Monday, September 24, 2012

ERP Vendor Selection

It is a common thought that as a company grows they will need an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution.  It is a logical step when multiple systems are utilized to manage operations.  When extra labor is needed to manage workflow.  When customer service cannot keep up with demand.  When suppliers and customers are requesting better and more efficient ways of communication, like Ecommerce, EDI, and Web Portal, for example.  When you have no idea of your true inventory value.  When your purchasing overhead becomes too great. 



 

In fact there are hundreds of symptoms when your organization is hitting the glass ceiling.  There is more than one ceiling as your business grows.  It is not just a symptom of a tough economy that makes looking for new solutions necessary.  First and foremost, there is your competition and what they are constantly doing to take your customers away.
 

The need to drive efficiency in your operations will always be a motivator.  The need to manage costs.  The need to reduce labor overhead.  The need to meet compliance standards.  The constant flux in technology.  What are the latest buzzwords and what do they have to do with the customers I server daily?  Why would my customers shop anywhere else?  Perhaps they are constrained by budget too.  Unless there is a compelling reason of great customer service experience or care, businesses are going to shop price. 

 
The relationships you build are what bind your customers with you. 

 
You should have the same level of relationship with your ERP solution provider as you do (or want) with your customers.  What makes a good relationship?  How about open communications and they listen to you and understand your needs?  How about the “feeling” that they have your best interest at heart, even if it means you do business with someone else.
 

Benefits of a new solution include centralization of key data in a central repository for better and faster decision making.  Streamlined operations to save time and money.  Single point of entry.  Real time access to information.  Flexible reporting.  Improved employee productivity.
 

An ERP solution provides a scalable solution for new growth and expanded relationships, and improved customer satisfaction.
 

A thorough analysis is needed and that is where a trusted advisor can help you navigate the sea of change.  Dolvin Consulting works with industry experts to help you define your needs and constraints and match them with available solutions.  Contact us today to see how we can help your team.

 

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

VAI Explains Its (Quiet) Success in a Hotly Contested ERP Market – Part 2

VAI: VAI is a privately owned, family run business, with non-family members serving in key executive and management positions. This structure plays very well with the mid-market customers that we serve who require a high level of personalized support and service.

 

Click here for the full blog post that P.J. Jakovljevic has written about Vormittag Associates (VAI) S2K software solution. 

 
Some success attributes of VAI:

·         VAI is a profitable business and is not encumbered by debt.

·         The company is focused on developing the highest quality software that is based on real life customer requirements and best practices.

·         The S2K software is very intuitive and easy to use, and the product is cost effective to implement and easy to manage.

·         The S2K price point and diverse suite of applications offer tremendous value to VAI’s customers, and the staff has a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience.

·         VAI’s research and development (R&D) cycle has been year-round, enabling VAI to stay at the forefront of innovation.

·         VAI’s competitive advantage comes from a team that has a great deal of experience in implementing the S2K solutions.


As I mentioned on the post about part one of this article that there are many fine points about the software and there are many other good ERP product solutions in the mid market.  What is important is the customer relationship that VAI develops with its client base.  This point cannot be over or under stated. 
 

The opening line of this post is the most important part.  VAI is large enough to develop working software that matches to your challenges and is oriented towards you.  You can actually talk with the company president.  You can visit their location, they will meet with you.  You get personalized service and support.  Support by people that know you, your business and actually care about your success, not just corporate profits. 
 
The software corresponds to real-life challenges.
 

The people of the companies we work with really value a relationship aspect.  We provide value and compassion.  We know this is your business, your livelihood, and our success is mutually dependent.
 

Dolvin Consulting works with you and your team in partnership with VAI and IBM to deliver world class solutions that meet your budget.  The companies we work with typically struggle with warehouse and inventory control issues, want to streamline their operations or have a sense of frustration about the constant flux in technology.


Contact us today.  We are here to help.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

VAI Explains Its (Quiet) Success in a Hotly Contested ERP Market – Part 1

VAI leverages IBM Websphere Portal middleware to deploy S2K Sales Force and IBM Cognos for the S2K Analytics application.  This is important because many of VAI’s customers are data rich but information poor.  VAI embraces these technologies so that it can give its customers the necessary tools to obtain the information they need to make better business decisions.

 
VAI S2K ERP Solution Family

 

Click here for the full blog post that P.J. Jakovljevic has written about Vormittag Associates (VAI) S2K software solution. 

 
Just having a solution is nice, but having a working solution is better.  The relevant points are:

1.       VAI truly partners with its customers to match the right solution to the current set of challenges.

2.       The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution is sold in modules so each company can start with their current needs and add additional functionality later as needed.

3.       The system includes source code for those whose team members have core competencies in program development and VAI has well qualified staff to ensure any needed modifications will not affect the stability of the solution.

4.       VAI is large enough that you do not have to worry about someone getting run over by a bus, yet small enough that you can have an intimate relationship with them (at all levels in their organization).

5.       The S2K solution runs on IBM’s Power Systems.  These workhorses need comparatively little help which allows the business to save time and money.  The business can concentrate on running the business and not the equipment it runs on.  And, yes, there is a hosted/cloud version for any organization that is ready.

 

There are many fine points about the software and there are many other good ERP product solutions in the mid market.  What is important is the customer relationship that VAI develops with its client base.  This point cannot be over or under stated. 

 
Who would you like to work with?  Big-Company-X, Little Guy-Company-Y, or a vested partner?

 
Dolvin Consulting works with you and your team in partnership with VAI and IBM to deliver world class solutions that meet your budget.  The companies we work with typically struggle with warehouse and inventory control issues, want to streamline their operations or have a sense of frustration about the constant flux in technology.
 

Contact us today.  We are here to help.

 

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Manufacturing Efficiency (VAI and IBM)

A fully integrated enterprise platform specifically designed to help manufacturers streamline efficiency, control inventory and optimize costs.

 


 

Highlights:

• Complete suite of applications to manage every aspect of manufacturing operations.

• Integration allows modules to provide a complete picture of materials, processes and capacity.

• Unified data repository provides a single version of the truth for decision making.

• Real-time data from the shop floor provides insight into work center productivity.

• Powered by robust, reliable and highly capable IBM computing systems.

 

This article highlights some things you already know and some you may have been thinking about. 

 
One would hope that an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution would offer modules to integrate the entire organization.  Unfortunately some software today does not do this.  They handle very specific suite of applications, but not everything you need.  Every organization has some unique requirements.  You solution should address those requirements fully.
 

Manufacturers have additional requirements beyond distribution and the solution needs to be able to address you needs.  Tying all those pieces together into a single repository of information is a key component to drive efficiency in your organization.  The left hand needs to know what the right hand is doing.    You need the information now, not at the end of the week when it will be too late to make a critical business decision.  Your competition is too quick to ignore.
 

The solution itself not only needs to be stable and well supported, but also the equipment that it runs on.  As a business owner you need to concentrate on the business, not the equipment it runs on.


Partnership.  Your ERP solution needs to be made with a partner that cares as much about your success as you do.  Both of your futures depend on it.  If you get the feeling that you are just one more sale and it is going to only help the Salesrep qualify for his bonus, then stop now.  You do not have a partner, you have a vendor-customer relationship. 

 
You are not buying a boxed copy of software off the shelf where you insert a disk into your computer or other server that just happens to be underutilized and are up and running in an hour.  ERP solutions are complex and you need a trusted advisor to help you first understand your business as it relates to available solutions and then a business partner to help you make the transformations needed to drive efficiency and profitability in your business.

 
Read the article and then contact Dolvin Consulting.  Let us invest some time together to see whether your challenges are met by this or any other solution.  We care and we want to prove that to you.  We promote solutions that enable you to drive efficiencies in your organization.