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My Eight Year Old Is Green And So Is My ERP Software
2008-05-19 14:13:00
Back in college I was once referred to as a “tree hugger”. I remember thinking this comment was a bit strange, because although I’ve always been conscious about how my actions altered the physical world around me, I’ve never been a fanatic about saving our environment. I thought back to this comment a few weeks ago when my eight year old daughter came home from school and tried to educate me with her new found knowledge on our environment. For five minutes I listened to a much less eloquent version of Al Gore speaking in my kitchen. When she finally came up for air, she was pleasantly surprise to hear our family recycles, we use energy saving light bulbs, and we have timers on our lights, our furnaces, and our air conditioners. I, of course, failed to mention the fact that we also own a hot tub, a ski boat, and a few gas guzzling SUV’s. All of which are horrible for energy conservation. As any good parent knows, you pick and chose the information you share with your child....
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When It Comes to ERP Software, Are You a Thought Leader or a Follower?
2008-05-02 21:58:00
Merriam-Webster defines a “follower” as one that follows the opinions or teachings of another individual. Not yet recognized by Merriam-Webster is “thought leader”, which is defined as an one who is recognized among their peers as an innovative thinker. So what does this have to do with ERP software you might ask? In the world of ERP, there are without doubt, followers and thought leaders. And the more I think about this topic, the more I realize this includes both ERP developers and end users. So ask yourself, are you and your company considered thought leaders or followers?This concept takes me back to college and my beloved psychology classes. At the forefront of my trip down memory lane is Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs as defined in his 1943 paper on A Theory of Human Motivation. Back in 1943 the business community was not yet thinking about ERP software and honestly, I certainly wasn’t thinking about it back in college. But today the two come together i...
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Looking for ERP Software? Have You Tried Visiting YouTube?
2008-04-23 19:43:00
Our world is constantly changing. From the manner in which we work and the methods by which we communicate, to the techniques we utilize to locate new products and services. Technology is rapidly evolving and our daily lives are evolving right along with our new found knowledge.I’ve blogged before about the evolution of technology, but for some reason, I just cannot seem to get enough of this topic. As Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 develop and become more popular, I eagerly await the changes these technologies will have on my work and personal lives. I love these concepts because for the most part, they can be easily embraced by companies large and small, as well as by people young and old. And it makes me wonder what can be arriving next?From a personal prospective, I have absolutely loved watching the text messaging craze explode. Over the last year I’ve noticed more and more adults around me using text messaging than ever before. From my tech savvy boss to my not-so-tech savvy h...
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Are ERP and Accounting Software Packages Really Ready for SaaS?
2008-04-10 19:28:00
Or should I ask, are companies ready to adopt a software as a service model? Had you asked me this question a year ago, my answer would have been much different. Today, I’m much more positive about the idea of hosted applications.Our ERP solution, Enterprise 21, has been available in an ASP or SaaS model for quite some time. At first the interest in the on-demand model was limited. Our experience in recent months has certainly proved otherwise. More and more prospects are welcoming the idea of hosted applications, as well as approaching us with questions on both hosted and onsite business software.For some time now, the IT community was familiar with such packages as Salesforce.com and could readily tell you this package existed. If you asked anyone what hosted ERP and accounting packages were available, the responder would have been much less confident in their answer. It’s one thing to allow your salespeople to use a hosted application to track contacts, but an entirel...
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How Small is Too Small When Purchasing ERP Software?
2008-04-01 19:17:00
A friend recently came to me and asked for assistance in selecting an ERP software package. Since I do work for an ERP software company, this in itself is not strange. What you may find strange is the fact that my friend is the owner of a small company that employees a total of three people. Now let me add two additional points of information. He is a developer of residential custom homes and that he lives and works in Michigan.Now I have your attention. What on earth would a small builder, in Detroit of all places, want with an ERP package? Everyone has heard how troubled Detroit’s local economy is right now and we’ve all been warned of Detroit’s bleak economical outlook. My friend wanted growth, process sophistication, and the opportunity to succeed. He wanted to be able to understand his true costs, to be able to customize quotes and building material options, all while responding to his customers quickly. He wanted what virtually every business owner wants for the...
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ERP Software Practices Can Even Help Manage Girl Scout Cookies
2008-02-12 19:21:00
Winter is here, cold weather abounds, and Girl Scout cookies are in plentiful supply. My daughter is a Girl Scout and much to my surprise, I am the cookie mom for the second year in a row. Last year my daughter and I were completely clueless on the process. She thought we were actually baking the cookies and I thought it would be a piece of cake. We were both wrong in our innocent assumptions.This year I hoped and prayed we’d do better. The Girl Scouts provide a mass of paper and forms, which of course, I conveniently ignore. I have my trusty spreadsheet ready and I calculate all the sales on this only to transfer final figures to the official submission forms due to council. I thought my experiences from last year would help ease the cookie pain this year. What I didn’t expect was that ERP software would actually help me too.As I sat surrounded by cookies in my SUV and prepared for the journey home from the cookie pick up, I contemplated what lay ahead for me and my tru...
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Microsoft, SAP, Democratic, or Republican? What is Your ERP Party?
2008-01-30 15:12:00
What political camp are you part of this presidential election? Are you Democratic , Republican , or independent? And why is this question part of an information technology driven blog?As I open my email this morning I see a breaking news alert from CNN. I’m informed Rudy Giuliani may drop out of the presidential race after his loss to John McCain in Florida. But, Mr. Giuliani may endorse McCain after he removed himself from the running. What? Is it that easy? Are the Republicans that united while the Democrats are almost brining out their boxing gloves at the debates? Will Obama drop out and endorse Clinton after his loss in Florida? And can someone please tell me where are all the independents?Again I’m sure you are now ask yourself, why I am talking about this on an IT blog. It brings me to the land of ERP solutions and the different tiers and their own “camps”. I believe there are two major ERP camps now that belong to SAP and Microsoft . Some may argue that Infor and Sage ...
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Vote for Your Next ERP or Accounting Software Vendor
2008-01-06 01:02:00
I must admit, I’m an American who historically has had little interest in elections or any political candidates for that matter. With the exception of my college years and my concerns over our economy, finding my first real job, and repaying my student loans, my interest in politics has been nonexistent. Any awareness of the candidates and their respective platforms only came to light when my sister instigated a debate with me and I was forced to take the opposite side of her on a democrat versus republican discussion.This year is different. For some reason I place a much higher value on our upcoming election, the candidates, and the entire electoral process. Maybe it’s because I’m now a mother of two, more mature, or because I live in Michigan and I’ve watched the effects of our local economy deeply hurt my friends and family. I don’t know the reason to be honest. But something in me has changed and I find myself trying to figure out the difference between a caucus ...
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Dear Online Merchant - What ERP System Do You Use?
2007-12-14 14:32:00
It’s the holiday season, so I’m focused on buying gifts and hopefully spreading some holiday cheer. For some demented reason, this of course, makes the propeller head in me return to ERP software and usage.Back in the middle part of November I placed an online order at very popular candle manufacturer’s website for about $150 worth of glass holiday candles. These were gifts for my staff and the variety of Girl Scout leaders and teachers I need to deliver gifts to over the next few weeks. The online order I placed never returned an order acknowledgement. I found this strange, but assumed my spam filter grabbed it and I just didn’t notice it.Let’s move forward two week when my candles still do not arrive. A quick visit to the manufacturer’s website indicates they are experiencing delays in shipping orders. This is their statement, not mine. When used, their toll-free phone number gives a rapid busy signal. At this point my heart goes out to their customer service de...
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What's on Your "ERP" Wish List?
2007-12-06 14:16:00
It is the holiday season and I'm thrilled. As with most Americans, I'm busy shopping, wrapping, decorating, and planning. Since I work full-time and have two kids, it seems like this all fits in between the hours of nine and eleven at night. As I strive to achieve my daughter's Christmas list to Santa, I think about my own ERP wish list.We all make lists in our head and many of us make New Years resolutions. If you could compile your ERP wish list or your list of resolutions for 2008, what would it be? Would it include data clean up, greater inventory turns, or to actually take the time to learn something new in your ERP software? If I had my own ERP wish list, I would wish for the ability to make and complete one resolution for each of my customers. I would wish that each individual takes the time to learn about one new function, inquiry, or report in their latest ERP upgrade. Nothing too elaborate, just something useful.I see existing customers fall within the daily grind of ev...
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Why Doesn’t This ERP System Work?
2007-11-13 17:39:00
It is our busy season. Between conferences, demonstrations, and training - our staff is running around the country like chickens with their heads cut off. I am one of these chickens and I’m trying hard not to peck to death any innocent bystanders. A few weeks ago I found myself at yet another trade show. As with the rest of the exhibitors, I was standing in my booth smiling and talking about the endless joys of information technology. While I was fully engaged in a discussion with a prospect, I see my colleague talking to another gentleman in our booth.Our booth is decent size and has four flat panel monitors with two monitors running presentations and two monitors ready for live software demonstrations. The man with my co-worker started to poke at one of the flat panel monitor and appeared to be very annoyed. Apparently he thought the software was based on a touch screen interface like a retail point of sale system or an iPhone. The gentlemen looked at my co-worker and asked “I...
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The Lead that Will Not Die = The ERP Implementation that Cannot Go-Live
2007-10-22 14:36:00
If you have ever worked in a consultative based selling environment or sold a high end product, you may have experienced the phenomenon of the “lead that would not die”. This occurs when a potential sale goes on and on and never seems to close. I’m not referring to a consumer shopping at a few stores for a new TV, but an organization searching years for a high end product like ERP or accounting software. For the new sales representative this presents a challenge. For the experienced software sales executive, this presents an implementation nightmare. Experienced ERP vendors know, the account that cannot close will also be the account that cannot go-live. Those of us familiar with technical sales can talk for hours on selection projects the go astray only to turn into purchases that never go-live. At first my colleagues and I thought this phenomenon was an isolated event. It is not. Organizations that cannot articulate their needs or narrow down a long list of software supplier...
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Evaluating Business Software in Smokey Rooms and with Shell Games
2007-10-01 16:21:00
Last week my firm exhibited at the National Manufacturing Week trade show in Chicago, Illinois. All week a little voice inside my head kept nagging me. Do smoke signals and shell games really influencer your purchase decision?With the emergence of the worldwide web, online demos, pod casts, webinars, and virtual trade shows – are physical, convention based trade shows still a viable avenue for such critical purchase decisions like enterprise level business software?Even with the emergence of the internet and electronic commerce, an ample supply of trade show still exist for the wondering purchaser to visit. For those of us selling our technology based hardware and software products, there are plenty of venues to consider, as well as plenty of manufacturers and software developers willing to exhibit. That being said, the whole process makes me wonder if serious buyers really go to physical trade shows to purchase ERP or accounting related software applications.As a company, we’ve...
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IT Audits: Helicopter Parenting the ERP Way
2007-08-31 19:56:00
Two years ago my daughter started kindergarten and I attended the curriculum night at her school. The principal gave a heart filled and frank talk on the subject of helicopter parents and the problems they create for their children. We all know those helicopter parents and we’ve all probably been one at some time or another.The principal cautioned us about being one of “those parents”. He was referring to those mothers and fathers who swoop in and fix everything for their children before they can feel any repercussions or incur any damages from inadequate performance. He cautioned about stopping the natural learning curve by preventing the child from learning from cause and effect. My daughter’s principal admitted he was a helicopter parent and his teenage son was now feeling the negative effects of his father’s desire to over parent.I was reminded of this discussion this week when I visited one of my customers. The firm is a small manufacturer who has been using our softw...
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Are You a True ERP System or an ERP Wannabe?
2007-08-23 20:22:00
I am beginning to think there is considerable confusion between true ERP systems and simple software programs. And I have to admit, I take offense when a company refers to their product as an ERP system, when in fact, it appears to be a software package with functionality focused in one or two operational areas.I realize I’m probably overly sensitive on this subject, but ERP is my career and my livelihood. It consumes both my time and my thoughts. So yes, when I read about software suppliers I’ve never heard of refer to their new or improved product as the “next ERP” or the “ERP alternative”, I get a bit disturbed.Although there are certainly different tiers of ERP packages, ERP at the core is an enterprise wide system. My company, Technology Group International, is not a tier one product like SAP or Oracle, but we do offer an enterprise wide solution. We are a tier two ERP provider that offers significant functionality and quite honestly we are proud of our product...
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ERP Selection Case Study – A Solid Evaluation Project
2007-08-09 19:49:00
My previous blog entries have included very frank discussion regarding the various elements of technology evaluation projects. And although I’ve talked about one of my favorite customer demonstrations, I’ve also talked a lot about what goes wrong with selection projects.Today I was reminded of a solid evaluation project and the positive effect a strong, focused project team can have on the entire project. The team who appears to not only “get it”, but also “can keep it” all together.About a year ago I was covering for a colleague on vacation when I received an inbound call from “Fred”. Fred was in the early stages of an evaluation project and was exploring ERP solutions. He found my company on the internet and had a million questions about Technology Group International, our product offering, and our services. I talked to Fred for quite a while and reviewed his list of pain points in email later that day.When my co-worker returned, I transferred Fred’s informa...
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I’ll Know it When I See it - Will You? Are You Sure?
2007-08-02 15:51:00
As a software developer, we encounter a wide range of companies, software selection teams, and project managers. We see all types of philosophies and all types of management styles when we engage in technology evaluation projects. As my colleague blogs - we’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.This week prospects came and prospects went and I was once again reminded of one of the “ugly”. Of all the styles we encounter, the one that consistently amazes us and literally leaves us in with an unmistaken dumfounded look is the “I’ll know it when I see it” method of software evaluations.Seriously?! This is your criteria for selecting software that is going to help manage your entire business and hopefully give you a competitive edge? This is your criteria for making a large investment and spending months on implementation, training employees, and migrating data?I know this may seem harsh, but really, if an employee of mine used this as the criteria for a decision as im...

On Death and Dying – The Legacy System Way
2007-07-17 04:21:00
Remember Swiss-born psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and her book on death and dying? She outlined the five stages of grief a person goes through when dying. I read something recently about the fight to save a legacy system and it reminded me of this very book I read well over a decade ago.In case you forgot, let me refresh your memory.The Five Stage of Dying - Denial and Isolation- Anger- Bargaining- Depression- AcceptanceThe list was praised by some and criticized by others. It reminds me of how so many companies struggle when they prepare to let go of their beloved legacy system.Let’s revisit those stages and add in the legacy system concept.Denial and Isolation – My legacy system is great: functionally rich, reliable, and cost effective. I will ignore the isolated complaints and this will go away.Anger – How could someone not love this system? Obviously they are technically inept.Bargaining – I will be able to keep my legacy system, if I just add in the few extra lines ...
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When All Is Said And Done, Will You Still Love Me?
2007-06-27 14:46:00
ERP software is a long-term relationship. It is a technology partnership that typically spans a decade; one that requires ongoing commitment and continued interaction. In the actual software selection process, reviewing the supplier’s organization and their overall business processes is as important as the overall functionality itself. When you select an ERP package, you are selecting both the package itself as well as the organization that supplies it to you. When you select an ERP supplier, far more so than other supplier relationships, you must have a true partnership with the developer. A good match is not easily found. Technology may fit, but culture may not. Like it or not, you will be inevitably linked to the supplier throughout the entire life cycle of the ERP system within your organization. If you lack a solid cultural fit, the relationship is headed for disaster from day one.We ERP suppliers many times receive a fairly negative reputation in the news, in forums, ...
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Gip the Pet Pig and ERP Software
2007-06-13 16:56:00
A few years ago I was just returning from maternity leave when I was asked to perform an onsite software demonstration for a prospect. Generally speaking, you never know what to expect or what you may encounter with onsite demonstrations. Based on the client, functional requirements, and overall personality fit, the demonstration can be a pleasant experience or an extremely long day.When I entered the Plante and Moran office building, I was running late due to traffic and feeling rather unprepared. It was my first onsite demonstration after weeks of diapers and bottles; I was certainly not in my grove yet. To make matters worse, this was a well respected accounting firm and I was unfamiliar with the consultants and the prospective end users.I started the presentation as I normally did, only to quickly realize this was not the average demonstration. Before long I felt as though I was sucked into a family’s dinner party where wine was flowing freely, stories were plentiful, and...
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Looking for ERP? Leave Out the Dirty Laundry
2007-06-04 17:18:00
As an ERP vendor, I often encounter prospects who want vendors to guarantee the success of their ERP software implementation or even provide a “not to exceed” implementation figure during the proposal process. This always surprises me, because an ERP implementation is a not a finite project. It is process of learning, improving, adapting, and growing. As the vendor we are morally obligated to review a prospect’s functional requirements, organizational culture, and business processes to determine if our product offering is a fit. As most consultants know, this process is a difficult one. There is a substantial amount of unknowns that exist with any potential client. We can spend hours reading RFP’s, doing site visits, performing on-site demonstrations, and touring around customer sites. We spend all this time and still only see a mere glimmer of the actual company to which we will sell.I equate this back to a holiday dinner at my in-laws. As the guest, you see only wh...
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Do You Fit Within My Box?
2007-05-24 16:55:00
Years ago I had a friend share his “box theory” with me and further explain how I, in particular, didn’t fit inside his boxes very well. He said he had a box for different types of people and that almost everyone fit within a specific type of box. He told me I jumped from box to box and never stayed in one box for too long. I found his box theory so interesting and humorous, I never forgot it.After almost ten years, I was reminded of this theory a few days ago. Sitting at lunch with my fellow employees, we discussed our various customers and how they individually fit within categories such as the good, the bad, and unfortunately, sometimes the ugly. As a company, we try and place our customers into this same box theory. We seek out customers who will fit within the “good to great” box and avoid those who fall within the “bad to ugly” box. Every company, regardless of their product offering, probably does the same type of profiling in one way or another.My compan...

Love My ERP Software? Are you Serious?
2007-05-18 17:45:00
This week I presented to our customer base on CRM adoption. In doing so, I talked about the importance of value stream mapping your sales process and making your CRM software fit your utopian sales process. From first hand experience I can say a salesperson can love a CRM system if the package mimics their real world sales process. Give a sales representative a CRM system and tell them to make their process fit into the system and they will hate it. Not just hate it - they will ignore it, avoid it, and refuse to use it.ERP is really the exact same. If you make ERP “your own”, you will love it. If you take the stance of “we’re going to fit into the ERP system”, you and your users will hate it.Just as no company will fit with every ERP system; no ERP system will fit every company. This is true for even the best of functional fits. A good ERP package can meet the majority of a given company’s requirements, but it can never fit 100% of the requirements. Forcing user...
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How to Decide if You Really Need an ERP System
2007-04-28 15:35:00
Do You Real ly Need an ERP System ?An ERP project can be stressful. Just making the decision to enter into an evaluation project may feel like a leap of faith. Honestly, you either need a new system or you don’t. It is as simple as that.There are many reasons for engaging in a project for selecting new software. Some common reasons for kicking off a software selection project include basics like you currently have no real system to manage your business, your existing system lacks the functionality you need to stay competitive or manage growth, or there are even numerous cases where a company is spun off of a larger corporation and the ability to manage the annual license fees or system maintenance of a large tier one package is simply not feasible.Regardless of your current pain points, there are some basic questions you can ask yourself to determine your company’s true needs for obtaining new business software.Top Ten Reasons You Need an ERP Software Package1. Your office or cub...
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Introduction to ERP
2007-04-24 13:59:00
Let’s start this blog with an explanation of ERP. ERP is short for enterprise resource planning. It is typically used in conjunction with software, system, or solution.ERP does include distribution, manufacturing, and accounting functionality. Quality ERP packages also include integrated CRM and WMS. And even though ERP does include most of the functionality needed for the average distributor or manufacturer, not all distribution, manufacturing, or accounting software packages can be considered ERP systems.Coming out of college I fell in love with my first ERP system. Yes you read that correctly. Contrary to what my husband things, ERP is my first true love. It contained all the necessary controls I learned in my accounting classes, while also providing a fully integrated point of access for other functional areas such as manufacturing and sales. It gave me a way of utilizing my book knowledge and transferred this knowledge into the real world of business. For a brief thr...
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