ERP is all about productivity improvement

According to a recent research report, most small and mid-size businesses undertake an ERP implementation to replace manual systems that are holding back employee productivity. With a cloud ERP solution, no time is wasted on the hardware and support technology.

Business process review to match requirements with functionality and apply best practices to improve performance comes first.  Employees can log onto software immediately to get familiar with the feel and functionality. The time between choosing the new system and reaping the productivity rewards is measured in days, not months.

Productivity gains through familiar tools

When you choose a Microsoft-based cloud financial management system, like Microsoft Dynamics GP or Acumatica, your employees continue to use familiar tools.  With the familiar user interface and integration with Microsoft’s Office helps employees feel comfortable working with the new software. 

With your financial management solution in the cloud, employees and managers can access the information they need when they need it. Regional office managers can view GL sub-accounts for their regions. Investors can stay informed through dashboards. Temporary workers can be granted secure access for a few hours or days. All employees can submit expense reports.

Keeps workers productive in the field

With conventional ERP implementations, training for workers in remote locations is often difficult and slow.  Remote workers feel isolated from the implementation efforts unless they travel to the main office. With cloud ERP, remote workers have the tools they need from the start to feel connected and productive.

If you have been holding back on an ERP solution because of concerns about the productivity interruption to your business, think about cloud.   Let’s talk about how you can build for the future without compromising the present.  Call Gary gfrancart@ktlsolutions.com  or 866-960-0001.

by KTL Solutions

Why Investment in Process Improvement Means Faster ROI on ERP Software in the Cloud is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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- The ERP Cloud in Canada isn’t subject to the same laws and oversight as the privacy laws (or lack thereof) as in the US. Our Clients in Canada know that their data is secure.

- Fundamentally, Cloud Dynamics GP is less costly to implement and consumes less working capital on an ongoing basis, enabling the organization to focus funds on other, revenue generating, activities.

- The Cloud enables Clients to substantially reduce IT infrastructure costs

- Most of the time, the Canadian dollar is below par with the US, so our US Customers can achieve a price savings over other US Dynamics Cloud Partners

If you’re interested in learning more about Dynamics GP in the Cloud in Canada, don’t hesitate to reach out to WebSan, a Canadian Silver Certified Microsoft Dynamics Partner!

Why Dynamics GP Cloud in Canada? is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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At some point the two need to meet in the middle. Otherwise, your company might end up with an ERP system that is either cheap and technically deficient or technically superior and ineffective at serving your company’s needs.

Some software, such as the web browser your company adopts, is low-impact and may not have lasting ramifications on the success or failure of your business. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), however, is high-impact and will directly affect the financial future of your company. Therefore, CFOs should understand as much about ERP as possible.

The cost is only one concern. CFOs, not IT professionals, are the best qualified to consider factors like risk mitigation, compliance, and long-term business goals. Therefore, the decision to move to a cloud ERP system should not be taken lightly.

To help you make an informed decision, ERP Software Blog has published a new white paper: “35 Questions Every CFO Needs to Ask About ERP Software In the Cloud”. It is a comprehensive look at the most important issues facing CFOs and will guide you through the cloud ERP decision-making process. The future success of your business demands that you make informed, deliberate decisions about ERP and the cloud.

By ERP Software Blog Editors,Find a Local Microsoft Dynamics ERP Partner

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1. Improve in multiple accounting management areas. Obviously, the release of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2012 will improve GP to a whole new level. This launch will include improvements to fixed assets, accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank reconciliation and more. Although the version will launch in 2012, it will be later, so will affect your business in 2013. Nevertheless, something great to look forward to.
2. Turn the heat up on the cloud. The cloud was hot in 2011, and it will continue to be hot in 2012 for Microsoft Dynamics GP. Microsoft is committed to offering ERP solutions in the cloud so companies of all sizes and growth stages can benefit from the advanced business functionality.
3. Provide even better business intelligence features. Reporting is top of mind for the majority, if not all organizations when their ERP solution is involved. If you can’t see or analyze the information it’s gathering, then it’s not really improving your business. Because everyone wants better and streamlined reporting, there may be more than your company needs, but Microsoft has covered the bases on this one.

I’m confident Microsoft Dynamics GP will keep its 2012 New Year resolutions as Microsoft’s roadmap is pretty clear on the three points above. If you would like more information about Microsoft Dynamics GP, please contact us at Rimrock Corporation.

By Rimrock Corporation, Toronto Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

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At a high level, here is some information to hopefully help the typical end-user in what all the hype is about.

On-Premise

Your Dynamics GP reseller or IT company should evaluate your current IT infrastructure to determine if it is suitable for the Dynamics GP and associated products deployment. Network speed and health are critical to end-user adoption of a new system.  If it is slow, then the software is blamed.  CIS can recommend upgrades if needed to ensure a secure and fast software experience. 

• Do you have an investment already in server and network environment?
• Do you have regulatory requirements that require your data to be onsite?
• If you have poor Internet or problems with Internet, the on-premise might be your best option.  However, this can sometimes be corrected with the right vendor.

Cloud (SaaS)

Cloud ERP deployments can be a good option if the long term costs are not a lot higher than buying the software out right.  Keep in mind that with the Cloud you are renting the software and do not own it.  Things we help you consider are:

• Do you have a redundant Internet source? If your Internet is down, then processing on the Cloud application will stop.
• Over a 3 year period will you be paying more for this rental than deploying on-premise or hosted?  Keep in mind though network servers are usually obsolete after 3 – 4 years.
• Would you benefit from an on-premise server to install other programs for your business? 
• As always, check with your auditors about off site data.  Some regulatory agencies do not allow for data to be off-site regardless of the security that is in place. 
• Some Cloud providers state that you can get updates to your software at anytime, including upgrades.  This would concern me if I were a business owner.  I would not want a provider to update my software anytime that there is an update.  Your system should never be ‘upgraded’ without a test system setup first and that you the end-user has thoroughly tested your business processing and data.  I may change my mind in the future, but for now that is my recommendation.

These are just a few of considerations.  To find out more, please read this whitepaper that CIS and the ERP Software Blog published: 35 Questions Every CFO Needs to Ask About ERP Software In the Cloud.

Hosted

Hosted deployments give you the best of both worlds; you own the software, but with less of a hardware investment. 

Cloud and hosted options both require a very good Internet source.  Software is usually ran through a Terminal Server and accessed through Remote Desktop.  This can reduce your workstation costs since the software is not actually running on the desktop.  However, you can also have an on-premise deployment with a Terminal Server. 

Hosting providers such as CIS ensure your data is secure and is available from more than one hosting facility in the event of a disaster.  Redundant backups make sure you are not at risk for data loss. 

Keep in mind that most ERP vendors say that they are in the cloud but in reality the software is still accessed through a terminal server since most are not truly web enabled yet…

CIS also wrote a very good article that you might find helpful: The Difference Between Virtualization and Cloud Computing

Dynamics GP Quick Quote Tool

The Microsoft Dynamics Quick Quote Tool is intended to give accounting software buyers in the beginning stages of research a quick and easy way to estimate the costs of ERP software, including the hosted option to determine if it makes sense to continue the evaluation process. To receive a complete and accurate price for the total cost of an ERP project we recommend that you work with an ERP software expert such as CIS.

By Nancy Phillippi with Custom Information Services (CIS), Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner based out of North Texas.  Your feedback and comments are welcome.  Contact Nancy at nphillippi@customis.com or by phone at 817-640-0016 x 109.

Deployment Options: On-Premise, Cloud or Hosted is a post from: ERP Software Blog

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A major that factor that will weigh into your decision between a cloud ERP solution and a more traditional, on-premise ERP solution is cost.

A cloud ERP solution will enable you to control and predict costs by:

• Avoiding up-front hardware acquisitions or updates
• Paying a predictable, monthly, per-user subscription fee
• Getting software maintenance without annual fees
• Taking advantage of software updates without paying for additional services

Because there is very little up-front cost, the time it takes to realize a Return on Investment (ROI) on your cloud ERP solution is accelerated.

On the flip side, an on-premise ERP solution requires a larger up-front investment and longer pay-back period before an organization would benefit from a ROI.  However, since you are only paying for your users licenses once, over the long-term, an on-premise ERP solution can have a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) than a cloud system.

Regardless of whether you select an on-premise or cloud ERP system, you will most likely pay for some implementation and training services when you begin use.

If the ERP solution that you are considering is Microsoft Dynamics GP, there is a quick and easy way for you to compare the costs of both the software and services associated with an on-premise or cloud deployment.  Simply submit your requirements and a Microsoft Dynamics GP Quick Quote will be emailed to you that outlines what your initial investment would be for an on-premise deployment.  You can also use our Cloud ERP calculator to determine what your costs would be for Microsoft Dynamics GP cloud and email your results to yourself to compare with the on-premise options!

By Socius, an Ohio Microsoft Dynamics ERP partner

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Cloud deployment can include a single tenant or multi-tenant system.  With single tenant systems, you can customize software to fit your unique business operations.  Often, your Partner can protect your customizations with future upgrades.  With multi-tenant systems, there is some additional efficiency and affordability, but you lose the ability for customizations because the system is shared by many users.  Although your data is securely segregated from one another, the ability to customize or make changes to the software can affect the rest of the tenants.

The scalability and flexibility of the different cloud-computing deployment options will allow you to find the right fit for your business model.  To determine how cloud-computing can make your operations more efficient and can improve your IT bottom line, contact BDO Solutions.

By Jim Krahn with BDO Solutions, Leading Canadian Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM Partner

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So if you like summaries, as I do, I’m just saving you the legwork by providing a page by page summary.  You can flip to the page or pages that would be of the most
interest to you and skip the rest! Perhaps you’ll end up being so engrossed that you read the whole thing.  Up to you.

Here’s a list of the questions and the page numbers where you’ll find the answers.

Page 5
1-What is cloud computing?
2-What is IaaS?
3-What is PaaS?
4-What is hosting?

Page 6
5-What is SaaS?
6-What is virtualization?
7-What is an MSP?

Page 7
8-What are the cost savings associated with moving ERP to the cloud?
9-How will cloud services affect the internal IT team?
10-How does a cloud ERP solution improve the ability to scale?
11-Will my data be more secure in the cloud?

Page 8
12-Is cloud ERP an effective business continuity strategy?
13-Will we be able to get all the reports we need from a cloud based ERP system?
14-Will cloud ERP work with Office and Outlook in the cloud?

Page 9
15-As a startup, is a cloud ERP system more than we need?
16-Will company divisions in other countries be able to use the same ERP system?
17-Will employees working from home be able to access the system?
18-Will our IT team still need to upgrade the ERP application?
19-Does the cloud provide an opportunity to re-architect our system?

Page 10
20-Will we still be able to get help from our business consulting partners?

Page 11
21-Will our data be secure from access by outsiders?

Page 12
22-Will we still own our data?
23-What should I look for in an ERP cloud provider?
24-What if circumstances change and we want to bring ERP back in-house?
25-Will a cloud based ERP system be able to integrate with the other line of business applications that we use?
26-Will the ERP system response time be as fast as it is on-premises?

Page 13
27-What if our internet connection goes down?
28-What if the cloud provider’s internet connection goes down?
29-Will our ISV solutions work with cloud based ERP?

Page 14
30-What is SAS 70?
31-Can we be Sarbanes-Oxley compliant with an ERP system in the cloud?
32-Is cloud based ERP a good choice if we are thinking about going public someday?

Page 15
33-What options do I have in licensing ERP software in the cloud?
34-Is the yearly maintenance included in the price?
35-What support services should I expect to receive as part of an ERP subscription?

Wow!  Even the summary is 2 pages long.  But that’s still only 10% as long as the white paper.  Here’s the link to the cloud white paper.  And here’s the link to the Altico Advisors Microsoft Dynamics GP cloud page.

I hope this is helpful.

 By Karen Jernstrom, Altico Advisors, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner for Manufacturing and Distribution serving New Hampshire (NH)

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But it can also be configured to be simple to use and effective at controlling a manufacturing process. To that point I created a simple video to show this in action.

One of my more highly acclaimed productions, you can see it here, “How to Make a Martini with Dynamics GP.” Just to ensure accuracy, I retested the martini formulation last night. It works.

With a simple bill of material, a router, and a manufacturing order, the Manufacturing module can be used to create finished good items, and relieve component inventory; along with enhanced reporting and strong inventory control.

You can easily add functionality with MRP, sales forecasts, quality control, production scheduling, job cost, capacity requirements and engineering change orders. I usually suggest that people start with a simple configuration, and add functionality as they gain an understanding of the software and its capabilities.

The Manufacturing module is part of the Dynamics GP Advanced Management suite. myGPcloud offers this functionality in an online accounting environment with no setup fee, no long term contract, and no minimum user count. Try a free 30 Day Trial.

by myGPCloud

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Go to www.erpsoftwareblog.com/cloud-erp and fill in the short form to request the PDF file. You will receive a link to the audio file at the same time.

Do you like listening to white papers and blog post articles? Let us know.

By ERP Software Blog Editors

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