I've been involved in IT and Supply Chain projects all over the world. I've seen projects achieve all of the objectives, come in under budget and ahead of schedule. I've also seen projects fail to achieve the benefits they set out to, or even outright fail to even work.

And what's the #1 difference between success and failure?

Executive Sponsorship

When I am contacted by a prospective client to discuss a new ERP system, I always make sure that the first meeting includes key decision makers. You may say, "well of course! You don't want to sell to someone who isn't authorized to make the purchase." And you'd only be 1/2 right...

The real reason that the key decision maker needs to be in the very first meeting is because if they aren't "driving the bus", then everyone will end up under it. What I mean is that technology projects are complicated and fraught with challenges just by their very nature. If someone at the top of the organization isn't driving the success of the project, then it will not work. It may finish, albeit over budget and over schedule, but I can almost guarantee that it won't meet the business objectives set at the beginning.

Sometimes a CFO or CEO looks at me funny during the first sales meeting because I've refused to meet with the "IT guy" and insist on meeting with them as well. After I explain the reasoning behind it and start the Q&A session that is outlined in the "Unlock Your Potential" program, they are always heavily engaged and demand to be significant contributors along the way. This is because we create value right at the very first meeting and if there is no significant ROI demonstrated right at the beginning for them, then it ends right there. No one is wasting time.

I wanted to take an opportunity to discuss an article I recently wrote for our monthly WebSan newsletter.  The article discusses utilizing mobile devices to access one’s ERP system.  Since mobile devices have become so common, software companies have made great efforts to make their systems available on these devices. 

Here is a quick excerpt:

Salespeople by nature are always away from the office.  As such, most CRM applications are also now available on mobile devices.  When combined with the ability to view data straight from ones ERP, salespeople are enabled to make the best offer to the customer in order to win business.  Salespeople can view real-time data on extended pricing, sales history & quantities on hand help make their pitch.  The ability to view unpaid invoices, credit limits & payment information can help resolve disputes.  And by viewing inventory data on size, weight or other user-defined information, one can help solve the customer’s complex purchasing needs.  All while taking less time to fill out papers & allowing more time to be spent selling product.

Part two can be found in our next newsletter & discusses many of the benefits that can be derived from everyday business professional using mobile technologies.  Visit our website to sign up for our monthly newsletter containing new articles every edition.

The truth about large-scale technology projects is that the majority of them actually fail. In fact, studies show that 65% of them fail!

If IT projects were airplanes, no one would ever get on one! So why do so many companies venture down that road and why do so many fail?

Here's the answer to the first part of that question : because, to remain competitive in today's market, you have to leverage the benefits of technology. Performing every function of the company manually, or with Excel, is just too time-consuming and costly to be competitive.

The problem is that as companies grow, employees literally invent processes in order to accomplish tasks. These processes are mainly work-arounds to "get around" inefficiencies in the current ERP system or other people in the company. The fundamental issue occurs when a new ERP system is installed and merely automates inefficient, manual, processes.

So how do we ensure that projects are successful?

Don’t miss out!  Last week, Microsoft released Service Pack 4 for Dynamics GP 10.0.  The latest Service Pack contains a long list of fixes, reaching almost every GP module.  Updates in Service Pack 1, 2 and 3 are included in Service Pack 4.  For GP 10.0 customers, Service Packs require the modified forms and reports to be updated using GP Utilities.

As always, services packs & patches can be downloaded from CustomerSource. CustomerSource also includes detailed instructions on installation & features, however, please test your system prior to implementation.  Of importance to our Canadian customers, the latest tax patch should now be installed in order to account for changes in CPP & EI deduction maximums.  If you missed the boat, please give us a call!  WebSan is one of only a few Dynamics Partners in all of Canada certified in Payroll.

I've seen it numerous times...it happens in law firms, accounting firms, consulting firms, and any company where employees are the "product" upon which revenues are based.

The problem with the professional services industry is that a large key to success is cash flow management. That means that you must effectively manage the time between when your resources perform the work and when the customer pays. Let's take a look at the whole process.

Part 1 : Time and Expense reporting

To effectively get your personnel to report their time and expenses, it must be simple. Some of the ways to address this are :

- enable your team to enter their time and expenses through a simple to use web portal, or even a mobile device. That way it doesn't take a significant amount of time out of their day to "get their paperwork in".

Welcome to the WebSan Solutions Blog!

This blog will feature posts about the latest ways to get the most out of your enterprise system and how to leverage a WMS to improve warehouse operations plus much more! Check back often for updates, there is also a RSS feed you can subscribe to for your convenience!