1. Compliancy: It’s not a great feeling having the IRS look over your shoulder, threatening the life of your business. No body wants to cut corners or fudge numbers when it comes to your finances, but sometimes you just don’t have access to the information you need. Microsoft Dynamics ERP software ensures you have tracking capabilities and audit trails so you’re never put in a bad situation. You can trust the numbers and have confidence that the IRS won’t find discrepancies.
2. Accurate Financial Positioning: Not knowing where you stand financially can put numerous halts on business. This makes it difficult to make informed business decisions that affect the sustainability of your company. Microsoft Dynamics ERP software helps you see where you stand with easy-to-read and easy-to-analyze dashboards and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) reports. You’ll no longer be making “Best Guesses” about your business, thus putting you ahead of the competition.
3. Reducing Accounting Overhead: Most companies don’t realize the overhead they acquire within their accounting department because of manual procedures. They figure that’s how it’s always been done and it seems to be working. Many companies are realizing that Microsoft Dynamics ERP cuts down unnecessary overhead because it automates daily accounting tasks and integrates with third party software. It would be wise to run a “what if” scenario of how ERP software can actually save you money, just by cutting back resources.

Every business needs a tool to help manage their finances. This can vary from Excel Spreadsheets to an advanced ERP system such as Microsoft Dynamics ERP, but whatever your situation, make sure you have your financial management in check. If you have questions on how Microsoft Dynamics ERP can help you, contact us at Sikich.

By Sikich, Microsoft Dynamics ERP Partner based out of Missouri

Three Reasons Why ERP Software is a Must for Financial Management is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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 There are a wide variety of different types of Microsoft Partners that exist in order to meet the different types of needs and requirements for different End-Users. I have put together a list of some questions to ask yourself to ensure you have a Partner that best fits your organization:

 1.       Do the competencies of your Partner align with your business requirements?

Microsoft has a wide range of competencies that a Partner must attain, look at which certifications your Partner has in order to have a better idea of their strengths and fit to your organization’s specific requirements. Be aware of which vertical industries the Partner specializes in, in order to have a clear comprehension of their experience in your industry and if they are considered experts in your field. With your Partner’s expertise, you will be able to work together to align your solution in order to incorporate your industry’s best practices by understanding your needs and offering solutions tailored to your specific industry.

 2.       Does your Partner have the breadth of services that your organization is looking for?

Do your homework and check their customer references. When you speak to references, don’t only ask about the implementation process; ask how proactive they were during and after go-live with your system. Also discuss the frequency of communications, number of training sessions, frequency of User Group activities and informational updates as these are the long term activities that create a mature stable solution.

 3.       Can your Partner suggest different solutions to meet your different organizational challenges?

With the flexibility of the Dynamics product line and integration to Dynamics ISV solutions, there is usually more than one solution that could meet your organization’s requirements. Your partner must take into account the software and services you require and ensure that the proposed solution is fully integrated in line with your goals. The solution should enable you to streamline business processes and increase performance to make the most of your investment.

 4.       What level of involvement are you expecting from your Partner?

Some companies will try to delegate projects in their entirety to the firm implementing the solution. Others will do the exact opposite and actively participate and learn the product in order to try and reduce costs. You need to ask yourself: What type of customer am I? Do I really have the resources to do all the work myself or am I better off to have a Partner involved, helping with training and researching new solutions and updates?

 5.       Why choose one type of Microsoft Certified partner over another?

With a Certified Partner you are guaranteed that they have made a commitment to have several employees that are trained on the Microsoft solutions. These Partners have been tested and validated on their level of professionalism, the quality of their work, and their knowledge as well as implementation of Microsoft Dynamics or the development of add-on solutions.

Once you have decided on a solution that best meets your needs, you also need to be assured that you have found a Partner who will meet your expectations moving forward with regard to your needs for training and providing information on new technologies and product updates. These are all key success factors to protect your investment. By effectively using your system to its full potential and by asking yourself these questions you will be better able to guage your expectations and requirements.

 I strongly suggest that you be open with your Partner from the beginning and ask these questions so that the Partner is aware of your expectations so they will be well informed and able to meet them. This will reduce your chance of being disappointed with the level of service later on. Also, don’t be afraid to make your concerns heard if you feel that your expectations  are not being met. It could happen that your organization’s original needs have changed and so you should make your Partner aware of these changes in order for you to remain informed and up-to-date on your Microsoft solution and to continue to take full advantage of your system.

By JOVACO Solutions, your Quebec-based Microsoft Gold Certified Partner

How to Choose the Right Microsoft Partner for Your Organization is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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A “Partner -Hosted” solution is either an independent software vendor (ISV), system integrator (IS) or a Value- Added Reseller (VAR) that offers hosted cloud solutions through a licensing partnership with Microsoft . A “Microsoft Hosted/Azure” environment is an internet cloud service hosted directly in Microsoft data centres.

The advantage of a “Partner-Hosted” solution is that you are actually working with people who not only have expertise in hosting software, but also possess a deep understanding of the Dynamics GP system. Some people find that it’s very important to build a trusting relationship before they do business; finding a Microsoft Dynamics partner who not only provides hosting solutions, but is Certified as well can reduce cost and provide for a better solution in the long run.

When using Microsoft hosted/Azure environment there’s a fixed cost and little to no room for negotiation, if price is very important to a client then going with a partner would be a better solution. Companies that are in Canada might not like the idea of having their data hosted on an Azure environment because it’s US based. It’s important to many Canadian companies to keep their data in Canada.

In future blogs I will be talking more about a partner hosted solutions and how beneficial it can be to you.

By: Natalie Williams, Marketing Coordinator, WebSan Solutions Inc., a Canadian Certified Microsoft Partner

A Partner-Hosted Solution of Microsoft Dynamics GP vs. A Microsoft Hosted Azure Environment is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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Three key ingredients that the perfect ERP vendor should be known for include:

1. Long-term customer relationships,
2. Great ongoing service,
3. A network of local implementers that will be there to support you after the sale.

The big question should be “What is the vendor’s customer churn rate & reputation for service after the sale?”

This question should be asked ahead of the sale, and should include BOTH the Vendor of the Software AND the Consulting Partner you have chosen to assist you in your implementation.  You never want to experience a post-sale depression mode.  This is the time for excitement, progress, and fantastic results!  Instead, you could be stuck only knowing the basics about the software, not be privy to tax rule changes, or even be stuck with additional locations or implementation changes you need that the vendor can’t handle.  So, here are follow-up questions to the one above:

• How is customer support handled?  Is support available through the qualified reseller? What are the travel charges for on-site assistance?
• Is the vendor’s ERP solution well-known in your country and industry? Will they continue to be a ‘player’ in the industry based on customer satisfaction?
• Does the vendor or their reselling partner offer a full range of customer support skills and capabilities? Expertise with the specific ERP solution you’re evaluating is essential, of course. But could the vendor’s support team also help you with customer relationship management, productivity software, and other applications you want to integrate with your ERP? How about their experience with both on-premises and cloud-based ERP solutions, or a hybrid solution involving both approaches?

For more questions you should ask, contact Collins Computing directly – or download one of our white papers on questions potential customers should ask, or why Collins may complete the Vendor/Partner/Customer equation for you!

By Abra Gilman, Collins Computing – “Count on Collins, Count on Success”.

Investigate Your Potential Software Vendor’s Post-Sales Reputation! is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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Integration proves to be a huge benefit for our clients, and The TM Group is excited to be working with a paperless solution that integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, and Microsoft Dynamics SL. MetaViewer Paperless ERP for Microsoft Dynamics can offer franchises automation they never thought possible, eliminating manual processes and connecting the once disconnected accounting workflow. Without the need for document storage, filing, and management, franchises can realize a number of time savings benefits:

• Automated Accounts Payable. With electronic copies of invoices, franchises can send invoices in just 5 days that once took 30 days to get out. This streamline process rapidly increases ROI and cash flow.
• Full Workflow Capabilities. Workflow available in MetaViewer helps franchises save time with approvals and produce real-time, accurate accounting records.
• Advanced Scanning and Email Capture. Franchises can centralize payment processes, eliminate data entry and shipping costs, increase payment time, and obtain real-time reporting by just managing their documents electronically.
• Effective Human Resource Management. Franchises manage a high number of employees at multiple locations and turnover is often high. By managing HR documentation with MetaViewer, corporate locations can easily find and retrieve important employee information at any time instead of spending hours searching for the right documents.

Metafile has been providing scanning, document management and workflow for financial automation solutions in the wholesale/distribution and retail industries for more than 30 years. More than 15,000 financial professionals worldwide efficiently process paperless transactions with the MetaViewer Paperless AP, Paperless AR and Paperless HR solutions. We here at The TM Group are proud to announce this add-on solution as part of our offering. For more information on how  MetaViewer can increase your competitive strategy and streamline your Accounts Payable, Receivables, and Human Resource processes, please plan to attend an informative webinar on February 1, 2012 at 10am EST – Paperless AP Automation for Franchises: Learn About Metaviewer & Microsoft Dynamics or contact us at The TM Group for more information at andreed@tmgroupinc.com.

By The TM Group, Michigan Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM Partner for Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Dynamics SL and SharePoint

Paperless Automation and ERP Integration Create a Competitive and Cost Savings Advantage for the Franchise Industry is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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Building on the 6 lessons learned from the first sale, we provided our second prospect with facts prior to the competition putting their spin on these issues.  Doing so in advance helped our prospect cut the competitor’s discussion short.

• Knowing that a stable software developer is crucial, I provided news releases on Epicor’s acquisition of Prophet21 and the turmoil they will likely experience for the next 2 years.  I personalized the issue because I had experienced the turmoil Microsoft endured with its acquisition of Great Plains Software.  When the Epicor/Prophet21 sales manager couldn’t meet or demo with the prospect for 3 weeks after their initial contact because of the changes in his sales channel, this appropriately became a deciding factor for the prospect.
• I provided information on the Dynamics GP product roadmap up to Version 16 as it was recently announced.
• We knew any competitor would discuss Microsoft’s partner channel changes. I shared our recent successes, sales information, service orientation, and 22-year track record to assure our prospect that we are not going away.
• With multiple client references we proved that we may be small, but we have extremely high loyalty from our clients because of our service orientation and the fact that we stand behind our promises. This was a key point as they had been let down significantly by their Prophet21 reseller a decade ago.

Our solid credibility with the client also helped us surmount the challenge that came when the client deferred their decision 30 days while they evaluated another product: SysPro. SysPro is a nice product from a nice little company.

We re-established our product. We provided SysPro’s case studies which primarily centered on batch process control manufacturing. Our client was strictly discrete product wholesale distribution, so we established the potential for a mismatch of features.

We went on to counter their criticism that we would be using third-party products and they would not. With research, we demonstrated to the client that SysPro would be using third-party warehousing, EDI, and fixed assets.

We discussed stronger multi-currency functionality and financial consolidation.

We laughed together when our prospect said there was one issue brought up about me personally that I didn’t expect.  It was alleged that I did “not have many installations under my belt.”   I had already provided a personal profile that detailed more than 22 years of GP installations and cited multiple mainframe and minicomputer installations prior to that.

The winning functionality in this sale was SalesPad. We love SalesPad and we think the product will take Dynamics GP to a new level of competition with the likes of Epicor, Profit21, and (dare I say this) NAV and AX. We can provide the out-of-box and cost-effective functionality a discrete wholesaler needs. At half the cost of a Dynamics GP AM license, SalesPad makes the product cost extremely competitive.

We have an 8-user GP and 40-user SalesPad sale. And we are going to knock this install out of the ballpark because we will be there for this company, whatever it takes. That’s how we do implementations.

By Gloria Braunschweig, The IFRS Implementation Expert for Dynamics GP, with Computeration, a Pacific Northwest Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner.

Computeration specializes in ways to enhance your company’s solutions with Microsoft Dynamics GP in Idaho, Oregon, and Southwest Washington, with clients around the world, Computeration makes your implementation successful by offering experienced project management, data integration, training, and consulting services.

We Beat Epicor, Prophet21, and SysPro with Microsoft Dynamics® GP is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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According to Zig Zigler the process to make your goals a reality should be:

• Write it down
• Put a due date on it, set a time limit
• Make a list of the obstacles
• Identify the people, groups, or organizations you need to work with
• Spell out your plan of action
• Identify the benefits, what’s in it for me?

Here are some questions to keep in mind while completing your analysis and evaluation of your software:

• Do you experience delays with response time for menus and screens and have you become so accustomed to that you don’t even notice? This could be wasting valuable time and resources.
• Are you storing and retrieving data in more than one place or system? Having to gather comprehensive information may be a huge headache that you just don’t have time for anymore.
• Do your reports take a long time to populate and is the data really reliable and actionable? Without a comprehensive report, business insight is not actionable because you can’t really trust the data you have.
• Is your current system expensive to maintain and time intensive to support users? Having to manipulate your current software just costs you more money and doesn’t give you the end result you’re looking for. Throwing more money at a failed system will not change the outcome.

If you need help determining that your current system is not going to achieve your business goals this year, give us a call. We can help you determine how improved processes can affect your bottom line.

by Sherwood Systems, an Arizona Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

Is it Time for an Annual Analysis and Evalution of Your Business Technology? is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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 When a new customer purchases a Microsoft Dynamics ERP system, they are automatically enrolled in a Business Ready Enhancement Plan.  The plan offers many benefits and is an invaluable tool in the first year of software ownership.  With benefits that include access to free online e-learning and technical support incidents, the plan can take an implementation in question and help turn it into a successful project.  Microsoft offers an extensive e-learning catalog that allows new users to browse and select the courses that fit their needs.  Everything from Accounts Payable to Sales Order Processing to Fixed Assets courses are offered for you.  The classes can be taken online or downloaded to your desktop for viewing at a later date.  These courses are a great way for users to become familiar with Dynamics while an implementation is going on.  The technical support incidents are of great value to an end user during year one as inevitably there will be mistakes made that require technical assistance. 

 Another benefit of a current Enhancement Plan is 24/7 access to CustomerSource.  CustomerSource is a secure customer Web site that contains personalized Microsoft product and service information, a searchable technical database, downloads, documentation, discussion boards, the aforementioned unlimited online training, news and other features.  One of the great features from which many of our customers receive exceptional value is the searchable Knowledge Base.  This comprehensive database allows you to enter search criteria and filter by product and module to return specific results to your query.  Searching for answers to technical questions can ultimately save time and consulting dollars when troubleshooting issues. 

 As a partner who cares deeply about the investments our customers make, the greatest value a new customer should recognize is the updates that are available through an Enhancement Plan.  During the term of your Enhancement Plan you are entitled to any upgrades and updates released for your Microsoft Dynamics product.  At the top of the list is new version releases.  A current plan entitles you to these as they become available!  Service packs and hot fixes are created and released at Microsoft’s discretion for recognized issues identified for Microsoft products. Regularly, many hot fixes are combined into a single package (called a service pack), which is made available for installation. Service packs are generally cumulative, meaning that each new service pack contains all the fixes that are included with previous service packs and any new critical security fixes should address specific situations that arise. During the term of your Enhancement Plan you will have access to any service packs and hot fixes released for your Microsoft Dynamics product.

 Another huge benefit to Microsoft Dynamics customers, especially those who use the Payroll functionality, is access to Tax and Regulatory updates.   During the term of your Business Ready Enhancement Plan, you will have access to tax and regulatory releases for the Microsoft Dynamics products.  These updates include Payroll Tax Table updates, and year-end 1099/W-2 updates.  These updates are crucial to keeping your system up to date and compliant with State and Federal Regulations.

 As you can see, an Enhancement Plan brings great value to customers and is a vital part of maintaining your investment!  Associates Solutions, Inc. is a nationally-recognized service and solutions provider that specializes in delivering Microsoft Dynamics Solutions. We are headquartered in the Kansas City metropolitan area, while servicing our clients across the United States, Canada, Europe, and South America.  We are proud to offer Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Dynamics SL.

By Associate Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics GP, SL partner serving KS MO IA NE

Business Ready Enhancement Plans for Microsoft Dynamics ERP Systems: Yes, they are Worth It! is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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All Microsoft Dynamics GP customers in their first year purchase an Enhancement Service plan that comes packed with bonus features that sometimes get overlooked or underutilized. As a part of this yearly fee you will have unlimited access to Microsoft’s online website for Dynamics GP customers called CustomerSource. Within CustomerSource you will find a wide range of tools at your disposal. In the support section of CustomerSource you can find answers to many of your day to day questions, from how to modify reports, or how to change user’s security, and even how to perform a year-end closing. A wealth of how-to and hot topic articles are at your fingertips; the KnowledgeBase shouldn’t be overlooked.

Learning how to use Dynamics GP couldn’t be simpler with unlimited access to Microsoft’s eLearning page within CustomerSource. Simple to follow tutorials walk you through the day to day processes of Dynamics GP. You can learn something new, find features you didn’t know about, or even train a new employee. CustomerSource also keeps you informed of current Dynamics GP news & events. Keep abreast of what is happening in the world of Microsoft Dynamics, new service packs, new software releases, and Customer events around the globe; are all found here.

Keeping your Dynamics GP software investment current is easy using the Service Packs & Hot Fixes page on CustomerSource. We are all familiar with Windows Updates on our computer operating system; Dynamics GP too must be kept up to date to match with your Windows Updates. Occasional service packs to your accounting package make larger upgrades simpler and faster by taking smaller steps to get there, and it keeps your Dynamics GP running at top performance and top speed.

Getting the most out of your new software purchase is simple when you use the tools you have purchased with Microsoft Dynamics GP. Working closely with your registered Microsoft Dynamics partner can guide you through the tools available to you and put you on the right path.

Software Solutions Group,  Inc.

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That quote perfectly illustrates the main problem with using industry specific software to manage accounting. The main focus of the software is running your business, not accounting. Typically, industry specific packages devote little R&D effort on the accounting portion of the software. Similarly, support personal at the company are dedicated to “mission critical” components of the software, rather than helping you with suspended batches of year-end updates. Another problem with industry specific ERP is the install base. If an industry specific package has a few hundred clients they support – or even a few thousand – they probably have not seen unique accounting problems very often and as such will have a hard time solving those problems as they arise. Also, with a small install base, local support is not very likely, and it is doubtful that you will find a local support helping you establish best practices.

In the end, you will probably find that utilizing a best of breed accounting solution like Microsoft Dynamics GP combined with a partner that understands your unique industry needs will be the best way to go. This will give you the expertise to handle the challenges you face in your business, backed by software that can easily handle problems as they occur, and give you the updates you need in a timely manner.

By Intellitec Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner serving Pennsylvania

Industry Specific ERP Software Can Leave You in the Lurch is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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