Tips, Tricks & News
Stay up-to-date with the latest industry news and learn new tips and tricks to RESET your business thinking, helping you to become a data GENIUS.
Supply Chain Risks in 2026: Why Clarity and Insight Are Non-Negotiables
Supply chains are entering 2026 under a mix of structural complexity and ongoing uncertainty. Retailers and manufacturers alike are bracing for pressures that go beyond the typical ups and downs of demand and supply — and these pressures are forcing leaders to rethink...
How Data Clarity Changes the Way Leaders Make Decisions
In many growing SMEs, leadership meetings begin the same way. “Are these numbers right?” “Which version are we looking at?” “Can we just double-check that?” Before decisions are discussed, time is spent validating the data. This is rarely because leaders lack...
The Hidden Cost of Spreadsheet-Driven Reporting
Spreadsheets are deeply embedded in how most SMEs report and make decisions. They sit between systems, pull information together, and often provide the answers leaders rely on. In many businesses, spreadsheets are not just a tool. They are the reporting layer. The...
Why Spreadsheets Are Still Running Most SMEs (And Why That’s Risky)
For all the systems, platforms, and tools now available, spreadsheets are still running most SMEs. Finance relies on them. Operations depends on them. Sales and procurement often build their own versions. Even in businesses that have invested in ERP, accounting...
Five Questions Every SME Leader Should Ask About Their Data in 2026
As data conversations pick up pace in growing SMEs, they often drift towards perfection. Real-time dashboards. Fully integrated systems. One platform that does everything. For most SMEs, that ambition is unrealistic and, in many cases, unnecessary. Good data...
What Good Data Foundations Actually Look Like in an SME
When people talk about data foundations, the conversation often drifts towards perfection.Real-time dashboards. Fully integrated systems. One platform to rule everything. For most SMEs, that picture feels unrealistic, expensive, and disconnected from day-to-day...
The Hidden Cost of Disconnected Data in Growing SMEs
As SMEs grow, data grows with them. More systems, more spreadsheets, more reports, and more people involved in producing the numbers. On the surface, this feels like progress. In reality, it often introduces a quiet but significant cost that many businesses do not see...
Why Data Foundations Should Be Every SME Leader’s First Priority in 2026
At the start of every year, many SME leaders are setting out clear ambitions for the months ahead. Growth targets, improved profitability, better control, and fewer surprises. What is often overlooked is whether the data foundations underneath those ambitions are...
Fighting Back Against Rising Costs: How SME Manufacturers Can Use Data to Stay Profitable
For UK SME manufacturers, the pressure is real — and it’s mounting fast. In the past year, manufacturing businesses have faced a brutal mix of challenges: 📉 Surging energy prices driving up operational overheads 🌍 Tariffs and import costs making materials more...
Beyond Reports: How APS Turns Data into Smarter Business Decisions
Beyond Reports: Why Business Intelligence Needs to Work Harder Let’s be honest — most businesses don’t need more reports. They need answers. In my work with manufacturing leaders, MDs, and finance teams, I keep seeing the same pattern: data is everywhere — in ERPs,...
Unlocking Hidden Profits: How SMEs Can Turn Everyday Data into Smarter Decisions
Most SMEs are sitting on a goldmine of business data — sales, stock, supplier spend, customer trends — but very few are using it to its full potential. Not because the data isn’t there, but because it’s overwhelming, disjointed, or not set up to drive action. Here’s...
Nursery Pleo Reporting
i-QMN Helps White House Nursery Gain Full Budget Visibility Across 7 Sites White House Nursery, a leading childcare provider with seven locations and over 150 staff, partnered with APS to transform how they manage budgets across their organisation. By...