ERP Drives Manufacturing Innovation It's the start of a new year and 2012 forecasts for manufacturers are starting to look more promising. To stay ahead of the competition, you need to respond to the market with innovate product additions. A fully integrated business management system should enhance innovation to improve your responsiveness to the market.

Improve innovation When you can identify opportunities for new products at an early stage, you can respond with new, innovative products or product variants. Your ERP system should provide you with information from across the organization, with deep insight into product preference trends. With industry-specific and customer-specific KPIs delivered to your key decision makers, you can get a jump on the competition to meet changes in customer preferences.

Innovation in most manufacturing environments requires collaboration between outside partners as well as multiple internal departments. Spending time fighting outdated systems makes it hard for teams to keep communication lines flowing. An ERP system that integrates with collaboration solutions like SharePoint and common applications like Office gives teams the tools they need for easy collaboration.

Reduce time to market Fast and accurate planning is a must for the innovative manufacturer – budgeting and planning cycles can't last weeks and months anymore. Real time inventory, production, and supply chain information presented in one easy-to-use dashboard gives managers the tools they need to plan and execute quickly.

Coordinating multiple facilities and departments to support new products from production to delivery requires an integrated ERP system. Automated workflow ensures that products move from development to production environments by eliminating delays and miscommunication. A fully integrated ERP system will support new products entering the production schedules and adjust inventory levels at key distribution points.

Get ready for leaps of innovation in 2012, and improve your responsiveness to the market with a fully integrated ERP system. Call us to talk about how we can help you build a better business.

Productivity is one of the fundamental building blocks of profitability. In New Year planning sessions around the globe, a common theme is how to enable current employees to achieve more in less time. For companies using Microsoft productivity tools such as Office and Exchange, the strategic advantage of an ERP system that fully integrates with those applications is clear.

Productivity tools are just the beginning Day in and day out, your employees work with productivity tools like Microsoft Word to create forms or Microsoft Excel to analyze data maintained in a SQL Server database. All of these applications share the Windows platform and present a familiar look and feel to users. An ERP solution that works like and with these productivity tools and server products can unlock a new level of value. The whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

The Line of Business (LOB) applications that your organization uses to manage core business processes are probably built on the Microsoft platform. Choosing an ERP solution that runs on the same platform could simplify integration and shorten your time to benefit. The broad acceptance of the Microsoft platform also encourages competitive pricing among alternative LOB applications and technical support services. With a single platform focus, IT resources can dedicate time to improving business processes instead of integrating and troubleshooting disparate applications.

The value of Microsoft Dynamics ERP The Microsoft Dynamics ERP product line provides the foundation to build on the Microsoft platform for flexibility and ease of use. Facilitating the flow of information between the many parts of your business, you’ll connect financial management and business intelligence to LOB and productivity tools. Productivity will improve through:

• Fast, easy integration with your existing technology systems,
• Quicker and better decision making with central business intelligence,
• Fast, universal adoption to drive down costs and boost efficiencies.

As your organization plans for 2012 and beyond, consider the productivity gains you can achieve with connected systems that are familiar to your employees. Making employees’ lives easier will pay off with improved operating margins and increased cash flow.

Call us today to find out how you can increase employee productivity.

When evaluating ERP systems, most companies analyze the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) as part of the decision process. TCO includes the full cost of implementation and maintenance over a period of time, often 3-5 years. Factors incorporated into the analysis generally include software license, implementation, and software maintenance costs.

Well managed implementation will deliver results quickly

In the Analyst Insight "ERP: Is High ROI with Low TCO Possible?" released by Aberdeen Group, researchers found that the actual TCO realized by companies is more dependent on the Best-In-Class use of the ERP systems than TCO alone. Return on Investment (ROI) derived from the ERP system will offset costs when companies implement ERP efficiently to quickly achieve cost savings through productivity gains.

For their research, Aberdeen Group measured those benefits on the following criteria:

• Number of days to close the month
• Days sales outstanding
• Percent of orders delivered complete and on-time
• Growth in operating margins year over year

These basic factors are indicators of the operational efficiency and productivity gains that a company is typically trying to achieve with the implementation of an ERP system.

Key recommendations from the Aberdeen Group report include:

• Establish specific ERP implementation benefit goals, and measure results.
• Initial implementation should focus on achieving results in critical areas.
• Continued measurement of ERP results leads to increased business value.

Find out more about the Aberdeen Group's research on the benefits of ERP implementation. Download the report here.

Contact us today to find out how your organization can realize productivity improvements of a Best-In-Class ERP implementation. Dynamics ERP delivers high ROI with a low TCO.

During your evaluation of ERP solutions, support should be a key element of all conversations. Ultimately, the value of the system will be reflected in the productivity gains of your employees. System users who have continual training and a community to share best practices will make the greatest strides.

An extraordinary resource CustomerSource, the Microsoft Dynamics customer portal is the gateway for Dynamics users to find all the resources for success in one place. An award-winning online portal, CustomerSource provides access to free training, support, links to user communities, and much more. CustomerSource includes:

• Self-support tools: Reduce costs with around-the-clock self-support tools that can help resolve many of your day-to-day technical support issues, so your people can stay productive.
• Critical information: Stay current with the latest developments for your solutions and future technology with access to product roadmaps, documentation, the Microsoft® Knowledge Base, and a wide variety of training resources.
• Online training: Reduce the learning curve by gaining access to customized training, tailored specifically to your individual organization's requirements, in multiple languages and addressing multiple product lines.
• Online communities: Read about news affecting your business and industry, share tips with other Microsoft Dynamics customers, get answers to your technical questions, and find additional solutions for your business.
• Information about updates and upgrades: Microsoft makes significant investments to add new functionality and features. CustomerSource helps you stay on top of new service packs containing the latest updates and upgrades—and easily view the status of your licenses and service plans.

When you invest in Microsoft Dynamics ERP, your employees will have access to an extraordinary resource. CustomerSource will help your employees keep your solution running smoothly—and protect your investment. Let us demonstrate CustomerSource to you today.

When is it time to replace your aging ERP system? According to a new Aberdeen Group Analyst Insight report, an older ERP system could be holding your organization back.

Use it or lose it One of the biggest drawbacks of an aging ERP system, according to the report, is the declining use of modules over time. When business processes and requirements change and the ERP system doesn't keep pace with the needs, employees find ways to get around the system. Spreadsheets start to replace centralized information which limits insight into information needed for effective decision making at the top.

Expensive support Older ERP systems generally require more IT support, from a limited pool of talent. As technologies emerge, IT support people must keep up with the new and can't focus on outdated systems. Outsourced support may be impossible to find, and dedicated internal resources are expensive.

New options for old systems While you may have been plugging along with an outdated ERP system, there is no better time to start evaluating options. ERP cloud solutions can help you avoid capital costs while at the same time eliminate IT support costs you've been spending on your old system. Investing in business process realignment and training will deliver the highest ROI on your ERP investment, according to multiple Aberdeen Group reports.

Find out how you can move to the next level without breaking the bank. Download the full Aberdeen Group report “Aging ERP: When Old ERP is Too Old” here with our compliments.

In a recent Aberdeen Group Analyst Report “To ERP or Not to ERP: It Isn't Even a Question”, the top reasons cited by business managers for not implementing an ERP system include:

• Internal effort to implement
• Can function without ERP
• Cost of software and services
• We are too small
• Systems are too complicated

Which one is keeping you from implementing ERP?

The same study found that performance of non-ERP organizations lagged significantly behind ERP companies in areas from inventory accuracy to on-time shipments. Customers expect a lot these days, and if your organization is not providing service on par with your competitors, they will leave. The Internet has made it very easy for consumers and business purchasers to find new sources who can serve their needs consistently.

With the survival of your business at stake, it's critical for you to re-evaluate your organization's need to move to ERP. So, how can you overcome the concerns of your management to help them feel confident in taking on an ERP implementation?

• Internal effort to implement – Find an implementation partner who works with your type of organization. They will understand your business and be able to carry some of the project load.
• Can function without ERP – Measure your current customer retention and repeat business to objectively evaluate your current situation.
• Cost of software and services – Cloud based ERP options are growing and can deliver significant savings in IT support and hardware costs.
• We are too small – If you have aspirations of growing your company, ERP provides the business intelligence to help you spot opportunities that will fuel growth.
• Systems are too complicated – Not all ERP systems are created equal. Dynamics ERP solutions are easy to use and have the familiar user interface that your employees use with Microsoft Office every day.

Talk to us today to find out how easy ERP can be. Download the full Aberdeen Group report "To ERP or Not to ERP: It Isn't Even a Question" here with our compliments.

In a recently released white paper, the Aberdeen Group looks at the benefits that SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) are realizing through their implementation of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). The report provides an in-depth evaluation of the processes, procedures, and technologies that SMEs are using to achieve best-in-class performance compared to their peers.

Best-in-Class Performance Aberdeen researchers identified best-in-class performance of top SME companies, including:

• 2.69 days to close a month (including financial statements),
• 33.11 Days Sales Outstanding (DSO),
• 96% complete and on-time delivery of products and services,
• 21% growth in operating profit margins over past two years.

How does your performance compare? If your organization is not performing at these levels, what steps do you need to take to improve? Suggested actions from the Aberdeen researchers include implementation of ERP systems that deliver information quickly to decision makers and standardize business procedures. Other recommendations include:

• Set organizational, process, and technology standards,
• Properly train new employees on ERP after the initial stages of implementation,
• Provide all customer information to sales and marketing employees.

Affordable Microsoft Dynamics ERP with best practice recommendations from a partner you can trust will move your organization to the top of the class. Let us show you how the familiar interface and modular approach of Microsoft Dynamics ERP will get your organization up and running with an ERP solution that fits the way you do business.

Download the full Aberdeen Group report “ERP in SME 2011” here with our compliments.

As the economy recovers and workers become more secure with their employment, it's important to provide options that will keep your workers happy and productive. With the right support, working from home or remote locations can be just as productive as being in the office. In fact, many workers say they can get more done at home away from the distraction of meetings and chatty coworkers.

Microsoft Dynamics ERP gives you the tools to support remote workers securely and productively. Seamlessly connecting SharePoint and ERP can add even more value. You can empower your remote workforce with:

• Employee portals including shared documents and automated workflow to ensure processes continue, no matter where workers are.
• Personalized gateways with secure, web-based access to Microsoft Dynamics ERP functionality, data, and processes based on their business roles.
• Self-service capabilities allowing people and teams to manage information and streamline administrative tasks, such as entering payroll hours, tracking time, and accessing HR documents.
• Requisition management so employees can submit purchase requisitions online, route to managers for approval, and automatically send to the purchase order system.
• Web-based project management tools to track project costs and time.

Stay competitive in the race to keep the best workers on your team. With Dynamics ERP, you can support your employees with the tools to be productive wherever they work. We can help you promote remote collaboration to keep teams working together whether they are in the home or business office. Call us today to find out more.

As a distributor, inventory is your lifeblood. To maximize your profits, you need to have full insight into the flow and balance of inventory across locations. Unfortunately, you probably have to depend on static reports with outdated information. You don't really know what is in the warehouse at any given time.

Common challenges of distributors

However, you're not alone. Most distributors have very similar inventory-related control problems, including:

• Knowing what products are “out there” and how many there are
• Knowing exactly where each piece of each product is located
• Ensuring that all inventory remains in salable or usable condition
• Storing products to minimize the cost of filling customer orders

This lack of control leads to supply chain issues, including:

• Overstock of some products. This excess inventory and dead stock leads to decreased turnover and profitability.
• Stockouts of other products. This results in backorders, lost sales, and dissatisfied customers.
• Stock variation. The on-hand quantity in your computer system does not agree with what is actually on the shelf in the warehouse.
• Missing materials. You know the material is “out there somewhere” but can't find it.

Achieve effective inventory control for better stock management

A fully integrated ERP solution, like Microsoft Dynamics ERP, provides insight across multiple facilities, geographies, and vendors. Flexible reporting tools allow you to look at inventory from different levels and perspectives. Consolidate inventory data from multiple locations to analyze one product or focus on the shipping efficiency of one warehouse.

With real-time visibility into inventory, sales, purchasing, and financial information across multiple locations, you'll be able to identify trouble spots and recognize opportunities. Accurate real-time inventory data will help you optimize layout, picking methods, and stock movement. Improved accuracy in demand forecasts means you can respond to changing buyer habits quickly. Effective inventory management allows a distributor to meet or exceed customers' expectations of product availability, stocking the optimal amount of each item that will maximize the company's net profit or minimize its total inventory investment. Call us today to find out how we can help you improve your inventory management.

Does your current financial management system allow you to look at your business numbers from different angles? If not, your company may be making decisions based on reports that don't tell the whole story. The ability to look at numbers from different angles is the key to fine tuning the business and remaining competitive.

Better information can transform your business Your CEO may think that data is data, and that one report is a good as the next. Standard income statements and balance sheets provide the basic information that you need to determine whether the company is profitable…right?

But what if you could look at the data that builds the financial reports from different perspectives? Perspectives that could change the way you do business.

• If you could match all revenues and costs for each client, applying a percentage of overhead to each, you could determine which are your most profitable clients, then determine ways to attract more like them.
• If you could easily compare your inventory by volume and margin, you could see which products should get the most shelf space or web presence each week.
• If you could accurately assign employee time and expense to projects, you could bid more accurately on the next project.
• If you could analyze purchases from vendors across all your locations, you could consolidate purchases to get volume discounts.

The value of being able to analyze information from different angles is clear. Isn't it time that you made the move to an ERP system that can deliver real business insight?

Make the case to your CEO Examples like the ones above can help you make the case to your manager or CEO. Identify those areas of your operations that you believe could benefit from closer scrutiny. Explain specific benefits of centralized data that can be analyzed to spot trends and highlight exceptions.

We can help you as well. The Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions have the most flexible reporting and business intelligence functionality available today. Let us show you – and your CEO – what a difference ERP can make to your business.