Featured in the 2018 Software Guides: Artificial Intelligence in Business - Beyond SciFi

by Jeff Gusdorf and Maggie Peters
 
Does Artificial Intelligence (AI) in business sound like the stuff of science fiction? For smaller companies it does, since the focus is on competing with technology heavy companies like Amazon.

How can AI be a realistic or useful way to optimize business intelligence and processes when most distribution companies are focused on replacing legacy ERP systems and implementing warehouse and e-Commerce solutions?

At the same time, leading tech companies are propelling businesses into the future with their current and upcoming implementations of Cloud technology, machine learning and AI. Distribution and Manufacturing companies need to understand how these advancements will impact them in the future and see how these new technologies will change their competitive landscape.

The 2018 Software Guides are the only software selection guide specifically developed for the unique needs of the distribution and manufacturing community. The new editions are designed to assist you, the Wholesale Distributor and Manufacturer, evaluate, compare and analyze software to determine which products fit your operation.

Learn more at: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

Inforum 2016: The Process Improvement Journey

Are your business processes and technologies holding back current performance and future growth? Do you struggle with determining what needs to change and building the support and funding for upgrades?

Jeff Gusdorf will be presenting at the 2016 Inforum in New York City on Tuesday, July 12 from 5:00pm to 5:45pm. He will cover how to quickly analyze your business challenges, benchmark your current process performance versus industry standards, and apply best practices to create "no-brainer" business cases that get approved and deliver great results. If you cannot be there, then download a summary of the presentation. 

Download Inforum Presentation Slides On Building A Compelling Business Case To Upgrade And Modernize Your Solutions


 

Building the Right Approach to AP Automation - 5 Steps to Success

By Kristin Parshay, Brown Smith Wallace, and Christopher Gaia, DataServ

We have enjoyed working with the consultants at Brown Smith Wallace the past several months. One of the topics we have been discussing with them is the difficulty many companies have in launching successful accounts payable (AP) automation projects. We can all identify companies that talked about (and in several cases even started) automation projects many years ago but still have not launched one.

We think we can help, so today we are kicking off a series of blog posts, co-authored by DataServ and Brown Smith Wallace (BSW), with a simple goal in mind – to provide ideas and guidance for taking the best possible approach, based on our years of experience, which will help organizations overcome the obstacles and hesitancy to take full advantage of the benefits of automation.

The topics we will cover include:

• Putting the right team together
• Understanding your current situation
• Identifying where you want to be
• Evaluating various options and vendors
• Picking the right approach
• Tips for successful automation projects

Let’s start with “putting the right team together.” Many organizations have experienced success by following a model that establishes an internal core team to provide leadership of the automation project and manage such activities as overall project direction, budget development, tracking and reporting, project reporting and control, and ROI or business case development, to name just a few. Core team representatives should include the following:

• Individuals with insight and experience in current business operations and your technology environment (typically AP and IT staff)
• Users that will be impacted by the process (approvers, auditors, supplier representatives)
• Executive sponsor
• Workflow/business process consultants (internal or external)

This group is then supplemented with an extended internal team that offers specialized talents that may not be required throughout the entire process. Examples include certain technical resources (data security) or business users that interact with the process. In addition to internal resources, many organizations may add outside resources or experts with insight into various solution alternatives and vendors. These resources include:

• Third-party reviews from analyst firms - Some organizations have found that these reviews from firms like Gartner and Forrester help them understand the various alternative solutions available in the market in addition to providing vendor reviews. While useful, their advice will focus on high-level capabilities and may not provide sufficient insight into how the capabilities of individual vendors align with the needs of your organization. Additionally, these resources will not be able to assist you with broader project management or implementation support.
   
• Consultants (if not originally included in your core team) - Business process and/or technology consulting firms can provide service to your team in a number of ways, including:
  
  • ​Structuring your project team process, roles, and responsibilities
  • Helping articulate a clear project scope, plan, and budget
  • Serving as an independent source of information
  • Providing more in-depth analysis and guidance regarding individual solutions and vendor capabilities based on your unique business culture and needs

• Other helpful resources and information sources - There are several additional information sources that can be used by your team to provide background and information to assist you in your project. Three sources that are routinely used by organizations include:
  
  • Industry associations - Annual trade shows can be a great source of information and vendor capabilities. The most advantageous offer educational sessions that rely on heavy participation by representatives from companies that have completed or are in the midst of completing similar automation projects. Their perspectives on the challenges they faced and “lessons learned” can provide valuable insight into shaping your decision, and many are happy to discuss your situation and offer advice after the session.
  • Vendor representatives - It is difficult for any third party to stay current with all of the capabilities available from vendors. If you find client speakers at trade association meetings or attend a particularly well done educational session conducted by a vendor, it may be helpful to seek their advice and information about industry trends, client case studies, white papers or blog posts that can be used to help educate yourself and members of your team. The challenge with this source is to make sure the information presented is informational and not just promotional.
  • LinkedIn or professional groups - Referrals from other associates or professionals can prove to be very valuable as a source of “lessons learned” and knowledge. While we would not recommend this as the only source of input, their insight can prove beneficial when seeking an additional perspective.

Many companies have successfully integrated these resources into their core team and business case/business project. These various resources usually bring a depth of knowledge about the subject greater than what you will gain using only internal resources. These resources represent tradeoffs regarding cost, independence, and ability/willingness to build a solution tailored to your situation.

Guide to external resources for accounts payable automation

Scale: High, Medium, Low

Finding the right mix of talent for your team is important to not only help you make a good decision on what needs to be done, but also to assist in picking the right solution and ensuring a successful project. After you have assembled your team, set a time for a kickoff meeting to further discuss the:

• Importance of the project
• The goals you are hoping to achieve
• The timeframe
• The scope and charter of your team, with particular emphasis on what is “inside scope” for the project and what areas are “outside of scope”

Assembling the right team is an important first step towards a successful project. In the next part of this series, we will discuss ways for assessing your current business state and we will offer tips on how to translate those findings into more formal business and technical requirements.

Acumatica Launches Cloud xRP Platform, Enabling Software Companies to Get to SaaS, Fast

ERP and Cloud business management solutions provider Acumatica augments its product suite with a Cloud platform offering.

Acumatica, the fast-growing leader in Cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and business management solutions for small and medium-sized companies (SMB), announced it has added the Acumatica Cloud xRP Platform to its product line-up.

The Acumatica Cloud xRP Platform empowers the more than 6 million .NET developers and software companies to get their solutions to SaaS, fast. The “x” in xRP represents any-sized company, anywhere, in any industry. 

Acumatica CEO Jon Roskill said: “What Salesforce has done for CRM, Acumatica will do for xRP. Our Cloud xRP Platform, built on the world’s best Cloud and mobile technology, is available immediately in the Acumatica Cloud or private Cloud configurations, the form factors the market demands. As with our Cloud ERP products, we believe in offering choice to our partners and customers.” 

Ali Jani, VP of Product Management, said: “The Acumatica Cloud xRP Platform, built on the standard Microsoft stack, is a technological breakthrough that finally allows developers and software companies trapped in legacy technologies to modernize quickly and stay ahead of the technology curve once and for all. Our platform empowers developers and software companies to focus on industry-specific functionality without sacrificing control and flexibility.” 

In addition, developers and software companies building on top of the Acumatica Cloud xRP Platform can take advantage of Acumatica’s pre-built ERP and CRM capabilities, while enjoying flexible deployment and tenancy options. 

“We’re excited to offer the Acumatica Cloud xRP Platform to the world,” said Christian Lindberg, Acumatica’s VP of Partner Solutions. “Developers and software companies that need to deliver a SaaS offering at scale can leverage our platform to get to market faster while saving development costs and without compromising on functionality, performance, or flexibility. This technology lets you focus on domain and process expertise, while leaving the plumbing to us.” 

Industry luminary Buck Forland said: “For developers, it’s a floor wax and a dessert topping in one.” 

Acumatica’s partner ecosystem now includes more than 270 partners around the world such as ISVs JAAS Systems and Jamis, and OEMs MYOB and Visma. Visma, the leading provider of business software solutions to SMBs in Northern Europe, white-labeled Acumatica’s Cloud technology for thousands of its own customers and launched Visma.net last August. 

JAMS — JAAS Advanced Manufacturing Software — an end-to-end manufacturing solution, was built using Acumatica tools in record time. JAAS Systems’ General Manager Fred Szumlic said: “We saved $400,000 in development costs and delivered a Cloud manufacturing application in 10 months instead of three years.” 

About Acumatica

Acumatica is a leading provider of cloud business management software that empowers small and mid-size businesses to unlock their potential and drive growth. Built on the world’s best cloud and mobile technology and a unique customer-centric licensing model, Acumatica delivers a suite of fully integrated business management applications such as Financials, Distribution, CRM and Project Accounting, powered by a robust and flexible platform. In an interconnected world, Acumatica enables customers to take full control of their business; to play to their strengths, since every business is unique; and to empower their people by going wherever their people go, on any device. 

Acumatica
Dorothy Ho, +1-425-658-4913 (office)
Mobile: +1-206-303-7750
Director of Communications
dho@acumatica.com

 

 

SAP and Microsoft Make App Development and Cloud Management Easier

Microsoft’s broad partner ecosystem is what powers increased value and solutions for customers and their evolving business needs.

One example of this is today’s announcement of SAP and Microsoft’s plans to focus on two key areas: first, to help .NET Framework developers more easily build applications connecting to SAP, and second, to help customers harness the power of the cloud.

As a result of this announcement, developers can expect much more support and integration between the development worlds of SAP and Microsoft. Business processes from SAP software can now be easily consumed and extended by .NET developers, simplifying the overall application development process. This level of access will immediately reduce the number of steps developers must take in order to ensure application integration, and also lead to shorter development cycles and lower costs.

Microsoft and SAP also plan to provide integration between SAP’s landscape management software, Microsoft System Center and Microsoft Windows Server Hyper-V technology, bringing greater agility to cloud management and deployments.

This integration will instill enhanced flexibility, scalability and management in the cloud, all while reducing cost and risk. Through these connected offerings, SAP and Microsoft customers will be able to easily scale their deployments in their own data centers or through private clouds, for example, if they have a workload that needs on-demand scale periodically, such as a paycheck or employee performance review application.

Together, Microsoft and SAP are committed to driving greater levels of innovation and flexibility for application development and cloud deployment – from your datacenter to the public cloud, eventually enabling hybrid computing scenarios via Windows Azure for companies to embrace cloud computing on their terms.

This announcement was made at SAPPHIRE® NOW, being held in Orlando, Florida, May 15-18, 2011 where Microsoft was also named SAP Global Technology Partner of the Year.

Posted by Ted Kummert (http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2011/05/18/sap-and-microsoft-make-app-development-and-cloud-management-easier.aspx)
Senior Vice President, Business Platform Division, Microsoft

IBS Webinar: The Seven Things You Might Want to Consider If You Are Changing ERP Systems

ERP systems have advanced significantly over the last three years. Most ERP systems now have much more sophisticated capabilities – new ways to better serve your customers, increase your profitability, and maintain or improve your competitive position in your industry. The choices available have broadened and each one has its benefits and limitations.

Whether you are just beginning to think about changing, or have decided to see what newer ERP solutions have available to help you run your business; this Webinar will prove to be educational and informative. There are seven areas you may want to consider, and we’ll touch on each of these.

Join us for this information-filled Webinar as we share key things you should think about when evaluating a new solution. You’ll also learn a little about IBS; see highlights of our flagship offering, IBS Enterprise, including the latest innovative features and robust functionality; and hear how we’ve helped thousands of organizations like yours improve business performance.

To register and learn more, click here to visit.

VAI Webinar: All in One-Affordable Enterprise Management Solutions That Can Help You Compete In The New Economy!

Ideal for manufacturing and distribution businesses, VAI’s S2K Enterprise
Software offers streamlined solutions that will address companies most
pressing challenges.

To Register, visit: http://www.vai.net/events/details/23-all-in-one.html