Inventory management software provider, Unleashed, has announced a suite of new tools targeting the underserved majority of small-to-micro product businesses.

Small-to-micro businesses that sell physical goods make up 20% of the Australian economy, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, yet are often forced to choose between software that costs more than an FTE salary – or pen and paper. 

After introducing a Material Requirements Planning tool for small firms at about a fifth of the price of equivalent big name systems, Unleashed has doubled-down on these businesses, with three new product releases answering specific common problems.

The first is a new Sales Growth product for managing sales pipeline, quoting and leads. The second, a small business marketing software module; and a third, a mobile phone-based warehouse management app (WMS).

All of these have been “right-sized and designed with the needs and budgets of SMBs in mind”, according to Unleashed Head of Product Jarrod Adam.

“Time and again we hear from small firms that the tools they need are out of reach,” says Adam.

“The big name systems are incredible, but they’re also very complex and require a large amount of customisation.

“So, if you’re an ambitious two-to-twenty person firm, for example, they’re an overkill on price and functionality.” he said.

Revenue Growth Without The Cost

Internal research into email-integrated quoting tool performance informed Unleashed’s Sales Growth product development.

“Looking into our systems, out of a million quotes issued last year, integrated email quoting gets accepted 37% more,” said Adam.

“This translates to about $361,000 extra revenue per business, which is significant.” he said.

The Sales Growth product bridges the gap between sales teams and core business systems, professionalising the sales process with interactive quoting, pipeline management and lead management – without the need for a vast, expensive CRM.

And as it’s built into the main Unleashed product, it does so without integration headaches.

“That’s an overlooked but important benefit,” said Adam.

“Having your sales people working in-system gives the whole team a clearer picture of future revenue instead of leaving it buried in inboxes.”

“That means sales staff are pitching based on a live view of products you actually have in stock, instead of making educated guesses. And owner-operators get to keep an eye on pitches in real-time.” he said.

Data-Led Marketing

A related product, Marketing Accelerator, adds product-aware campaign tools particularly suited to re-targeting existing customers.

“This is a tool that really helps a company’s marketing lead engage their customer base. For example, they can ensure they’re reaching out in a timely manner to offer tailored recommendations and reminders that match their historic ordering habits,”

“It’s this proactive approach that can set a business apart and make sure they’re not leaving revenue on the table from lack of outreach.” said Adam.

Bringing Warehouse Operations Into The Digital Age 

According to Adam the new Warehouse Management app (WMS) rounds out the suite.

“This is a particular area where small business needs get overlooked.”

Most warehouse software is designed for larger, specialised needs like third-party logistics companies, putting it out of reach of smaller firms.

Too often, the fallback for these smaller businesses is using paper systems, which creates a nightmare at audit time and triggers pick-accuracy and speed problems. 

Digitising this operational gap “was a no-brainer” according to Adam, but right-sizing their tool was key.

“With WMS, we wanted to keep things simple and cost-effective for users. We stayed focused on the features warehouse managers and pick staff actually need, rather than overcomplicating the system.”

“That helps keep costs realistic and, because it’s mobile-phone based, users can avoid expensive scanner hardware too.” said Adam

The WMS app costs AU$149 per month. The Sales Growth module costs AU$161. And the Marketing tooling is AU$365. That puts the suite squarely in the wheelhouse of small companies wanting to digitise, but that are too small for big-name tools.

“We’re really focused on pricing and products that meet the needs of smaller companies.”

“And that’s a message I want the advisor and technology community to hear: Your clients are price-sensitive. They need reliable systems that actually meet their needs.” said Adam

“We think it’s a place where Unleashed can really help.” he said.