Five back-office shorts to look for this week

You do not need a consultant to find your first short. Walk the back office for a week and watch for these five.

1. The same thing typed twice

Any time information moves from one system to another by hand, like email to order system to books, you are paying for it twice and risking a typo each time.

2. Invoices chased by memory

If reminders go out when someone remembers, they go out late. Late reminders mean late cash.

3. Prices that lag costs

When supplier costs rise and the price list finds out weeks later, margin leaks on every sale in between.

4. Posts that never go out

Social media slips first during busy season, and it is always busy season. Silence costs visibility you already paid to build.

5. Numbers in five logins

If checking sales, cash and leads means opening five tools, you only check when something already feels wrong.

Found one? Put a price on it with the cost of a short calculator, or bring it to a fit check.