Solutions for staff and clients

AS part of Precursor's client services team, Teo Yian Quan does not only use the firm's new software suite in the course of his work, he also sells it to clients.

Mr Teo, 35, joined Precursor in June last year and began using its Client Cursor application - part of the firm's new Smartcursors Marketplace suite - at the start of this year.

The integrated client management system makes it easier for him to track his own productivity, he says.

The conventional approach, as he describes it, is tedious: "Every single new lead that comes in, I have to put into Excel... If I want to see when was the first time I touched base with the client or the last time, I have to search in my e-mail."

In contrast, Precursor's new system logs all engagements with clients and potential clients, so Mr Teo does not need to keep separate records.

Its data analytics function allows him to see important performance-related statistics at a glance, such as the conversion rate of leads to clients, which industry sector performs best, and client losses.

The cloud-based system also allows him to perform his job better. If a client gets in touch with a query on a weekend, for instance, he can swiftly call up the relevant details on his phone, instead of having to use the office intranet.

As a satisfied Smartcursors Marketplace user himself, he is glad to pitch his firm's "solution as a service" to clients.

Many firms may already have off-the-shelf software for functions such as customer relationship management and accounting. But these systems are unlikely to be linked.

By integrating these functions and others such as human resources, the Smartcursors Marketplace eliminates the need to "go from department to department" in search of data.

Its data analytics engine also gives a valuable real-time look at business performance, says Mr Ong: "A business owner wants to know how his business is doing at a glance, not just wait for quarterly accounts."

Internally, the Smartcursors Marketplace also helps managers such as Ong Jia Yi keep track of employees.

The 32-year-old has been with Precursor since 2011, and is one of three managers overseeing more than 30 associates in the professional services team.

The Workflow Cursor has made it easier for her to monitor her associates, schedule their time, and track how many hours they log in each job.

Tracking progress of each individual job is easy, thanks to a dashboard with a live view of what percentage of the task has been completed by the employees she supervises.

"In the past, there were too many jobs, you just cannot monitor them. Now it's much easier," she says.

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