On the Road: Expense Report Software Unchains Me From My Desk

Anyone who works with me knows that I hate being stuck in the office. I understand that being at my desk is important from time to time and that being in the office affords me some face to face time with co-workers. It can also be a good place to meet clients and connect them personally to my bosses.

But if given the choice, I’d choose being out with customers at their places 99% of the time.

Technology has changed my sales job quite a lot over the last few years. Online business processing software gives me access to organizational functions wherever I am through my phone, tablet or laptop. I really don’t need to be in the office nearly as often.

Things that used to Keep me in the Office

1. Meetings?We all have meetings to attend. For me, I enjoy attending meetings when they are usually filled with pertinent information and accelerate decision-making (not always the case!) Recently, my company swtiched to on line meetings and we can all decide to join a scheduled meeting in person or from the road. (I choose from the road!)
2. Doing Paperwork?No one likes getting a deal closed more than I do and I know that in order for a deal to be closed, paperwork must be completed. Since my company started using online e-signature software (full disclosure: It is SutiSign, I now can assemble and process a contract, complete with all associated forms, from anywhere I have Internet access.
3. Travel Expense Reports?Our old method of expense reports required us to tape all of our travel expense receipts to a sheet of paper, scan the receipts and attach them as an image file to our spreadsheet expense report. It took at least an hour to complete an expense report. Since we now use SutiExpense travel expense report software, I can create and complete a report from my mobile phone and can do so in my customer’s parking lot, on a train or sitting at home while watching “Game of Thrones!”

I learned a valuable lesson from my company’s owner my first week on the job. He pointed towards the door and said “your sales are out THERE!”

I never forgot how important it is for a sales professional to be out with clients, attending networking events and simply being in public. And thanks to technology, I get to be “out there” way more often.

What about you? Have SaaS-based online softwares made dealing with your corporate bureaucratic tasks more quickly and flexibly? What kind of software has made your life easier?