Read more on the Cloud NetSuite blog.
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Friday, September 28, 2012
The World’s Most Game-Changing Companies Standardize on Cloud ERP
The new generation of leading companies think, act and operate differently and are changing the dynamics of business.
What do these companies have in common and why are they consistently out-maneuvering and out-performing their larger, better-funded competitors? These innovative, fast-growing businesses outperform their peers because they move and adapt more quickly, make better decisions faster, operate with greater efficiency, and enable significantly more productive employees. They also all run their core business operations on modern, cloud-based business management software.
Read more on the Cloud NetSuite blog.
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
Read more on the Cloud NetSuite blog.
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Why the Cloud Won’t Save Your Business
All of the hype and hoopla that has surrounded cloud computing is finally quieting down. We’re almost in the place where cloud computing is no longer being suggested as the miracle cure for what ails business. However, just in case your business still thinks that the cloud will solve all of its problems, here are the top 5 reasons why it won’t...
Read more on the SAP on the Cloud blog.
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
Read more on the SAP on the Cloud blog.
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
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Monday, September 24, 2012
ERP Software Selection Project Team Management and Creation
Creating your software selection project team
In our article on maximizing the work of your ERP selection team we discussed the importance of building the foundation of your project team. This article is part 1 of a more detailed discussion of creating your software selection project team.
The work associated with selecting an ERP business software system will have many benefits to the enterprise. This is regardless of the size of the organization. A project of this magnitude will impact every area of your organization. Coordinating the activities across the firm must be done from the top down.
Without commitment and involvement from top management, a project such as this cannot succeed. This is extremely important. Top management must support the ERP project team if it is to be successful. As the project proceeds, decisions must be made and actions taken which will affect the organization for years to come. These decisions can only be made with the approval and input of top management.
Managing the ERP software selection process may involve two new groups and one new position. The size of your organization and the complexity of the functions will determine how large a team is actually necessary. However, the descriptions of the tasks to be completed are the same no matter what size organization, and the number of people involved may be as few as one in a smaller company.
The first necessity is a Project Manager (PM). In larger organizations, this may become a full-time position during the length of the software selection project. The Project Manager will be responsible for coordinating all of the activities associated with the software selection project. He or she will report to the Management Steering Committee and chair the Project Team.
A management level Steering Committee is needed to function as a sounding board and central decision-making council. This group represents the interest of top management and the ownership of the firm. The ERP Project Team will represent all areas of the company and will be responsible for carrying out the plans approved by the Steering Committee. Detailed ERP software selection tasks will include everything related to the identifying and documenting business processes, and designing and implementing an information systems strategy.
Selecting the Project manager
The person in charge of the project management team must be excited about the project and be able to generate enthusiasm among the team members. In family owned businesses, you should avoid the tendency to appoint a family member or owner just to give them something to do. That decision may cause the software selection project to fail. Look for a volunteer. Look for someone who is trusted by top management and the ownership team.
This ERP software selection project will affect the long-term viability of the company. The right individual will have the ability to successfully control this process. The proper business software solution is integral to the total operation of a company today. Recognize the impact this project will have on everyone in your organization and everything it must accomplish to make your business successful or to stay successful.
Whoever is selected as ERP software selection Project Manager will have to be educated quickly. They must learn every operation of your organization, and must be able to communicate that to the software vendors. It will also be up to them to explain and guide key management members through technical decisions made by the Project Team. Often, a younger executive with computer skills is a good choice.
This person must also be able to deal with the top decision-makers in the company. When the project is completed, the Project Manager will be in a position to assume greater responsibility within the company. They will have just finished preparing the organization, both strategically and tactically, for a move into the future.
Project management skills are also a must in this position. If the best candidate is an unproven manager, teaming a younger owner/manager with a more seasoned one is a good combination. Most (if not all) other day-to-day duties should be removed from their plate. Managing and keeping the project on track will become a full time activity in all but the smallest companies.
In our article on maximizing the work of your ERP selection team we discussed the importance of building the foundation of your project team. This article is part 1 of a more detailed discussion of creating your software selection project team.
The work associated with selecting an ERP business software system will have many benefits to the enterprise. This is regardless of the size of the organization. A project of this magnitude will impact every area of your organization. Coordinating the activities across the firm must be done from the top down.
Without commitment and involvement from top management, a project such as this cannot succeed. This is extremely important. Top management must support the ERP project team if it is to be successful. As the project proceeds, decisions must be made and actions taken which will affect the organization for years to come. These decisions can only be made with the approval and input of top management.
Managing the ERP software selection process may involve two new groups and one new position. The size of your organization and the complexity of the functions will determine how large a team is actually necessary. However, the descriptions of the tasks to be completed are the same no matter what size organization, and the number of people involved may be as few as one in a smaller company.
The first necessity is a Project Manager (PM). In larger organizations, this may become a full-time position during the length of the software selection project. The Project Manager will be responsible for coordinating all of the activities associated with the software selection project. He or she will report to the Management Steering Committee and chair the Project Team.
A management level Steering Committee is needed to function as a sounding board and central decision-making council. This group represents the interest of top management and the ownership of the firm. The ERP Project Team will represent all areas of the company and will be responsible for carrying out the plans approved by the Steering Committee. Detailed ERP software selection tasks will include everything related to the identifying and documenting business processes, and designing and implementing an information systems strategy.
Selecting the Project manager
The person in charge of the project management team must be excited about the project and be able to generate enthusiasm among the team members. In family owned businesses, you should avoid the tendency to appoint a family member or owner just to give them something to do. That decision may cause the software selection project to fail. Look for a volunteer. Look for someone who is trusted by top management and the ownership team.
This ERP software selection project will affect the long-term viability of the company. The right individual will have the ability to successfully control this process. The proper business software solution is integral to the total operation of a company today. Recognize the impact this project will have on everyone in your organization and everything it must accomplish to make your business successful or to stay successful.
Whoever is selected as ERP software selection Project Manager will have to be educated quickly. They must learn every operation of your organization, and must be able to communicate that to the software vendors. It will also be up to them to explain and guide key management members through technical decisions made by the Project Team. Often, a younger executive with computer skills is a good choice.
This person must also be able to deal with the top decision-makers in the company. When the project is completed, the Project Manager will be in a position to assume greater responsibility within the company. They will have just finished preparing the organization, both strategically and tactically, for a move into the future.
Project management skills are also a must in this position. If the best candidate is an unproven manager, teaming a younger owner/manager with a more seasoned one is a good combination. Most (if not all) other day-to-day duties should be removed from their plate. Managing and keeping the project on track will become a full time activity in all but the smallest companies.
Get Ready For These 5 Financial Supply Chain Trends?
Buyers want to extend their payment window, while suppliers want that cash in hand yesterday. In an unpredictable, unsettled economy, what can a company do to enhance its financial supply chain?
Kurt Schneiber, CEO of global financial supply chain network Syncada, shares his tips in an Industrial Distribution article and provides five trends to embrace that will enhance your financial supply chain.
Read more on the Advanced Distribution blog...
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
Kurt Schneiber, CEO of global financial supply chain network Syncada, shares his tips in an Industrial Distribution article and provides five trends to embrace that will enhance your financial supply chain.
Read more on the Advanced Distribution blog...
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
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Friday, September 21, 2012
Pronto Launches Carbon Tracking Tool for ERP Technology
Australian enterprise resource planning and business intelligence provider, Pronto Software, recently announced the launch of a carbon tracking application allowing customers the ability to monitor carbon consumption and output across a range of business operations and sectors.
The carbon tracking functionality launch coincides with the Australian Government’s introduction of a carbon pricing policy that will impact the way carbon is priced in Australia for years to come.
The technology behind the carbon tracking functionality was developed by Pronto Software’s Research and Development team in Melbourne, and included in the latest release of the company’s integrated ERP and BI solution, Pronto Xi.
Read more on the Pronto Software blog...
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
The carbon tracking functionality launch coincides with the Australian Government’s introduction of a carbon pricing policy that will impact the way carbon is priced in Australia for years to come.
The technology behind the carbon tracking functionality was developed by Pronto Software’s Research and Development team in Melbourne, and included in the latest release of the company’s integrated ERP and BI solution, Pronto Xi.
Read more on the Pronto Software blog...
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
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Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Acumatica and Avalara Partner to Integrate ERP and Sales Tax Solutions
Avalara, a market leading provider of sales tax automation services in the cloud, recently announced a partnership with Acumatica, a leading provider of Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and financial software.
The newly integrated product allows customers to retrieve up-to-date sales tax calculations from inside Acumatica’s cloud ERP offering and allowing for better reporting on financial transactions spanning organizations and geographies.
As customers migrate from client-server software to cloud-based services, cloud providers like Acumatica and Avalara have come together to offer customers best-in-breed solutions delivered via the web. These solutions appeal to customers who want to save money on software maintenance while delivering a solution that can be accessed online, on location or on the go.
Read more on the Acumatica blog...
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
As customers migrate from client-server software to cloud-based services, cloud providers like Acumatica and Avalara have come together to offer customers best-in-breed solutions delivered via the web. These solutions appeal to customers who want to save money on software maintenance while delivering a solution that can be accessed online, on location or on the go.
Read more on the Acumatica blog...
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
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Monday, September 17, 2012
Demand Solutions Offers Common Platform Integrated Sales & Operations Planning
Demand Management Inc., a leading global resource for supply chain management solutions, recently announced its new Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) module for its DSX supply chain software that fully integrates sales and operations planning with demand forecasting and requirements planning.
The new module is designed to meet Gartner’s Stage 3 S&OP architecture requirements which call for a single technology platform including supply chain modeling, scenario planning, financial reconciliation, performance management, workflow, hierarchy management and collaboration. In addition, the DSX S&OP module features the most up-to-date forecasting available so that if needed, strategic decisions can factor in the actual forecast.
Read more about this new offering on the Demand Solutions blog...
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
The new module is designed to meet Gartner’s Stage 3 S&OP architecture requirements which call for a single technology platform including supply chain modeling, scenario planning, financial reconciliation, performance management, workflow, hierarchy management and collaboration. In addition, the DSX S&OP module features the most up-to-date forecasting available so that if needed, strategic decisions can factor in the actual forecast.
Read more about this new offering on the Demand Solutions blog...
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
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Friday, September 14, 2012
Acumatica Partners with Accellos for Cloud ERP and Warehouse Management
Accellos and Acumatica, a provider of Cloud ERP and financial software, recently announced the availability of an integration between Acumatica Cloud ERP and AccellosOne Cloud WMS. The integration gives manufacturers, distributors, and retailers a seamless workflow between ERP and WMS across orders, inventory, and fulfillment processes.
The new interface uses Acumatica Web service integration tools and also includes certain extensions to Acumatica ERP using Acumatica Studio. The extensions facilitate immediate information transfers between ERP and WMS. This approach ensures that orders and inventory are kept in sync at all times across both systems. To read more about the features available, visit the Acumatica blog.
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
The new interface uses Acumatica Web service integration tools and also includes certain extensions to Acumatica ERP using Acumatica Studio. The extensions facilitate immediate information transfers between ERP and WMS. This approach ensures that orders and inventory are kept in sync at all times across both systems. To read more about the features available, visit the Acumatica blog.
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
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Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Cloud Computing: Debunking the Myths
For the past few years, the IT world has seen the increasing popularity of cloud computing, easily becoming 2012’s most talked about business software solution. More and more organizations have chosen to adopt the cloud to some extent. In Asia Pacific alone, a 2011 Frost & Sullivan survey indicated that cloud computing has emerged as the #1 priority for a significant number (38%) of businesses.
Cloud solutions and services come in various forms and pricing models, which may have caused some IT professionals to be sceptical on how this new technology may affect their businesses. Frost & Sullivan dispelled a few of the most common Cloud myths in its recent white paper. Visit the Cloud NetSuite blog to read more.
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
Cloud solutions and services come in various forms and pricing models, which may have caused some IT professionals to be sceptical on how this new technology may affect their businesses. Frost & Sullivan dispelled a few of the most common Cloud myths in its recent white paper. Visit the Cloud NetSuite blog to read more.
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
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Monday, September 10, 2012
Demand Forecasting: The Next Big Wave of Innovation
Why care about demand forecasting?
When you forecast demand for finished goods, the financial consequences of inaccuracy can be huge. Forecast errors cause you to run out of stock. The result is missed sales and unhappy customers. Forecast errors can also cause you to carry too much inventory. You may have to borrow money to pay for the excess. You may also have to mark inventory down, donate it or even junk it just to get rid of it. Forecast error reduces profit. It can also reduce cash flow and increase the need for capital. Excess inventories yield a lower return on assets. Conversely, more accurate demand forecasts can reverse all of these problems. They can improve in-stock performance, increase revenue, improve customer satisfaction, reduce inventory investment, improve cash flow and improve return on assets.
Read more about the art and science of demand forcasting on the Blue Ridge blog.
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
When you forecast demand for finished goods, the financial consequences of inaccuracy can be huge. Forecast errors cause you to run out of stock. The result is missed sales and unhappy customers. Forecast errors can also cause you to carry too much inventory. You may have to borrow money to pay for the excess. You may also have to mark inventory down, donate it or even junk it just to get rid of it. Forecast error reduces profit. It can also reduce cash flow and increase the need for capital. Excess inventories yield a lower return on assets. Conversely, more accurate demand forecasts can reverse all of these problems. They can improve in-stock performance, increase revenue, improve customer satisfaction, reduce inventory investment, improve cash flow and improve return on assets.
Read more about the art and science of demand forcasting on the Blue Ridge blog.
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
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Friday, September 7, 2012
Infor and The End of Monolithic ERP
In a recent interview with Deal Architect, Charles Phillips, CEO of Infor, discusses the transition from monolithic ERP suites to loosely coupled applications. In Phillips' view, suites should automate in areas where they add value and integrate to other specialized applications where they lack depth.
Moving into the future, Phillips sees integration as simple, loosely coupled, and based on the most successful integrated application of all time: the Internet. In relating this to the needs of businesses, the internet integrates data and applications at scale with simple standards like XML resulting in a system that is both durable and dynamic. The internet doesn’t break when web sites change and can easily accommodate new applications. To read more, visit the Deal Architect blog...
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
Moving into the future, Phillips sees integration as simple, loosely coupled, and based on the most successful integrated application of all time: the Internet. In relating this to the needs of businesses, the internet integrates data and applications at scale with simple standards like XML resulting in a system that is both durable and dynamic. The internet doesn’t break when web sites change and can easily accommodate new applications. To read more, visit the Deal Architect blog...
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
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Thursday, September 6, 2012
Improve Scheduling, Production, and Quality with Epicor Express
Epicor Express is a comprehensive software system for all types of discrete manufacturers. Whether you are in business as a stamping firm that makes standard products sold from inventory or a job shop that makes complex, multi-assembly custom products that involve numerous sub-contractors and iterations with the customer, Express can easily accommodate your unique requirements.
The advantages for small and mid-sized manufacturers include minimal upfront and reasonable ongoing investment, the elimination of traditional ERP barriers (e.g., implementation, system maintenance, upgrade and migrations), and enabling focus on a company’s core business rather than IT issues. All of this facilitates capacity for growth. For more information on how cloud-based Epicor Express can help your small business, visit the Epicor blog.
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
The advantages for small and mid-sized manufacturers include minimal upfront and reasonable ongoing investment, the elimination of traditional ERP barriers (e.g., implementation, system maintenance, upgrade and migrations), and enabling focus on a company’s core business rather than IT issues. All of this facilitates capacity for growth. For more information on how cloud-based Epicor Express can help your small business, visit the Epicor blog.
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
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Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Key New Features in Acumatica 4.0
Acumatica, a leading provider of Cloud ERP and financial software, recently previewed Acumatica 4.0’s upcoming new features at its annual partner summit. Acumatica partners attending were given first looks at the new Acumatica 4.0 interface and learned about the new financial, CRM, and supply chain features to be released in the software this fall. Highlighted features include a new tablet-friendly interface, new financial and supply chain features, and new third-party integrations.
To read more about the new features found in Acumatica 4.0, visit the Acumatica blog.
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
To read more about the new features found in Acumatica 4.0, visit the Acumatica blog.
The Brown Smith Wallace 2012 Mid-Year Supplements are available. Visit our website to download your copy!
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