•             Inability to match actual physical inventory receipts with invoicing, which sometimes resulted in vendors accidentally overbilling Amalfi.

•             A daily-snapshot inventory-reporting system that lacked support for process inventory costing.

•             Difficulty deriving booking, billings, and backlog information.

•             Period closings that were extremely time-consuming and cumbersome.

•             Inability to manage finances or consolidations for international operations.

•             No systematic way to prescribe purchase order controls, thresholds, or approvals.

•             Lack of self-service management reporting.

 After considering SAP OnDemand and Oracle 11i and reviewing vendors that attended the Global Semiconductor Alliance 2010 event, Amalfi selected Microsoft Dynamics GP and Tensoft Fabless Semiconductor Manufacturing, an end-to-end solution that specifically addresses the unique needs of this industry.   Amalfi turned to Tensoft as a turnkey provider with the industry knowledge to help them plan for the future, and the implementation expertise to make them meet aggressive go-live goals.  

The company has already saved US$75,000 in duplicate vendor invoicing and realized significant efficiencies.  With the business management software in place, Amalfi has a solution that takes advantage of purchasing controls to support regulatory compliance. In addition, executives, operations employees, and finance managers now have the insight and control they need to help the company reach its growth goals. Joe Whitty, Controller at Amalfi Semiconductor, says, “With Microsoft Dynamics GP, powerful reporting and analytics tools, and productivity applications from a single software company, we can grow our sales and operations based on real insights into the actual needs of customers. If we had it to do all over again, we’d make the same choice.”

Read the full story: http://bit.ly/yiWV3g

by Tensoft, Inc.

Tensoft Customer Amalfi Semiconductor Goes Live on Microsoft Dynamics in Six Weeks is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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In the worst scenario, the ERP software system you used and loved is “transitioned” or phased out in favor of the system the vendor’s new owner developed and prefers. In that scenario, you are pretty much forced into a corner where you must either adopt their new system, hang on to your old one long past its life expectancy, or begin shopping for a completely new ERP solution.

In less extreme scenarios, you may just have to get acquainted with a new vendor, new customer service reps, and maybe even new branding. Ultimately, in this situation it is possible to survive.

Is there a way to avoid this waiting game in the first place? You should include “vendor stability” as part of your ERP selection process. Look at annual reports, read industry analyst opinions and ask for stats.

When evaluating Microsoft Dynamics GP you can feel confident that Microsoft is a stable vendor you can trust to be around for the long term. My research shows that in 2009 Microsoft spent over $8 billion on R&D (research and development). And in 2010, even in uncertain financial times when others were tightening their belt, Microsoft increased R&D funds to $9.5 billion.

Curious if Microsoft might tire of the ERP business? Check out this article: Microsoft Going to Sell Its Dynamics ERP Business? The answer is NO!

And check out the Microsoft Dynamics GP Statement of Direction Released December 2011. It outlines the product strategy and roadmap for Dynamics GP all the way out to 2016. Dynamics ERP is here to stay.

By CAL Business Solutions, a stable vendor of Microsoft Dynamics GP in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Southern New England

Why You Should Include Vendor Stability in your ERP Software Selection Criteria 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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“Features don’t matter. In fact, focusing on features does nothing more than over-complicate a message and reduce the adoption speed of a software product.”

AND

“Users care about a set of minimally viable features and a simple, user-focused design. Google is getting past focusing on features and working more on points of integration with other products.”

Those are the exact same concepts that Microsoft has been embracing when developing updates to their Dynamics ERP solutions.

Focusing on Features will Slow You Down

In the world of competitive mid-market ERP solutions, side-by-side feature comparisons are becoming increasingly futile on account of the fact that the features sets are so similar.  Sure, some products offer different industry focused functionality, but the core feature sets promise similar financial and operational deliverables.  Putting too much emphasis on the features of an ERP system can bog down your selection process.  While Microsoft Dynamics ERP products do contain industry leading features, that is not what makes them stand out from their competition.

User Adoption Relies on Usability

Like Google+, Microsoft Dynamics developers have created ERP solutions that are unique in their usability.  Microsoft Dynamics ERP systems have a similar look and feel to familiar Microsoft Office products.  In addition, they work seamlessly with Microsoft Office products to provide a cohesive user experience.  Microsoft Dynamics ERP systems are geared around role-tailored user interfaces with individualized homepages and dashboards so that each user has quick and easy access to the information that is most relevant to their role and daily tasks.  All of these facets work together to make Microsoft Dynamics systems the most usable and quickly adopted ERP solutions in the marketplace.

It’s All About Integration

Like Google, Microsoft and their partners have focused a tremendous amount of development effort on making Dynamics ERP solutions easy to integrate.  Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions offer out-of-the-box direct integration and interoperation with other business tools like Microsoft Dynamics CRM, SharePoint, Windows® AzureTM, Microsoft Lync, SQL Server Reporting Services, and more.  They also leverage a straightforward integration platform based on Web services technology that connects applications to and from Microsoft Dynamics, and enables internal or external developers to create independent integration adapters that are not dependent on Internet Information Services (IIS)—eliminating the need to buy separate servers and greatly simplifying infrastructure and IT management.

Unlike Google+, Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions are NOT the industry latecomers trying to carve out a niche.  Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions are business management software stalwarts, helping companies across the globe streamline operations and enhance their financial and operational processes for over a quarter of a century.

Considering a Microsoft Dynamics ERP solution?  Request a complimentary Business Strategy Assessment today for assistance selecting the right Dynamics ERP system for your unique organizational needs.

By Socius, a Microsoft Dynamics ERP partner in Ohio, Kansas City and California

What do Google+ and Microsoft Dynamics ERP Have in Common? 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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 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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Do you find yourself in a similar situation? You notice a considerable delay in opening screens, reports take longer to print, and there is an overall decline in performance?    Many of our customers who have made the move from QuickBooks to Microsoft Dynamics GP cited those same pain points.  QuickBooks met their needs as a small company, but as their business grew their volume of transactions and functionality requirements grew and their program couldn’t accommodate their needs. 

There are many reasons to consider Microsoft Dynamics GP but here are a few compelling facts in regards to QuickBooks vs. Microsoft Dynamics GP:

• GP has twice the features of QuickBooks Enterprise.  The Accounting Library reported in April 2011 that Microsoft Dynamics GP met 85% of a typical user’s requirements vs. 43% for QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions. 
• GP can scale to handle millions of transactions and can be used by more than a thousand users concurrently 
• GP has more than 700 standard reports including 200 out of the box Excel reports and over 70 standard SRS reports. 

And price is really not a factor since Microsoft has an offer in the market that will give you the first 5 users for $3000 which is up to 85% off the license price.   

Contact DFC Consultants at 800-277-5561 or email sales@dfcconsultants.com  to set up a free business analysis meeting to determine your functionality requirements and receive a custom demo of Microsoft Dynamics GP. 

DFC Consultants is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in Microsoft Dynamics GP and CRM. Since 1989, DFC has been providing accounting software solutions, training and support in our offices in Fargo, Bismarck, and Dickinson, North Dakota.  Our passion is to assist clients in meeting their goals with professional services and powerful business solutions. 

By Vanessa Veflin, DFC Consultants, North Dakota Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner.

Take a Break From Frustration – Choose Microsoft Dynamics GP is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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35 Questions Every CFO Needs to Ask About ERP Software in the Cloud

This simple, easy-to-follow white paper will  help you compare the benefits and risks of ERP/financial management software in  the cloud.

In the white paper, you will learn about:

• Cloud definitions
• Potential benefits of Cloud ERP
• Common concerns of Cloud ERP
• Compliance considerations for Cloud ERP
• Licensing questions for Cloud ERP
• Sample cost comparison for Cloud ERP vs.  on-premise ERP
• Business challenges and deployment options for  Cloud ERP

In addition to the information above, the white paper also  includes nine informative graphs and a sample comparison chart providing a  simplified 5-year model to evaluate the cost of various ERP deployment options  including on-premise, on demand and hosted deployment.

Download the white paper today and find out all you need to know about ERP in the  Cloud.

And contact BroadPoint, the largest Microsoft Dynamics GP reseller in the mid-Atlantic,  at skane@broadpoint.net or 301-634-2404 for more information on what deployment model will work best for your organization.

Broad Point Technologies, Virginia Microsoft Dynamics partner

Is Your Organization Ready for ERP in the Cloud? is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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Let me break it down to a real life scenario:  On Monday morning (after a long holiday weekend with lots of turkey and football) your accounting department imported a massive sales transaction to your ERP system for sales that occurred over the weekend from an outside billing system  (maybe the point of sales system).  The person who did the import wasn’t at their best that morning, and didn’t realize that instead of importing the transactions into Company A, they accidently imported the transactions into Company B.  Unfortunately this mistake wasn’t discovered until Wednesday afternoon, when the Controller started looking at the posted entries in the General Ledger, and wondered where all this revenue came from.   Unfortunately by then lots of other transactions had been imported and the option of backing them out was not realistic.  So now what?  Well, a restore from last week (point in time) might be just the fix, so they check with their hosting provider to find out that a restore from last week is not possible because the company does not provide this sort of service.  “What”, you say, “How is that possible?”  Well, you come to find out that the hosting provider only backs up in mass, and they only backup for their own disaster recovery purposes!!  And since the environment is multi-tenant, they cannot just restore your database!!!  So no point in time restore and no individual company restore either.

Here is another real life scenario:  It is April and your auditors have come to visit.  As part of their annual review, they ask how your ERP system is being backed up and request that you restore a backup from December (4 months ago) to make sure that your hosting provider is retaining important information from last calendar year. You contact your hosting provider to find out that only 90 days of backups are kept and after that all data is overwritten or purged from the backups!!!  What?  Why weren’t you told this!!  Well, maybe you made an assumption that the cloud would automatically provide this?

Not All Hosted Backups Are the Same

While these scenarios seem unlikely to you, the three large providers I mentioned above cannot provide you with the backups you would need in either of these cases.  And neither do many other hosting providers!!  So what should a customer know and compare with hosting providers to make sure they are getting what they need in terms of backups?

• Have your provider specifically give you the terms of your backup retention periods.  Most only provide for 90 days.  Here is what we recommend:
• Daily, weekly, monthly and annual – Point in time backups and restore capability
• Seven years of data retention – this is recommended for both private and public companies
• Be sure to ask for the additional costs of those backups – so this doesn’t come as a shock later
• Be sure you understand how much storage backup you will receive as part of your fixed monthly costs – another hidden cost that providers don’t share on their quotes
• Make sure you understand exactly what is being backed up; data, custom code, Excel and Word documents you happen to store, scanned documents that are attached to your data, etc.
• Ask for their written policy for “test” restores.  And if you are required to be audited, ask that a test restore be performed and documented at least twice a year.

Never make the assumption that because you are in the cloud, everything is backed up forever.  And always compare backup policies carefully amongst providers!

RoseASP has been a Microsoft Dynamics hosting provider of ERP and CRM solutions since 2000.  We give every customer daily, weekly, monthly, and seven years of annual backups as part of their monthly Dynamics hosting fees at no additional charge.  To learn more, visit us at www.roseasp.com

by RoseASP

On-line Data Backups – What a Customer Should Know and Compare Amongst Providers is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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BroadPoint is ready to help you take advantage of this offer.  Contact us today and we will review your business requirements and identify the right solution for your business.  And once you decide on the solution for you, our deployment team will be with you every step of the way to make sure all your concerns are addressed.  Our goal is to provide you with a smooth, painless implementation that does not disrupt your day-to-day business operations.

BroadPoint is the mid-Atlantic’s largest Dynamics GP reseller.  We look forward to speaking with you and building a lasting relationship before, during, and after your GP implementation.  Contact us today at skane@broadpoint.net or 301-634-2404 to discuss your requirements.

Microsoft “Give Me 5″ Offer Keeps on Giving is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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