The Best Business Operations Management Platform of 2024

Selecting the ideal business operations management software has never been more crucial.

As organizations expand and operate in a highly competitive market, implementing an efficient business operations management platform is essential for success.

These platforms streamline and automate a wide range of business processes, providing seamless integration and better visibility into operations.

However, with the multitude of options available in the market, choosing the right business operations management software can be overwhelming.

To help you make an informed decision, we’ve compiled a list of top business operations management.

Embark with us as we journey through the myriad of options, from CRM to ERP to SCM, exploring how to pinpoint the software that meets and elevates your business needs in 2024.

• Top 12 Business Operations Management Platforms
• Benefits of Operations Management 
• Key Functions of a Business Operations Management Platform
• Types of Business Operations Management Systems
• Features and Capabilities of Operations Management Software
• Choosing the Right Operations Management Software

Top 12 Business Operations Management Platforms

Process Street

Process Street is a cloud-based platform that enables businesses to create, document, and manage recurring processes and workflows. It provides checklist-based process management, allowing teams to streamline operations and ensure consistency in their processes.

Pros: 

• Intuitive checklist interface
• Customizable templates for various use cases
• Collaborative workflow management
• Integrates with popular business tools

Cons: 

• Steep learning curve for new users.

Best for: Businesses of all sizes seeking a simple and effective solution for process management and workflow automation.

Why it’s a good business operations management platform: Process Street simplifies process documentation and management, improves process visibility and accountability, and enables teams to automate routine tasks, making it an excellent choice for businesses looking to optimize their operations and increase efficiency.

SAP Business One

SAP Business One is a comprehensive business operations management software designed for small to midsize enterprises. It integrates various functions such as accounting, CRM, purchasing, and inventory management into one platform.

Pros: 

• Offers robust features for operations and supply chain management
• The platform is scalable
• Customizable reporting
• Provides real-time insights and analytics

Cons: 

• Initial setup and customization can be complex and costly
• Requires training for users to fully utilize its capabilities

Best for: Small to midsize enterprises seeking an all-in-one solution for their operations and supply chain management needs.

Why it’s a good business operations management platform: SAP Business One streamlines business processes, enhances visibility across operations, and enables efficient decision-making, making it an ideal choice for businesses looking to optimize their operations and supply chain.

Oracle NetSuite

Oracle NetSuite is a cloud-based operations management software offering a suite of applications for ERP, CRM, e-commerce, and more. It provides end-to-end visibility and control over business operations.

Pros: 

• Comprehensive suite covering various aspects of operations management
• Scalability
• Flexibility
• Real-time dashboards
• Reporting

Cons: 

• High implementation costs and ongoing subscription fees
• Customizations may require assistance from technical experts

Best for: Medium to large enterprises looking for a cloud-based solution to streamline their operations and supply chain.

Why it’s a good business operations management platform: Oracle NetSuite facilitates automation, improves collaboration, and provides actionable insights, enabling businesses to optimize their operations and achieve growth.

Microsoft Dynamics 365

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a suite of business applications, including ERP and CRM modules, designed to streamline operations and enhance customer engagement.

Pros: 

• Seamless integration with Microsoft Office and other Microsoft products
• Customizable to fit specific business needs
• Robust reporting and analytics capabilities.

Cons: 

• May require additional modules for full functionality, complexity in implementation, and customization.

Best for: Medium to large enterprises seeking a flexible and scalable solution for operations and supply chain management.

Why it’s a good business operations management platform: Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers a comprehensive set of tools to optimize operations, improve productivity, and drive business growth, making it an excellent choice for businesses invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.

Zoho Inventory

Zoho Inventory is a cloud-based operations management software that helps businesses manage their inventory, sales orders, and purchases efficiently.

Pros: 

• User-friendly interface
• Affordable pricing plans
• Integrates with various e-commerce platforms
• Real-time inventory tracking

Cons: 

• Limited scalability for large enterprises
• Lacks some advanced features compared to enterprise-level solutions.

Best for: Small to medium-sized businesses looking for a simple yet effective solution for inventory and order management.

Why it’s a good business operations management platform: Zoho Inventory streamlines inventory operations, improves order fulfillment processes, and enhances overall efficiency, making it an ideal choice for small and growing businesses.

Sage Intacct

Sage Intacct is a cloud-based financial management solution that includes features for core accounting, budgeting, and reporting.

Pros: 

• Scalable and customizable
• Offers advanced financial reporting and analytics
• Integrates with other business applications.

Cons: 

• May require additional modules for specific functionalities
• Can be complex for inexperienced users.

Best for: Medium to large enterprises seeking a robust financial management solution integrated with their operations.

Why it’s a good business operations management platform: Sage Intacct provides visibility into financial performance, improves decision-making processes, and streamlines financial operations, making it an excellent choice for businesses looking to enhance their financial management capabilities.

QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based accounting software designed for small businesses, offering features for invoicing, expense tracking, and financial reporting.

Pros: 

• User-friendly interface
• Affordable pricing plans
• Integrates with many third-party apps
• Accessible from anywhere with internet access.

Cons: 

• Limited scalability for growing businesses
• Lacks some advanced accounting features compared to enterprise-level solutions.

Best for: Small businesses and freelancers seeking a simple and cost-effective accounting solution.

Why it’s a good business operations management platform: QuickBooks Online simplifies accounting tasks, improves financial visibility, and helps businesses stay organized, making it an ideal choice for small businesses with basic accounting needs.

Fishbowl Inventory

Fishbowl Inventory is a robust inventory management software designed to integrate with QuickBooks, providing advanced inventory tracking and control capabilities.

Pros: 

• Seamless integration with QuickBooks
• Advanced inventory management features
• Customizable reports and dashboards

Cons: 

• Requires QuickBooks for full functionality
• May have a steep learning curve for some users

Best for: Small to medium-sized businesses that rely on QuickBooks and need advanced inventory management capabilities.

Why it’s a good business operations management platform: Fishbowl Inventory enhances inventory visibility, streamlines order fulfillment processes, and improves inventory accuracy, making it an excellent choice for businesses looking to optimize their inventory management.

TradeGecko

TradeGecko is a cloud-based inventory and order management platform designed for e-commerce businesses, wholesalers, and distributors.

Pros: 

• Intuitive interface
• Integrates with various e-commerce platforms
• Advanced inventory and order management features

Cons: 

• Pricing may be high for some businesses
• Limited scalability compared to enterprise-level solutions

Best for: Small to medium-sized e-commerce businesses and wholesalers looking for a comprehensive inventory and order management solution.

Why it’s a good business operations management platform: TradeGecko streamlines inventory and order management processes, improves order accuracy, and provides insights to drive business growth, making it an ideal choice for businesses operating in the e-commerce sector.

Jira Service Management

Jira Service Management is a cloud-based IT service management platform that helps teams manage incidents, changes, and problems effectively.

Pros: 

• Robust incident and problem management features
• Customizable workflows
• Integrates with other Atlassian products

Cons: 

• May require some configuration to fit specific business needs
• Pricing can be high for large teams.

Best for: IT teams and service desk operations seeking a scalable and customizable IT service management solution.

Why it’s a good business operations management platform: Jira Service Management improves incident resolution times, enhances collaboration among IT teams, and provides visibility into IT operations, making it an excellent choice for businesses focused on IT service management.

ServiceNow

ServiceNow is a cloud-based platform offering IT service management, IT operations management, and business management solutions.

Pros: 

• Comprehensive suite covering various IT and business management functions
• Robust automation capabilities
• Customizable workflows

Cons: 

• High implementation costs
• May require specialized training for users
• Complex licensing model

Best for: Large enterprises seeking an integrated platform for IT service management and business operations.

Why it’s a good business operations management platform: ServiceNow streamlines IT and business operations, improves service delivery, and enhances overall efficiency, making it an ideal choice for large organizations looking to modernize their operations.

Opsgenie

Opsgenie is a cloud-based incident management platform that helps teams respond to incidents effectively and minimize downtime.

Pros: 

• Advanced alerting and notification features
• Integrates with popular monitoring tools
• Customizable incident response workflows

Cons: 

• Pricing can be high for large teams
• May require some configuration to fit specific business needs

Best for: IT teams and DevOps operations seeking a reliable incident management solution.

Why it’s a good business operations management platform: Opsgenie improves incident response times, enhances collaboration among teams, and minimizes the impact of downtime on business operations, making it an excellent choice for businesses focused on incident management.

Benefits of Operations Management

In the fast-paced business world, navigating the complexities of day-to-day activities is crucial for success.

This is where a comprehensive business operations management platform can truly shine.

So, let’s take a look at what a business operations management platform can do:

Improved Efficiency and Productivity

Improved efficiency and productivity are among the most significant benefits of deploying an operations management platform.

Through process automation, services are not only streamlined but also become more efficient, maximizing productivity across the workforce.

This sets the stage for businesses to increase product output, expand into new markets, and develop cutting-edge sales and marketing strategies.

Streamlined Business Processes

Operations management software plays a pivotal role in ensuring the highest level of efficiency for business processes, thus driving operational success.

It helps automate repetitive tasks such as document management and inventory tracking, resulting in time savings and minimization of human errors.

By utilizing an operations management tool, companies can define, model, and fine-tune their workflows to complete tasks more timely and efficiently.

Enhanced Resource Allocation

An insightful aspect of operations management is its capacity for resource forecasting, an essential process for predicting resource needs for forthcoming projects.

With operations management platforms, managing larger teams becomes a seamless process, thanks to the features designed for team collaboration, personal dashboards, and task-level tracking.

The platform’s resource allocation tools are adept at aligning available skill sets to project demands, ensuring optimal resource allocation.

Key Functions of a Business Operations Management Platform

Here are some functions of operations management platforms:

Project Management

Platforms often incorporate AI-driven project managers, offering tools for budgeting, setting timelines, establishing milestones, and task breakdowns, which are essential for project planning and execution.

Task Automation

By automating repetitive and manual tasks, these software solutions significantly reduce time spent on mundane activities, allowing staff to focus on more strategic work.

Communication

Effective tools are in place to streamline communication within and across departments, fostering collaboration and timely information sharing.

Inventory Management

Advanced inventory tracking mechanisms are provided to maintain optimal stock levels and prevent over or understocking.

Document Management

A central repository for business documents facilitates better document management and information retrieval.

Data Analysis and Reporting

These platforms deliver valuable insights for informed decisions, offering analytics and reports that drive business strategy.

Types of Business Operations Management Systems

Here are the main types of operations management systems:

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Customer relationship management software is a cornerstone of maintaining and enhancing interactions with clients.

It empowers businesses to manage leads, track customer activities, and leverage customer data for targeted marketing and sales initiatives.

CRM systems like Salesforce offer a robust platform to create personalized experiences that can significantly elevate customer retention and satisfaction rates.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Enterprise resource planning systems provide a broad spectrum of functionalities crucial to modern business operations.

Their scope includes inventory and financial management, customer relationships, and human resources, all unified under one centralized platform.

Utilizing software like Oracle Cloud or SAP Business Suite, which often incorporates operations management tools, enables businesses to track and manage inventory and resources across various departments adeptly.

ERP software is not only about centralizing business processes but also optimizing them for greater efficiency and resource allocation.

As businesses venture through different stages of growth and development, ERP systems offer the necessary scalability and flexibility to adapt to these changes.

Businesses, therefore, can evolve without the constraint of outdated systems.

Supply Chain Management (SCM)

Supply chain management software is critical in planning and optimizing the end-to-end flow of goods, from suppliers through production to customers.

The software spans control over procurement, inventory, warehousing, distribution channels, transportation, and logistics. 

By improving these logistical elements, SCM systems help to ensure operations run smoothly, thereby preventing delays and eliminating the risk of stockouts.

In addition to maintaining operational efficiency, SCM systems are instrumental in forging solid, reliable partnerships with suppliers and facilitating inventory management and shipment tracking.

They contribute significantly to demand forecasting, which is vital to proactive supply chain management and improving overall performance.

Features and Capabilities of Operations Management Software

When choosing a business operations management platform, consider the software’s features.

Here are some key aspects to look for:

Inventory Management

Inventory management within operations management software is crucial for maintaining balance within supply chains.

Efficient inventory stock tracking reduces errors and optimizes shipping and logistics, ensuring product availability aligns with customer demand.

For instance, tools like Fishbowl Inventory provide tailored processes for purchase order approvals and comprehensive multi-location management, which is indispensable for businesses managing large inventories.

These software solutions minimize the scope for human-made errors by automating key inventory processes, safeguarding against oversights that could disrupt supply chain efficiency.

Workflow Management

Streamlining processes and ensuring operational efficiency is a definitive component of workflow management in operations management software.

Operations professionals leverage these systems to automate document reviews, approvals, and other manual processes. This leads to significant time savings and boosts productivity and consistency across tasks.

Transitioning from paper-based systems to digital, cloud-based operations assists in reducing approval cycle times and expedites product deployment to the market.

Workflow management is essential for dissecting intricate projects into achievable tasks, ensuring they are allocated and monitored appropriately to guarantee on-time completion.

A great example of relevant software is Process Street,a no-code platform with a user-friendly interface for creating and managing workflows.

It allows you to create standardized operating procedures, track progress, and automate repetitive tasks, improving operational efficiency.

Document Management

Efficient document management is a feature that amplifies the capacity of operations management software.

Cloud storage solutions offer rapid, secure access and sharing of documents among team members, ensuring relevant information is always at one’s fingertips.

Additionally, features like auto-promotion prioritize critical tasks, streamlining task management within organizations.

Business Process Management

Business operations management software equips organizations with the tools necessary to streamline processes, thus enhancing efficiency across all departments.

Project managers and operational leaders implement these systems to instill methodical approaches into business operations.

Innovative features include AI project managers and advanced project planning tools that orchestrate task coordination and progress monitoring.

Business operations management platforms are highly versatile, offering integrations with apps such as Slack, Zapier, and Salesforce, catering to varied business needs and aiding in both regular service operations and sporadic project endeavors.

Task Management

Task management functionality within operations software enables detailed assignment tracking, from individual tasks to overarching projects.

This capability ensures that tasks are prioritized appropriately, deadlines are met, and resources are allocated efficiently, significantly contributing to the successful execution of projects.

Businesses leverage task management software to oversee progress, manage schedules, and uphold quality standards.

This facet of operations management is essential for planning, delegating, and managing tasks to solidify project timely and budget-compliant completion.

Choosing the Right Operations Management Software

Selecting the most suitable operations management software is a strategic decision that can significantly enhance a company’s workflow, encourage productivity, and ensure smooth business operations.

When identifying the optimal operations management software for your organization, it’s important to consider a solution that provides an all-in-one platform capable of tracking projects, managing schedules, and facilitating communication among team members.

So here’s how to find the best platform for your needs:

Assess Business Needs and Goals

When delving into operations management software, assessing your business needs and goals is a critical first step.

You should seek a software interface that is intuitive, accessible for all user levels, and provides a comprehensive suite of tools to ensure that you are getting the most comprehensive benefits possible.

Effective operations management software will automate processes, streamline services, and elevate productivity throughout your organization.

Choosing a platform that centralizes communication, documentation, and data management in a single location will prove cost-effective and enhance efficiency.

As a result, the right operations management software will support your company’s ability to predict risks, complete critical tasks efficiently, and ultimately secure business success and scalability.

Evaluate Key Features and Functionality

The backbone of efficient operations management software lies in its features and functionality.

It should provide capabilities like cost estimating to accurately determine project costs, material expenses, and labor outlays.

Inventory tracking, an integral element, enables vigilant monitoring of raw materials and finished goods, helping to mitigate overstocking expenses and maximize resource allocation.

Robust data analysis tools are crucial. They allow for comprehensive scrutiny of operational data, which is vital to optimizing business processes and generating informative performance reports.

Document control is another key feature. It simplifies the management of production process updates and ensures that associated documents are readily accessible.

Finally, quality control functionalities are indispensable; they should uphold defined standards to ensure that products and services consistently meet, if not exceed, customer expectations for quality.

Prioritizing these functionalities will yield a platform that empowers businesses to maintain control over diverse operational aspects.

Consider Integrations with Existing Systems

Integration with existing systems is an essential feature in operations management software, as it enhances visibility and streamlines business operations.

A platform that can effortlessly connect with business intelligence tools provides deep insights into operational trends and can uncover dependencies that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Integration with supply chain management software is key to efficient production operations. It aids in refining production planning and order assignments.

To ensure sales order creation and stock tracking are successful and streamlined, synchronization with customer relationship management systems is a must.

Review Pricing Plans and Scalability

Pricing is a significant factor when investing in operations management software.

Plans can range from $9 per user per month for basic services to custom pricing for premium features, including budgeting, project management, time tracking, and extensive integrations.

Given business growth and evolution, scalability and flexibility are key features to review; you’ll need software that can easily add more users or incorporate new functionality as your business needs expand.