Business software is computer programs designed to assist with the management and performance of a company that can improve efficiency and accuracy. They can be used for a variety of tasks, such as customer relationship management, project management sales force automation and financial accounting. A variety of different business applications are in existence, and each one is customized to the specific needs of the particular industry in which it is intended to be used.
For instance, a business which sells online products can benefit from features such as customer relationship management software, which allows for greater transparency and trust to be built with customers. This software can provide valuable insights into the performance of a business, such as how effectively its marketing is working or how effective its website is in converting customers.
The use of business software is widespread and has been a crucial element in the growth of companies all over the world. Business application software was originally created for white-collar workers using massive mainframe computers in order to automatize tasks such as bank cheque processing and manufacturing accounting. Later word processors like Word Perfect and Microsoft Word saw the demise of the IBM typewriter and mathematical spreadsheet applications like Lotus 1-2-3 and Excel became extremely popular among corporate users.
Certain business software is interactive. This means that users are able to manipulate data and obtain results immediately. Other software for business runs in batch view website mode, meaning that it can be programmed to run according to a schedule and produce reports without the involvement of a user. A team is formed to fix the problem whenever a software issue occurs so that users can get back to work. This is known as business application support.