Poll: Majority Of Manufacturers Rely On Spreadsheets Instead Of ERP

A new survey suggests that a majority of top manufacturers and distributors still rely on spreadsheets and other manual processes instead of business management software.

According to the 2015 Manufacturing Survey by Illinois-based accounting firm Sikich LLP, 53 percent of those polled used manual processes to measure key performance indicators, compared to just 26 percent that used applications such as enterprise resource systems.

“The persistence of manual processes in the industry is troubling," said Sikich’s Jim Wagner. "Technology can help companies grow more efficient, lower costs and better serve customers. It has the potential to transform the industry and drive success, but companies need to make full use of it to realize gains."

The survey found that companies use technology in greater numbers to improve manufacturing processes, business intelligence, reporting and customer service.

In addition, 54 percent expected their revenue to increase by more than 5 percent in 2015, while 96 percent projected hiring to remain constant or increase this year.

Although about half of respondents were more optimistic about the national economy compared to 2014, Sikich analysts said that many companies remained hesitant to expand product offerings or markets.

Almost 40 percent of those polled expected existing markets to be their top opportunities for growth, while nearly one in three planned to spend less than 1 percent of sales on new product development.

The vast majority of respondents anticipated rising tax, labor and raw materials costs over the next 12 months.

“Many manufacturers continue to adopt a cautious approach to growth,” Wagner said. “But while a focus on existing markets presents less risk, it won’t sustain manufacturers forever."

The 2015 report surveyed 116 manufacturers and distributors; nearly 75 percent of participants reported annual revenue of more than $1 million.

Tour De Force CRM Positioned In Niche Quadrant Of Gartner 'Magic Quadrant'

Tour de Force CRM, a leading provider of customer relationship management, business intelligence, and sales force automation solutions, announced it has been positioned by Gartner, Inc. in the Niche quadrant of the “Magic Quadrant for Sales Force Automation.”

The report evaluated 15 different software vendors on 15 different criteria in the areas of Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision, including Product or Service, Market Responsiveness/Record, Customer Experience, Offering (Product) Strategy, and Innovation.

In the report, Gartner states that “SFA deployments continue to focus on core functional capabilities for accounts, contacts, opportunities, selling processes and sales operations. SFA requirements are unique for each B2B sales organization, based on the maturity and culture of the organization in its use of technology, sophistication of sales practices and anticipated ROI.”

For more information on Tour de Force CRM, visit www.TourdeForceCRM.com.

NetSuite Unveils New User Experience

NetSuite chief executive officer (CEO) Zach Nelson unveiled the new NetSuite user interface (UI) with a more intuitive and visually engaging work experience during his keynote address at the company’s SuiteWorld 2014 conference yesterday. Founder and chief technology officer (CTO) Evan Goldberg discussed and demonstrated the new capabilities more deeply in his SuiteWorld 2014 keynote presentation today. NetSuite plans to roll out the new UI with NetSuite's 2014.2 release, scheduled for Q3 2014.

As the pioneer in cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP), NetSuite has been at the forefront of UI design trends. Its first release in 1999 abandoned the Microsoft Windows desktop standard look and feel of the era and adopted the web metaphor. The company’s UI introduced role-based business intelligence (BI) dashboards, while its 2006 UI featured in-line editing in web-based applications (instead of just viewing) and incorporated Ajax technologies to develop dashboards and portlets that live natively in core business applications (see image depicting the development of NetSuite UI over the years).



NetSuite's 2014 UI

To again reinvent its business application UI, NetSuite conducted 3 years of deep usability research with its customers. It reportedly completed extensive research, user observations, and usability testing with users across various roles—from front-line sales, marketing, finance, e-commerce, human resources (HR) and services employees through to C-level executives. Leveraging and supporting HTML5 and based on principles of modern ‘flat design,’ which emphasizes crispness and clarity, the NetSuite UI exhibits easy-to-read fonts, attractively redesigned icons and graphics, increased whitespace, and greater aesthetic simplicity (see figure).

 


Overall, 2014 UI highlights include easy access to navigation and tools such as Global Search, Recent Records, Help, and Shortcuts, as well as a new global Quick Add feature that enables users to rapidly add tasks, events, contacts, and more from anywhere in the product. In addition, the ‘progressive disclosure’ feature conceals action prompts until mouseover for a “cleaner” experience, and there is also an improved experience on tablets through a responsive dashboard, larger menus and controls, and improved scrolling (see image).

 

Demand Management Incorporates Business Intelligence into Demand Solutions DSX Platform

New Capabilities Help Companies Add Value Across the Enterprise

Demand Management Inc., a leading global resource for supply chain management solutions, has announced the availability of business intelligence (BI) functionality within its Demand Solutions DSX platform. The solution now incorporates native BI into its data tables to let users mine and share data efficiently across the supply chain.

“A common complaint among supply chain planners is that the most useful data lives in spreadsheets scattered across the business,” says Bill Harrison, president of Demand Management. “We’ve created a multidimensional cube that lets all stakeholders extract data from systems throughout the supply chain and work with that data through an intuitive web-based front end. By deciding which information they want to see and developing a meaningful view of it, users can learn more about their own businesses and make decisions that incorporate this knowledge.”

The BI functionality within Demand Solutions DSX is delivered by way of Foundation Analytical Packs that are available for the apparel, consumer packaged goods, energy, food and beverage, wholesale distribution, pharmaceutical and biotech, and general manufacturing and service parts industries. Users can leverage the best practices built into these packs to get their analytics activities up and running, but can also configure the packs over time to reflect the needs of their individual businesses.

“Our Foundation Analytical Packs are designed to save companies time and money,” says Harrison. “They incorporate Demand Management’s many years of experience working with customers in each of seven different vertical markets. We’ve done all the hard work of building the reports and linking them to our database so that customers can spend more time analyzing their results and taking decisive action.”

In particular, Harrison hopes supply chain planners who are frustrated at having to build their own reports will investigate Demand Management’s new functionality. These features can eliminate the need for planners to write reports.

“You shouldn’t have to implement your own analytics tools around your supply chain planning solution,” Harrison remarks. “Our BI functionality relieves this burden by providing complete drill-down capabilities from summary information into potential issues and opportunities. Ask us how it can help you extend your supply chain planning beyond the ‘how, when, and where’ stage and into running your entire business more effectively.”

About Demand Management, Inc.

Demand Management, Inc. is a leading global supply chain planning software company that offers affordable, easy-to-use tools for manufacturers and distributors who want to increase forecast accuracy, improve customer service levels and reduce overall inventory to maximize profits and lower costs. The company offers the Demand Solutions supply chain planning suite for forecast management, demand planning, collaborative forecasting and inventory planning as well as modules for advanced planning and scheduling (APS), sales and operations planning (S&OP) and point of sale analysis. Demand Management, Inc. has over 25 years of experience working with supply chain professionals and has incorporated best practices and real-world business requirements in its software from its extensive customer base in 76 countries. Demand Solutions customers include Lonely Planet, Trek Bicycle and Avery Dennison. Demand Management is a wholly owned subsidiary of Logility, Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Software (NASDAQ: AMSWA).

For more information, please visit www.demandsolutions.com.

VAI Webinar: VAI S2K Analytics

Make Better Business Decisions & Improve Bottom Line With VAI S2K Analytics; Powered By IBM Cognos

 

Business intelligence dashboards connect people with information in an easy-to-use way so they can make better decisions. VAI S2K Analytics, powered by IBM Cognos, provides dynamic dashboards and reports that can help you gain more value from your enterprise data.

To register, visit:  http://www.vai.net/events 

 

VAI Enhances S2K Analytics with Financial Business Intelligence Capabilities

New Comprehensive Dashboards Help Companies Make Educated Financial Decisions

VAI (Vormittag Associates, Inc.), an award-winning ERP software provider, announced the release of its enhanced S2K Analytics solution, a comprehensive, web-based Business Intelligence (BI) tool designed to drive smarter, faster business decisions. This upgraded tool features ten new financial management dashboards that provide an in-depth view of financial data from all levels of the organization.

Designed to meet the needs of VAI’s customers, regardless of size or industry, S2K Analytics integrates with S2K Enterprise and features automated reporting and dashboard capabilities that give customers big-picture visibility into their revenue and profitability. The new dashboards provide at-a-glance insight into a company’s financial performance, allowing for customization and consolidation of data that can then be used to make educated decisions. With the enhanced S2K Analytics, VAI customers can:

• View balance sheets, and P&L statements
• Analyze profitability of their business
• Monitor procurement and expense management
• Create ad hoc self-serve inquiries
• Build reports and dashboards as well as share information with others
• Integrate S2K Analytics with Excel
• Collaborate on and contribute to new reporting needs
• Access information through a web browser, including mobile devices
• Compare past financial performance

"VAI is excited to offer an even more comprehensive BI tool to our customers,” said Joe Scioscia, vice president of sales, VAI. “We are committed to continually innovating our products in order to provide our customers with best-in-class software that streamlines business processes and creates cost efficiencies. The upgraded S2K Analytics will undoubtedly enhance our customers’ ability to use the information gathered through our ERP software to make even more effective, real-time business decisions.”

 About VAI (Vormittag Associates, Inc.)

VAI is an award-winning software developer and an IBM Premier Business Partner. Designed for the mid-range market, S2K Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Suite is used by a wide variety of mid-sized companies worldwide, with a number of clients in the manufacturing, distribution, retail, food and related service industries. Advanced applications such as Warehouse Management Systems, EDI, CRM, Business Analytics and e-Business provide companies the power to leverage their information technology investment. VAI is headquartered in Ronkonkoma, New York, with branch offices in Miami, Orlando, Chicago and Oroville, California. For more information, please contact Diane Dady at 800-824-7776, ext. 236 or visit www.vai.net.