PRINT
IT
RESELLER.UK
39
SOFTWARE
The ability to
have, for the
first time, a
single source
of data on
a single
integrated
platform will
transform
business
operations
for the
managed
services and
print reseller
industry
Mike Burke,
Managing Director,
Purpose Software
that have grown from development
budgets of tens of millions of pounds into
the Business One product. This single,
integrated solution provides clear visibility
and complete control across every aspect
of the business, capturing all critical data
for immediate access from any location.
It includes:
n
CRM
– sales and opportunity
management and after-sales support;
n
Warehouse & Production
Management
– manage inventory across
multiple locations, track stock and manage
production orders based on materials
requirements planning;
n
Purchasing
– automate procurement
from purchase orders to vendor invoicing;
n
Service Management
– real-time
call management and integrated service
information;
n
Contract Management
– lease
agreements through click, time and seat
billing;
n
Mobility
– iOS app for iPhone and iPad
to interact with SAP Business One;
n
Financial Management
– automated
financial and accounting processes
including support for multiple currencies,
budgeting and bank reconciliations;
n
Reporting & Business Intelligence
– access to data to create new reports
or customise existing ones through
integration with Crystal Reports; and
n
Optional Analytics
– powered by SAP
HANA to provide instant access to real-
time insights for business intelligence.
Single integrated platform
The ability to have, for the first time,
a single source of data on a single
integrated platform will transform business
operations for the managed services and
print reseller industry. It provides a clear
view of all aspects of the business, from
sales and service through to accounting,
giving resellers the information they want
when they need it most to maximise the
customer experience at every touchpoint
and maintain a competitive edge.
Designed by the industry, for the
industry, ERP solutions such as FORZA
allow resellers to effectively track the
profit/loss from every machine, contract
and customer and generate accurate, real-
time management information to enhance
visibility across the business.
Centralising and consolidating all
business data using a single integrated
platform reduces organisational complexity
and makes it easier to increase efficiency
and productivity. It also enables a more
pro-active approach to running the
business by eliminating the need to wait
for month end before reports can be
generated and analysed, giving insight into
business performance over the previous
month or quarter.
The ERP approach delivers real-
time reporting to see at a glance the
performance of different operating
divisions. Web-based dashboards,
customisable to meet individual functional
requirements, provide real-time data and
organisational transparency to enable
more informed decision-making across the
business.
To assist the sales process, this new
generation of ERP systems offers fully
integrated CRM to provide a 360 degree
view of accounts, with instant access to
relevant data including contact and service
histories, account and order status. Having
a real-time awareness of current customer
issues in other departments helps to drive
sales opportunities, maximise prime selling
time and drive incremental growth.
To further enhance the sales process,
sophisticated Configure Price Quote (CPQ)
capabilities enable salespeople to generate
accurate quotations of a consistently
high standard, comprising a combination
of hardware, software, services and
supporting documentation, from any
internet-enabled location. It also provides
quick and accurate reporting on the status
of accounts to enhance sales productivity
and forecasting.
Greater flexibility to customise
It is important to note that resellers
deploying SAP Business One-based systems
such as FORZA no longer have to rely on
their chosen software supplier for add-ons
that enhance the core functionality or bolt-
ons that connect externally and push data
to the central platform. With over 3,300
development partners world-wide, resellers
have greater flexibility to customise the
system with pre-packaged or custom
solutions that provide additional business
intelligence or process management
to meet their specific organisational
requirements.
A particular example of this is direct
integration with leasing companies for
credit checks and approvals. This will
enable salespeople to create quotes, run
credit checks, confirm stock, propose
configurations and produce agreements
whilst onsite with customers. Removing
manual processes in this way streamlines
the sales process and presents a more
professional image.
No barriers or limitations
When the time comes to make a decision
on whether to carry on with the traditional
disparate systems that have always been
used or to adopt a new approach, it is
important to consider where you are
planning to take the business. If you are
not planning to expand or look for new
business opportunities in other areas,
such as cloud services, managed services,
managed network services, security and
more, then it probably makes sense to carry
on with the systems you have.
However, for resellers looking to take
advantage of these new markets, the
question is why would you want a slightly
updated version of what you already have,
with the same integration, accessibility and
support issues, when, for a similar cost, you
can implement a powerful ERP platform
that eliminates these issues whilst allowing
new lines of business to be easily added
without barriers or limitations.
In addition, when you add up all the
license fees and ongoing support costs
required by multiple systems, it is easy
to see how using a single integrated
ERP solution can deliver a lower cost of
ownership and a better ROI. This can be
achieved by eliminating the IT and data
management issues required when using
disparate, broken and archaic systems and
freeing up resources to be deployed more
productively across the business.
