I can't tell you. Every business has different needs. Perhaps having your data on a central server will bring the cost of just-in-time inventory within your range. Or it might make it possible to do joint marketing with another company. Or it might become easier to place bulk purchases. Or you might be able to analyze all the data you've been collecting. I can guarantee that in the future you will be better connected with your suppliers, customers and even your competitors.
Small business owners rarely have the skills necessary to analyze the data that is gathered from each sale. Most make decisions based on a gut feeling for business trends. This is fine in a noncompetitive world. But in today's world companies are stealing your customers with lower prices, better marketing and product features that target your customers' precise needs. You can't guess why you succeeded or failed. You need to be certain.
The internet opens up the world of the business experts and consultants. Traditionally a consultant would come to the office, gather information and return weeks later with recommendations and a large bill. Easy access to a company's data changes the role of a consultant.
With the new model a data specialist works with the consultant. For example the consultant might ask for an XML formatted list of customers who have made more than 5 purchases in the last year. No one in the small office may know how to do this but the database administrator at the central location probably will say 'Sure I do that all the time'. Services that were once prohibitively expensive are now within reach.
When choosing what you need a consultant for, start with easy stuff such as business processes. Someone with the right expertise can look at your business processes and make them more efficient. When you are ready to move to the next step someone else can look at your very efficient process and determine your are efficiently doing the wrong thing.
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