Getting Started with SME System

Welcome to SME System, your modern ERP solution designed specifically for UK small and medium enterprises. This guide will help you get started with the core features.

What is SME System?

SME System is a cloud-based ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) platform that brings together your contacts, sales pipeline, quoting, and product management into one unified system. Built with UK businesses in mind, it includes:

• Full UK compliance (VAT, GDPR, date formats, spelling)
• Multi-tenant architecture with Row-Level Security
• Modern, intuitive interface
• Real-time collaboration across your team

Setting Up Your Account

First Steps

1. Create Your Account - Sign up with your email and create a password
2. Create Your Organisation - Set up your company details, address, and VAT number
3. Invite Team Members - Add colleagues and assign appropriate roles
4. Configure Your Settings - Set up your preferences for dates, currency, and notifications

Core Modules Overview

Contacts Management

Store all your customers and suppliers in one place:

• Customer Records: Complete contact information including addresses, VAT numbers, and payment terms
• Supplier Records: Track your vendors and their details
• Quick Search: Find contacts instantly with powerful search and filtering
• Linked Data: See all orders, quotes, and communications linked to each contact

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

Manage your sales pipeline with a visual Kanban board:

• Pipeline Stages: New → Qualified → Proposition → Won/Lost
• Drag and Drop: Move leads through stages with simple drag-and-drop
• Revenue Tracking: See expected revenue and probability for each opportunity
• Customer Linking: Associate leads with customer records
• Priority Levels: Mark important deals with high, medium, or low priority

Sales and Quoting

Create professional quotes and manage orders:

• Product Catalogue: Store your products with prices, descriptions, and cost information
• Quote Builder: Create quotes by selecting products and quantities
• Automatic VAT: 20% VAT calculated automatically (with override options)
• PDF Generation: Generate professional PDF quotes with your branding
• Quote to Order: Convert approved quotes to sales orders instantly

Products

Manage your product catalogue:

• Product Details: Name, description, list price, and cost price
• Organisation Scope: Products are isolated to your organisation
• Quick Access: Easily select products when creating quotes

UK-Specific Features

SME System is built for UK businesses:

• GBP Currency: All monetary values in British Pound Sterling (£)
• UK Date Format: DD/MM/YYYY throughout the system
• UK Spelling: Colour, Licence, Organise – the way you expect
• VAT Support: Automatic 20% standard VAT calculation
• VAT Numbers: Store and validate customer VAT numbers for B2B transactions
• GDPR Compliant: Data handling meets UK data protection requirements

Security and Data Privacy

Your data security is paramount:

• Row-Level Security: Each organisation's data is completely isolated
• Encrypted Data: All data encrypted in transit and at rest
• Role-Based Access: Team members only see what they're authorised to access
• Audit Logging: Track who accessed what data and when

Getting Help

If you need assistance:

• Contact Support: Reach out through our contact page
• Documentation: Browse our detailed guides for each module
• FAQ: Check our frequently asked questions

Next Steps

1. Add Your First Customer - Start building your contact database
2. Create Your First Product - Add items to your product catalogue
3. Create Your First Quote - Practice the quoting workflow
4. Explore the CRM - Try moving a lead through the pipeline

Welcome to SME System – the ERP system built for UK businesses!