping, and much more.
- Commerce Cloud: Salesforce’s platform for building and managing e-commerce with features such as product catalog management, personalized shopping experiences, order management, and AI-powered recommendations.
- Service Cloud: Salesforce’s customer service platform, designed to help businesses provide excellent customer support. It includes features like case management, knowledge base, omni-channel support, and AI-powered chatbots to deliver personalized support and efficient customer service.
Pricing: Starting at $25 per month per user.
HubSpot
HubSpot is another CRM software that has gained worldwide popularity and is used by countless growing businesses all over the world. It is offered as part of HubSpot’s broader suite of marketing, sales, and customer service tools. It also offers a basic free plan with limited features, which makes it a perfect platform for small business owners.
Overall, HubSpot CRM is known for its user-friendly interface and seamless integration with other HubSpot tools, alongside powerful features such as:
- storing and managing contact information for leads, prospects, and customers in a centralized database so users can view contact details, communication history, and engagement activities all in one place
- capturing leads through forms, live chat, and other channels, then tracking their journey through the sales pipeline
- tools for creating tasks, setting reminders, and scheduling follow-up activities with leads
- automation features such as email sequences, workflows, and lead scoring to streamline sales processes and improve efficiency
- insights into sales performance, pipeline activity, and lead engagement through customizable dashboards and reports so businesses can track metrics, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions
Pricing: Free plan available for small businesses; Paid plans starting from $20 per month.
If you’re interested, check out our quick comparison between Salesforce and HubSpot CRM to know what’s right for your business.
Salesforce vs HubSpot – What is the Best CRM for Your Business?
Project Management Software
Project management tools are crucial for businesses to plan, organize, and execute projects efficiently. It helps teams collaborate, track progress, allocate resources, and meet deadlines effectively. With features like task management, scheduling, collaboration tools, and reporting capabilities, project management tools enhance productivity and ensure successful project outcomes.
So let’s check out the top applications for managing projects:
Atlassian Jira
Atlassian Jira is a widely used tool that offers a robust set of tools for agile project and software development. It allows teams to plan, track, and release software with ease, facilitating collaboration and transparency throughout the development lifecycle.
Key features of Atlassian Jira include:
- Agile methodology with customizable Scrum and Kanban boards
- Issue tracking and workflow management for identifying, prioritizing, and resolving tasks
- Roadmap planning and release management for organizing and scheduling project milestones
- Real-time collaboration with comments, mentions, and notifications to keep teams aligned
- Integration with various development tools and platforms, such as Bitbucket, GitHub, and Confluence
Pricing: Starts at $10/month for up to 10 users, with flexible pricing options based on the number of users and additional features.
Zoho Projects
Zoho Projects is a comprehensive project management software designed to help teams plan, collaborate, and deliver projects on time and within budget. With its intuitive interface and robust feature set, Zoho Projects caters to businesses of all sizes and industries, enabling efficient project execution from start to finish.
Here are some of the advanced features of Zoho Projects:
- Task management with Gantt charts, milestones, and task dependencies for better planning to track projects
- Time tracking and resource utilization to monitor project progress and allocate resources effectively
- Document management and version control for storing, sharing, and collaborating on project documents
- Issue tracking and bug management to identify and resolve issues quickly
- Integration with other Zoho applications and third-party tools for seamless workflow automation and data synchronization
Pricing: Free for up to 3 users, fit for small businesses; Paid plans starting at $3 per month per user for standard features.
Tips to Selecting the Right Business Software and Enterprise Tools
Selecting the best business software and enterprise tools is crucial for maximizing efficiency and driving growth. Here are some tips to help you make informed decisions:
1. Define Your Business Needs
Identify the specific areas of your business operations that need improvement or automation. Whether it’s accounting, HR management, or relationship management, understanding your requirements will guide you in selecting the most suitable software solutions.
2. Consider Scalability
Many small businesses start with free or low-cost tools and then upgrade to better, more advanced business software as they scale. So you must choose software that can grow with your business. Opt for a powerful solution that also offers scalability and flexibility to accommodate future expansion and evolving business processes without requiring frequent changes or migrations.
3. Evaluate Integration Capabilities
Look for software that integrates seamlessly with your existing systems and workflows. Compatibility with other tools and platforms ensures smooth data exchange and avoids duplication of efforts.
4. Assess User-Friendliness
User adoption is key to the success of any software implementation. Prioritize solutions with intuitive interfaces and comprehensive training and support resources to facilitate user onboarding and minimize resistance to change.
5. Review Security and Compliance
Data security and regulatory compliance are paramount considerations, especially for sensitive information such as financial records and customer data. Choose software providers that adhere to industry standards and offer robust security features and compliance measures.
6. Evaluate Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Beyond upfront costs, consider the total cost of ownership over the software’s lifecycle, including subscription fees, implementation costs, training expenses, and ongoing maintenance and support. Compare pricing plans and evaluate ROI potential to ensure cost-effectiveness.
7. Collect Feedback and Recommendations
Leverage peer reviews, industry analysts’ assessments, and recommendations from trusted sources to gain insights into the performance, reliability, and suitability of different software solutions. Real-world experiences and case studies can provide valuable perspectives on usability and effectiveness.
8. Take Advantage of Trial Periods
Many software vendors offer free trials or demo versions of their products. Take advantage of these opportunities to test drive the software, explore its features, and assess its suitability for your business before committing.
Conclusion
Whether it’s accounting software for financial management, HR software and workforce management platform for employee engagement, ERP systems for integrated business processes, CRM platforms for customer relationship management, or project management tool for effective project execution, investing in the necessary business software can empower global giants as well as small businesses to thrive and succeed in the digital age.
Leveraging the right business software and enterprise tools is essential for driving efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness in today’s dynamic business landscape. By carefully evaluating your business requirements, considering scalability and integration capabilities, prioritizing user-friendliness and security, and seeking feedback and recommendations, you can select the best business software solutions to streamline your operations and achieve your business objectives.
Integrate Your Business Software and Applications with APPSeCONNECT
As you can see, businesses need not just one or two but a multitude of tools, applications, and online solutions for different areas of operations. While such tools greatly improve efficiency and even automate key business processes, there is one downside to using different enterprise applications. The problem is that it creates disparate systems within the company.
For example, a small business that is using HR software as well as accounting software will have financial data and transactions recorded in both systems. It would be a huge waste of time maintaining and cross-checking the data across both applications and could also lead to manual errors in the data stored across different applications.
Now think a similar scenario but for larger enterprises. When a small business eventually grows bigger, they will start using high-end business software that deal with massive amounts of data. In such cases, managing such a high volume of data across different systems will be a huge challenge.
That is where an integration platform like APPSeCONNECT comes to the rescue!
We are your go-to automation experts, offering a robust, user-friendly, and low-code platform where businesses can connect two or more applications and synchronize data between them. Seamlessly integrate and automate your business applications under a single, intelligent, and secure Business Process Automation platform through APPSeCONNECT, and achieve exponential business growth.
