WebSan Solutions Inc. has been selected as a member of the Bob Scott’s VAR Stars for 2015, a group of 100 organizations honored for their accomplishments in the field of midmarket financial software.

Members of the VAR Stars were selected based on factors such as growth, industry leadership and recognition, and innovation. Selection is not based on revenue and the chosen firms represent a wide range of size and many different software publishers of accounting software.

“Each year, 100 VAR Stars are picked from the best organizations that market financial software. It is always an honor to recognize those who contribute to the development of our business,” Bob Scott said.

“We are delighted to once again be included in Bob Scott’s roster of VAR Stars and be recognized for our continuous growth and commitment towards providing the highest standards of customer service and delivering top quality solutions for our clients,” said Andrew King, Managing Director of WebSan Solutions Inc.

About WebSan Solutions Inc.

When selecting a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, one of the first considerations to make is whether to go hosted (on the cloud) or on-premise. Although both types have their advantages and disadvantages, it’s worth taking a closer look and offering points of consideration to make the software selection process less daunting. Software Advice, an advisory firm that helps buyers select ERP software, conducted research to create a comprehensive guide to help buyers determine the best type of software needed for their organization, with findings compiled in this article.

The biggest difference between the two types of systems is cloud-based software is hosted on the vendor’s servers and accessed through a Web browser, while on-premise software is installed locally, on a company’s own computers and servers. Although over time, both systems’ cost tend to converge, cloud-based software is priced under a monthly or annual subscription basis, while on-premise software is usually priced under a one-time perpetual license fee.

Some advantages of cloud-based ERP software include its shorter implementation time, great stability with frequent updates from the vendor and no additional hardware investments. On the other hand, some disadvantages of this type of system are its less customizable functionalities and an organization’s possible less peace of mind that comes with data security being in the vendor’s hands.

On the other end of the spectrum, on-premise ERP systems are known to be more customizable and offer greater control over data. However, the implementation process can take longer and organizations have to pay associated hardware and IT costs. Organizations will find that cloud-based ERP systems are more mobile-friendly compared to their on-premise counterpart. 

It would be in an organization’s best interest to first assess its needs, budget and top concerns before deciding on the right type of ERP system that will be the right fit.

When selecting a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, one of the first considerations to make is whether to go hosted (on the cloud) or on-premise. Although both types have their advantages and disadvantages, it’s worth taking a closer look and offering points of consideration to make the software selection process less daunting. Software Advice, an advisory firm that helps buyers select ERP software, conducted research to create a comprehensive guide to help buyers determine the best type of software needed for their organization, with findings compiled in this article.

The biggest difference between the two types of systems is cloud-based software is hosted on the vendor’s servers and accessed through a Web browser, while on-premise software is installed locally, on a company’s own computers and servers. Although over time, both systems’ cost tend to converge, cloud-based software is priced under a monthly or annual subscription basis, while on-premise software is usually priced under a one-time perpetual license fee.

Some advantages of cloud-based ERP software include its shorter implementation time, great stability with frequent updates from the vendor and no additional hardware investments. On the other hand, some disadvantages of this type of system are its less customizable functionalities and an organization’s possible less peace of mind that comes with data security being in the vendor’s hands.

On the other end of the spectrum, on-premise ERP systems are known to be more customizable and offer greater control over data. However, the implementation process can take longer and organizations have to pay associated hardware and IT costs. Organizations will find that cloud-based ERP systems are more mobile-friendly compared to their on-premise counterpart. 

It would be in an organization’s best interest to first assess its needs, budget and top concerns before deciding on the right type of ERP system that will be the right fit.

On Thursday, December 17^th, at 2:30 PM, WebSan will present a free webinar to give an inside look at Microsoft’s Power BI (Business Intelligence). The 30-minute webinar offers attendees the opportunity to observe this dynamic tool in action.

The webinar will discuss Power BI’s features and functionalities including how to create dashboards, reports, integrations and metrics. Attendees will learn how to publish and edit visuals on Microsoft’s Cloud, view and refresh custom metrics on any mobile device and use Power BI to monitor the most important information about your business.

The webinar promises to bring an insightful glimpse of Power BI’s extensive functionalities and show attendees that all the information they would need to make decisions is available through Power BI, all in one glance.

Register today and don’t miss out on your chance to take part in this new webinar!

Click here to register for “Microsoft’s Power BI” webinar on Dec. 17th, 2:30 PM

I was recently speaking with some like-minded CRMers in the community and we were discussing what we find to be at the top of the list for help desk inquiries. The overwhelming consensus was CRM for Outlook.

Do you ever find yourself faced with CRM for Outlook just not cooperating? Whether it be that you are having undesirable or unresponsive behaviors, the CRM tab is greyed out, or the CRM tab has vanished. Have no fear, you are not alone, and with a few checks and few clicks, more often than not, one of the following suggestions will be your golden nugget for resolution.

Check the following machine related roadblocks for starters...

ü  Ensure that your CRM for Outlook version matches up with your CRM server version. It could be that you are out of sync.

ü  Could you possibly have add-ins that are not playing nicely with one another? Begin to disable your add-ins one by one and see if CRM for Outlook is positively affected.

WebSan Solutions’ Microsoft Dynamics GP and CRM interactive demos now enables users to leave feedback to unlock new resources that will offer additional information that can help in the ERP software selection process.

The Dynamics GP and CRM demos boast over 300 downloads and have been a trusted tool in helping give an overview of both systems’ capabilities and main modules. The demos give an inside look at what the systems can offer and show a preview of each system before users decide to purchase. Not only are the demos useful in the research process, they also prove valuable for their interactive functionality. The interactive functionality allows users to type in and click on specific fields; a feature that is not common to traditional software demos.

When users leave feedback for the demos after downloading, they are given links to valuable resources that offer additional information on the two systems. For the Dynamics GP demo, users can access an estimate of WebSan’s Dynamics GP implementation cost, while those who leave feedback for the Dynamics CRM demo can watch an exclusive webinar on maximizing Dynamics CRM’s out-of-the-box features.

Download our demos today to unlock these valuable resources!

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

The process of selecting an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software is no easy task. With many factors to consider such as cost, vendors, business needs, and the vast software selection in the market, the task of choosing the right ERP software becomes all the more complex. Software Advice, an advisory firm that helps buyers research and choose ERP software, conducted research and sought expert advice to create a comprehensive guide to help buyers through the ERP selection process, with findings compiled in this e-book.

Research shows that 59% of buyers cite data integration as the top reason for purchasing a system, while a staggering 24% of users say their current system lacks adequate support. If you find yourself in the same boat as these buyers, it might be worth investing in a new ERP system.

Below are some tips to help in your ERP software selection process:

1. Assess your business needs and identify must-haves

• Look into your business needs and identify key issues that need to be resolved with the aid of an ERP software, then form a selection committee comprised of both mission-critical employees and IT staff. This ensures that all voices (of varying departments) will be heard and unique needs will be evaluated.

2. Outline your key requirements

WebSan University, WebSan Solutions’ online learning management system continues to thrive with now more than 600 registered users. Since its inception in Fall 2013, WebSan University has aimed to offer accessible and affordable training for Microsoft Dynamics GP, CRM and Moniroo users.

With over 50 courses, WebSan University offers the Project Accounting series and General Ledger for Dynamics GP, Dashboards, Marketing, Sales and new features for Dynamics CRM, and Time and Expense Management System for Moniroo, among many others. The variety of courses enables users to gain in-depth knowledge of the systems’ modules with videos, manuals, tips and tricks, and exams.

Users comment that WebSan University has proved to be extremely helpful, practical, and easy to follow. The courses also give users the ability to better understand and fully utilize Dynamics GP, CRM and Moniroo. Frequently updated with new courses, WebSan University provides online training that not only supplements what users know about the systems but also keeps them up-to-date on new features and functionalities that can help them as they continue to use the systems.

In conjunction with WebSan’s online library of courses, our monthly webinars—offered for free—give users access to additional learning about Dynamics GP, CRM and Moniroo! 

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

More than a software for tracking vacation time or employee hours, an encompassing time and expense system such as Moniroo should prove to be a trusty guide in helping to determine employee efficiency, project budget, internal cost and time off scheduling. A reliable time and expense software should also give staff a real-time visibility of all time and expense data.  

Here are top 3 reasons why it’s worth investing in a time and expense system:

1. Track Project Cost and Budget

Apart from determining a project’s budget in the initial planning stages, ensuring that the costs are in-line every step of the way is a must. Tracking progress, time spent on specific projects and determining available resources allows a project manager to identify issues as they happen and make corrections (allotting more or less time depending on the tasks accomplished).

A time and expense management system also keeps a record of tracked projects allowing for better budget and time estimates in the future having the records as reference.

No programming knowledge? No problem!

Business Rules, which are delivered right out-of-the-box with Dynamics CRM, tackle client side logic in a user friendly way, allowing virtually anyone that is responsible for managing their company’s CRM to get off and running with this fantastic tool in no time. 

In a nutshell, this little gem allows you to create and add form design functions to the system and custom entities without a lick of development. Through “If…Then…Else” conditional statements, you too can create rules which monitor the behaviour of fields and subsequently define an action or actions to be taken upon the conditions being met.

Gone are the days of reaching out to developers for JavaScript and plug-ins each and every time a requirement rears its head. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not some sort of magic potion that will make all your wishes come true. But, you are bound to dazzle your users (and your boss), with fields that seamlessly appear just when they need them; field values which auto-complete right before their very eyes; field requirements changing on the fly, ensuring the most relevant data is always captured; and error messages, or what I prefer to call ‘reminder messages’ which prompt users to conform to best business practices. With a little creativity and some business logic in tow, Business Rules can do all that and so much more!

Here’s a quick guide to find the Business Rules section:

WebSan and the leading global independent authority in covering the world of Microsoft Dynamics, MS Dynamics World have joined together to offer a new Microsoft Dynamics CRM webinar. The free webinar will be held on Tuesday, October 6, 2015 at 12 PM EST.

The session will look at the different features of Dynamics CRM 2015 and explore how one can mold, manipulate and build upon the software to meet the requirements of your organization. The webinar will explore how to use Dashboards, data export from Dynamics CRM to Microsoft Excel, implementation of business rules and processes to promote data integrity and the use of Workflows.

This collaboration with MS Dynamics World promises to bring an insightful glimpse of Dynamics CRM’s capabilities. Participants will also get the opportunity to ask questions to the speaker. Register today and don’t miss out on your chance to attend this webinar. 

Click here to register for “Maximize Dynamics CRM Right Out of the Box” webinar

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

Moniroo – WebSan Solutions’ time and expense system that integrates with Microsoft Dynamics GP, will enhance its look and features for an upcoming release. Equipped with a dashboard that allows easy access to the system’s modules, Moniroo continues to improve its capabilities to best support integration to Dynamics GP and offer the best solution for both on-premise and hosted clients.

Below are the modules included within Moniroo:

• Project Management – Add budget lines, fee lines and schedules into your projects
• Timesheet Management – Enables tracking of employees’ time according to client, project and task
• Expense – Tracks expenses in multiple currencies and employee expenses including travel, vehicle mileage, hotel, tips and other work related expenses
• Miscellaneous Logs – Tracks upgrades and various cost categories and lists the time that they were completed
• Purchase Orders – Create and approve Purchase Requisitions
• General Ledger – Tracks when money is taken from one account to another
• Service – Tracks maintenance on service equipment and vehicles
• Sales – Create sales invoices and receipts
• WMS – Organize inventory tracking and transfer cycle counts
• Approvals – Approve documents for integration into Dynamics GP
• History – Look up any past documents uploaded in Moniroo
• Reporting – Print reports and export data to Word, Excel, PDF or image format

To learn more about Moniroo and its features, visit our webpage or view our Moniroo videos on YouTube!

Click here to view our Moniroo webpage

Click here to see Moniroo videos on our YouTube channel

– PROFIT magazine unveils 27^th annual list of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies –

 Canadian Business and PROFIT ranked WebSan Solutions Inc. No. 250 on the 27^th annual PROFIT 500, the definitive ranking of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies. Published in the October issue of Canadian Business and at PROFITguide.com, the PROFIT 500 ranks Canadian businesses by their five-year revenue growth.

WebSan Solutions Inc. made the 2015 PROFIT 500 list with a five-year revenue growth of 238%.

“The PROFIT 500 represent the highest tier of entrepreneurialism in Canada,” says James Cowan, Editor-in-chief of PROFIT and Canadian Business. “They should be lauded for the positive economic contributions they’ve made to their communities—and the entire country.  They are examples of what can be accomplished with innovation, discipline and determination."

 “We are honoured to be on the PROFIT 500 ranking,” says Andrew King, Managing Director of WebSan Solutions Inc. “Our dedication to customer service has enabled us to reach yet another milestone. We will leverage this momentum to deliver business solutions that exceed our clients’ expectations and ensure their satisfaction in the following years to come. This accomplishment validates the hard work and tireless efforts of our employees to achieve great results.”

– PROFIT magazine unveils 27^th annual list of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies –

 Toronto, ON (September 17, 2015) Canadian Business and PROFIT today ranked WebSan Solutions Inc. No. 250 on the 27^th annual PROFIT 500, the definitive ranking of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies. Published in the October issue of Canadian Business and at PROFITguide.com, the PROFIT 500 ranks Canadian businesses by their five-year revenue growth.

WebSan Solutions Inc. made the 2015 PROFIT 500 list with a five-year revenue growth of 238%.

“The PROFIT 500 represent the highest tier of entrepreneurialism in Canada,” says James Cowan, Editor-in-chief of PROFIT and Canadian Business. “They should be lauded for the positive economic contributions they’ve made to their communities—and the entire country.  They are examples of what can be accomplished with innovation, discipline and determination."

 “We are honoured to be on the PROFIT 500 ranking,” says Andrew King, Managing Director of WebSan Solutions Inc. “Our dedication to customer service has enabled us to reach yet another milestone. We will leverage this momentum to deliver business solutions that exceed our clients’ expectations and ensure their satisfaction in the following years to come. This accomplishment validates the hard work and tireless efforts of our employees to achieve great results.”

Implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software and projects are no easy tasks. With many moving parts and personnel involved in the mix, the process becomes all the more daunting. To help avoid common pitfalls and offer some considerations, Software Advice, a trusted resource and advisory firm for ERP software buyers, recently conducted an analysis of 22 failed implementation projects and looked into the most common reasons for failure in this e-book.

The e-book notes that ERP implementation failure can often be attributed when one or more of the following key goals are not met:

• On-time implementation
• On- or under-budget implementation costs
• Minimal disruption to business operations
• Improved organizational efficiency
• Reduced operating costs
• Increased sales or revenue

One main takeaway from these is that “ERP implementation rarely fails because of the software itself,” as only 18 percent of the failures included in the study were due to buggy software.

To avoid implementation failure, it’s best if the organization take the time to do due diligence and fully research the ERP system, have personnel, particularly consultants completely understand the client’s needs and have a trusted vendor give you a realistic view of the system’s capabilities.

Implementing an ERP solution takes time, so it’s worthwhile to test drive the software and plan ahead for your IT team to prepare for the implementation and additional customizations and decisions that may need to be made at a later date.

Part 2 is a continuation of the series of blog posts that will profile different customer’s unique approach to using Dynamics CRM and provide real-life examples of how the software is used to help improve business processes.

An engineering, construction, service and maintenance company that provides services for infrastructure companies approached WebSan to implement Dynamics CRM and maximize the Dashboards feature of the software.

Using the Workload Reporting of Dashboards allowed the company to do the following:

• Break down by user the current status of Open Projects
• Access the number of projects that have been created in a specific timeframe by Users and the status of those projects
• Create a list view that depicts total number of created, cancelled and completed projects by user
• Create a pie chart to show the number of open projects and order them by status

To add, an active activities Dashboard breaks down the many activities (tasks, emails, appointments, etc.) that are being tackled “this month” by all users.

Dashboards in Dynamics CRM act as a tool to provide a fast and easy way to view and communicate business data. It also acts as your homepage upon logging into your environment. Serving as a one stop shop to quickly get a peek at your data, Dashboards allow you to spot trends and monitor valuable metrics, while dynamically updating based on new data that is being derived.  

Microsoft has announced general availability of its first update for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2015. The update promises to offer intelligent customer engagement that delivers enhancements. These changes will enable employees to efficiently collaborate across sales, service, and marketing departments, to allow them to better engage with customers. Below, we outline the features which make this update noteworthy:

1. A makeover for Dynamics CRM’s User Interface enables the user to do more with less including ease of navigation through less scrolling and fewer clicks. The new User Interface and navigation bar gives the ability to find information easier and faster.

2. If you're working in a complex form with lots of fields, the new form navigation drop-down list makes it easy to get to just the data you need. Choose the drop-down list next to the form title, and then select the section of the form you want to go to.

3. The new navigation User Interface contains the Recently Viewed Items icon, allowing you to quickly get back to the record you were working with.

4.You can add a logo or change the color scheme to stay in sync with your organization’s theme

When investing in an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, cost is always one of the first considerations that comes to mind. According to a study conducted by Software Advice, which helps buyers connect with software vendors, a number of factors come into play which influence the final price of an ERP system.

Number of Users and Customization Requirements

The study points out that larger businesses would typically have more users who need access to the system, requiring more applications and functionality, calling for a higher-priced system.

Customizations can increase the price as some businesses have more specialized processes, and in turn, need specific customizations that will support these.

Deployment Model

Contemplating the security of your company’s data or server backups may make you want to just keep your head in the clouds. When deciding between going hosted or on-premise for your ERP system, there is much to be considered. However, going hosted offers some crucial benefits that cannot be overlooked. Here are the top three reasons why switching to a hosted 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 consistently backed up. You can go about your day knowing that you’ll always have access to your data when you need it.

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 those who know them best. You no longer have to think of “customizations,” “compliance” or “rebooting” and instead, you can focus on the data at hand and performing your day-to-day tasks.

Join us in part one of a free webinar series on customizing Dynamics CRM 2015! The webinar is tailored for those new to Dynamics CRM who are responsible for the customization and upkeep of their organization’s CRM environment.

The webinar will offer a behind the scenes look at the Customizations area and discuss the different components that make up an entity and how one can interact with each of them. The session will wrap up with a sneak peek of customizations in action.

This webinar will serve as a preview of part two, where attendees can submit questions specific to customizations that will be addressed by the webinar speaker.

Previously, our Dynamics CRM webinars have received extremely positive feedback and proved to have given valuable insights to help during CRM implementations.

Part one of the customization for Dynamics CRM 2015 webinar will be held on Thursday, July 30, 2015, from 11:00-11:30 AM EST.