SMEs: Why choose an integrated Business Management platform?
Blog
·
29/08/2025
·
· Copy Link Managing an SME has never been more complex. Between accounting, projects, human resources, and customer relationships, business owners often juggle multiple tools. Spreadsheets, isolated software, scattered emails… it’s easy to lose track.
According to a recent Gartner study, employees in SMEs now use an average of 11 different applications daily to complete their tasks.
➡️Result : wasted time, data entry errors, duplicates, and a lack of overall visibility on ongoing projects and operations.
In this article, we’ll explore why adopting an integrated management platform has become strategic for SMEs, the tangible benefits it offers, and how Elix can transform daily management with its versatility and modularity.
A Day in the Life of an SME Manager
🕣 8:30 AM. Marc, the CEO of a 30-person SME, starts his day with a clear goal: finalize a strategic quote. But reality quickly takes over. His screen is flooded with notifications: unread emails, alerts from different software…
🕘 9:00 AM. He opens a spreadsheet to check profit margins. At the same time, he receives a notification from the accounting software and an email from the sales team with a different version of the same file. First confusion. Marc must compare both documents to determine which version is correct.
🕥10:30 AM. Project meeting. Every team member arrives with their own document because no tools are synchronized. Marc takes notes in his personal drive to “not forget anything,” knowing that no centralized system guarantees data consistency.
🕐1:00 PM. A strategic client calls for a planning update. Finding the information is impossible without going through the project manager, who then has to follow up with the technical team. The information exists, but no one knows where it is.
🕓4:00 PM. Marc finally tries to get back to his quote… but time has slipped away. He realizes his day has mostly been spent navigating multiple disconnected tools, instead of focusing on strategy and decision-making.
➡️ Marc is not alone: this scenario reflects the daily reality of thousands of SME managers.
Every minute spent switching between multiple software tools represents lost opportunities: growing the business, anticipating client needs, and effectively managing project teams.
The Hidden Cost of Disconnected Management
SMEs that continue to rely on multiple scattered tools don’t just pay for software licenses, they pay a much higher price: invisible inefficiency and loss of control.
Here’s some concrete examples:
Lost strategic time
Every minute spent switching between working tools is a minute not spent on innovation, business development, or improving service quality.
According to a McKinsey report, an employee loses on average 20% of their work time searching for information or documents. For an annual salary of €35,000, this equals roughly €7,000 wasted per employee each year 💸
Partial, risky decisions
Without centralized data, management makes decisions based on incomplete or outdated information. Projects can go off track without anyone noticing.
Duplicates and inefficiency
Employees often enter the same information multiple times, causing errors and wasting time. Each duplicate entry can cost the equivalent of one workday per week, per employee 💸
Stress & Turnover
Employees juggling 10–12 different applications experience constant cognitive overload, leading to demotivation and talent loss.
Missed opportunities
Delayed responses to clients, ignored business insights, or postponed projects result in lost revenue. Depending on the sector, this can range from €10,000 to €20,000 per year for an average SME 💸
➡️ What if, instead of enduring these invisible losses, you could turn every minute into added value?
Elix : The Management Platform Designed for Modern SMEs
What are Elix Capabilities?
While many integrated management solutions impose rigid frameworks, Elix stands out for its modularity and simplicity. Each business can tailor its workspace according to its needs:
➡️Versatility
Elix = A single platform that covers the core daily operations of an SME, eliminating the need for multiple software tools.
➡️Modularity
Ticketing, Project management, HR, finance, reporting, Quality Assurance (QA), document management (EDM)… Elix forms an ecosystem where each module can be deployed according to the company’s growth and priorities.
➡️Scalability
Thanks to its Low-code Builder, Elix doesn’t just adapt existing modules, it enables the creation of custom workflows and even bespoke business applications perfectly aligned with internal processes.
➡️Intelligent Collaboration
Elix helps centralize communications (comments, chat), track progress in real time (notifications, company updates), and maintain full traceability (custom dashboards & KPIs).
➡️Security & Traceability
Elix ensures security through ISO 27001 compliance, granular user permissions, full action and document history, access controls, and protection of sensitive data ensure confidentiality and information integrity.
➡️Contextual AI Integration
Elix AI acts as a transversal assistant, streamlining decision-making and freeing up time for high-value activities (automating repetitive tasks, creating & prioritizing tasks, generating reports, risk analysis, etc.).
How Elix Transforms Daily Life in SMEs
🕣 8:30 AM – Marc opens Elix. At a glance, his personalized dashboard shows today’s updates: project progress, employee timesheets, estimated expenses and revenue, and more. No need to juggle multiple software tools or dig through emails.
🕘 9:00 AM – To finalize a strategic quote, Marc relies directly on Elix. All necessary documents—client requirements, financial data, commercial terms—are already centralized and synchronized. With just a few clicks, he sends a coherent version to the client.
🕥 10:30 AM – Project meeting. The entire team joins the same shared space in Elix: tasks, responsibilities, documents, and planning. Progress is updated live and automatically integrated into project tracking (% completed, blockers, etc.)
🕐 1:00 PM – A client calls to request an update on the budget spent. Marc opens the Agile module in Elix and instantly shares an updated view. The client receives real-time information, without going through multiple intermediaries.
🕓 4:00 PM – Instead of losing time on administrative tasks, Marc focuses on strategy: preparing quotes, analyzing margins, and planning sales. Thanks to Elix, repetitive tasks are automated, data is centralized and reliable.
➡️ Result : Marc’s day is no longer a race against the clock but a clear, controlled workflow. With Elix, he regains control of his time, motivates his team, and finally dedicates his energy to growing his business.
Take Full Control of Your SME
Managing an SME with scattered tools is costly: lost time, errors, duplicates, and missed opportunities can significantly hinder growth.
With an integrated platform like Elix, these frictions disappear: information is centralized, processes are automated, and priorities are organized by AI.
➡️A 30-employee SME can recover up to €200,000 per year in productivity.
Business ManagementInstead of guessing what customers want or hoping that a campaign will succeed, businesses today are turning to data (real numbers, patterns, and insights) to guide their moves. This approach is no longer reserved for tech giants; it’s the new standard for any organization that wants to grow and stay competitive.
Business ManagementCustomizability in business software is no longer just about ticking boxes on a feature list, it’s about finding software that bends and grows with your business. Especially for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) : having the freedom to tweak and tailor tools to fit your unique processes can make all the difference.
Business ManagementIn an age where agility, modularity, and user-centric interface are non-negotiable, organizations -across both private and public sectors- are moving away from one-size-fits-all ERP systems, seeking platforms that enable faster iteration, decentralized collaboration, and scalable growth.
Unlock Hidden Productivity & Take Control of Your SME now!