Inefficient organizational software can negatively impact how your manufacturing business is run. Whether it be due to complications with understanding manufacturing variances or failure to effectively track time and materials for a job, having an efficient and easy to use operating system will help to relieve some of the most troubling aspects of manufacturing that affects the productivity of your business. Here are three ways in which ERP software can help improve your manufacturing operations:

Automating business operations

If you’re preparing your business for further growth in the future, you may be considering how to help your operations grow with it. With an ERP system, manufacturing companies are able to automate all business operations, allowing you the flexibility to configure the system to suit your company’s changing needs. ERP systems are not one-size-fits-all, but instead they are configured, so allow for personal customization.

Maintaining your customer base

With increasing competition swaying customers with lower prices or claiming to have the best available products, it’s become even more imperative to find new ways to stand out and deliver exceptional service for your customers. Gain real time information on your company’s operations to help prevent disruptions and delays, as well as break up informational logjams to help both your staff and users make decisions more quickly and effectively.

According to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, there are 1.1 million small companies (1-99 employees) in the country. However, 60% of small businesses fail within the first five years, so there's a big concern for entrepreneurs on how to stay competitive. Here are three ways you can stay ahead of your competitors if you run a small business.

1. Be passionate

Usually, small business owners started their business because of passion. Passion drives motivation, which makes small business owners the busiest people in the world. They don't finish their work when it's 5 o clock and rarely think about vacation. This drive and passion are factors that make them successful.

Convert your passion into hard work, and you’ll be one step ahead of the pack.

2. Use CRM

Out of the many reasons employees choose to leave a company, majority are likely to point back to a problem with how a company decides to manage their employees. According to Forbes, three common reasons that have motivated employees to quit is if the employee feels intellectually stifled, they lack autonomy, and/or they feel as if though their work is unrecognized and unappreciated. If you’re worried about losing your best and brightest, see how ERP software implementation can help you address some of these concerns.

Dealing with unchallenged employees

Repetitive tasks such as entering order entries or entering General Ledger Reconciliation and Collections can be labour intensive, creating unmotivated and unhappy employees. With built in automation functions however, these tasks can be completed in minutes, allowing your employee to use their time more productively and apply their efforts to more worthwhile tasks.

Lack of autonomy

To micromanage or to establish various security protocols that hinders your employee’s ability to do their jobs can easily make an employee feel as if they aren’t trusted to make basic decisions in their work. ERP software such as Dynamics GP resolves this issue through employee portals, which allows employees rights to access necessary information and to communicate with other members of the team for help or assistance.

In December 2016, the world got to know that Microsoft acquired LinkedIn. Now we can see the first results of this deal – Microsoft has announced that Dynamics 365 for Sales is integrated with the LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

The new LinkedIn solution is a widget, which integrates into your dashboard and consists of 2 parts – a member profile and a company profile.

A LinkedIn member profile allows you to get general information and some insights about your prospect. It also helps you to find the best ways to get introduced to your prospect as well as proposes a list of related leads based on your target audience.

Deciding whether to invest in an ERP software can be difficult. The price of the software can be discouraging, let alone navigating the learning curve required to properly integrate the software with your company’s day-to-day activities. With more and more businesses turning to ERP to manage their operations however, can you afford to miss out? Ask yourself the following questions and see if now is the time to switch over to an ERP system:

1. Are you using multiple systems to accommodate the needs of each individual department?

Communication and transparency are essential for a company’s operations to run smoothly. When various systems are running separately and the data received from each department isn’t synchronized, then issues involving processing errors and information logjams are all the more likely to occur.

2. Do you or your staff spend more than 3 hours to complete repetitive tasks?

As a business grows, so too does the amount of data and information that will need to be dealt with. This can mean hours upon hours spent on managing invoices, inputting sales orders, updating inventory, etc. and using time that could have been spent on more lucrative or productive activities.

Microsoft Canada has announced today that it has named WebSan Solutions Inc., a cloud Microsoft Dynamics Certified Partner and IT consulting and solutions provider, a finalist for the Modern Marketing Innovation Award of the 2017 Microsoft IMPACT Awards.

The Microsoft IMPACT Awards celebrate innovation in technology recognizing the outstanding work partners do to deliver virtually seamless solutions to customers. The IMPACT Awards showcase the excellence and innovation within the Canadian Partner community.

This year’s group of finalists are recognized for using modern marketing practices to effectively and efficiently acquire, convert and retain customers where this year’s theme focuses on the impact and value of digital transformation.

Microsoft IMPACT Award winners and finalists will be recognized at the IMPACT Awards Finalist Dinner of the Microsoft Inspire event on July 9, 2017 in Washington, D.C. A listing of all winners and finalists will be posted on www.microsoft.com/en-ca/sites/impact-awards.

“We are thrilled to be recognized as one of the finalists of the Microsoft Modern Marketing Innovation Award,” says Andrew King, Managing Director at WebSan Solutions Inc. “Being on this list is a testament to the hard work we bring not only to our strategic and unique marketing efforts but also towards understanding how digital content impacts lead generation and product perception.”

According to the latest statistics from RightScale 2017 State of the Cloud Report, current cloud adoption among companies is 95%. This could mean that we’re not too far away from having 100% of companies who will use the cloud for their daily tasks. There is no better time than now to think about moving your ERP system to the cloud. Here are 3 reasons why you will benefit from it.

Lower Costs

The most common and the most attractive benefit is, of course, price. A cloud-based ERP system offers lower upfront and operating costs - you wouldn’t need to spend a huge amount of money on hardware, purchasing the ERP solution itself and hiring staff to maintain it.  A cloud-based ERP system requires only flat-rate monthly fees, which will make your life much easier and become a less costly option for your business.

Quicker Access to Information

With a cloud-based ERP system, you don’t need to spend much time to perform your daily business operations. Once you have an Internet connection, you can access to your ERP system anywhere you want. It makes much easier to spend time outside the office and still stay on top of everything that happens with your business.

Microsoft Canada has announced today that it has named WebSan Solutions Inc., a cloud Microsoft Dynamics Certified Partner and IT consulting and solutions provider, a finalist for the Modern Marketing Innovation Award of the 2017 Microsoft IMPACT Awards.

The Microsoft IMPACT Awards celebrate innovation in technology recognizing the outstanding work partners do to deliver virtually seamless solutions to customers. The IMPACT Awards showcase the excellence and innovation within the Canadian Partner community.

This year’s group of finalists are recognized for using modern marketing practices to effectively and efficiently acquire, convert and retain customers where this year’s theme focuses on the impact and value of digital transformation.

Microsoft IMPACT Award winners and finalists will be recognized at the IMPACT Awards Finalist Dinner of the Microsoft Inspire event on July 9, 2017 in Washington, D.C. A listing of all winners and finalists will be posted on www.microsoft.com/en-ca/sites/impact-awards.

“We are thrilled to be recognized as one of the finalists of the Microsoft Modern Marketing Innovation Award,” says Andrew King, Managing Director at WebSan Solutions Inc. “Being on this list is a testament to the hard work we bring not only to our strategic and unique marketing efforts but also towards understanding how digital content impacts lead generation and product perception.”

As we’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, an ERP system is not a quick fix to all of your company’s problems. At times, it may even be difficult to measure whether your company is gaining any benefits from implementing your ERP software. If you’re doubting the effectiveness of the software, I suggest reviewing the following areas of your business first:

Tracking Customer Service Experiences: In today’s market, providing outstanding customer service can be the determining factor on whether a customer will choose to do business with you or a competitor. An ERP software puts you in control of the consumer buying journey, enabling you to track online customer experiences, line item fill rates and ensure delivery times to your customers. You’ll be able to compare these measures with previous results to identify trends and determine if the ERP software is making a difference in your company.

 Measuring Profit Margins: If you’ve ever taken a business course, then you’ve probably heard of the ’80 – 20’ rule, which states that 80% of a company’s revenue is typically generated by 20% of its total customers. An ERP software can influence your overall strategy, allowing you to concentrate your sales efforts and target your more profitable customers. Once again, the results can be measured and compared with historical data.

Impacts of Inventory Management: One of the key features of an ERP software is its ability to manage and track inventory. Not only does this allow your company to better meet consumer and production demands, but also ensures your company will not be spending more on excess stock and tying up additional capital and resources.

If you’re still wondering if your ERP system is working out for you, why not try and take a free ERP assessment? Click here for more information.

As a small business owner, you always think about new solutions to increase revenues and boost your company’s growth. ERP software is definitely one of those things that can help improve your business’ efficiency but, as everything in life, it can have some pitfalls. What are the pros and cons of ERP for small businesses? We examine them below:

ERP Pros

• Increased productivity - By storing all the data in one place, it makes it much easier and faster for your employees to get the necessary information and focus on working towards the business’ goals for success rather than spending time contacting other employees from different departments.
• Improved collaboration – A robust ERP system will help improve collaboration between teams by providing easy access to data to help make decisions quicker.
• Lower operating costs - With one ERP system, you don’t need to spend money on separate software for each department.
• Generate business insights – An ERP software performs analysis on different processes, so it makes the process of a decision-making smoother and more comfortable with accurate data.
• Improved security - ERP systems provide advanced security settings, so you can rest easy knowing that your data is well-secured.

ERP Cons

• High price - It’s no surprise that ERP implementation and its further use are followed by significant expenses. But the modern market of ERP software can provide you different price options for any budget. As an example, Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales, starts from only $48.60 per user/month.
• Staff training - Usually, it takes a significant amount of time and effort for employees to learn new software. But thanks to WebSan University, you can make this process faster and more efficient.
• High risk – The ERP implementation process can become a problem for a small company because of challenges of data migration from an old system to a new one. Our advice: Have patience and read about 3 Biggest Failure Cases of ERP Implementation and How You Can Avoid the Same Mistakes for some tips.

Alina Hura, Digital Content Creator, WebSan Solutions Inc., a 2014 Ontario Business Achievement Award Winner for Service Excellence

View our free webinars Sign up for WebSan University Take our FREE ERP Assessment

With the help of Microsoft Dynamics, thousands of companies have successfully integrated ERP software into their companies, which has helped them to reduce their operational costs, minimize their capital investments among other benefits. However, the system is not infallible. Part of the reason we here at WebSan offer support services as well as online training is because we recognize that ERP software is still a complex system and difficult to figure out on your own. Although self-learning is not discouraged, many companies dive head-first into a new ERP software without taking important considerations into account which can only create future headaches. Below, we outline 3 common mistakes companies make with their ERP software implementation and offer suggestions on how to best avoid them:

1. Poor planning:

At this point, you’ve most likely heard that thousands of companies are using ERP software to help streamline their business operations as well as how it has helped companies expand their operations. At this point, companies may decide to jump on the bandwagon, purchase an ERP system and expect their company to instantly become more productive. This however, is never the case. Research is imperative to ensure that the product will suit the needs of your business. Lack of planning and research on what ERP software is best for your company will at best result in failing to utilize the software to its fullest potential, and at worst be a huge waste of time and money. Be sure to research the product beforehand, and if necessary seek third party help to better understand how to successfully implement ERP into your company. 

2. Insufficient company engagement:

Is your company considering expanding its business across Canada? If so, Microsoft Dynamics GP has some fantastic features and functions that can assist your organization during its transition that will help ease the restructuring process:

Multicurrency Management – With the multicurrency management function, your organization can automatically perform currency conversions for all accounting transactions and seamlessly record realized or unrealized gains and losses in your organization. This allows you to seamlessly move money between currencies and streamline your foreign currency cash flow management.

Cloud Based Reporting – Gone are the days where a company’s systems and networks were fixed to one location. With Dynamics GP now available on the Cloud, you’ll be able to reduce the necessity for travel time and expenses and perform all your accounting, operations management, and reporting from anywhere and anytime.

Human Resource Management – Ensure that your company’s quality and standards are maintained. Utilize the human resource management features to attract potential new employees and automatically analyze and identify the best candidates that match your company’s desired skill sets. Additional features also include: customizable employee scheduling and pay rates, performance evaluation tools, as well as employee self-service features.

Unsure if Dynamics GP applies to your field of business? Contact Us and find out which Microsoft Dynamics product will best suit your business needs today.

It’s no surprise that every business somehow uses Excel in their everyday routine. It’s the easiest and the most popular tool to organize your company’s data. But eventually your data starts to outgrow Excel possibilities. Here are 3 signs that your business needs to switch from spreadsheets to more advanced accounting software.

1. Your spreadsheets aren’t manageable anymore

If finding a single figure in your spreadsheet makes you feel tired, angry and irritated, it’s a sure sign that you need a database. Once your spreadsheet reaches 100,000 rows, it will slow down your computer and make it almost impossible to find necessary information. A comprehensive solution like Microsoft Dynamics GP can easily store your data with a possibility to create powerful and useful reports for your business. 

2. You use advanced Excel functions on a daily basis

Stop overwhelming yourself with advanced Excel functions every single day. If you use such functions as VLOOKUP, PIVOT and SUMIF, you just don’t need Excel anymore. Consider looking into a new accounting system, which can produce stronger calculations. Moreover, it’s much easier to use.

With increasing demand for manufacturing firms to provide quality and efficient service, ERP software implementation can help a company stand out from its competitors by providing them with the resources to maximize their operational efficiency. Thanks to Microsoft Dynamics NAV, manufacturing companies are better equipped to:

1. Generate Product Demand Forecasts

With its robust record keeping capabilities, NAV enables users to analyze sales patterns to anticipate future client needs. This function analyzes sales trends and determines which products are most likely be sold in the future, allowing companies to manage their inventory accordingly and ensure product availability for customers.  

2. Improved Information Tracking

NAV can generate analysis reports that allow for uniform reporting, enabling users to create personalized report formats that highlight key account information. As a result, information is more accessible, enabling up-to-date inventory information and optimizing manufacturing and warehousing functionality.

With so many software solutions out in the market, we know it’s not always easy to decide on which Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software is right for you. To offer a suggestion and help answer questions on which Microsoft Dynamics product would be best suited for you, we’ve come up with a handy chart (included below) that outlines the features and modules included in each software solution.

While we outline the modules and features that each software is best known for, this chart merely serves as a guide. Contact us today for any additional questions or for more tips on which Microsoft Dynamics product can best suit your business’ needs. 

Linz Tan, Web Marketing Assistant, WebSan Solutions Inc., a 2014 Ontario Business Achievement Award Winner for Service Excellence

Nowadays, technologies change so quickly that it becomes challenging for executives to keep a pulse on the different things going on in the tech industry and sometimes even manage so many options out in the market. From on-premise to cloud, from desktop to mobile – it may be hard to believe, but those significant shifts happened with ERP software just in the past couple of years. Here are 3 trends that we’re forecasting will change the ERP software industry in the next 5 years.

Consumerization

As 75% of the global workforce will consist of millennials by 2025, ERP vendors should be prepared. ERP solutions will likely become easier and more intuitive to use as well as reflect the experience of the most popular social media platforms. Millennials like to get access to technology immediately, so it’s likely that ERP systems will become accessible from any smartphone.

Step into the future with Microsoft Dynamics NAV, which is already available on smartphones and tablets. Download our free Microsoft Dynamics NAV trial right now!

Business Intelligence and Data

With ERP software, redundant and repetitive tasks can be greatly reduced thereby improving overall organizational management and employee productivity. With Microsoft Dynamics GP, here are 3 ways that ERP software can help your company maximize its potential and improve overall efficiency: 

Payroll Management

With certain employees undertaking various roles within your company, it can be difficult to track their time and expenses. Employee Accounts and Splits organizes employee cost and expense distribution, allowing companies to manually control how an employee’s time and expenses will be divided based on department, position, pay code, or general ledger account.

Manage Employee Absences

Whether it be due to vacation time, sick leave, or administrative leave, employee absence can disrupt work flow and result in extra work for payroll to manage absences. Moniroo, a time and expense system integrated with Microsoft Dynamics GP, helps to streamline this process by calculating accruals and managing employee absences through pre-configured leave plan details. Additionally, Moniroo allows companies to track employee expenses and generate automated expense reports and reimbursements.

ERP implementation is a quite an expensive and difficult process not only for small companies but for some multinational giants as well. However, with full preparation and thorough research to manage expectations, a successful ERP implementation can be achieved. Below, we outline the 3 biggest failure cases of ERP implementation and offer tips on what you can do to avoid the same mistakes.

Nike and a $400 Million “Glitch”

In 2000, Nike decided to upgrade their ERP system and invested $400 million dollars into the software called i2, where their initial goal was to manage supply chain and forecast the demand for products. This decision became a disaster for shoe giant with $100 million in sales loss and 20% stock price decrease because of a software glitch, which in turn, made stores unable to fill orders for the Air Jordans.

To avoid the same mistake, be sure to set realistic goals for your ERP implementation process early on and ensure that you take enough time to test the system for any kinks that need to be ironed out before moving forward with implementation.  

Hershey and a Halloween Disaster

Contemplating the security of your company’s data or server backups may make you want to just keep your head in the clouds. Although much consideration should be made when deciding between going hosted or on-premise for your ERP system, going hosted offers some crucial benefits that cannot be overlooked. Here are the top three reasons why switching to hosted for your ERP system is worth the effort:

1.Security

Going hosted means that you no longer need to worry about the state and security of your data. Your hosting provider’s data center can ensure that data is backed up. You can go about your day knowing that you’ll always have access to your data.

2.Technical Know-How

Securing your data in the cloud and having a hosting vendor means that you can leave all the technical terms to the guys who know them best. You no longer have to think of “customizations,” “compliance” or “rebooting” and instead focus on the data at hand and performing your day to day tasks.

Download our FREE Microsoft Dynamics NAV Trial

Last October 2016, Microsoft released an update for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 that boasts notable features particularly within the finance module, items, jobs, workflow templates and integration with Office 365. To dive deeper into the features and functionalities of this new update, WebSan Solutions is offering “What’s New in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017” webinar on Thursday, April 20^th, 2017 from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM EST.

The free 30-minute webinar will not only discuss the new features of Dynamics NAV 2017, it will also offer some tips and techniques for best practice. Some of the new features that will be discussed include:

• New financial reports and workflow templates
• Updates to inventory items, the finance module and Jobs feature
• Interconnectivity with Office 365 and Power BI
• Smarter sales and purchase documents
• And more

Register today to reserve your spot!

Click here to register for this webinar