Why large companies use open source ERP

Why do large companies use open source Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems? The short answer: it’s cheaper and easier to customize.

Open source ERP typically have no license or software maintenance costs, eliminating a great sum of fees. This also makes consultant and programmer fees are much lower. Commercial ERP systems most often require costly databases and operating systems. Implementing an open source ERP system for a large organization is easily done, with a new interface shell created outside the core system, meeting the business needs. Open source ERP provides full source content, no need for lock-in or vendor dependency.

Of course there are some disadvantages with open source, though if you want a general ERP system that’ll do what you need and not feel as complicated, open source is a good option.

For Full Article, Click Here

The business case for cloud computing

Enterprises are able to reduce costs on hardware, maintenance and tech support through the migration of data, apps and infrastructure to the cloud. Chris Nerney, Information Technology writer, states that by “placing compute resources on a cloud platform that is easily accessible on any device, enterprises make it easier for developers to build and collaborate on applications”. Cloud storage is also a worry-free concern for server capacity and expenditures. Additionally, Nerney believes that the most critical aspect of the cloud is that it provides the ideal platform for collecting and analyzing big data, all in real time. He concludes, “As data continues to grow exponentially, cloud computing will become a strategic imperative”.

For Full Article, Click Here

Is the data in your CRM a ticking time bomb?

The maturing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) market is a desirable market for consumer data. However, over time, simply collecting this data gives organizations their first potential for a ticking time bomb. The CRM gets clogged up and polluted with dated and incomplete contact records. Decayed and dirty data in CRM systems and contact databases is costing businesses lots of money each year they do not clean it up, through penalties, brand damage and more. “Poor record keeping, poor security and a failure to comply with consumer requests are risks a business would be crazy to ignore,” says Ben Rossi, business and technology writer. “ The longer you ignore data quality, the worse it will get.”

For Full Article, Click Here

What Can ERP Do For Your Business?

In today’s fast-paced corporate environment, there are a lot of improbability due to several factors from competition and customers to global and local dealing. A business that cannot adapt quickly is not likely to survive in such settings. This is where a modern Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system can help substantially. ERP can help a business in the following ways:

  1. Better control over business operations
  2. Rationalized and simplified business processes
  3. Increased employee efficiency
  4. An integrated ecosystem
  5. Be future ready

With enhanced integration and workflow, businesses can be ready for challenges with better planning and control and the right ERP system.

 

For Full Article, Click Here

CRM Data is a Customer Satisfaction Goldmine

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software has developed a bad rap in companies due to “waste” and “inefficiency”.

Gartner projects that through 2015, 85% of Fortune 500 companies will fail to utilize big data for competitive advantage. That’s because they feel gathering this data has caused concerns including: volume of data, dark data, duplicate data, and incorrect data. None of these obstacles come as a big surprise, but many large organizations lack the manpower to set time aside to work on these valuable information.

Yet companies who don’t rely on CRM are only seeing things one-sided. Granted, this work is time consuming, though your customers can suffer from poor data management when interacting with reps from your company. Such instances like service mistakes and unfulfilled request can hurt customer retention and referral.

CRM is about the customer-business relationship, and that means maintaining existing relationships as well as forming new ones. With the right strategy, CRM can help your company make the most out of the relationships you already have, using the data you already have, as well as creating new relationships with the help of the relationships your already have.

There are many tactics to go about data mining, entering, and up-keeping, and CRM, when done right, can keep customers satisfied for a very long time.

For the full article, click here

The Workplace Benefits of a Cloud Based ERP

Flexibility is the name of the game in the business world today as the number of employees working from home continues to increase. The benefits of a cloud based ERP system are many and they work to alleviate cost issues and accommodate the growing number of teleworkers. Some of the most important benefits include the ability to access from any device (PC, Mac, tablet, etc.), less reliance on costly VPN and leased lines, web access using mobile devices, self-service for customers and suppliers via portals, elimination of the need for upgrades, enhanced security, and better internet connectivity.
For the full article, click here

Next Gen Managed Services Providers

The need to adapt to public cloud-based platforms, big data, and the need to provide services that support compliance continue to drive change in the managed services space. This evolution requires that managed services providers shift the number and types of services they offer. The depth of these offerings include the ability to manage public cloud services, the ability to provide specialized security services, the ability to provide high performance computing services to account for special applications and critical response time, and the ability to provide advanced high performance networking.

For the full article, click here

10 Tips For A Successful ERP Implementation

Technological innovation usually leads to increases in efficiency when computer-controlled processes, machines and equipment are concerned. Changes to business processes call for employees to demonstrate great flexibility and agility.

Larry Korak, Industry & Solution Strategy Director for Infor, presents ten tips to ensure that your organization has a successful ERP implementation: (For in-depth explanation of each tip, view full article via link below)

  1. Scope is key
  2. Align teams early on
  3. Get specialized treatment
  4. Think long-term
  5. Think out-of-the-box
  6. Be efficient
  7. User experience reigns supreme
  8. Training is paramount
  9. Set realistic expectations
  10. Communicate, collaborate and document

Korak concludes, “Whether it’s developing a product for a highly-demanding market, adding high-value services, or specializing in made-to-order quality products, a flexible ERP solution allows organizations to focus on the details that matter most to customers.”

 

For the full article, click here

Infor Adds Missing CRM Piece With Saleslogix Purchase

Infor announced plans to buy Saleslogix a CRM vendor from Swiftpage, who also own Act!. R Ray Wang, founder and principal at Constellation Research, says Saleslogix is a “decent product, but it’s been shuffled about from company to company over the years.” However, Saleslogix just might be the missing CRM piece in the Infor sales and marketing product group. “Infor provides the size, scale and resources that can help position Saleslogix as a leading product in the global marketplace,” says John Oechsle, CEO and President of Swiftpage. Infor has a Salesforce CRM integration tool called Inforce, but that not all of their customers want to use Salesforce. Wang believes the two products can live together and it gives Infor a more complete set of CRM product offerings.

 

For the full article, click here

How Technology Changed Customer Relation Management Systems

Technology has almost perfected Customer Relation Management (CRM). Any interaction with the customer is considered customer relationship management, this includes marketing, sales, or the overall customer experience with a business. Technology has made these tools easier to use, more efficient, and often times working in real time.

A soft option and one of the most popular cloud-based Internet platform is Salesforce. Their tools make the entire sales and marketing process more efficient with features like decentralized storage, universal data retrieval, and comprehensive data retrieval. A hardware option when it come to CRM are tablets and mobile devices. Businesses that equip employees with tablets or other mobile devices are able to obtain customer demographics and their contact information for later marketing efforts.

Prior to starting your venture into technology advances in CRM, be sure your employees are well-prepared and your business obtains the required resources to make the best of technology tailored solutions in CRM.

For the full article, click here