ERP Software Blog » Pennsylvania Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

The Economy is Coming Back: Can Your ERP Handle the Recovery?

Tom Rogers, Intellitec Solutions — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:10:47 +0000

As our economy pulls out of its long recession, many businesses are beginning to realize they put off IT purchases for too long. In particular, ERP software has been neglected as companies concerned with cash flow did not install new software as often as they had in the past. That is why an ERP upgrade should be your first priority if you haven’t done so in the past few years. Consider the following:

Your competitors are investing, can you keep up?

For the 2^nd year in a row, CIO Magazine notes that nearly 50% of companies say their IT budgets will increase in the coming year. Half of that was predicted to go to application software. This means that a number of businesses are getting more streamlined and leaner when it comes to their ERP needs. If your competition is increasing their efficiencies, are you going to be able to keep up?

Businesses are still sitting on record amounts of cash

2010 saw an all time record jump in corporate cash on hand, raising the level to a record 1.84 Trillion Dollars. Despite that record, cash on hand still increased in 2011. With interest rates so low, businesses have nowhere to earn interest on that money. As the recovery gains steam, businesses are starting to re-invest that money in themselves in the form of increased purchasing. That is translating to increased demand – are your systems ready to handle that demand?

Deals on software are still out there

2010 saw deals out there for software that may never be seen again – including offers to give away licenses. But even with the economy picking up, there are still aggressive offers out there, as evidenced by Microsoft’s recent promotion. Now is a great time to find bargains.

While it may have made sense during slow times to “get more done with less” and put off ERP upgrades, there are many compelling reasons to act now and upgrade. Contact Intellitec Solutions today to see if Microsoft Dynamics GP may be the right fit for you.

By Intellitec Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner serving Pennsylvania

The Economy is Coming Back: Can Your ERP Handle the Recovery? is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Long Term Care Accounting – Integrating Admissions with AR and Billing

Tom Rogers, Intellitec Solutions — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 20:48:34 +0000

Long Term Care facilities often face a dilemma: what is the best way to integrate critical information captured in census and clinical systems with their billing and accounts receivable applications. Though the task of doing this may seem large, having a system-wide integration like this allows LTC facilities to reduce administrative overhead and increase the timeliness and availability of financial information to department managers and executives throughout the organization. Among the benefits that can be achieved are:

Streamline billing information
Automatically apply room charges to resident bills
Audit all adjustments to accounting entries
Manage unlimited payer plans and instructions
Manage trust accounts effortlessly
Easily track collection notes and tasks
Utilize any third party accounting system through integration
Drive billing from provided census information
Automatically bill resident accounts with electronic payment
Provide a single bill for resident couples
Manage leaves and holds to avoid complicated billing procedures
Bill residents upon demand

Yet despite these benefits, many organizations maintain separate clinical and accounting software. The net result, unfortunately, is that many large organizations have systems in place that were intended to be monolithic centralized systems but instead operate in a decentralized fashion, reducing the level of integration and increasing costs, precisely what ERP systems were designed to control.

Many LTC facilities have concluded that a comprehensive financial management upgrade makes the most sense. Upgrading to an improved ERP solution such as Microsoft Dynamics GP can give your organization the tools to fully integrate with your clinical and census packages. It can sharply reduce the time and effort for key accounting tasks, provide easy access and analysis of integrated, updated information, and connect smoothly with operations across your entire organization.

By Intellitec Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner serving Pennsylvania

Long Term Care Accounting – Integrating Admissions with AR and Billing is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Microsoft Dynamics SL 2011 Launch Event – See What is New

Tom Rogers, Intellitec Solutions — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 01:28:57 +0000

Microsoft has announced April 1 as the release date for Microsoft Dynamics SL 2011, perhaps the most anticipated release of Dynamics SL in over a decade. This latest release represents a 3 year effort to make it easier to find data, create reports, and analyze information inside of Dynamics SL. To get a sneak peek at this latest version, please attend the Philadelphia Dynamics SL 2011 Launch.

Microsoft has made a number of investments in Dynamics SL 2011 to help people be more productive, simplify the way they access information, and connect and integrate data:

The latest release contains a new user interface with enhanced capabilities around favorites and recent searches, and a new collaboration feature to make it easier for employees to share and analyze information. The new interface also includes many graphical reminders for important information, such as past due accounts and project alerts.

This latest release also allows for quick and easy sharing of information through SharePoint. For instance, common reports can be updated automatically and shared throughout your organization, rather than having to manually create and distribute new reports each time information is updated.

Dynamics SL 2011 also provides greater flexibility for organizations managing multiple companies. Users will be able to sign into multiple companies simultaneously, and perform tasks side by side to compare and analyze information.

Dynamics SL 2011 gives organizations the ability to raise the bar for productivity, performance, and growth. To learn more about how Dynamics SL can help you, please attend the Dynamics SL 2011 Philadelphia Launch event

By Intellitec Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics SL Partner serving Pennsylvania

Microsoft Dynamics SL 2011 Launch Event – See What is New is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Steps to Selecting an ERP Implementation Partner: Check, Check, Check, and Check.

Tom Rogers, Intellitec Solutions — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 04:33:32 +0000

Choosing the right partner for your Dynamics GP implementation is crucial, but with so many qualified resources out there, it can be confusing to sort through them to find the one best suited to you. So you need to do your homework. To make sure you wind up with the right partner; do the “4 Checks”

Check the Partner’s experience.

Are they well-versed in the unique needs and “pain points” of your industry?
How many years have they been in business? How large is their client base?
Can they provide case studies of their engagements?
Have they worked with systems similar to yours?
Have they written custom reports in your industry?
Will they provide references of current clients? Are they keeping clients happy?

Check the Partner’s methodology.

The best resellers have a proven, peer-reviewed process to handle tough business challenges. That should include:

Diagnostics & Analysis – Review and document processes, define scope
Design – Create a plan that integrates needs, process, people, and product
Development – Adapt existing features, create new features, migrate and test data
Deployment – Set up operational environment on-site

Check the Partner’s training and support resources.

Make sure there are at least three consultants on staff who are fully certified and receive product education annually. To control the cost of training new hires, make sure the reseller has at least one resource dedicated to phone and remote support.

Check your gut.

During an implementation, you will be working very closely with your partner for quite a while, so it is important to determine your comfort level with potential partners. Ask yourself: Do they communicate clearly and effectively? Do they respond to requests quickly and thoroughly? Do they understand the unique demands of your industry? Can they explain and demonstrate technology in language all employees will understand? Are they open, and friendly?

By performing these 4 checks, you should wind up with an experienced solutions provider as your partner, which will make updating your accounting software solution much easier and better ensure success.

By Intellitec Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner serving Pennsylvania

Steps to Selecting an ERP Implementation Partner: Check, Check, Check, and Check. is a post from: ERP Software Blog

I Use Dynamics for My ERP. Should I Use Google Apps or Office 365 for E-mail?

Tom Rogers, Intellitec Solutions — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 18:25:26 +0000

Recently a client of ours came to us with more or less that very same question. They use Dynamics SL, and were looking for a cost effective way to get their 75 person operation off Lotus Notes. They decided that Google Apps for Microsoft Outlook would work best for them. Google touts that this configuration frees you from the heavy upfront costs of getting Exchange Server up and running, and that Google Apps will integrate fully with Outlook.

But while Google is correct on both those points, there still is one important factor Dynamics users need to consider: will Google Apps work with Dynamics ERP? We put that question to both Microsoft and Google, and the answer from both was the same: we don’t know. While one could accuse Microsoft of spreading FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) with that answer, Google’s reply was no different. In this particular case, the client was using Dynamics SL to e-mail invoices to their clients, so support from Microsoft should an issue arise is crucial. In the end, this client found that Office 365’s Exchange Online was a safer and more secure option, and one that was competitively priced with Google Apps. Plus, Exchange Online gives them the option of running entirely on a web client (where as Google Apps requires Outlook licenses in order for the Outlook integration to be active).

By Intellitec Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics SL Partner serving Pennsylvania

I Use Dynamics for My ERP. Should I Use Google Apps or Office 365 for E-mail? is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Build on Your Existing ERP Software or Start Over?

Tom Rogers, Intellitec Solutions — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:22:58 +0000

A decision many businesses face today is whether to salvage existing ERP software, or start fresh and build an accounting solution from the ground up. In order to answer that for your company, you need to ask yourself:

What level of integration do you need? The larger the organization, the more challenging it is to connect systems, processes and people. Rapid growth or a business acquisition can transform a midsize organization into a large organization overnight. Without effective connectivity across departments, efficient work processes are compromised. Poorly integrated business processes and limited visibility into workflow are not only costly, but they have a considerable negative impact on organizational agility and competitiveness.
Is your ERP solution delivering what you need? Most businesses already have an integrated ERP solution, but many times they are monolithic and proprietary (non-standards based), and difficult to customize or add new functionality to in response to changing business needs. Are you often exporting information and manipulating data in Excel? Does your system generate the reports you need?
Does your current system align well with your procedures? Efficiency in your business can be accomplished by standardizing processes across your organization. Yet despite this, many companies maintain decentralized practices for one compelling reason – different needs across an organization are often better supported by local adaptation rather than central standardization. If your ERP system is not flexible, the net result is a system intended to be centralized instead is deployed in a decentralized fashion, reducing the level of integration and increasing costs, precisely what ERP systems were designed to control.

Upgrading to an agile ERP solution such as Microsoft Dynamics GP can give your organization the tools you need to run your facility with the greatest efficiency and insight. It can sharply reduce the time and effort for key accounting tasks, provide easy access and analysis of integrated, updated information, and connect smoothly with operations across your entire organization.

By Intellitec Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner serving Pennsylvania

Build on Your Existing ERP Software or Start Over? is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Important Questions To Ask If You Are Considering SAP Business One

Tom Rogers, Intellitec Solutions — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 02:00:53 +0000

In the interests of full disclosure, I’ll state right off the bat that I am a little biased. Our company was a SAP Business One reseller for 2 years, and we did not particularly enjoy the experience – we found the product to be lacking, and we found SAP itself to be an enormous headache to deal with. So like I said, I am a little biased. However, SAP Business One is a growing product, and if you are considering purchasing Dynamics GP, you may also be considering B1. If that is the case, here are a few questions you should ask:

What is SAP’s future solution roadmap for Business One? Can you provide documentation supporting that?

Microsoft has a solid history of investing in industry functionality, ease of installation, and customization for Dynamics GP. Additionally, Microsoft’s Statement of Direction for Dynamics GP is clearly stated – to offer a personalized user experience, deep integration with the applications people use every day, and functionality and deployment options that fit customers’ specific organizational needs

How many references can you provide of existing SAP Business One users of my size in this area?

My guess? Not many! Sure, perhaps SAP will find a user of your size and industry 3,000 miles away, but does that really add value to your installation with your partner? Once you are live, will your partner be able to provide regular User Group meetings, where you can learn from other users of the product?

What are my choices if I outgrow Business One?

If you are evaluating SAP Business One, you probably have been assured a migration path to SAP All in One. But Business One and SAP All-in-One have entirely different architectures and underlying technologies. A migration is likely to add cost. Make sure you ask for a detailed migration path

How much of the functionality being demonstrated is native, “out-of-the-box” functionality versus functionality developed by a partner or through a third-party developer? How will this add-on functionality affect upgrades?

SAP Business One was designed to be a general platform for business, not a solution that has rich functionality on day one. You need to consider the amount of customization that will be needed, and how that customization will be impacted by future upgrades.

By Intellitec Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner serving Pennsylvania

Important Questions To Ask If You Are Considering SAP Business One is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Upgrading an Accounting System: What EVERY Long-Term Healthcare Facility Should Know

Tom Rogers, Intellitec Solutions — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:56:11 +0000

The business environment within Long-Term Healthcare Facilities poses unique challenges to profitability. By replacing outdated accounting systems with more powerful solutions like Microsoft Dynamics GP, small independents can reap many benefits – higher efficiency, more productivity, faster growth.

While demand for nursing care is linked to demographics, profitability of individual facilities depends on efficient operations, since revenue per patient is controlled by big government insurance programs, Medicare and Medicaid. Large companies can achieve economies of scale in administration and purchasing, but small operators must focus on better service and higher efficiency to compete.

Many small LTHC operators see robust financial management software as the cornerstone of efficiency and profitability, and have these common needs:

Need invoice and claims submissions to conform to complex rules and regulations of third-party healthcare billing systems
Need to track receivables accurately so that bills (and revenue!) are not lost when insurance companies and Medicaid delay claims processing
Need extensive financial reporting capability and a flexible chart of accounts structure to meet Government reporting requirements
Need to automate financials with patient census data, so that profitability can be established on a per patient or per situation basis
Need to measure profitability by program; since patient care involves numerous components (labor, materials, new facilities), and funding may come from diverse sources (Government, Insurance, patient, private foundations), tracking the profitability of a particular program is crucial, given the slim profit margins

The best advice for small LTHC providers considering an accounting systems upgrade is: plan ahead, be inclusive, and do your homework on potential resellers. It’s not enough for a new accounting solution to manage current needs or integrate with current hardware. The solution you select must be able to support projected long-term growth as well. Dynamics GP will facilitate faster growth, and is powerful enough to grow with you.

By Intellitec Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner serving Pennsylvania

Upgrading an Accounting System: What EVERY Long-Term Healthcare Facility Should Know is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Drive Superior Results with Microsoft Dynamics GP

Tom Rogers, Intellitec Solutions — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:01:47 +0000

In a utopian business world, your company’s most critical functions would operate under one user-friendly software umbrella, right? With a few intuitive clicks of your mouse, you could simply and effectively manage virtually every aspect of your enterprise with confidence. Your PC would be a window through which you could accomplish mission-critical tasks across your organization, thereby driving business performance and making better business decisions. Sounds like a perfect set-up in a perfect world, doesn’t it? Well, dream no more. You can have all of this in a system that also:

Feels familiar to your people.
Fits with your existing IT systems.
Meets the needs of your organization today and in the future.
Is backed by the Microsoft name.

Dynamics GP provides an easy-to-navigate interface that is easily customized to present key functions and information your staff needs. Working with the familiar tools many workers already use, tasks are streamlined and functions are connected to help reduce busy work and redundancies. Additionally, Dynamics GP has the depth and breadth to meet tough business challenges, and can integrate with other business software tools you already use to help increase the reach and relevance of your technology investments. Regardless of your industry, Dynamics GP can be the perfect fit.

By Intellitec Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner serving Pennsylvania

Drive Superior Results with Microsoft Dynamics GP is a post from: ERP Software Blog

Dynamics GP – 3 Users For A Buck? What?

Tom Rogers, Intellitec Solutions — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:19:29 +0000

I am going back to my “roots” here, and do an old school blog – just me, typing my thoughts on a topic.

A lot of people by now have heard about Dynamics GP Three Users for $1 promotion. My first thoughts were: ”And the catch is….?”, as well as: ”And how many years of maintenance do you have to pay up front?” Well, it turns out there is no catch, the only maintenance required up front is the first year, which is standard anyway.

So what does this mean? Is this a desperation move by Microsoft? I don’t think so. After all, it would be one thing to offer 50% off to try to boost license revenue for this fiscal year, but offering it for a dollar….well, that won’t make anyone’s numbers. I see this as a long term bet on Dynamics GP. By giving the software away, Microsoft is banking that they will ultimately have more clients paying maintenance down the road. That in turn strengthens the product in the long run. And by enouraging people to install software now, they give a boost to the Dynamics Partner channel by creating more clients in need of consulting services.

So count me as a beleiver in this program. And to anyone out there who needs assistance in buying those 3 licenses, I’ve got a dollar bill right here with your name on it. Give me a call!

By Intellitec Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner serving the Greater Philly area

Intellitec Solutions is a Pennsylvania Microsoft Dynamics GP Provider

Dynamics GP – 3 Users For A Buck? What? is a post from: ERP Software Blog

ERP Software Blog » Pennsylvania Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner

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