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With cloud hosting growing explosively within the short time-frame that has, there's some confusion around the primary cloud deployment models, especially for businesses that are just getting started. And understandably so. With such a lot of buzz and emerging terminology, things can get confusing pretty quickly. It doesn't help that some sources provide conflicting information. To help businesses understand the differences between these models, that gives a really simplified check out the 4 primary cloud deployment models. While the technical aspects of every one of those models are often discussed [...]

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When your finance team spends all their time entering numbers into spreadsheets, they don’t have time to put that data to work. Data provides a strategic advantage and your competitors are ditching the spreadsheets for analytics that turn digital information into profits. Data is a strategic asset Cloud ERP centralizes your business data and integrates disparate systems, eliminating redundant spreadsheets and departmental silos. With consolidated data, you can use cloud-based analytics and machine learning to understand customer trends and explore new revenue opportunities. Using data as a strategic asset, you [...]

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Having a successful, growing business is the dream of every small company. However, this growth does not come without challenges. Many small companies have several different departments and with them, several different disconnected software products. As these companies become larger, however, managing all these different disjointed software environments becomes difficult and time-consuming. This was a challenge faced by Company A. As a rapidly growing accessibility solution provider with offices in many countries, the company is expecting to double in size within the next year. They needed a centralized system where [...]

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E-commerce for construction may not affect the immediate survival of your company, but going forward, it will be an important part of your strategy. Traditional business methods may be effective, but they will allow you to remain relevant only if other construction companies continue to use them too. Digitization is becoming more mainstream even in traditional industries, and customers realize that they have power and choices. They want fast and efficient service with transparency. You have to keep your customers if you are going to keep your business. Also, a [...]

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Simply using your ERP system as the source of product and inventory data across all your channels isn’t enough. If there is too much of a delay in the refreshing of data, you could still be sharing incorrect information with your clients. Price differences could be discussed and adjusted, but inventory inconsistencies can lead to problems that are more difficult to fix. Imagine: your client needs one of your products with some urgency. So much urgency, that they can’t afford to wait for a delivery from your web store. Instead, [...]

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 These are some of the steps you can take to prevent e-commerce returns and errors, due to human errors and incorrectly displayed information: Make Sure You are Using Clear, Accurate, and Complete Online Product Descriptions. Incorrect product selection is the leading cause of online order error and returns. To help your customers make correct selections, be sure to provide detailed product descriptions. Include all the information your customer might need in an easy-to-understand format. Include images, diagrams, and product specifications. Make Use the Power of and Data Housed in Your [...]

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The implementation of a business management system, whether it’s an ERP or CRM solution, maybe a long process that hinges on several factors and involves many of us. Don’t think that only your implementation partner is going to be working! The input of your organization is going to be required to coordinate and manage the implementation internally while ensuring that expectations and concerns are communicated properly together with your partner in order that most are on an equivalent wavelength. As such, you'll be required to figure in teams throughout the [...]

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Online-to-offline commerce is a business strategy that is a customer journey that has both online and offline phases. Online-to-offline commerce (O2O), identifies customers in the online space, such as through emails and internet advertising, and then uses a variety of tools and approaches to entice the customers to leave the online space. An example of such a journey would be a buyer searching for a product online, visiting a warehouse or showroom to view the product and then buying it on location or ordering the product online. Chances are you [...]

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Everyone knows why web stores love mobile: phone and tablet-toting customers can swipe, browse, buy, and bookmark more for later, all while standing in line for the bus. Here are three urgent reasons your B2B web store needs to go mobile… now. Orders Aren’t Everything Let’s start with the myth that mobile’s main strength is the B2C impulse buy. Even if your B2B clients aren’t placing orders from their phones, they still use mobile in their personal lives just like everyone else. They open and answer emails, browse ads, and [...]

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Given recent, widely published application and data breaches at well-known companies, worries about cloud and general IT security are not likely to diminish anytime soon. As is the case in other areas, cloud security, too, is subject to misconceptions.    As a special, prominent use case for the cloud, the internet of things (IoT) is often seen as high-risk, because unauthorized access and malevolent intent could damage data and communications as well as connected sensors and items. While some dramatic scenarios of hacking in the IoT have not materialized, they [...]

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1.   Planning As much as an eCommerce site launch requires adequate planning, the ongoing management of the web store also requires careful planning and management. A well-planned use of tools like Search Engine Optimization(SEO), Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, and Paid Advertising can help beat the competition. 2.   Customer Friendly With no salespersons to guide customers, their buying decisions are based on their perception of the company and the people behind the store. A bug-free, customer friendly and a well-designed site capable of guiding the customer through their buying process [...]

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Streamlining the Compliance Process Complying with the regulations for your industry and people set in situ by the government is often a big burden on your resources. The cloud ERP system builds compliance into the business processes and workflows. Checking for compliance is automated and clear digital paper trails make sure that audits go smoothly. Protecting Data Data breaches are an upscale prospect at any scale. The cloud ERP solution has powerful security measures in situ with the specialized staff to support it. Improving Customer Experience Most companies can't compete [...]

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Some of the key areas project teams are challenged with involved areas such as managing demand planning and forecasting; integrating customer orders via EDI, and streamlining warehouse management to name just a few. In general, CPG firms to keep in mind the following guidelines: 1. Process automation: Look for features and functions of an ERP system that takes out reliance on manual intervention and siloed spreadsheets, so the team is better positioned to deliver new products quickly and more cost-efficiently 2. Full Integration with CRM: Be sure the ERP system provides [...]

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Systematic Efficiencies New software options emerge almost every day for different areas of your organization. Each promises to revolutionize the way you do business, through accounting or human resources or any other area you have people working. Some of them are in fact fantastic, and give you a chance to run some parts of your company very well. Unfortunately, when you purchase software piecemeal, you get different areas with software options that don't speak to each other well. ERP software helps you bring the individual parts of your company into [...]

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Clear, Cross-Organizational Process Visibility Many small and mid-size manufacturers use accounting software as their main method of managing what’s going on in the organization. The problem with this approach is that, although valuable, accounting software won’t provide the clear, cross-organizational view necessary to help decision makers respond to current and future demands. A well-integrated ERP application, however, can provide insight into customer purchasing history, real-time sales order processes, and production levels so decision makers can respond quickly to changes in customer demand or in general market conditions. Flexible Production Scheduling [...]

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Cloud systems have been rewriting the rules of how distribution business is conducted. When the margins are low and the efficiency needs to be high, cloud solutions seem like the natural and intelligent options to migrate to. Here are some of particular to distributors from cloud-ERP systems: Instant Dashboards Real-time updates and greater in-depths into the supply chain promote transparency, tighter control, and reliability. This ensures that stakeholders and decision-makers get a holistic view of what’s happening on the ground. Efficient inventory With greater visibility comes greater control. This is [...]

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Whether you recognize it or not, you're already engaged in enterprise resource planning. Any time you check out the way to get the foremost out of your software, your equipment, or your people, you're working with resources and trying to plan for his or her best application. ERP management software provides a strong tool that helps you are doing this more efficiently. The software available can vary widely in usability and functionality, but you'll expect any ERP system you employ to perform a couple of basic functions. 1. Accounting Management [...]

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Centralization of Accounts and Contacts Both CRM and ERP software systems store detailed information on customers (including contact information, order history, and billing/shipping details). By integrating the 2 solutions, you can see all the details for one account in one location, rather than having to look at the same account in the two different solutions. This will also save time on data entry. Instead of updating accounts/contacts in both systems, you will only have to do so in one centralized location. Reduction of Data Duplication If you’ve ever used an [...]

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Business Intelligence The use of business intelligence for ERP systems can be a tool to produce strategic leverage. Business intelligence can be a milestone for good ERP systems as its usage goes well beyond compiling reports. With companies investing in AI-based applications, it’s imminent for ERP systems to integrate with artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques. AI-based ERP systems will have an advanced analytics tool with a great flow of automation and intelligent interfaces. Consumerization Social media platforms and its extensive uses have forced enterprises to use innovative ERP systems, [...]

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Less Capital Output With traditional, legacy on-premise ERP, there is a large upfront capital investment in hardware, servers, and infrastructure. Cloud ERP is managed and maintained by software and hardware experts in large, secure data centers. Manufacturers simply pay for the service they need. Subscription-based pricing is “pay as you go,” providing the option to choose how much—or how little—functionality to buy. This involves very little upfront costs. Faster Expansion Once cloud ERP is active, manufacturers merely need an online connection to feature new users and locations. Because there's just [...]

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Maximize Your Sales and Revenue Implementing an ERP has an immediate impact on your bottom line. Features designed to optimize the order-to-cash process eliminate inefficiencies, lead to smarter forecasting, and ensure a higher level of customer service. Plus, by automating some of the most time and labor-intensive aspects of the CRM process, your staff is free to focus more on selling. Empower Your Mobile Workforce Working outside the office is both an opportunity and an obstacle. Your staff can interact with clients anywhere at any time. But they often lack [...]

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Unauthorized Access  ERP software generally comes with a set of standard roles that are allocated to users on the basis of their functional tasks in the organization. Consequently, clients plugin user-based controls and limit a user’s software access on the basis of their customization and authorization level. For example, an accounts clerk would not possess access to the inventory management module in the ERP. However, there is a risk of users creating fraudulent transactions, making unapproved updates, or submitting entries with transaction errors that are preventable. The third security issue [...]

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Joined Up Thinking With ERP in place, departments are no longer cut off from one another with their data locked away into separate systems. Common business processes can now progress smoothly from one department to another without the need to re-enter data or search manually for information. With an ERP system in place, all the relevant data is readily available and mistakes are drastically reduced. Better Management  With an ERP system designed for small to mid-sized businesses, you get clear visibility across departments and a single source of data truth. [...]

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SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) SaaS is a method of software delivery. You can access data from any device with an internet connection and a web browser. The software is written, maintained, and hosted by the software vendor. Most of the time, you purchase this solution on a rental basis because it is web-/HTML-based. The software vendor hosts and maintains the servers, databases, and code. There are two varieties of SaaS. Vertical SaaS is a solution that focuses on the specific needs of the industry, for example, rental or transport. Horizontal SaaS focuses [...]

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1. Choose People for Competency and Ability, Not Job Title or Status Although it's imperative to have upper management involved throughout the project, when it comes to electing your implementation team, it is vital to choose the ability over status. Employees with managerial status aren’t necessarily more knowledgeable or qualified than other members of the team. When selecting your key players, look for savvy, experienced employees across the company to cross-train into the new ERP systems, or hire experienced permanent ERP professionals to augment the work of the implementation Partner. [...]

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Enterprise resource planning is not just for internal work functions. Integrating your ERP with e-commerce can make managing your customer-facing work much easier and more reliable, through automation and real-time updates. If you sell products online, using ERP for retail business can help you manage your revenue streams more efficiently and effectively. Inventory Levels One of the most frustrating aspects of online commerce for both businesses and customers is the inability to manage inventory. As customers take orders, any system that does not connect to your inventory is built to create problems. If you [...]

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Standard Chart of Accounts Multiple locations and business units sometimes retain their own spreadsheets for purposes of production and native operations. Having each location maintain its own chart of accounts can cause a disaster. A single ERP system centralizes and standardizes accounts, which is significant to accurate reporting. Otherwise, accurately comparing different business units is almost impossible. it's probably obvious but still worth mentioning that one ERP system dramatically reduces the time required for period reporting at the consolidated level. Single Source of Truth Financial numbers don’t lie, but gathering [...]

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Enhanced Functionality The functionality of the ERP system is distinct for every sector. Also, it cannot address every requirement of the business. As a result, organizations often integrate additional systems to augment the ERP. However, a number of the external systems are not incorporated adequately into the core systems, and organizations fail to reach complete optimization. The ERP systems should be implemented in such a way that there is room for further upgrading, while also ensuring cost-effectiveness. To achieve optimum results, organizations got to possess foresight about the changes in [...]

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Agility As market trends and customer demands change over time, so do company goals and wishes. Manufacturers today must have the power to react quickly to changes in supply and demand and still deliver products on time and profitably. this enables for changes to be made to any process and provides manufacturers the chance (and agility) to scale with any changes that they have to satisfy. By doing so, ERP software gives them the agility they have so processes are often easily customized to suit the wants of the business. [...]

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1. Communicate the benefits before rolling it out: Before even beginning the implementation process, people need to understand the reasons for the change, why it is necessary, and how it will help them with their daily work. If they don’t understand the reason and benefits behind such a big change, they will not buy in and would see the project as another thing to add to their busy day. 2. Make sure the system is easy to use: Your new ERP system should be fast, easy to learn and intuitive. Make sure [...]

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