Winery Management Software - Where Are the True Benefits and Costs?
July 06, 2011 - Livermore, CA:  Too much to do with too little to do it with! As business owners we are deeply immersed in the daily work and emergencies that come our way and I find that we don't make the time to see the loss of time, money and actual customers that is incurred by not stopping to bring in solutions that would streamline and increase business.

I think that is why I find so many wineries managing their tasting rooms and clubs with general ledgers, simple cash registers and other manual processes. Yes, it works but a closer look at the time that is required to manage shipping costs, sales taxes, compliance, etc. will more often than not add up to significant losses. Here is just one example: If you ship 100 packages and underestimate actual shipping charges by $ 2.00 per package the loss is an immediate $ 200.00 of expense that could have otherwise been saved.

So when is the right time to consider bringing in a solution? I have found that there is no exact answer. It all depends. However taking the time to evaluate the expense of the current system (manual or technical) and associated costing should be reviewed every 6 months.

Keep in mind that the cost of the process goes well beyond the actual price tag of the solution. Yes - the manual process could be considered "free" but the expense and losses are far from it.

As you evaluate priorities and consider changes to your business the TRUE VALUE of any change may be hidden. Here are a few areas to consider.-

• Basics: Review how the new solution(s) would replace your current process. Most people look at their existing process for managing tasting rooms and clubs and evaluate a solution on that general process - and that makes sense.
• Changes: Equally important is to consider how the solution can IMPROVE the process and go beyond the standards to increase sales, retention and reduce hidden expenses.
• Exceptions: Often forgotten from the evaluation is to look at the exceptions to your standard process and see how the solution will help streamline those challenges.
• Expertise: All solutions need support. A great question to ask is the how knowledgeable is the support team in regards to your goals? Can they offer you valuable suggestions beyond pushing buttons to make the software work and truly offer solutions on how to grow your business?