Afraid of Upgrading your Business Software? | Bellwether Winter 2016

Volume 7 | Winter 2016

AFRAID OF UPGRADING YOUR

BUSINESS SOFTWARE?

2016 BUYER’S GUIDE SMB SOFTWARE

5 STEPS TO TAME THE SOFTWARE BUDGET BEAST

Warehouse Management, Warehouse Automation, Manufacturing Automation together as ONE, the possibilities are endless.

ONE software solution for Sage 100 offers Warehouse Management and Manufacturing Automation from the 3 biggest names in the industry - now together as ONE. Sage 100 users now can manage and automate both warehouse and manufacturing operations with a seamless integration from a suite of products from ONE. • Pick & Stage/Backflush/Auto

• Multi Bin • Directed Picking & Allocations

Issue Options • Employee Time Card Scheduling

Directed Put Away • Wave Pick Sheets

Enhanced Work Order & Scheduling

• License Plate Pallet & Case Pack

Dashboards

Batch Labor & Nesting Labor Options • Barcode Technology: iOS, Android, • Status Changes & Logistic Tracking

and Windows Compatible

WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT

WAREHOUSE AUTOMATION

MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION

Improves inventory quality, accuracy and efficiency. Reduce inventory shrinkage and obsolescence.

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877.722.6261 | onesoftwaresolution.com

14

7 Signs It’s Time to Change Your Business Software

24

2016 SMB Software Buyer’s Guide

38

SECTIONS

Winter 2016

Letter from the Editor

5

Leadership

8

Customer Profile

12

Technology

14

Corporate Finance

33

Industry News

44

5 Steps To Tame the Software Budget Beast

18 12

How and When to Make A Technology Change

Client Success Profile

bell•weth•er -noun:

42

one who takes initiative or leadership

7 Steps to Scoping Your Software Implementation Project Winter 2016 | Bellwether

3

“Always render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be.”

-Og Mandino

( in field service, easier said than done )

Better field service requires better service management tools.

Service Pro® software can help.

Mobile Technician

Service Dashboard

Real-Time Scheduling

Calls, Assets, Parts, Contracts, RMA & more

Service Pro® is an end to end system for automated repair center and field service management, including mobile, scheduling, back office & integration with Sage 100 and many other ERP systems.

Learn how Service Pro® can help your field service business at www.msidata.com/blytheco

blytheco@msidata.com

www.msidata.com

262.241.7800

LETTERFROMTHEEDITOR

BELLWETHER Volume 7 Winter 2016 www.blytheco.com www.bellwethermagazine.com EDITOR Apryl Hanson COPY EDITOR Denise Renee Phinn ART DIRECTORS Gary Dahl Jennifer Vo ADVERTISING SALES Denise Renee Phinn SUBSCRIPTIONS www.bellwethermagazine.com Or contact Denise Renee Phinn (949) 583-9500, Extension 2209 dphinn@blytheco.com Bellwether Magazine is published

by Blytheco with principal offices at: 23161 Mill Creek Dr., Suite 200 Laguna Hills, CA 92653 If you wish to be removed from the mailing list or to add names to the mailing list, send your request, including name, business name, and mailing address to the above address or to dphinn@blytheco.com This is a copyrighted publication and all articles herein are covered by this copyright.

Any use of the content for commercial reasons or other form or reproduction of material herein is strictly prohibited without prior, written approval of Bellwether Magazine.

Winter 2016 | Bellwether

5

WEB

CLOU

Need Approvals?

Spend Management Workflow Automation 800.725.4408

UD

MOBILE

Purchase Requests / AP Invoices Expense Reports / Timesheets

Requisition & Procurement

AP Invoice Automation

Travel & Expense

Project Timesheet

www.ParamountTechnologies.com

How do you know when your software is in need of a change?

START HERE

Are you completely happy with your current solutions?

YES

NO

Do you want to be happy?

Keep doing whatever it is that you are doing.

NO

YES

Are you ready to take the next step?

Great, lets make it happen.

YES

Awesome, let’s get a plan together.

Call today to schedule your free consultation & planning session (949) 583-9500 or visit: www.blytheco.com/contact

8

Bellwether | Winter 2016

NO

That’s fine. We have plenty of resources to help you prepare Free Webinar: www.blytheco.com/prepare Free Recommendations: www.blytheco.com/recommend

LEADERSHIP

Are You Ready?

4 Steps to Readiness & How to Move Forward

by Samantha Goniea

T

here are a lot of factors you have to consider when trying to run a profitable business. A central factor to consider is whether or not your business is optimized for success. One challenge that many companies face is that they do not have the right software to keep up with their business processes. Or sometimes it’s the alternative; you may have superior business software but lack the processes needed to be successful. Whatever the case may be, we all eventually reach that tipping point when we are ready for change.

When you start down the path of evaluating new business software, one thing you must ask yourself is, “Are we ready for change?” Here are 4 easy steps to grabbing the company reins and preparing for change.

Seek Internal Alignment. Before considering taking on a large project like this, make sure all key players are on board. When selecting new business software, change must be a collaborative effort if you wish to be successful.

Make a Plan. Okay, you have acknowledged that there is a need internally; you are all on board that something needs to be done… now what? Well, now you need a plan. You need to establish and document your goals for both your company and your business software. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 10? What are your company’s strengths?

What are its weaknesses? What does your ideal

business software system look like? These are all crucial questions in preparing for change.

Research, Research, Research. By this, I don’t mean hitting the market in search of the cheapest pricing or quickest implementations. At this stage in the game, your primary focus should be learning.

Learning what is available, watching free webinars, reading reviews, and taking some time to get feedback from other companies in similar industries.

Do your homework.

Choose The Right Partner. We have all heard horror stories of risky implementations, costly implementations and implementations that have caused companies to close their doors. The only way to avoid these risks is to plan effectively and make sure you have expert guidance along the way.

You need to look for a business partner who takes a software-agnostic approach. Find someone you feel comfortable talking to, someone with experience.

Being a product-pushy salesperson is great and all - if you are selling used cars. But in the software industry, when you are looking to make such a large investment, make sure whomever it is that you decide to work with is someone you can trust.

Now that you know some steps to readiness and success, where do you fall in this process? Are you ready to take the next step?

About the Author I am the solutions coordinator at Blytheco. It is my role to help you recognize when you are ready for new business software. It is my goal to work one-on-one with you to help you down the path of selecting the right solution for your company. Whether you are looking to purchase your first system, improve your existing system or upgrade to a system that better fits your needs, I am here to help.

We are business consultants who care about your success.

Talking to me is free! If you have any questions at all about what we do or how we can help you, let’s talk: (949) 583-9500 x 1168 / Samantha@blytheco.com

Winter 2016 | Bellwether

9

Why You Need a

Software Implementation Consultant AN OUNCE OF PLANNING SAVES A POUND IN PROBLEMS

by Peter Glenn

W

hen approaching any systems integration project, it is important to factor in decision-makers at every level, as organizational change management is critical to project success. You want to have dedicated project owners who are committed to project success, championing work through logistical challenges and also helping to keep the rest of the team apprised of and on-board with the initiative.

LEADERSHIP Tactically speaking however, the greatest challenge will be in the implementation itself. Existing systems and processes need to be mapped to take advantage of the new software capabilities and configuration limitations need to be overcome. This is where having a consultative implementation is really going to reap huge rewards.

“We had some hiccups along the way and I really came to rely on our implementation consultant to provide insights on how best to leverage the capabilities of the system. In the end, we as an organization reached our goals and [our software Implementation Consultant] has been with us the entire way.”

Lil’Wat Nation needed to implement a spend management solution, and like most companies, had unique needs and goals in mind before the project even started. Some of these they understood well, but they were missing key components like how best to use the selected software solution to maximize their investment, and how best to avoid running into issues during implementation and in the future. They utilized the experience and knowledge of an Implementation Consultant to work closely with their change management team to maximize the benefits of key components and tailor the solution to meet their needs.

Precision planning helps organizations avoid forcing new processes on existing systems; this is where an experienced consultant is of great importance to project success.

Assessing critical structures, establishing and prioritizing internal needs, and approaching the implementation project with best practices in mind are all part of the consultant relationship.

Our biggest concern was the sheer scope of our internal processes change and whether [the software chosen] could be what we needed it to be.

How it would ultimately fit our organization was a big unknown.

At the time I was a little apprehensive, Neil McInnes, Director of Finance for Lil’wat Nation.

“Let me start with the fact that we were making some big changes,” he continues. “Implementing software by itself may seem daunting. Now, add to that the challenges of updating internal processes that lined up with policy and you might have the makings of a perfect storm.”

This is when it becomes critical to have the right team in place to help navigate an organization through the uncharted territory of bringing on new gamechanging software.

Combining the respective knowledge and deep understanding of both the product consultant and the organization’s project team increases the likelihood of avoiding major issues during the implementation process. The ability to foresee project blind spots or known areas of concern enables both sides to plan accordingly and address issues before they are encountered. It also provides a solid basis for smooth projects down the road like upgrades, updates or module/software add-ons.

It has been our experience that having a dedicated conduit for product knowledge and organizational understanding provides additional benefits that can result in time savings and avoiding potential challenges.

Bring together your organization’s change management team and get to know your next project’s Implementation Consultant. The benefits will become very clear as the communication begins, and even more when your project reaches go live.

Preserve project timelines with issue avoidance Avoid troubleshooting issues post implementation Take note of potential trouble areas for future projects Bring together your organization’s change management team and get to know your next project’s Implementation Consultant. The benefits will become very clear as the communication begins, and even more when your project reaches go live.

About the Author Peter Glenn is a Senior Level Manager for Paperless Business Systems, Inc. and Product Manager for eRequester Purchasing and Expense Management Software. Peter has a long and varied history in managing custom software development projects across multiple industries and over 15 years of experience in software. He has been a key player in the recent growth and direction for the eRequester platform and has been an integral part of the eRequester team since 2009.

Winter 2016 | Bellwether

11

CLIENT

SUCCESS

PROFILE

by Mike Fron

I

mplementing a new ERP system comes with stresses. It can be even more stressful when switching from one software platform to another. But in the end, when access to critical data is faster and productivity is improved, you can let out a sigh of relief, knowing it was worth it.

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Bellwether | Winter 2016

CUSTOMERPROFILE To help you breathe easier about your potential platform switch, here is a snapshot of a client who successfully transitioned to NetSuite and the benefits they have experienced in the process.

CLIENT PROFILE: An environmental consulting firm.

WHAT THEY DO: They provide environmental assessments, pollution removal, engineering and construction services.

PREVIOUS SOFTWARE: Quickbooks

THEIR CHALLENGES: The company was in a growth surge.

They were quickly outgrowing Quickbooks as an adequate accounting solution.

They needed an integrated platform to input and track transactions for their billable services.

They needed a management tool for their payroll journal entries.

WHY THEY CHOSE NETSUITE: Netsuite’s cloud-based solution helped keep their IT infrastructure needs to a minimum.

Their new solutions would be totally integrated within one, easy-to-use system.

They would be able to efficiently manage their entire sales cycle, from lead to cash.

THE TRANSITION PROCESS: Full implementation took about 4 months.

Blytheco assisted them to establish standard business process rules and procedures for data governance.

Blytheco provided staff training: a system is only as good as the data going in and the people entering it in.

THE OUTCOME: Over the past 6+ months, our client has been very pleased with their platform switch to NetSuite. They have been enjoying easier workflows, faster access to critical data and better insights into their business to help them make smarter decisions.

About the Author Mike Fron is Blytheco’s NetSuite Practice Leader. Mike has been implementing ERP systems for over 20 years. Got a NetSuite question? Reach out to him at mfron@blytheco.com.

Winter 2016 | Bellwether

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7

SIGNS IT’S TIME TO CHANGE

YOUR BUSINESS SOFTWARE

by Jason Averill

W

hether you’ve spent hundreds of thousands on a software system to help you with critical business processes or you’re using a home-grown spreadsheet to get the job done, there comes a time when you need to know if it’s time to move on. Sometimes it’s better to stay the course, but how do you know? Regardless of the software in question, these are seven signs that it’s time to make a change.

1 | Functionality Gaps You probably started using your current system because it met some minimum set of requirements to get the job done. The cost of the system was right at the time, but now you find yourself purchasing modules or spending hours, days, weeks, or months refining the system to keep it working for your organization’s ever-changing needs. These gaps between the functionality of your system and your current requirements can often indicate that it’s time for a change.

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Bellwether | Winter 2016

TECHNOLOGY 2 | You Have to Adapt Your Processes to Accommodate the System

No matter how good a software system is, you shouldn’t have to change your processes to meet the system requirements, or to work around limitations. The processes you have in place were likely created for good reason. An organization’s processes are part of its identity and culture. Those processes usually set you apart from your competition. If you find yourself changing your fundamental processes to get functionality out of your software, chances are fairly good that it’s time to make a change.

3 | Your Business Needs Have Changed

Over time, your organization evolves. You will likely introduce new products, services or ways of managing your business which will affect how you need your business software to perform for you. It is quite possible to outgrow your software. This reality can be particularly hard on smaller teams using home-grown systems or spreadsheets. It can be hard to let those masterpieces go. But one of the best things you can do is outline the features of your current system along with its deficiencies.

Also, take a look at new aspects of your business and how your next software can help you efficiently address those needs. Prioritize this list and use it as a starting point as you begin your search.

4 | Your System Isn’t Keeping Up With Market Changes

Beyond your ever-changing organization, there are other changes that threaten to make your current software obsolete. Your competitors might be adapting to market trends and technology advancements which allow them to service more clients faster. If your business software doesn’t allow you to make an agile response to rapidly changing market conditions and you are losing clients and revenue, that’s a sure sign that it’s time for a change.

5 | You’re Relying on Workarounds

Amid a changing organization or market, you may find that you are relying too heavily on workarounds to get the job done. Your system doesn’t quite do what you need it

to do anymore. You may find that you have to “bend” or “break” the software to get what you want out of it; in the meantime, you’re wasting precious time and losing money. If that’s the case, you may want to start the search for a new system. Chances are good that you can find a new system that is not as costly as you might think. But in the end, it will save you precious time and earn you more money in the long run.

6 | You No Longer Have Your Finger on the Pulse

We live in a fast-paced world. Real-time information is often a major factor in your organization’s continued success. You may start to feel like your current system isn’t giving you the most relevant information you need soon enough to make the best decisions. You feel out of touch with what is happening inside of your business right now. This is a very common problem with most reporting software. You need access to the right information at the right time. If you feel that you no longer have your finger on the pulse of your organization, that may be the green light you need to begin the search for a new system.

7 | Too Many Small Problems

Sometimes you can’t quite identify one or two major problems with your software. Instead, there might be a bunch of seemingly minor inefficiencies or inconveniences which, on their own, seem innocent enough. But if you tally them all up on a score card, too many minor issues add up to major disaster. You don’t necessarily need to stay the course with that software. Consider not only the cost of switching to a new software but also the lost productivity or revenue you’re missing out on as you limp along. If the benefits of switching outweigh the risk of staying, that’s another great indicator it’s time to make a software switch.

These aren’t the only reasons for changing software, but these are fairly common. If you find yourself identifying with a few of the situations above, begin your search for a new system. There may be better software out there that meets the ever-changing needs of your business.

About the Author Jason Averill is the Executive Vice President of Avercast. He works with companies of all sizes to help them evaluate and implement forecasting software.

Winter 2016 | Bellwether

15

Why Implementing New Software Might Not Be As Painful as You Think

by Joni Girardi

SMB executives and their teams tremble at the thought of modernizing their ERP and business management systems. Even with the benefits of greater productivity, easier access to critical data and a contemporary user experience, it can be tough to overlook the costs, potential down time and training required to get employees up to speed on the new system.

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Bellwether | Winter 2016

TECHNOLOGY

W

hat often prompts a need to update or switch software platforms is the need for comprehensive data, complete access to data, data discovery, self-service Business Intelligence (BI), or some other functionality.

In the process of exploring the best options, executives seeking to solve these can uncover a few pleasant surprises.

Surprise #1 You can keep your old ERP and have good reporting, too!

Let’s face it, there are good reasons to leave the old ERP in place. It works, and it’s paid for. You know all its quirks. Its shortcomings are clear, too. It balks at having anything to do with mobile devices or data discovery. It produces nothing but simple reports on PC monitors or on printouts. Any jump from that stolid—if old fashioned—platform looks like a crap shoot, especially if the old one hasn’t been updated since the turn of the century.

One option is to keep the old ERP ticking like the Energizer Bunny, and simply outfit a data warehouse to “sit on top.” This way, you get new, fast, and powerful reporting and data discovery using data from the old ERP. You’ve minimized your costs and team member learning time while maximizing the value of your legacy investment.

Surprise #2 A data warehouse can give you the best of your old and new systems!

Sometimes, there’s no getting around it; an organization has good reasons to tear out the old ERP by its roots and start fresh. So they grit their teeth and brace themselves for the pain of replatforming their software.

The most common pain point for many SMBs transitioning to a new software system is transferring historical data. Transferring the historical data can be so complicated that many opt to add only aggregated data to the new system. Total sales, for example, might be added, but the detail is left behind. This choice eliminates the ability for fine analysis. Individual GL transactions, sales, invoices, purchases, inventory moves, payroll transactions often start at zero in the new systems. Every historical analysis is a slow and painful job of running different reports from the old system, the new system, then combining them.

But executives who have implemented a data warehouse discover that this transition is actually smooth. By having a data warehouse, it’s easy for the old ERP system’s data to be extracted, transformed to suit the new system, and then merged with the new system’s data. In one swoop, the old and new transactions are all together for fast, seamless and easy historical analysis. If IDs like general ledger account numbers or customer numbers no longer match, no problem. Conversion tables map the old IDs to the new, and the new system runs the new data as if it was always there.

Wherever your business is on the software transitioning spectrum, consider how using a data warehouse can help you get more out of your existing system and make your replatforming experience—when that time comes—as smooth as it can possibly be.

About the Author Joni Girardi is the founder and CEO of DataSelf Corp. He is an innovative leader in business intelligence, data warehousing and analytics solutions for SMBs. Connect with him on Linkedin at www.linkedin.com/in/jonigirardi.

Winter 2016 | Bellwether

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TECHNOLOGY

HOW AND WHEN TO MAKE A

TECHNOLOGY CHANGE:

Our 11-Point Self-Assessment

by Tess Boros

T

he stream of technology change has flooded businesses with new capabilities and processing power. Since the introduction of the personal computer in 1975, the mobile phone in 1983 and the world wide web in 1991, technology advancements and adoption have grown exponentially. Today, smartphones, cloud applications and drones, to name a few, are changing the way we live and do business. Problems that seemed impossible to solve in the past are feasible today.

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Bellwether | Winter 2016

Self-Assessment With all of this growth, it can be difficult to know when to jump into the stream of technology change. One moment, you feel as though you are on the latest and greatest system—the next, a newer technology is made available and your system is dated. Sooner or later, you will need to make a change in order to keep up with competition and customer demands. People have become accustomed to new technology and what it offers—instant access to products, service and data. When they don’t find what they need from you, they will get it from your competitor.

Technology changes have driven business growth and growth can lead to improved competitiveness and financial health. Some technology changes can decrease costs; others can improve the quality of our services.

Jumping into new technology platforms can provide cost savings, improve customer satisfaction and increase sales.

If change were easy, perhaps everyone would be doing it, but the reality is that moving to a new technology platform can be daunting.

Replatforming can be expensive and complex.

And the decisions you make will impact your business for years to come. That means choosing the right technology is a critical part of your business strategy and success.

The problem remains: when does it make sense to change to something new? There may be situations when the latest and greatest offers little value and other times where it offers enormous benefit. There will come a time when the benefits of switching platforms will outweigh the costs. When you are trying to solve this problem for your business, here is our 11-point self assessment tool. Use it as a guide to ask yourself and your team of experts the critical questions necessarily to help you make a successful technology transition.

About the Author Tess Boros is a Partner at ONE Software. Tess has been in the supply chain management space for over fifteen years and is the owner of the leading barcoding solution for Sage 100 and Sage 500.

1. Are my current systems and processes working?

2. Do my users like what they are using?

3. What benefits will I get out of changing my solution?

4. Do I have the infrastructure in place to make the move?

Look at new technology: When you know that you are ready to make a change, you will have a vast array of options to choose from. Consider functionality and cost. Price is only one piece of the total cost of ownership. As part of your analysis, you should identify all costs—software, hardware, customization, implementation, training and support. You need to determine if this platform increases efficiency, improves customer relationships and improves profitability.

5. Does the solution cost less than what I am using now?

6. What functionality do they offer that I can utilize in the future so I can grow my business?

7. Does the product use the latest technology and has it been heavily field tested?

8. How much down time will it take to switch?

Find a trusted advisor: The technology decision can be made easier with the right advisor on your side. Your technology partner should recognize the importance of the new solution to your business strategy and provide product, service and support that will help you reduce costs, improve operations and optimize processes. Ask these questions:

9. Does the technology have a quality team behind it to support me in the future?

10. What has the company done differently that I can switch to and are they the industry leader?

11. Can the new vendor provide me with references?

ONE Software Solution makes the jump easier by offering a set of automation tools that seamlessly integrate with enterprise software to improve the efficiency of your operations. We provide ONE source of software, service and customer care. Learn more at

www.onesoftwaresolution.com

Wholesalers, Distributors, and Retailers: Grow & automate your business cost effectively with Webjaguar Commerce & Marketing Platform World-class E-Commerce Solution Modern, Mobile & Responsive Framework Fully Integrated With Sage, Including Sage 100 and Sage 50

Punch-out Catalog Integration Advanced Search Navigation & Filtering Google Friendly and Built-In SEO Tools Sales Rep and Sales Presentation Tools Advanced Support Suppo for B2B businesses Integrated Email Marketing and Sales Tools Plus 100’s of features & dozens of extensions

Contact us for a FREE consultation and demo! 1-888-718-5051 www.webjaguar.com/blytheco

WARNING :

Lucy suffers from MSTS. Manual Sales Tax Syndrome (MSTS) is treatable.

Ask your accountant about AvaTax today.

Find out if Avalara AvaTax™ is right for you: www.avalara.com/BlythecoMSTS

1-855-562-6874

Some side effects of AvaTax implementation are common and well documented. These include, but are not limited to: greater sense of ease and wellbeing, significantly reduced risk of penalties and interest in the event of an audit, greater focus on profit-making activities, more free time to enjoy the things you love — including family and friends. If you experience any of these very common side effects, contact your accountant immediately.

THE REPLATFORMING EXPERIENCE

Married to Technology:

How to Find Your

Perfect Match

by Paul Ziliak

Are you married or have you ever thought about it? Would you say “I Do” to the first person you ever dated?

Chances are probably not. Most married people dated a lot before they found the right person to settle down with. Why? Because in order to find out what you really want from life, you need to have some experience. That experience gives you the chance to discover what you truly value in a relationship.

Can this also be true when choosing business technology? To find the answer, ask yourself this question: has my business been running the same accounting or ERP system since the inception of the business? Not likely. Most companies start with a low cost system like Quickbooks or Sage 50. The reason is, they don’t wish to make too big of a commitment until the business shows that it will endure.

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Bellwether | Winter 2016

TECHNOLOGY Businesses go through a process of self-discovery in the early years. Most start-up businesses are primarily focused on creating new revenue streams, serving customers and attracting talent. Once they start to mature, and the full potential of the business starts to become evident, finding the perfect ERP system starts to make sense. At that point, businesses invest in a Sage 100 or Sage X3-type system.

Technology is so interwoven into the fabric of modern business life, it’s like we’re married to it. And just as every relationship goes through phases, the business world is going through one of its’ biggest phases: mobile. Like companies in almost every industry, you may now be asking yourself how can your firm take advantage of mobile technology. You may be wondering how to introduce it to your workforce – especially your sales team.

Just like daters have criteria for their potential partner, there are several factors which are most important to consider when choosing a mobile sales app – especially for companies with B2B wholesale distribution needs.

Once you have a clear understanding of the processes you wish to automate, the ideal solution should:

1. Provide a great user experience for everyone.

2. Determine the level of ERP or CRM integration you desire.

3. Choose the operating system and hardware platform that is right for you.

4. Evaluate custom-tailored versus packaged systems.

Now, if the list above makes you feel squeamish (like the butterflies you used to get when dating), that’s okay. That means you should probably take it slow. You might not achieve your ideal situation with your first mobile app. But by all means, do not let your nervousness get in the way of introducing mobile into your business.

If you’re a novice to mobile or if you feel you don’t have a great handle on what mobile can do for your sales team, fear not. Just as you’re not likely to marry the first person you ever dated, don’t put the pressure on yourself to make a long-term commitment to the first mobile software you meet.

There are low cost, low risk steps that you can take to help you “date” your options smartly: Find out if your existing ERP or CRM provider offers a mobile extension for your current system. These are often web-based apps that will provide your team with access to customers, orders, opportunities, perhaps inventory. These may be free or low cost and your team already has some familiarity with the software.

Try before you buy. Explore 3rd party ISV (independant software vendor) solutions and determine if they have free downloads in the app stores. If so, engage your sales personnel and elicit their feedback.

Consider a limited rollout of a mobile app, built around one or a small number of sales people. Use this to evaluate behavior changes and tangible sales results in a more limited setting before a company wide implementation.

Talk with your Sage business partner or key business advisors to discover stories and case studies of how similar businesses may be benefiting from mobile applications.

When it comes to mobile business technology systems, there is definitely a match made in heaven out there to be found. You might not find it on the first go around, but by taking smart actions now, you will gain valuable experiences and insight to set you on the path of—dare I say—mobile bliss when you are ready to fully commit.

About the Author Paul Ziliak, the happily married co-founder of xkzero, did not marry the first person he ever dated. He now helps mid-sized and growing businesses mobilize sales and delivery processes. @PaulZiliak @ERP_apps www.xkzero.com

Winter 2016 | Bellwether

23

2016 BUYER’S GUIDE SMB SOFTWARE

I

t’s hard to imagine a time when businesses were run with typewriters, over-stuffed file cabinets and wired telephones.

Today, companies are increasingly agile and are able to boost their competiveness in the marketplace by leveraging the latest business software technology. Having the right solutions at your disposal helps you make timely, informed decisions.

With that in mind, we present our 2016 list of the most popular and highlyacclaimed business software. Whether you are currently shopping for a new solution, plan to upgrade, or are making a platform change, our hope is that this guide will helpfully inform your decisions.

Browse the guide, and continue your exploration via the handy URLs we’ve provided. Here’s a bonus tip: you don’t have to pay for your software purchase in one lump sum. Consider financing from Dimension Funding— www.blytheco.com/dimension.

Got questions about the products featured in this guide? We have free resources available. Give our friendly and knowledgeable team a call at 949-583-9500.

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Bellwether | Winter 2016

TECHNOLOGY ERP – ACCOUNTING & BUSINESS MANAGEMENT ERP Add-On Products

NetSuite ERP/Accounting, CRM, E-Commerce www.blytheco.com/netsuite Run your entire business with the #1 cloud business management software suite. All your data is in one place: accounting, ERP, CRM and e-commerce in a fully integrated SaaS solution which drives your accounting, sales, service and fulfillment. Expensive and disruptive upgrades are a thing of the past and agility is the name of the game with this flexible tool which adjusts with you as the needs of your business change.

Avatax Sales Tax Automation www.blytheco.com/avatax Works with: Netsuite, Sage X3, Sage 100, Sage 500

Sage 100

Avalara’s Avatax is a hosted, web-service-based sales tax automation solution that automatically performs address validation, sales tax jurisdiction research and rate calculation – all on the fly within your accounting application, with no change to your existing workflow. Fully detailed reports are always at your fingertips and returns are automatically repopulated and generated.

ERP/Accounting www.blytheco.com/sage100

B2BGateway

Sage 100 is a fully integrated business management solution with superior architecture that grows with your business. It offers fullfeatured accounting, manufacturing, and distribution functionality, with the ability to add integrated e-commerce, HRMS, and CRM solutions and more. It gives you the foundation for connecting your business to provide a better customer experience, increase revenue and the ability to make better business decisions.

Sage 500 ERP/Accounting www.blytheco.com/sage500 Based from the ground up on Microsoft Sequel Server, Sage 500 is a complete enterprise management solution developed to help progressive companies streamline operations, and springboard to the next level. From supply chain management to innovative e-commerce solutions to the latest .NET-based applications, Sage 500 continues to deliver solutions that increase user productivity and lower overall costs.

Sage X3 ERP/Accounting www.blytheco.com/erp-x3 Sage X3 offers big ERP capacity without all the cost and complexity. Sage X3 gives you the tools to reduce your costs, grow your revenue and win new customers. You’ll be see increased productivity with a faster, simpler, and flexible enterprise resource planning solution with Sage X3.

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Call us at 949-583-9500

Electronic Data Interchange www.blytheco.com/b2bgateway Works with: NetSuite Since 2000, B2BGateway has been providing easy to use fully integrated EDI solutions for NetSuite. Orders are received by B2BGateway, translated into a NetSuite format and automatically put into a NetSuite user account. When you log on, your new orders are simply there for you to review and accept. B2BGateway can also automate your outbound transmissions to your trading partners as well.

TrueCommerce EDI Electronic Data Interchange www.blytheco.com/truecommerce Works with: Sage 100, Sage 500, Sage X3, NetSuite TrueCommerce EDI Solutions from HighJump is everything you need to easily and fully implement and EDI system from one source.

Whenever your business grows and you acquire new customers that require EDI, you all need to do is request an affordable software plug-in that allows your current system to interact with a new customer or vendor. Simple!

Sage ERP Document Management Document Manger www.blytheco.com/altec Works with: Sage 100, Sage 500, Sage X3 Sage ERP Document Management (formerly doc-linkTM) software from Altec is an integrated document management system that integrates with your Sage ERP to effectively eliminate paper from your office. Document Management enables you to archive, process through workflow, retrieve and report on document transactions from the desktop.

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BUYER’SGUIDE EZContentManager

SmartClient

Document Manger www.blytheco.com/acom

Excel-NetSuite Integration www.blytheco.com/smartclient

Works with: Sage 100, Sage 500, Sage X3

Works with: NetSuite

EZContentManger from Acom is a powerful Document Management and Process Automation solution uniquely integrated with Sage to capture, manage and streamline processing of all business information. It provides a secure compliance-ready repository which is immediately accessible directly for Sage screens.

The Celigo SmartClient provides a seamless integration between Microsoft Excel and NetSuite. SmartClient users can access and edit NetSuite data directly from within Excel, in real time and with a single click. Take full advantage of Excel’s data manipulation functions to retrieve, update, add and delete NetSuite data from multiple record types.

eRequester Procurement Management www.blytheco.com/erequester Works with: Sage 100, Sage 500, Sage X3 eRequester makes procurement and expense management simple with its powerful approval workflow engine, support for multi-company, detailed reporting and deep integration for supported Sage ERP systems.

FieldAware Field Service Management www.blytheco.com/fieldaware Works with: NetSuite FieldAware’s open API makes integrating field service management into your ERP system practical and profitable. Give your field technicians the ability to generate new quotes and work orders in the field. They can also easily update customer and financial data in real time, from the field… and that’s just the beginning of how Field Aware can transform your business!

Service Pro® Field Service Management www.blytheco.com/field-service-software Works with: Sage 100, NetSuite ERP MSI Data is the developer of Service Pro®, the “All-in-One” Field Service Management Software solution integrated to Sage 100 and NetSuite’s cloud ERP. Service Pro® automates office to filed communication in the areas of work orders, dispatching, scheduling, labor time, parts/inventory, assets, warranties, maintenance contracts, tasks, inspections, photo & signature capture, service history and more.

ERP Add-On Products - Distribution JOScan Barcoding + Scanning Solution www.blytheco.com/joscan Works with: Sage 100, Jobops JOScan from JDB Solutions is the handheld and/or desktop barcode scanning and data collection solution designed to allow manufacturers and field service organizations to minimize costs, maximize productivity and maintain a competitive edge in today’s marketplace.

WOScan Barcode Data Collection www.blytheco.com/joscan Works with: Sage 100 WOScan for Work Order from JDB Solutions is a highly flexible, adaptable wireless data collection solution, ideal for manufacturers using the Sage 100 Work Order module.

RF-Smart Barcoding Solution www.blytheco.com/rf-smart Works with: NetSuite You’ll be able to increase your inventory accuracy and customer satisfaction with RF-SMART’s bar coding solution for NetSuite.

RF-SMART is an industry leading product that meets NetSuite’s highest standard for SuiteApp Solutions. Works with Advanced Bins, Bin Management, and Even No Bins. And the cherry on top: it was voted 2014 SuiteCloud Developer SuiteApp of the Year!

Printboss

ONE Software Solution

Print Management www.blytheco.com/printboss

Warehouse Management www.blytheco.com/onesoftware

Works with: All Sage ERP, Sage HRMS

Works with: Sage 100

PrintBoss makes your documents smarter because it adds the intelligence to print, email, fax and digitally file your documents anywhere on your network. PrintBoss seamlessly integrates with your accounting software. With it, you can easily print, email, fax and digitally file your documents anywhere on your network.

Three industry leaders (Scanco, ACS and JDB Solutions) joined forces to create ONE Software Solution. It is an integrated warehouse management, automation and manufacturing solutions. Streamline every aspect of your manufacturing with the latest technology.

Warehouse automation on IOS, Android and Windows Mobile

TECHNOLOGY Scanco

StarShip

Warehouse Solutions www.blytheco.com/scanco

Shipping Management www.blytheco.com/starship

Works with: Sage 100, Sage 500, NetSuite

Works with: Sage 100, Sage 500, Sage X3

Scanco specializes in an extensive line of products designed to increase warehouse productivity. From basic barcode label printing to wireless inventory management, there is a solution to fit every budget and need. Users can also use iOS, Android and Windows Mobile devices with Scanco, lowering hardware costs significantly.

vTechnologies’ StarShip is the trusted shipping solution, integrating with Sage ERP systems for over 14 years to streamline shipping accounts receivable and customer service. Rate and ship both small parcel and LTL directly from Sage.

SmartLinc Shipping Management www.blytheco.com/smartlinc Works with: Sage 100, Sage 500, Sage X3 Count on Shipping by SmartLinc. Reduce costs while processing shipments accurately and on time, every time.

SPS Commerce Supply Chain Management www.blytheco.com/spscommerce Works with: All Software 100% Cloud-based, SPS Commerce provides omnichannel supply chain solutions for retailers. From accurate order fulfillment via EDI, to sourcing, analytics and beyond, SPS Commerce’s suite of tools has made them a recognized global leader in retail.

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE & PROCESS MANAGEMENT Alerts & Workflow Business Process Automation www.blytheco.com/knowledgesync

Budget Maestro Budget and Forecasting www.blytheco.com/maestro

Works with: Sage 100, Sage 500, SageCRM, Sage HRMS

Works with: Sage 100, Sage 300, Sage 500, MS-Dynamics

Monitor your business data, automate the production and delivery of documents and automatically trigger workflow to update applications, schedule tasks and move information between systems.

Budget Maestro® by Centage is an automated budgeting, planning, and forecasting application that integrates directly with Sage 100, Sage 300, and Sage 500. Designed for small to midmarket companies, it automates many of the time-consuming and error-prone activities associated with using spreadsheets to generate budgets and forecasts. Budget Maestro features builtin financial and business logic to collect and consolidate P&L data with confidence and automatically create a balance sheet or cash flow report that is in sync with your ERP data.

Avercast Business Forecasting www.blytheco.com/avercast Works with: Sage 100, Sage 500, NetSuite Avercast has become the supply chain planning tool of choice for many companies in both the small/midsized as well as the large business marketplace. Products include inventory forecasting, demand planning, sales & operations planning, rough cut capacity planning, salesperson collaboration, vendor collaboration and retail store-level analysis.

Got questions about the products featured in this guide?

DataSelf Business Intelligence www.blytheco.com/dataself Works with: All Sage ERP, Sage CRM DataSelf provides best-of-breed and easy-to-use analytics and business intelligence solutions for medium-sized businesses (SMB). Its solutions simplify and amplify Tableau and Microsoft BI technologies by providing thousands of reports, dishoards and KPIs plus ultra-light data warehouses for ERP and CRM systems

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BUYER’SGUIDE TaskCentre Business Process Management www.blytheco.com/taskcentre

Workplace Spend Management and Workplace Automation www.blytheco.com/workplace

Works with: All Sage ERP, Infor CRM (SalesLogix)

Works with: All Sage ERP

Imagine an all-in-one solution that offers workflow alerts, and enables you to easily integrate your ERP with e-commerce, marketing automation, website, and CRM. Don’t imagine. Learn about Orbis Software’s TaskCentre.

Paramount Technologies’ Workplace automates requisition, procurement, inventory management, project accounting and time and expense transactions to make internal workflow processes more efficient, improve employee productivity, reduce time and errors and save money.

CRM - CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP AND SALES MANAGEMENT Salesforce CRM (Customer Relationship Management) www.blytheco.com/salesforce Salesforce is an industry leading, cloud-based client relationship management and sales tool, customizable for businesses of any type and size. Salesforce helps you to sell smarter and faster than your competitors by helping you make stronger connections with your clients and prospects.

Infor CRM (formerly known as Saleslogix) CRM (Customer Relationship Management) www.blytheco.com/infor-crm Infor CRM, (formerly known as Saleslogix) is the CRM platform of choice for companies strategically focused on customer engagements. Infor CRM delivers a complete view of customer interactions across your sales, marketing, customer service and support teams, so they can collaborate effectively and respond promptly and knowledgably to sales opportunities and customer inquiries—both in the office and in the field.

CRM Add-on Products Conga Composer Document Generator www.blytheco.com/composer Works with: Salesforce Conga Composer© makes it easy to create and deliver sophisticated and fully customizable documents using your Salesforce data. Now you can have stunning presentations, proposals, account plans, invoices, quotes, contracts, reports and more. You can also customize your delivery, whether you set up automatic delivery via email, local download, or by storage within Salesforce, Google Drive or SpringCM. You can even send your completed document for eSignature with DocSign, EcoSign or Sertifi.

Clicktools Customer Feedback Tool www.blytheco.com/clicktools Works with: Salesforce

Sage CRM CRM (Customer Relationship Management) www.blytheco.com/sagecrm Sage CRM is optimized specifically for small and medium-sized businesses. It is customizable, mobile and easy-to-use. Sage CRM enables improved business processes, closer management of customer relationships, increased revenues and decreased inefficiencies. Ultimately, it provides management with timely and reliable insight to guide important business decisions.

Clicktools from CallidusCloud helps you to truly understand your customers by requesting and responding to input at key points along the entire customer journey. You can transform your customer’s experience and ultimately consistently improve processes and profits.

CRM Budget Planner Budgeting Tool www.blytheco.com/crmbudgetplanner Works with: Sage CRM

Got questions about the products featured in this guide?

Call us at 949-583-9500

The CRM Budget Planner from Enbu Consulting takes all the main concepts of budget planning and allocation and delivers a pragmatic and highly-effective management tool which is installed on top of the Sage CRM platform. It is completely integrated into Sage CRM so that it leverages all the benefits of CRM including design of user interface, searching, reporting and document management.

TECHNOLOGY CRM Contract Manager Contract Lifecycles Tool www.blytheco.com/crmcontractmanager Works with: Sage CRM Enbu Consulting’s CRM Contract Manager will enable you to optimize the lifetime value of your business relationships by centralizing, standardizing and systemizing the entire contract lifecycle. No part of the process, from contract creation through expiration or renewal, will ever slip through your fingers again.

Program allows you to create any number of customized documents based on your contract information.

CRM Mobile Service Signature Remote Access, Updates & Sign-offs www.blytheco.com/crmmobilesignature Works with: Sage CRM Ebu Consulting’s CRM Mobile Service Signature seamlessly integrates with Sage CRM and is compatible with Android tablets and phones, plus iPhone/iPad. It enables consultants to get approval and actual client sign off of a Job, (with signature) while still on the client site. The client can see the details of the Job listing on the consultant’s mobile device and sign off the job sheet (on touchscreen) there and then.

CRM Project Manager Project Management Software www.blytheco.com/crmprojectmanager Works with: Sage CRM CRM Project Manager by Enbu Consulting takes all the main concepts of project and time management and delivers a pragmatic and highly effective management tool which is installed on top of the Sage CRM platform. It is completely integrated so that it leverages all the benefits of Sage CRM, including design of user interface, searching, reporting and document management.

CRM Resource Planner Resource Planning Tool www.blytheco.com/crmresourceplanner Works with: Sage CRM You’ll always know who’s available for your jobs and when.

The CRM Resource Planner by Enbu Consulting is a visual representation of all your available resources. Each resource will have allotted time slots aligned vertically, displaying the time of day, creating a resource Time Box. With configurable time slots, resource planning has never been easier!

DataLoader.io Data loading tool www.blytheco.com/dataloader

MuleSoft’s DataLoader.io is the most popular data uploading tool for Salesforce. Use it to quickly and securely import, export and delete unlimited amounts of data. It features intelligent data mapping and the ability to login with existing Salseforce.com credentials. DataLoader.io reduces data redundancies and allows for direct import capabilities from Box, DropBox, FTP and SFTP.

Dynalink Platform Integration Tool www.blytheco.com/dynalink Works with: Sage 100, Infor CRM (SalesLogix) BITtelligent’s Dynalink is an integration platform providing bidirectional synchronization capabilities from Infor CRM (formerly known as SalesLogix) to Sage 100. You’ll be able to benefit from having your information tightly woven between your platforms and generate data critical work-flows and much more.

Enhancements are added to either the LAN client or your CRM web client to view various ERP datasets.

intelli-CTiTM Computer Telephony Integration www.blytheco.com/intelli-cti Works with: Infor CRM, Sage CRM, Microsoft Dynamics QGate’s intelli-CTiTM allows your CRM software applications to be integrated with your phone system. This will allow you to increase your call efficiency, personalize your customer service and deepen your client relationships.

Jitterbit Cloud Data Loader www.blytheco.com/jitterbit Works with: Salesforce Jitterbit helps Salesforce users simplify their data management by allowing them to automate the import and export of data between flat files, databases, and Salesforce. Jitterbit reduces the amount of time and effort required to automate imports and exports. Designed for Salesforce administrators, this app helps relieve some of the burden on IT resources.

Rollup Helper Data Aggregator www.blytheco.com/rolluphelper Works with: Salesforce Passage Technology’s Rollup Helper aggregates any Salseforce data. It allows easy access to real-time data, no matter the format. Rollup Helper will help you create data roll-ups that will provide insights you could never have before, all while saving your organization’s precious time.

Works with: Salesforce Winter 2016 | Bellwether

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BUYER’SGUIDE CRM / Sales Management InsideView

xkzero

Sales Productivity www.blytheco.com/insideview

Mobile Sales + Business Intelligence www.blytheco.com/xkzero

Works with: SalesLogix, SugarCRM

Works with: Sage 100, Sage 500, Sage X3

InsideView maximizes sales team productivity by delivering a one-stop shop for your prospecting needs. It accelerates the sales cycle by enabling sales people to call the right prospects at the right time. It’s no longer just who you know that will make business deals happen, but “what you know about who you know” tightly synched with “when and where you should know it.”

Xkzero creates technologies to further the success of companies with supply chain management and distribution needs. Featured applications are Mobile Sales App for Sage 100 and Sage X3, eCommerce solutions for Sage 100, Transportation Logistics for Sage 100, Sage 500, Sage X3 and Universal Search for Sage 100.

E-COMMERCE IN-SYNCH

WebJaguar

Website Database Integration www.blytheco.com/insynch

Cloud-Based Commerce Solution www.blytheco.com/webjaguar

Works with: Sage 100

AdvancedEMedia’s WebJaguar is a modern cloud-based commerce platform. It is scalable, customizable, and is built on an innovative technology and architecture that enables your business to excel. WebJaguar is designed from the ground up with advanced B2B- and B2C-specific features and business workflow. Retailers, wholesalers, suppliers, distributors and manufacturers, small and large companies will benefit greatly from WebJaguar’s complete, online business solution.

IN-SYNCH allows you to pull sales orders from a website; the product is customizable and can be expanded to accomplish many more Sage 100 integration and synchronization needs.

Sage Pay for CRM Payment Management Integration www.blytheco.com/sagepay Works with: all major e-Commerce platforms and business tools Sage Pay is Europe’s most trusted payment system and now, Enbu Consulting has created a powerful extension, allowing you to accept and process credit and debit card payments directly from your Sage CRM dashboard. You’ll enjoy cost efficiencies, faster transaction processing time and enhanced data security, just to name a few benefits.

Web-StorTM E-Commerce Integration www.blytheco.com/web-stor Works with: Sage 100 Web-StorTM solutions give you everything you need to create Sage 100 optimized webpages which you can integrate with your existing website. Use any host. Use any shopping cart or our own e-commerce environment. Your customers will experience beautiful, mobile-optimized check-outs while you’ll enjoy seamless integration with Sage 100.

HRMS - EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT Sage HRMS HRIS, HRMS / Human Resources Information Management www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms Sage HRMS is the most complete human resource management solution for small and mid-sized businesses. With integrated payroll, benefits, recruiting, employee self-service, and analytics capabilities, Sage HRMS helps you to maximize every dollar you invest in your employees. It keeps you connected to your employee data like no other solution can.

TECHNOLOGY HRMS Add-on Products BenefitMall

Sage HRMS Payroll

Payroll Solution www.blytheco.com/benefitmall

Payroll www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms-payroll

Works with: All Sage ERP, Sage HRMS

Works with: Sage HRMS

Outsource your payroll to BenefitMall and you can focus more time on your business. Sage makes managing your payroll easy and convenient by providing a range of options to fit your needs.

Whether you choose to process payroll in-house with Sage HRMS Payroll or outsource payroll processing with BenefitMall, Sage has the solution to handle payroll your way.

Sage HRMS Payroll provides a comprehensive and flexible solution that includes the payroll functionality needed by mid-sized organizations to process their payroll accurately and quickly every time.

Cyber Train Training Management www.blytheco.com/cyber-train

iConnect New Hire Workflow www.blytheco.com/iconnect Works with: Sage HRMS

Sage HRMS Cyber Train, a Sage Endorsed Solution, empowers supervisions, instructors, and employees by making information regarding classes, course requirements, programs, and certifications available through the web and not just through the HR department.

iConnect is intuitive and user friendly. Your new hires automatically receive the appropriate hiring package via email and can sign in securely to the iConnect Applicant Portal to complete the forms and upload any supporting documentation.

Even before their first day on the job! Hiring Managers can track and monitor their status online, send reminders to new hires and approve or request changes before the forms are finalized.

Employee Engagement - Focal Insights

iRecruit

Works with: Sage HRMS

Employee Survey www.blytheco.com/engagement

Applicant Recruiting www.blytheco.com/irecruit

Focal Employee Engagement (Focal EE) is a cloud-based employee survey solution that is easy to setup and administer.

Vastly different than a simple employee satisfaction survey, Focal EE goes deeper with time-tested survey questions written by psychologists.

Works with: Sage HRMS

Garnishment Manager Garnishment Manager www.blytheco.com/garnishment Works with: Sage HRMS Sage HRMS Garnishment Manager, a Sage Endorsed Solution, relieves the payroll staff of the tedious, time-consuming, and often error-prone tasks of calculating and prioritizing complex garnishments for child support, tax levies, student loans, and creditor liens.

HR Actions Employee Data Manager www.blytheco.com/hr-actions Works with: Sage HRMS Streamline the collection and approval of employee data using the web. Sage HRMS HR Actions lets you easily create paperless forms using any fields from Sage HRMS. Process any action for request to hire to termination and everything in between including status changes and performance appraisals.

iRecruit is a cloud-based, powerful and flexible applicant tracking and recruiting software. Attracting and hiring top-level talent has never been more efficient and cost-effective.

Learning Management Learning Content Management www.blytheco.com/learning-management Works with: Sage HRMS Sage HRMS Learning Management provides a single point of access to e-learning delivery, instructor-led training (ILT) administration, virtual classroom sessions, social learning and content management.

Payroll Tax Forms and eFiling Payroll Management www.blytheco.com/aatrix Works with: All Sage ERP, Sage HRMS With Sage Payroll Tax Forms and eFiling by Aatrix, you can meet all state and federal reporting and payment requirements right from your Sage HRMS Payroll software. It is easy-to-use and saves time by eliminating the need to create reports manually. Reports are automatically completed, reviewed and edited on screen, then eFiled in minutes.

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BUYER’SGUIDE Performance Management Performance Management www.blytheco.com/performance

Time and Attendance Time and Attendance Management www.blytheco.com/time-attendance

Works with: Sage HRMS

Works with: Sage HRMS

Sage HRMS Performance Management by Cornerstone OnDemand helps identify and track high-performing employees, increase the quality of employee performance reviews, develop critical skills, and cultivate the leadership pipeline across your business.

Sage Time and Attendance is a comprehensive, state-ofthe-art workforce management solution that enables you to collect, analyze, and take immediate control of your employees’ attendance and labor data—online and in real time.

Talent Management Talent Management www.blytheco.com/talent Works with: Sage HRMS Sage HRMS Talent Management covers the employee lifecycle, for onboarding through learning management and performance measurement to succession planning (and even outside—to your customers and partners).

Time and Labor Import Data Import and Validation www.blytheco.com/time-labor Works with: Sage HRMS Sage HRMS Time and Labor Import, a Sage Endorsed Solution, streamlines the process of validating and importing data from almost any data source into the sage HRMS Payroll timecard file using an easy user interface.

MARKETING AUTOMATION Act-On

Marketo

Marketing Automation www.blytheco.com/act-on

Marketing Automation www.blytheco.com/marketo

Act-On’s fresh approach to marketing automation and email marketing gives you full functionality without the complexity other systems impose on you. The streamlined user interface puts first-rate marketing tools at your fingertips, making campaigns and programs easier and faster. Integrate your CRM, webinar management and other tools too, usually with just one click.

Marketo is known as a leader in digital marketing software and has solutions for organizations of any size. With integrations with your CRM, E-Commerce, ERP and other data sources, Marketo helps you engage with clients and prospects, when and how it matters, so that you can build lifelong customer relationships.

Hubspot Inbound Marketing www.blytheco.com/hubspot HubSpot is an inbound marketing system that helps you get found online by qualified prospects. You’ll capture more leads, and convert them into customers. Hubspot is accessable with any web browser and easily integrates with your current CRM. With over 4,500 customers and growing, HubSpot is transforming online marketing for companies of all sizes.

Salesfusion Marketing Automation www.blytheco.com/salesfusion Works with: Sage CRM, Infor CRM (SalesLogix), SugarCRM Salesfusion is an enterprise B2B marketing automation software platform designed to support the business, technology and process needs of B2B marketers. Salesfusion specializes in integrating key marketing and lead generation processes to your installed CRM system.

Got questions about the products featured in this guide?

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Bellwether | Winter 2016

CORPORATEFINANCE

Automating

Your AP Processes

by Erica LaSalle

A

ccounts Payable operations most often rely on paper-intensive manual processing, which slows down payment remittance and makes it difficult to track invoices throughout the process. Processing AP cycles in this fashion requires a team of people, with each additional person and extra task contributing to a greater risk for errors.

The prevalence of paper makes document storage an even greater issue; as file cabinets fill up, floor space runs out. Even with an efficient filing system, employees spend excessive time physically searching for records, which may turn out to be misplaced or lost altogether. Additionally, companies must comply with various privacy and security requirements to ensure the protection of client data.

According to a recent Institute of Financial Operations survey, adoption of payables automation among payables departments has been slow. The report states that although AP automation solutions have been available for the last decade, less than 10% of those organizations surveyed described their operations as highly automated, and 29% said that the majority of their invoices (90%) are paper. Survey respondents confirmed that invoice volume is steadily increasing with a growing economy and that the added expense of traditional processing makes securing an AP automation solution a top priority.

Converting to a paperless environment is the first step in automating your AP processes, but it is just the start in your automation journey. Eliminating manual processing requires the ability to classify documents as they arrive electronically by email, network or via scanned documents. Remember that the more intelligent your automating system is, the higher the ability to eliminate error-prone manual steps!

After invoices and documents are classified, your automation solution must then drive them through the approval process. It’s important that workflow approval processing is configurable to your business’ unique procedures and rules. Once final approval is in, the remaining step is to get the information into your ERP system to complete the transaction.

These are the basic steps, but they are vital in selecting your paperless automation solution. To learn more about automating AP with your Sage ERP, visit www.acom.com/sage.

About the Author Erica LaSalle is a Marketing Communications Specialist at ACOM Solutions, a Sage Gold Development Partner. Designed for Sage ERP, ACOM’s integration helps organizations manage the capture, workflow and storage of invoices and documents with instant retrieval of all of their business information… from the desktop or web with the real-time visibility required in today’s business environment.

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Spend Management Best Practices: MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF PURCHASING

by Rich Fowler

Y

our purchasing department is often the first line of defense in saving money for the bottom line. With these strategies in place, the best defense can be a great offense, too. Proactively seeking cost savings and efficiencies in the purchasing process can save time and money throughout the purchasing cycle.

Quantifiable savings result from practices aimed at reducing the cost of purchased goods and services needed to fill an approved requisition where there is no existing stock available. Purchasing solutions help buyers to obtain the best value by allowing and assisting them in combining requisitions into purchase orders for economic order quantities, and to take advantage of any discounts vendors might offer for order value minimums.

A procurement solution with well-designed approval workflows and effective buyer tools ensures that purchase orders are awarded for the best price and terms rather than employee preference for a particular vendor or habitual reordering from the usual supplier.

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Bellwether | Winter 2016

4 Ways to Obtain Greater Value from Your Suppliers Easily manage your catalog of approved products and services.

You want to be sure to make it easy for your requestors to select items from your preferred vendors. Internal catalogs for approved items can simplify their search, and reduce the time wasted hunting for the “right thing.�

Catalogs can be based on a variety of factors, even being specific to the user, or group that will be accessing the catalog. If a separate catalog seems like overkill, you can offer user-specific Shopping Lists for repeat purchases (e.g. supplies) to fill closets, restock shelves, and more.

CORPORATEFINANCE Key benefits include:

• Ability to provide easy access to catalogs by

offering a consumer-like shopping experience.

• Eliminate special requests or requisitions for items where an equivalent item is in the catalog, to maximize the use of negotiated pricing and avoid the manual work required for one-off purchases.

Select suppliers who support PunchOut cXML catalogs.

PunchOut provides a familiar web shopping experience for users, with the checkout simply creating a requisition for the products at negotiated prices. Hundreds of thousands of major vendors across the world offer PunchOut, including office supplies, technology, MRO supplies, and healthcare products. In all likelihood, you are already doing business with a vendor who supports PunchOut catalogs. For you, the decision is easy: the vendors update and maintain the product catalog, so there is no work for you. PunchOut orders are transmitted automatically to the vendor AFTER approval through your workflow. Orders still go through your approval process, your budget checks, your management flow, and your purchasing team – but all the user had to do was “shop” on a website. No more rogue orders from vendors you don’t know!

spend categories by reducing and controlling the number of contract suppliers with whom you do business. Loyalty often breeds savings and customer leverage, and by reducing the number of contract suppliers in high spend categories, you can control the process more effectively.

Aberdeen Group’s eProcurement Benchmark studies report significantly higher compliance of orders and spending with vendor contracts for larger companies.

Best-in-class organizations manage 88% of their overall spending vs. 39% for those not utilizing contracts.

Issue requests for quote/proposal (RFQ/RFP).

Many organizations utilize (or are mandated to utilize) the “three bids and a buy” paradigm for certain types of requests. For some, it’s the type of product/service being requested, for others dollar value, and more.

Implementing automated RFP/RFQ tools and portals to facilitate competitive bids for more purchases not only keeps you in compliance, it saves you money.

Key benefits include:

• Ability to set spending limits based on set criteria (type of product or service, value) requiring multiple formal quotes

• Make formal quote requests available to

Increase the ratio of PO-based spending tied to vendor contracts.

suppliers – preferably through an on-line portal – with embedded details of the requirement (specifications) available to all vendors.

Spending tied to vendor contracts has long been a poorly kept secret in the purchasing world. Smart purchasers have used vendor contracts for everything from raw materials to hotel rooms for employee travel, and for good reason.

First, you benefit from lower negotiated pricing. Purchasing negotiates a price for a good or service, and the company reaps the benefits of that negotiation for the length of the contract. Long-term contracts protect your organization from unforeseen price increases, and can smooth out any unexpected fluctuations in market pricing. You also minimize liability by ordering from vetted suppliers that have the necessary license, insurance, and quality control that your organization requires.

Vendor compliance issues are also dramatically reduced, plus you can do the vetting process as part of the negotiation. Lastly, you can get a firm grip on your high

• Capture, track, and compare bids, with the ability

to select a winning bidder based on your critical criteria – even if that criteria may change from bid to bid. Flexibility is key.

The mere formality of a quote request through a formal system such as the WorkPlace Vendor Portal alerts vendors to a competitive bidding situation, encouraging suppliers to offer discounts or terms. More detailed responses allow the purchasing agent to make informed decisions.

Spending habits follow the path of least resistance. By making it easy for employees to requisition from preferred vendors using shopping lists and electronic catalogs, a higher percentage of purchases can be steered towards preferred suppliers offering the best overall value and most efficient ordering, delivery, and invoicing process.

The trend is to control the spend!

About the Author Rich Fowler is the Partner Account Manager at Paramount Technologies.

Winter 2016 | Bellwether

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Winter 2016 | Bellwether

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5

STEPS TO TAME THE SOFTWARE BUDGET BEAST

by Denise Renee Phinn

T

he mere mention of making a software purchase is enough to send SMB executives and their team members fleeing to the safety of their offices, shutting the door and drawing the blinds. (Hence, our cover photo!) While the time and complexities of an implementation project are the usual sources for headaches, nothing sends chills down the spine like the budget because – let’s be honest – it can be a beast!

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Bellwether | Winter 2016

CORPORATEFINANCE Often, it is not so much the initial quote that has business leaders worried. By their very nature, it seems,project costs have a way of creeping upwards, both unexpectedly and exponentially. And that is the heart of everyone’s fear: the amount initially quoted often is much lower than the actual outlay over the course of—and even after—the implementation period. It can make pinning down the true cost of software and calculating its ROI a little challenging.

But I have an announcement to make: it’s safe to come out of hiding because we have a way—five, in fact—to tame the “budget beast,” I promise! After completing over 5,000 implementations in our 36 years of experience, we have learned that when projects are thoroughly scoped from inception, it keeps the budget beast in check. So here is our 5-step approach.

Step #1 – Decide What You (Realistically) Want If you were car shopping, it would be super nice to drool over a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta in the pages of Robb Report.

But reality would quickly kick in and you would begin to temper your desires based on the realities of your lifestyle (where you intend to drive your new car and how often) and your available budget. Ultimately, you might find yourself downgrading your expectations to a Porsche Panamera. Sorry.

Similarly, embarking on a software purchase requires that you start by creating a wish list and whittling it down to your must-haves. You will ultimately arrive at a place where you can realistically match your needs to appropriate software solutions. To create your list, your project committee should be prepared to answer questions about your ideal software solution such as:

• What functionalities will your company need?

• What functionalities are on your “wish list?”

• What are your reporting needs?

• How many users will you have?

• Will you need to integrate other software (i.e., EDI, ecommerce, workflow or marketing automation, etc.)?

You can take a deeper dive into this portion of your budget strategy by watching our free, on-demand presentation entitled: “How To Budget for New Business Software.”

You’ll also be able to access our complimentary project scoping template. Visit this link today www.blytheco.com/budget.

Step #2 – Understand What Should Be Included in Your Budget Most companies are aware that software implementation isn’t cheap. But what exactly are you spending money on?

What line items should you plan to include in your budget?

Here is where many companies make underestimating mistakes. So check your “must-haves” list against ours:

Software Costs

Services

• Licensing (based on

• Implementation • Data conversion

# of users)

• Add-on software

• Integration

• Maintenance fees

• Customization • Training

Hardware (On-premise)

• Support

• Server

• Data conversion

• IT staff

• Data cleansing

As each company’s needs are different, your list might have more or fewer items on it. But from our experience, most companies should be prepared to spend in these areas.

Step #3 – Chose Your Platform Carefully There is no denying that the idea of cloud-based software is sexy. But is it the right fit for your business? Could an on-premise solution be your best option? Truly take time with your team and your software consultant to determine which platform will give you the most features and productivity for your investment.

It might not be wise to base your platform choice on pricing (or desire) alone because your spend for each type of implementation will be distributed differently. For example, with an on-premise solution, you’ll experience lower upfront software costs. But you will shell out more for your server and other hardware, maintenance, integrations, plus annual software maintenance and upgrade fees.

With a cloud implementation, you’ll enjoy lower overall hardware and hardware maintenance costs but you will have higher monthly or annual subscription fees. If your company is in a rapid growth mode, those subscription fees might not be so attractive. Ultimately, you should weight the pros and cons of each option, keeping a holistic view of your company in mind.

Continued on next page

Winter 2016 | Bellwether

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Step #4 – Plan for Ongoing Costs and Growth The biggest mistake companies make when budgeting for software implementations is only considering the immediate expense. You must think about and plan for the ongoing costs through the life of your business software… and it’s more than just maintenance and upgrade fees.

Another point to consider is how long do you intend your new system to last?

Most companies change their business software on average every eight years; early adaptors, every five. For on-premise solution holders: how often do you plan to upgrade? Have you considered your company’s growth plan? If your team doubles in the next 3 to 5 years, how will that affect your software budget at that time?

Or how about this one: technology shifts rapidly. Is being on or ahead of the cutting edge important to your company? The last thing you want is a technology shift (think the .COM error or what’s happening in mobile today) forcing you to prematurely re-invest in your business software. Properly planning for these variables today will make pulling out the checkbook easier tomorrow!

Step #5 – Take Time to Get It Right Investing in business software takes a lot of time, money, resources and energy.

It is imperative that you do not rush the process of arriving at a comprehensive budgetary estimate. Simply calling around and collecting a number of “ballpark” figures is not doing your due diligence.

You must ensure that your businesses’ unique needs are addressed properly in the quoting stage. We don’t believe that can happen after a brief 30-minute conversation and a generic, 10-point questionnaire. (And if any company gives you a quick quote solely based on that, we say “RUN!”) Although you are primarily shopping for software, you are equally looking for the right business consultant and implementation partner. Find a partner who will make the time to ask intelligent, in-depth questions which help them intimately understand your business needs. That way, they can help you uncover potential hidden issues you should plan for. Only then will they be able to arrive at an accurate, customized estimate which is both tailor-made for your business and keeps the budget beast well tamed.

About the Author Denise Renee Phinn is Bellwether’s copy editor. She is a self-proclaimed a content marketing nerd and copywriting geek who frequently contributes to this magazine and Blytheco’s blog. Connect with her at www.LinkedIn.com/in/DeniseReneePhinn.

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Bellwether | Winter 2016

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7

Steps to Scoping Your Software Implementation Project: A Cheat Sheet

by Denise Renee Phinn

C

oming to consensus that you need new business process software is a major decision companies have to face… and yet it is only the first step in a journey than can last from 6 to 12 months, sometimes longer.

It is necessary, then, to create a strategic roadmap for budgeting and project planning. Whether you are about to undertake a major project for the first time or this isn’t your first rodeo, this cheat sheet will give you the steps to take to ensure you have the smoothest, quickest journey possible to implementation bliss.

1.

Define project owner/ manager and project team a. Project manager should have in-depth knowledge of the business and technology as well as be flexible and a good communicator.

b. c.

Define the roles of the project team members.

Define which business processes will be included in the project.

2.

Gather requirements a. Gather input from all impacted team members.

b. Identify what problems need to be solved.

c.

d. Identify which software will best

Identify key features/functions that are mandatory.

achieve your goals.

3.

Prioritize requirements a. Identify “nice-to-have” vs. “must-have” items.

b. Ask how will your business will be impacted if a requirement is or is not implemented right away.

4.

Define a change control process.

CORPORATEFINANCE

5.

6.

Define and assign tasks

Validate the project scope a. Confirm the defined tasks are

consistent with the project goals. i. w/Project Team ii. Executive Sponsor iii. Executive Team

b. Gain approvals. c.

7.

Formalize acceptance.

Manage the ongoing scope a. Identify potential problems which may arise during project execution/ implementation.

b.

Measure performance.

c.

Manage resources according to plan.

d. Track activity status (complete, incomplete, at risk).

Having a completed project scope will help give you a blueprint for your project which everyone involved can easily follow. It will help to manage the expectations of all involved regarding what is and isn’t included in the full scope of the project. A project scope will also help you create a realistic timeline, help you build your budget and put a process in place for managing changes.

Winter 2016 | Bellwether

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The Year of the Cloud: ERP Platforms get SaaS-ier in 2016

by Kerry Alexander, Avalara

T

echnology trends track much faster today than in the past. When the telephone first came on the scene, it took 75 years to get 50 million people to adopt it. It took 13 years for that same number of people to embrace television. The Internet took only four years. The Angry Birds app? 35 days.1 A month may be a stretch, but many businesses are now onboarding new technologies more quickly.

Advanced analytics and big data are gaining traction. 3-D printers are being used in manufacturing and production. Mobile is ubiquitous. And companies are getting much more comfortable with the Cloud. A new report by Verizon Enterprise Solutions shows that cloud computing is finally mainstream, with nearly every company using it in some way in their business. A third of those surveyed said that at least half their ERP workloads are in the cloud; Oracle is predicting this will be 70% by 2025.

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Bellwether | Winter 2016

Citi Digital Strategy Team

1

INDUSTRYNEWS So what does that mean for businesses with ERPs? Does it require overhauling your platform, investing in expensive upgrades or (gasp) getting an entirely new system? The short answer: no. Hybrid ERPs (a combination of on-premises and cloud applications) are a great bridge option, enabling companies to keep the platforms they already have and evolve their systems with new Cloud capabilities through their ERP vendor or third-party providers. Consider them an opportunity to custom-pick best-in-breed applications that enhance the effectiveness of the systems you already own. Garter predicts Hybrid ERPs will be the norm within five years, but many vendors are accelerating that timeline. Oracle has signed 1,350 new Cloud ERP contracts in less than two years.

Epicor added 39 modules to its cloud portfolio in the last year and saw a 71% year-over-year increase in cloud users. Infor experienced a 60% reduction in customizations for customers who moved their ERP to the Cloud.

What functions should you move to the Cloud?

That largely depends on your business, but a good rule of thumb is to automate wherever you can to save time, money and resources. Experts generally concur that if you’re not automating at least some of your business processes, you’re lagging behind your competition. According to Gartner, 75% of companies employ an average of four automation technologies. Much of your everyday workload can be automated. Affordable and efficient SaaS options allow you to more efficiently manage human resources and benefits management, payroll and finances, order fulfillment, inventory management, demand planning and, of course, tax compliance.

Automating sales tax management and invoicing is a huge time and money saver for businesses.

Forrester Research ran an economic impact study on several ERP customers and found that these

companies had the equivalent of two accountants spending 70% of their time manually invoicing customers and determining sales taxes. After automating this process in their ERP systems (EPICOR in this instance), these same companies saved the equivalent of 1.4 accountants’ time and expense annually (an average of roughly $385,000 over five years). TechValidate surveyed Avalara customers and found that these companies were able to reduce the time spent on sales and use tax management by 50% or more by using automation software.

The key is smart planning. It’s important to think about how your technology platform serves you today, but also how it can accommodate future growth. Are there on-premises systems you can move to the Cloud to save time and money and future-proof your business? SaaS solutions generally offer the same (or better) functionality without requiring expensive upgrades, multiple systems management or dedicated IT resources.

In fact, Nucleus Research found that cloud applications deliver 1.7 times the ROI of on-premises applications and Oracle estimates that the cost of ownership of on-premises solutions is 30 to 50% more than Cloud.

The whole point of an ERP is to help your business grow efficiently. Leveraging the Cloud lets you make faster decisions, often in real time, and scale operations or shift gears as needed. Do your due diligence. You want solutions that integrate easily with your existing systems to minimize any impact on your business. Choose a SaaS vendor who has experience with or is pre-certified to integrate with the business systems you are using. Done right, adding Cloud capability to your existing ERP system should be a smooth process. And there’s no better feeling for a business than starting a new year with a (re)fresh perspective.

Ready to have a conversation with your ERP vendor about Cloud?

Come prepared with Avalara’s handy guide and checklist: Planning for Growth: Could it be time for an ERP upgrade? http://bit.ly/1PghFwc

About the Author Kerry Alexander manages marketing programs for Avalara, a market leader in sales tax automation software solutions.

She writes about the business challenges of managing sales and use tax and the benefits of automating compliance.

Winter 2016 | Bellwether

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