The reports also said that SMEs, with annual revenues below $500 million, have to have an efficient and solid infrastructure in order to have a competitive edge. This is key for success and growth for these companies in the future.

The Vice President Research Fellow and Group Director at Aberdeen, Cindy Jutras, commented. She said, “As optimism increases for a worldwide economic recovery, small-to mid-size enterprises once again look forward to revenue growth. As a results, SMEs must seek competitive advantages that enable them to contain costs to ensure that growth of revenues is not as the expense of profits. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) can indeed be a strategic weapon. Not only does it provide a necessary infrastructure that forms he transactional system of record upon which a business is based, but it also serves as a source of cost savings and operational improvements, streamlining and accelerating processes, allowing SMEs to compete on the same stage as larger companies.”

Essentially, with a solid and efficient ERP system, companies can save thousands or millions of dollars. Aberdeen says that businesses with an ERP system can expect to cut administrative costs by 20%, operating costs by 22% and inventory by 17%. These companies can also expect to increase internal schedule compliance by 17% and complete on-time shipments by 19%, with a high-performing ERP system.

Read more about this report on Aberdeen’s website.

Technorati Tags: aberdeen, ERP, ERP Solution, small and medium enterprises, SME

Quantum, a producer of high-quality, custom fabrics, required an ERP platform to manage their complex corporate structure comprised of seven companies in three different locations. They wanted a more flexible ERP system that could be accessed anywhere without the investment of installing and maintaining client software. After evaluating their existing NetSuite solution, they proceeded to make the switch to Acumatica ERP, which is a fully integrated and hosted application.

Barbara Page, controller at Quantum Group said, “After Seven years of using the NetSuite platform and needing more control and flexibility for our expanding business, we made an assessment and decided to switch to Acumatica.”

Acumatica ERP’s migration tools made Quantum’s jump from Netsuite simple for M2 technologies, one of Acumatica’s value added resellers, to facilitate.  Accumatica has proven to be a good fit for Quantum because of advanced financial features that can be shared by multiple users across the entire organization. With all of these features and benefits Quantum is able to involve more people in their business process automation, and best of all, Acumatica does not charge user based fees.

After the successful implementation of Acumatica’s cloud ERP, Quantum has continued to utilize cloud computing technologies by leveraging the Microsoft Azure cloud.  This lets the company benefit from built-in disaster recovery features without the worry of managing operating systems, hardware, and other datacenter issues.

Ezequiel Steiner, Acumatica CEO, commented on Quantum’s recent switch to Accumatica. He said, “We’re pleased to add Quantum to the roster of enterprises that have selected our platform to enhance their business processes. Quantum can automate its operation by quickly adding multiple users without having to install and lock in to client software or pay additional license fees. Users can access real-time data, features, and reports from any location. And the company has the control they need at a price they can afford.”

Technorati Tags: Acumatica ERP, distributor erp

In conjunction with our previous post about cheap ERP software, this post highlights cheap open source ERP software provider Openbravo. Openbravo has been named ‘Best of Open Source Enterprise Software’ by InfoWorld, and is an inexpensive alternative to traditional ERP solutions.

InfoWorld held their ‘Bossies’, Best of Open Source Software, awards recently to honor the best of the best in the open source world. Open source software is a hot topic in the tech world because it is a cost-effective and easily implemented solution.

Openbravo ERP, as praised by InfoWorld, “is a package that combines finance, sales, purchasing, and inventory modules. A free community edition and an extensive professional version are available through commercial license. Its plug-in architecture offers simple, template-driven setup and customization without the hard coding. The version 3.0 release candidate enhances navigation with quick-launch shortcuts and tabbed panels that allow users to view multiple grids simultaneously. New role-based portal pages and dashboards also contribute to the highly customizable experience.” InforWorld finished by saying that “getting started couldn’t be simpler, thanks to a newly streamlined setup process and preconfigured editions on Ubuntu Server and Amazon Cloud.”

The cheap ERP software provider has shown significant growth recently with the availability of the open source ERP solution Quickstart. Not only is Openbravo QuickStart an inexpensive option, it is also up and running on the fly. Openbravo has witnessed customer expansion in the form of over 1.7 million downloads. Openbravo open source ERP is in prime position for success, as the software industry has experienced a major demand for cheap and flexible ERP solution options.

Openbravo CTO, Paolo Juvara states: “It’s great to be recognized by InfoWorld yet again-it’s such an honor for us at Openbravo and our community. We’ve made it our mission to bring ERP to the masses, and in doing so have developed a product that strives to deliver a superior user experience by combining web-based simplicity with practical features. We want to transform open source ERP, and awards and recognition from respected sources such as InfoWorld fuel our ambition to continue delivering new and innovative solutions for each of our customers and our entire community.”

Technorati Tags: cheap erp, cheap erp software, open source, Open Source ERP, open source ERP software, openbravo, OpenBravo ERP

The implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution is a costly endeavor. Despite the promise of a worthwhile return on investment (ROI), companies that are looking for an inexpensive solution upfront could find a happy medium in open source ERP software. There’s no doubt that an ERP solution is essential in optimizing business efficiency. However, ERP solutions are typically shockingly expensive, especially to business owners in this day and age. Open source ERP solutions give business owners the benefits of ERP without the scary overhead costs.

ERP solutions help businesses manage their operations in one unified system. ERP is designed to improve efficiency, streamline operational costs, and increase overall productivity. Open souce ERP offers the same benefits of ERP but at a lower cost. Open source ERP is cheap ERP software.

There are several other benefits to open source ERP implementation that are worth discussing.  Aside from being inexpensive, Open Source ERP software is easy to implement with a shorter setup timeframe than traditional ERP solutions. With less downtime in the mix, companies can optimize their efficiency.

Cheap open source ERP solutions are becoming increasingly popular amongst the small to medium sized enterprises. SME’s have fewer resources than large companies, not to mention a significantly lower spending budget. SME’s need to rely on cheap ERP software, like open source options, to whip their businesses into shape while avoiding over-spending.

A few popular open source ERP vendors include: Openbravo, Consona Compiere, Apache, TinyERP and PostBooks.

Technorati Tags: cheap erp, cheap erp software, cheap erp solutiuon, ERP Software, inexpensive erp, open souce erp

Panorama Consulting Group has been hard at work creating a web-based ROI calculator for ERP investments. Hopefully all the hard work will pay off for users as well, as the product is finally being launched. Panorama designed the ROI calculator to assist website visitors who want to calculate the potential ROI on ERP software investments. So once you decide which ERP software solutions you plan on considering, Panorama’s ROI calculator can help with the next steps.

Panorama’s ERP ROI calculator is built on information collected from numerous research firms. The ROI calculator gives users a near accurate estimate based on data the user inputs into the platform. It’s ERP consulting made easy, thanks to Panorama. The calculator makes assessments based on a number of criteria including: estimates of tangible costs like inventory and labor, time-of-delivery, sales close-time, and order fill time. The ERP ROI calculator also considers employee number, license cost, project management and implementation cost. The final result gives users an ROI estimate and timeline for payback.

“In today’s volatile economy, companies need to know that their ERP software investments are delivering measurable value,” said President of Panorama, ERIc Kimberling. “Panorama helps clients select and implement in such a way, so we wanted to provide the ERP community with a high-level summary of what we do for clients on a daily basis.”

To check out the ROI calculator, visit: http://panorama-consulting.com/resource-center/erp-roi-calculator/.

Technorati Tags: panorama consulting roi erp, panorama roi calculator, roi calculator, roi erp, roi erp calculator

Are you a SMB owner? Looking for a great SMB ERP solution?

Zensar would like to meet you.

The software services provider, Zensar, has launched their SME enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution for domestic markets. Zensar ERP is powered by Microsoft Dynamics ERP. Microsoft Dynamics ERP was designed with midsized businesses with industry-specific functionality for their respective industries, in mind.

Zensar ERP offers a web-based model dedicated to meet the needs of SME in India. The SMEs in India typically share the same challenges of staggering growth countered by an overwhelming lack of IT support.

“SMEs play a vital role in the economy and need IT enablements that are world class, affordable and customized to the Indian environment. We have leveraged our software development, hosting and cloud computing expertise in collaboration with leading OEMs to provide best-in-class hosted ERP software to the SME Automotive cluster in the country. Our vision is to expand our offerings in the SME market segment to other clusters such as Leather, Textile”, said Assoc. VP of Zensar, Harsh Kohli.

Zensar has also been given the task of managing the Microsoft Navision ERP solution, as a loyal partner. Zensar ERP will drive Microsoft success by ensuring that the Dynamics suite is the best solution for SMEs in India by managing the cloud computing framework, company specific configuration and IT support.

Director of Microsoft India, Subhomoy Sengupta explains: “Microsoft Dynamics Navision provides and ERP platform that not only integrates all the critical business processes but is also fast to implement, easy to configure and simple to use. We continue to deliver innovative ERP solutions jointly with our partners to help these businesses increase their efficiency and effectiveness.”

Technorati Tags: ERP, microsoft dynamics partner, SMB ERP, sme erp, zensar, zensar erp, zensar sme erp

Carto Micro which is short for Cartones Microcorrugados settled on Epicor ERP for its advanced technology, software infrastructure, support frame and promise of quick ROI. Epicor’s ERP solution was also provided the company with a reasonable implementation timeframe.

“Two years ago we started to see potential growth opportunities for our company and we wanted a new ERP solution, better suited to support Carto Micro’s future business requirements. After evaluating ten ERP providers, the decision was made to with Epicor,” said Juan Augusto Rivas of Carto Micro.

The cardboard manufacturer is based in Guanajuato Mexico and makes cardboard products for SMB distributors. Carto Micro is hoping that implementing Epicor ERP will help with managing operations in the most efficient way. “Epicor ERP gives us a technology solution that integrates all our business information, which will enable us to have a better control over our staffing and material resources,” said Rivas.

The company looks forward to experiencing an efficient and collaborative workflow with the help of Epicor ERP. Epicor ERP has business applications and the tools needed to help drive Carto Micro’s success.

Technorati Tags: Epicor, Epicor ERP, Epicor Manufacturing Express Edition, ERP

Disaster Recovery ERP was designed with the customer in mind, helping provide security for Lawson’s customers’ information. The delivery method for the Disaster Recovery technology is on demand, so Lawson customers can enjoy the flexible capacity of the ERP product. Lawson Data Recovery ERP will be able to pull customer data and restore software ERP functionality, giving businesses the ability to be back in operation in 12 hours or less.

“Currently, many organizations risk being down for days and losing significant amounts of data in the event of a disaster, and that can be devastating to their business. Our customers have asked for a reliable cost effective business continuity solution when it comes to their most time-sensitive business processes,” said Lawson VP, Terry Plath. “By taking advantage of the flexible capacity and rapid scalability of the Cloud, we can quickly restore the customers’ instance of the software along with their production data to minimize down time. This helps minimize the time it takes to get them back on track with their core business processes. Ultimately, this provides greater peace of mind when lost minutes and hours can make a tremendous impact on their business.”

Scott County Minnesota, a Lawson customer, has implemented cloud Lawson Disaster Recovery. With the help of Lawson ERP, the country has improved their recovery time by 36 hours. The cloud ERP provider and county administrators worked closely during the implementation process to ensure that industry best practices were being used. Lawson also helped the county test recovery time once the implementation phase was over.

“Our constituents, including county employees, need confidence that we can confidence that we can continue our business operations in the event of a disaster,” said CFO of Scott County, Kevin Ellsworth. “Our testing of Lawson Disaster Recovery has shown a significant reduction in the amount of time it can take us to restore many of our core significant reduction in the amount of time it can take us to restore many of our core business processes. We need to be able to make payroll, manage our financials and ensure that we have supplies needed to run efficiently. Extended downtime can cause considerable disruption in our services to residents of the county and our employees, which is not acceptable.”

The company hinted at creating disaster recovery software in early April and has since then made the software available for its S3 customers. “This product introduction underscores the fact that some of the best innovation in enterprise software comes from the collaboration we have with our customers,” said Plath. “By listening to their needs and working closely with them on innovative ideas, we’re able to deliver new products and services that address issues that directly affect their business. Now with Cloud computing as a reality in enterprise software we’re able to bring even greater innovation and speed to market with new products and services.”

Technorati Tags: Cloud ERP, ERP, lawson disaster recovery, lawson erp, lawson erp disaster recovery

Novus, a biological products manufacturer, has selected Epicor 9 to streamline its ERP processes. Epicor provides ERP solutions for midmarket companies as well as Global 1000 conglomerates. Novus’ products are designed to organize and expedite scientific research processes in the biotechnology field. Novus has implemented Epicor ERP in the hopes of facilitating and sustaining profitable business growth.

Novus is based in Colorado with operations in the UK and over 170,000 products. Before settling on Epicor 9, the company used a legacy system. As Novus began to proliferate, the company realized they needed a more efficient ERP solution. Novus selected Epicor ERP to streamline their front and back end processes to optimize workplace efficiency. Novus Biologicals was keen on implementing Epicor ERP because it would provide the biotech company with a single system record and promote enterprise-wide visibility.

Scott Osgood, VP of IT for Novus explains: “Selecting Epicor’s highly scalable and flexible ERP solution was critical to supporting our expansion plans and consolidation strategies. As a result of our substantial product line growth, Novus Biologicals is expanding into new markets and geographies prompting us to invest in a modern enterprise-class system that can support our global business requirements. Epicor will automate tasks, streamline business processes and synchronize backend operations allowing us to focus on strategic activities that will help us facilitate profitable growth.”

Novus is keen on overseas expansion and leveraging Epicor 9’s ERP solution to make it happen. Unlike the legacy system, Epicor ERP helps businesses delegate resources in efficient ways. “The opening of our UK office was the tipping point which led us to search for a global business management solution,” said Osgood. Epicor 9 is equipped with multi-currency, country and language options, thereby making global expansion feasible.

Novus looks forward to leveraging Epicor 9 to decrease inventory costs as well, due to efficient planning. With Epicor ERP, Novus can better manage tracking, scheduling and supply chain management. “Understanding the position and availability of our products throughout the world allows us to deliver our products and services faster and at a lower cost to our customers,” said Osgood. Epicor ERP is also helping Novus improve their customer interactions by expediting and managing customer demands more efficiently.

“We are excited to provide Novus Biologicals with a flexible business solution that will scale with the company as they grow now and in the future,” said Epicor VP, James Norwood. “Epicor will allow Novus Biologicals to focus their attention on strategic growth activities by enabling them to be more efficient in the management of their business operations and responsivie to the needs of their customers on a global basis.”

Technorati Tags: Epicor, Epicor 9, Epicor ERP, ERP, Novus Biologicals

Microsoft has been working on ‘project green’ which is to unify all four ERP solutions into one to give a powerful solution to its users because there are serious overlapping of features and functions in the four Microsoft ERP solutions which does not justify their separate presence in the market. As far as Microsoft dynamics SL is concerned, it is more suitable for project based companies rather than manufacturing or large distribution enterprises. To identify the most suitable option for any large enterprise out of the other three ERP solutions of Microsoft, it is important to consider the criteria companies follow to choose an ERP solution.

Customization of the available ERP is important to fit in the exact requirements of the user, Microsoft Navision, Axapta or Great plains can be customized with ease but customization of GP is the easiest of them. Great plains is considered as easiest to setup and launch in comparison to Navision and Axapta. Navision requires mid-size customization while Axapta has longer implementation cycle. With the MS SQL server at back end both Navision and GP, are capable of giving more integration and reporting options with crystal reports. Being an SQL based ERP both of these can be integrated with Unix, Linux or Oracle comfortably.

While doing ERP selection for large corporation one of the primary requirements is the capability of the ERP to work in multi-company, multi-division and multi-currency environment. These procedures shall be added on, as and when required, and with out any restrictions, Navision, Axapta and Great plains provide such working environment. In terms of flexibility all the three ERP solutions of Microsoft are at par, though Great plains has more options as add on, which gives it more flexibility to adjust according to the user requirements and also makes it cost effective.

User friendliness and internet integration are other criteria used by the large enterprises for ERP selection. Today almost every ERP provide internet integration for e-commerce, web portals and e-business facilities including Axapta, Navision and Great plains. All the Microsoft ERP solutions are user friendly and can be handled easily even by the staff of the company having minimum IT skills. Role tailored of role center screens of Axapta has been its highlight which gives a customized screen for better and quick understanding and feeding of data by removing irrelevant grids and information.

Over all out of the three Microsoft dynamics ERP solutions, Great Plains with its 10 years of presence, its flexible features, quick implementation, cost effectiveness, internet integration and integration with MS office and other Microsoft products, appears to be the most suitable ERP solution for large enterprises. Though recently there has been a surge in the installations of Axapta but it is still a relatively new ERP compared to Navision and Great plains.

Technorati Tags: Axapta, ERP large businesses, Great Plains, Microsoft Navision