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SOFTWARE
Resellers
are already
questioning
whether
moving
service
management
systems to
the cloud
delivers much
more than
they already
have
A new generation
of ERP solutions
The continued evolution of the
delivery of managed services is
putting increased pressure on
organisations to diversify, so much
so that resellers must now decide
how much longer they can run their
operations on business software
that’s been designed specifically for
the print and copier sector and is
unable to support diversification.
Bespoke software designed to handle
the specific requirements of print resellers
might have been the best choice at
the time it was acquired, but changes
to technology, operating systems and
business processes have necessitated
compromises, add-ons or workarounds to
maintain business operations.
To achieve the level of functionality
required to operate their businesses,
resellers have had to integrate platforms
with disparate CRM, service management,
accounting and business planning
software, all of which handle vital business
data and have to be separately managed
on a day-by-day basis. Such applications
are neither integrated nor function in
real-time and are almost certainly unable
to deliver the real-time big data analytics,
business intelligence and other data
necessary for a thriving business.
The structure and sources of data
across multiple platforms are often
seen as the root cause of reduced sales
performance, process inefficiency, poor
customer management and unpredictable
cashflow. Maintaining accurate data across
multiple platforms can create a ‘cottage
industry’, the sole purpose of which is to
make information available, often through
manual process, to enable an organisation
to function. This challenge is not market-
specific and can be seen in enthusiastic
start-ups through to global organisations.
It is often a far easier decision in the
short-term to put off change, as this is
commonly perceived to be costly, cause
significant disruption to daily operations
and distract employees with time-
consuming processes, such as planning,
data migration, planning and staff training.
However, doing nothing is not an option,
as failing to replace outdated service
management software is likely to have a
serious impact on the business as its needs
evolve.
What are the options?
Whilst on-premise implementations have
been the traditional route taken by MPS
and print resellers, moving to the cloud
can deliver significant benefits to the
channel by delivering greater mobile
access through browser-based dashboards,
reduced organisational downtime and
lower potential infrastructure costs.
However, resellers are already
questioning whether moving service
management systems to the cloud delivers
much more than they already have.
Going down this route still doesn’t solve
problems associated with the integration
and ongoing management of disparate
systems used to manage different areas of
a business.
The cloud is really just a different
delivery platform that delivers essentially
the same functionality with the same
operational limitations as traditional
premise-based systems. Not really much of
a step forward into the future.
Mike Burke, Managing Director of Purpose
Software, explores the evolution of
business management systems for the
channel and explains why software needs
to support diversification
An ERP approach
The alternative to this reliance on
multiple applications is to create a
‘master data’ structure that underpins
enterprise-wide business processes, from
sales management, order fulfilment and
customer service through to accounting
and cash collection. It’s just not feasible,
or even cost-effective, to customise legacy
systems to provide the level of integration
required to meet this new environment. A
new approach is needed.
A core part of this new approach is
the consolidation of data sources on a
single platform that provides the real-time
business intelligence needed for effective
management and control. The ability
to access a single source of data that
supports an organisation’s activities in
their entirety will help deliver incremental
growth, drive operational excellence, retain
customers and maximise financial return.
What’s needed is a new generation
of ERP (enterprise resource planning)
solutions like FORZA. Based on SAP
Business One, which is used by more
than 50,000 organisations worldwide,
FORZA encompasses all sales, service and
accounting requirements and provides
resellers with the first viable alternative
to traditional single point software
applications.
Adopting this SAP-based approach
provides resellers with access to systems
