Posted by Melanie Howell on Fri, May 11, 2012
So you've chosen an ERP system and have it in place. How do you know if your people are using it most effectively? Here are five ways to measure ease of use:
- Navigation - Have you ever encountered a program where it took forever to discover where to find the commands you wanted to use? We all know how frustrating that can be. And it can waste your employees' valuable time finding where to go. Ease of navigation is a key factor in determining how effectively your ERP system is being used.
- Personalization - In tandem with navigation, being able to personalize a program ensures that your staff can best fit the program to their needs. Having the program customized simplifies navigation and makes efficiency the name of the game.
- ERP Integration with other programs (especially MS Office) - Email and word processing are an important part of daily business. Having the ability to smoothly integrate your ERP system with your other main programs will streamline your document handling, and enable you to more easily keep track of what is going on in all aspects of your business.
- Information accessibility - Have you ever spent precious time trying to find information that you stored away some time ago? If so, you know that remembering where things are stored and how to access them is time-consuming. ERP systems allow you to easily retreive valuable company data through reporting.
- ERP Training - Training can be a very prolonged process. New employees need to be trained on your ERP system before they can be left on their own, and current staff may need training on functions they haven't encountered yet. The easier a system is to use, the faster the training process is, and the shorter down-time you'll experience with each employee.
Posted by Melanie Howell on Wed, May 02, 2012
So you've decided to implement an ERP system - great! Now you have to decide how you want to set up your licenses. A perpetual ERP license means that you pay one lump sum for the
software, and then you use it forever (some vendors may require that you only use the license when paying for a maintainance contract with that vendor). A term ERP license is one where you pay to access the software for a specific period of time ("term") and at the end you must either renew or discontinue use. So which accounting / ERP software licensing option is right for you?
Perpetual Licensing for ERP Software:
- Pay once;
- Often requires a maintenance contract with your software vendor in order to keep your license active;
- Maintenance contracts include routine maintainance and often certain basic upgrades (but not all);
- Is a long-term investment in software and allows for more customization (usually);
- More expensive up front.
Term Licensing for ERP Software:
- Pay yearly (or whatever term is set up);
- If you don't renew, you no longer have access to the software (or the data you have stored);
- Often does not require a maintenance contract;
- Allows for more flexibility if you want to change software;
- Less expensive up front.
Posted by Melanie Howell on Wed, Apr 25, 2012
One of the many advantages of an ERP system is the ability to utilize your data in new and informative ways. As your business grows and changes, you are going to need to analyze ever shifting amounts and types of data. Using your existing ERP to run new reports means that you're increasing the value that you've already invested in without new expenditure.
Many companies are saving themselves time and money by looking at their current business data in new ways. What are some possibilities that you may not know existed?
- Inventory - you already track what products you have in stock and where you're shipping them. What other functions could you utilize to better understand your industry process? Is it possible that tracking the required date could help you anticipate that a certain customer is about to request a rush order based on past ordering experience?
- Human Resources - you track PTO time, vacations, and length-of-service, what about comparing the time-off requests of your employees to their job location? Maybe you'll see that certain departments are more likely to want time out of the office during a certain season, and you can find out why and work on fixing any potential issues.
- Estimating - Keeping on top of the estimates you've sent to customers and potential customers is a great way to see how your sales people are doing. Another piece of information you could track here is how those estimates will affect production. If your sales team just sent out a substantial estimate, it would be good for your other departments to be aware of it, as well as what the likelihood of it becoming reality is.
So how are you using your ERP system? For more information on ERP systems and improve insight into your business data, please
contact WAC Consulting Group at 877-909-2224.
Posted by Melanie Howell on Fri, Apr 20, 2012
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems enable companies to closely integrate strategy, organizational structure, business process and technology into a cohesive whole. Applications within the system can include financial, manufacturing, human resources, payroll, and distribution. With so many parts, ERP systems are highly customizable to your needs, however choosing the correct system for your business can be daunting. So how do you choose an ERP system that will grow with your company?
- Don't sweat the basics - ERP systems have been around long enough that the basics are all in place, and you only need to focus on unique or industry-specific requirements.
- Identify - Talk with your employees and managers to determine what your processes are, and where they see the most change. They will be intimately familiar with what changes regularly, and give you the best insight as to where you need flexibility.
- Budget - Plan out how much you plan on spending both in time and money. Knowing what your expectations are before starting the process means that you can talk to vendors about your needs and wants. Also, be aware of the costs of maintenance and upgrades. Ask your business technology consultants how often upgrades are released, if the cost of the upgrade is included in your license, and if any specialists are needed to perform the upgrades. You'll also want an idea of how any customizations will be effected by changes. If you have a highly customized system, upgrades may require a complete redesign of your custom platforms - or not. Know what you're getting in to.
- Vendors - There are three main types of vendors (though some vendors could be more than one): Horizontal (Generic), Vertical (Industry Specific), and Custom. Determine which fits your lists best, then get proposals from a number of vendors. Once you've narrowed down the proposals, call references and get demonstrations. Ensure that this is a company you plan on working with long term - for as your company grows and adapts, your ERP system will need to as well.
- Test Drive - Prepare a script that has transactions that would need to touch on every aspect of the potential system (only do this with a maximum of one or two vendors, as it's time consuming for both you and them). Ensure that each piece of the process works for you and your people. Ask the vendor staff about the process of making changes. If it takes a significant amount of time to make small changes, that vendor may not be the best choice for you.
Every business is different, so only you know what your business needs. Contact WAC Consulting Group today to find out how you can utilize ERP systems to maximize efficiency at your business.
Posted by Melanie Howell on Wed, Mar 28, 2012
A growing trend in Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS) is using the information you gather through the HR system to make better-informed business decisions.
Instead of making decisions based on limited data and supposition, you are able to incorporate company-wide data into your decisions. The data can help you track workforce trends, plan for future needs, understand standards in your workforce, and better measure payroll, administration, benefits and time management.
Tracking workforce trends will allow your HR department to better anticipate staffing needs, and be aware of what is happening within the other departments of your company. Anticipating staffing needs will allow you to accordingly handle your hiring process and take more time in choosing the best candidates for each position. This minimizes turnover, and saves your company time and money. By understanding workforce standards, you can ensure that you're keeping pace with the industry in compensation and competitive thinking. In doing this, you can improve employee morale, retention and motivation.
When you start tracking payroll, administration, benefits and time management, you can ensure that your staff is being compensated appropriately. You can also guarantee that you will be able to spot potential abuse of company policies before they become severe.
All of these functions of HRMS can make deciding on multiple issues much more simple and informed. So what are you waiting for? To learn more about HR Software download our whitepaper, '5 Things to Consider When Choosing an HR System For Your Business.' For more information on HR Software contact WAC Consulting Group at 877-909-2224.
Posted by Melanie Howell on Tue, Mar 20, 2012
Is your business experiencing high return volume because of warehousing inefficiency or inventory inaccuracy? Would you like to increase picking, packing and shipping efficiency at your warehouse? Would you like to eliminate charge backs because of EDI errors?
To discover how warehouse automation can help you manage a proactive distribution strategy and gain 100% system-wide accuracy sign up for our webinar, right away. The session kicks off on April 11th, 2012 at 2pm ET.
WHEN YOU ATTEND THIS 45 MINUTE WEBINAR SESSION YOU WILL LEARN:
- Five strategies to overcome the five distribution complexity drivers affecting your business.
- How to efficiently handle your growing list of customer/vendor requirements?
- How to maximize productivity within your distribution center by managing multiple workflows for several sales channels?
- What other distributors and manufacturers are doing to increase capacity and eliminate charge-backs with warehouse automation?
SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE ONLINE EVENT
Guest Speaker: Chad Collins, CMO at Accellos, Inc.
Panelists: Dane Karcher and Don Smith, warehouse management technology experts from WAC Consulting Group.
Date and Time: April 11, 2012 from 2:00pm ET- 2:45pm ET.
BUSY AT THAT TIME?
Sign-up anyway and we'll send you a recording to the webinar, so you can listen in when it's convenient.
Excerpt From Featured Online Publication
Managing the flow of goods to your customer has never been more complex. Whether it is compliance labeling, EDI, or other value added services; customers continue to demand more from their suppliers.
This can seem overwhelming for small to midsized businesses because they may not have the expertise or budget to deal with these complexities. This publication outlines several drivers for distribution complexity and identifies steps for addressing this complexity in a manner suited for small to midsized businesses - quickly and cost effectively.
Register now and get access to this 'hot off the press' online publication.
Posted by Melanie Howell on Tue, Mar 13, 2012
When Elite Home Products Partners David Schatz and Scott Perretz decided to outsource production to overseas suppliers — currently firms in China, India, Pakistan and Portugal — they essentially traded the complications of manufacturing for those of logistics. Retailer orders range from a few pallets to multiple truckloads and often are scheduled for delivery anywhere from within the week to literally months in advance. By contrast, burgeoning online business now finds thousands of small orders shipping each week, virtually on demand.
Over time, Elite’s increasingly recognized that its business was being hampered by outdated warehousing and labor-intensive fulfillment processes. Change arrived in late 2011 with a move to modern facilities, implementation of Accellos One warehouse management software, and a wireless network that establishes communications between the floor, the Accellos warehouse management system and the company’s Sage Pro ERP software.
Business Operations
From its beginning, the company eschewed the licensed product approach (Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Martha Stewart, etc.), preferring to focus on their own brands. As manufacturers, they developed their own product line but three years in, the partners shifted their focus from manufacturing to importing, operating from a multi-story facility in Passaic, New Jersey.
Typically, the company inventories some 4,500 SKUs at any given time, at least 2,000 of them active. Warehouse operations in the past were 100 percent manual, with little-to-no method in the placement of inventory. Absent racking or assigned bin locations, storage and retrieval were totally dependent on what VP-Operations Al Maurer calls the “tribal knowledge” of the work force as to where goods would be placed and where/how they were to be found. When containers arrived, the floor-loaded products were unloaded, palletized, and moved to open spaces on the warehouse floors. Inventory records were later updated in the management software, a home-grown system later replaced by Sage Pro 7.5.
Outbound retailer orders of multiple pallets and even full truckloads were (and are) shipped in a given day, often placed weeks in advance. Consumer orders placed on-line with such entities as the Home Shopping Network and Overstock.com arrive via EDI and normally ship same- or next day, one at a time. “We drop-ship 2,000 or more of these orders per day, and we were experiencing too much inefficiency and far too many fulfillment mistakes and delays,” Maurer says, noting another problem that concerned the inability to allocate inventory: “We could get a retailer order to be shipped in three weeks. Then we might get a second order for the same goods to be shipped sooner, from a different customer. We would fulfill the second order first, then find ourselves unable to fill the first order when the scheduled shipping date order arrived.”
Warehouse Management System Implementation
Accellos One WMS is a scalable and flexible real-time warehouse management software system that streamlines operations and inventory management through the use of automated paper-free processes, and radio frequency (RF) communications. For inbound product, it facilitates receiving up to full containers and coordinates breakdown and put away activities. For picking and shipping, it facilitates order receipt and fulfillment through paper pick tickets or wireless RF terminals and customer compliant label generation, with real-time integration back to the ERP software.
Besides Maurer, Madden and the WACCG team, the project involved a design consultant who structured the aisle, rack and bin layout of the facility. Karcher’s team replicated the physical layout in the software, completing the virtual configuration even before the racking went in. In the process, WACCG identified pick paths, designated them by bin sequence, and refined the software’s features to Elite’s requirements. Coordination was critical, Karcher says, since the warehousing software ultimately had to go live even as the inventory was being shifted to the new location.
A particularly complex aspect of the integration addressed drop-ship orders, which were personnel-intensive, with many people picking individual orders from many different locations. WACCG implemented controls that allow orders for goods stored in proximate locations to be consolidated and assigned to single pickers, who assemble them and move them to the packing and shipping location.
Outstanding Results
Karcher’s WACCG team completed the integration of the Accellos software with Sage Pro Series as well as with the 123EDI software well ahead of schedule: allowed 45 days for the deployment, the team finished in only 36. In fact, merchandise was being transferred to the new facility and was shipping without interruption to retailers and their on-line customers even as the project rolled out.
Picking is now fast and efficient, every item and case in its proper location. Inventory accuracy hovers at 99 percent, and the company updates its drop-ship customers on a daily basis. The old allocation problem no longer exists. Orders scheduled to ship within three months are allocated and their contents are now made unavailable, although the Accellos software’s flexibility allows for unallocation and re-allocation.
Reporting is “orders of magnitude” better, with the company able to determine quickly the status of specific SKUs. We could not have achieved these things without the Accellos software and WACCG’s commitment and expertise,” Maurer says. “Our staff was able to execute the new processes quickly and they’re fully on board with the new way of doing things.”
Read the complete warehouse management success story. For more information on warehouse management solutions contact WAC Consulting Group at 877-909-2224.
Posted by Melanie Howell on Thu, Mar 08, 2012
Have you been considering implementing an Human Resource Management System (HRMS), but you don't know if it would bring sufficient value? It's a concern that many people share, and an understandable one - to want to maximize your spending. Well, an HRMS can help you do that by giving you deeper insight into your company in the following ways:
- Absences - Do you suspect that certain employees are always absent on the same days, or in another pattern, but don't have the time to track each person? HRMS software can help you do that without expending valuable man-hours. In addition, you can set the system to auto-alert both the employee and the manager that they are approaching their limits.
- Time-off automation - By having employees request their time-off through the HRMS, your business can track in real-time what days you have a number of employees taking time off, and arrange other personnel more effectively. This will allow you to maximize your personnel and ensure that you have adequate coverage at all times.
- Reviews - By automating and storing your employee reviews electronically, you can ensure that you can react to issues and address problems before they gorw out of control.
- Document Hosting - How much time does your HR staff spend responding to requests for copies of documents? Having the necessary documents and company policies and manuals stored on the system can allow your staff more time to respond to larger issues, while keeping your employees able to get to the information they need at all times.
- Analyzing Patterns - Do you have processes in your company which you don't understand the reason behind? Using an HRMS can help you analyze what those processes are and whether they are truly the most effective and efficient use of business resources.
- Complaints - Your HRMS software can track employee complaints and suggestions. By doing so, you can more quickly see where you need to improve processes or policies, or possibly where you need to address other employees' behavior. Your employees will feel their opinions are valued, and you'll be able to handle issues more effectively.
- Overtime Tracking - If a department is consistently surpassing it's overtime allowance, you can determine why. You can also use an HRMS to alert the appropriate person(s) that you're about to reach an overtime limit, averting the issue.
- Regulatory Compliance - As the regulations and laws around employees and employers get more complicated, HR Departments are being forced to spend more and more time tracking compliance. By automating many of the functions that need to be tracked, you can save time and money. Storing documents on an HRMS will often meet the same requirements as paper copies, saving you physical storage space as well.
- Recruitment Needs - Along with knowing when you're reaching or surpassing your overtime quotas, it's helpful to know when you need to hire more staff. Being on top of what staffing needs you have will ensure that you are addressing those needs before they become critical.
- Compensation - Are you paying your personnel appropriately? Using an HRMS can allow you to track performance versus compensation levels. You can analyze this data to ensure that your key personnel feel valued and well-compensated.
An HRMS can help you gain better insight into how your business is running, and then assist you in making it more efficient. For more information on HR software download our HR Software evaluation whitepaper
Posted by Melanie Howell on Tue, Feb 28, 2012
Many customers are still concerned about the state of the economy. As a result, they are still spending less, which could mean dropping margins for your company. How can you stem this reduction? Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) have the ability to assist your business in reducing costs, and maintaining helpful and accurate inventory. Implementing a WMS keeps IT costs low, while improving your technology base - thus allowing you to get higher value for your technology budget.
By tracking your inventory precisely, your employees will be able to respond to issues as they arise, before they impact the client, and before they become expensive to repair. Staying ahead of shortages and avoiding overages is another way in which a properly implemented WMS can cut costs without cutting quality.
At the same time that they're spending less, your customers are expecting better service. A WMS can aide you here as well. Your system can track customer preferences, enable your representatives to tailor their responses to specific needs and desires, and ensure a smooth overall process from ordering to delivery.
After the client has received their product, your technology can assist you in responding to re-order requests, returns, or questions with an efficiency that will keep both your representatives and your customers happy. And happy customers will bring both repeat business and new business in. Instead of finding out from a customer that a shipment has not arrived, your WMS can inform you of a backorder or a shipment delay before the client knows that one has occurred. Your employees can then be proactive and take the initiative and inform the customer ahead of them getting upset. In doing so, your business will provide excellent customer service (by anticipating issues and working to resolve them) without having to devote a large outlay of manpower and cost.
Not only can a Warehouse Management System reduce your costs, it can help you increase your income through improved customer relations. Maybe dropping margins will be a trend you don't follow in 2012! For more information on how to choose warehouse management systems download our online publication: How to Choose a Warehouse Management System?
To get notified of similar business managment articles subscribe to our blog at resources.waccg.com today!
Posted by Kari-Ann Ryan on Tue, Feb 28, 2012
Sage has released a new cloud platform for Sage CRM. The new Sage CRM cloud platform is running on Sage CRM v7.1 and supports two new versions of Sage CRM.
- Sage CRM Essentials delivers contact management and helps you manage your sales functions
- Sage CRM Professional automates marketing, sales and customer service operations
Sage CRM v7.1 Cloud will introduce a host of exciting new features:
- Sage CRM Interactive Dashboard allows for users to manage their business priorities and key accounts from a single screen.
- Connect multiple gadgets, re-size and re-position them (gadgets are tools that add into the software) on a single dashboard for a more dynamic and complete view of your customer data
- Custom dashboards can be easily created by users and configured with the key data they want to view
- New Sage CRM Report Charts for even better insight on business performance.
- Charts with rotating, slicing and printing options available
- Configurable, customizable and skin-able FusionCharts styles, fonts, backgrounds and legends
- Sage CRM Total Campaign Management with new marketing workflow and the ability to clone your most successful campaigns.
- Sage CRM for iPhone so you can update and access real-time customer information, view customer cases and manage opportunities and leads on the move.
For more information on CRM Software read our blog article: How Can a CRM System Help Deliver the 'Wow Factor' To Your Customers?
To sign up for a 30 Day Trial of the Sage CRM cloud platform contact WAC Consulting Group at 877-909-2224 today.