It’s easy to incorporate the data that you’ve collected to create a highly focused prospect list using AcctVantage ERP software.  In fact, all it takes is just six clicks of the mouse.

Call AcctVantage today at (828) 692-3301 for a quick 10 minute phone call to learn how our software can increase your profitability.

Want to increase your company’s bottom line? Reduce your inventory carrying cost and free up cash for operations using the simple, effective tools of AcctVantage ERP.

AcctVantage can help you to easily see which products are slow movers and which are fast flying. Plus, you can automatically set your minimum and maximum levels across all products based on your sales history.

At AcctVantage ERP, we’ve been implementing small business software successfully for over 20 years. In that time we’ve learned what it takes to ensure success.  Believe it or not, it’s really not all that complicated–if you know what you’re doing.

Here are a few factors that we have found to be critical to an ERP implementation’s success:

- Be realistic about schedule: Getting into your new ERP system is not something you want to rush. In our experience, 30 days is a absolute minimum. You can do it if you don’t plan on importing a lot of historical data (most companies do) and if you can accommodate the training very quickly. But a more realistic time line for implementation is 60 to 90 days. This allows for the proper organization of incoming data, installation and people’s schedules for training.

- Get guaranteed results: At AcctVantage ERP we guarantee our implementations. By working strictly under a fixed bid arrangement, we share the risk with you inherent in any ERP implementation. We don’t ask you to sign a blank check, or take our word that you will be up and running for the cost we estimated. We fix the cost, so we’re equally motivated as you are to make sure you get up and running successfully. It’s win-win by design.

- Participate: You are busy. Your business is most likely thriving, which is why you want to implement a new ERP system. But, in order to be successful, you must participate fully in the implementation process. It’s not something you can delegate, no matter how much you wish you could! Sure, it’s a team effort and it probably won’t be just you, but your team needs clear leadership and direction through this process. We bring a lot to the table, but we can’t just step in and tell you how to run your business. You are the expert in your business. We are the experts on our software. By working together we all get the best of both worlds, and a successful implementation.

We’ve been implementing ERP software for small businesses for a long time. We know what it takes for you to be successful, and we apply this hard earned knowledge for every new AcctVantage ERP customer.

Give us a call to see if we might be the right solution for you. We love serving our customers and are happy to speak with you and help you regardless of whether we end up earning your business or not. We’re here to serve.

Over the years, we have learned a lot about small business accounting software for both Mac and PC and the relationship with ROI.  Based on our experience, we’ve broken down for you some of the most common sources of ROI from ERP software. We’ve also divulged the ugly truth about which hold water, and which do not.

In “order of credibility” here are the top sources of ROI from ERP use:

1) Headcount Reduction – Credible – This is the king of all ROI indicators: if you can do the same volume with fewer people, you’re getting a measurable return.

Example: We have a mid-west auto accessories distributor who was able to reduce his shipping staff from five people to two people because of the shipping integration in AcctVantage ERP.

2) Higher Volume, Same Staff – Credible – Kind of the correlary to headcount reduction, if you can sell more without adding staff, you’re getting a measurable return.

Example: A west-coast distributor of educational materials saw a 400% increase in their top line without adding administrative staff because they manage their orders and inventory with AcctVantage ERP.

3) Stop Losing Orders – Mostly Credible – If you are losing business because you can’t provide the level of service your competitors can with their ERP systems, you are losing money. If you can stop losing that business, you have a measurable return.

This one is “mostly credible” because it comes down to whether you *really are* losing deals over lack of quick, reliable, pertinent data (customer touch-point history, order history, historical pricing, real-time stock status, etc.). You will get a measurable return if you trust that your sales people can deliver more sales given better/faster info. (Meaning, they are saying they can, and what they are saying makes sense to you.)

4) Increased Efficiencies – Not Credible – “Efficiencies” aren’t ROI. Period. There may be many great examples of how a new ERP solution will “make things easier,” but that’s just oiling the machine. In my experience, if you don’t have a compelling case that rests solidly on #1 and/or #2 above, you don’t have a compelling case for ROI.

5) Better Tools – Not Credible – If all you have is along the lines of this statement, you don’t have anything: “If you had our software you could run this report each month that would give you insight into your operation you don’t have now so you could make it more efficient and you could save money.” This is even one step removed from #4 above, and is all the weaker.

6) You Will Sell More – Not Credible – Software never sold anything and never will. A solid value proposition and good sales people generate sales. Software is neither.

Of course, your ERP’s implementation or the real cost of getting up and running successfully on small business ERP software has it’s very own truths, myths and pitfalls.

1) Software Features

This is the easiest one to assess. Either the software has support for the kinds of business processes you need, or it doesn’t. There are few gray areas when it comes to features.  If, however, this truly is the root of the problem, then it would be pretty obvious and therefore easy to remedy by either making use of untapped features necessary to run your company, or switching to another provider if your current ERP truly cannot do what it is you need.

2) System Configuration

The more likely scenario is that the software your company is using has the ability to manage your business processes well, but it’s just not configured properly for your needs. ERP software is complex (if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be that helpful in running your business). And you as a company manager don’t have the time to learn all the ins and outs of the software, you need to run your business. The solution in this situation is your software’s provider. A good provider can quickly help you identify where things are falling down, and configure the software as appropriate given how you operate. If your provider is not up to the task (non-existent, not competent, etc.) then you do indeed have a problem which may require switching ERP systems.

3) User Knowledge

It may be that the software is appropriate for your business and it was set up correctly, but your staff just doesn’t know how to use it. This can be because there’s been too much turnover since the software was first implemented, and knowledge has not been passed on effectively to new staff. Or, maybe you never got proper training in the first place, either because you skimped on training in order to “save some money” (oops) or because the training you got was ineffective. Again, the solution here isn’t the software, it’s a matter of getting the training necessary to use the software appropriately.

At AcctVantage ERP, we can help you avoid these common impediments to success by applying simple, yet effective principles we have learned in our 22+ years serving small business:

- Through extensive pre-sales demonstrations and discussions, we ensure that there is a good fit between your business and our software. If there isn’t, we will tell you, and we’ll both move on.

- Using the knowledge gained during the sales process, we work with you to set the software up appropriately for your business. And, because of our design philosophy of “elegant simplicity,” it’s easy to make changes along the way for an even better fit.

- Our intense customer focus and natural drive to solve problems allows us to get you back on track quickly if for some reason your staff isn’t getting the most out of the software.

#1 – Be Fully Engaged – ERP software is complex, and no matter how much you are willing to pay, it won’t implement itself. There are no two ways about it, you as the business manager must be fully engaged in the implementation process in order for it to be successful. While your ERP provider will play a huge role in making your implementation a success, but your full participation is even more critical. Every business is unique, and nobody knows your business better than you. So, be prepared to roll up your sleeves and dive in. Your hard work will pay off!

#2 - Get Organized – Getting your historical data into your new ERP software is probably the most difficult (and highest value) part of the implementation. Your provider should have the tools and experience to move the data in, but you need to make sure you’re providing good data (whatever that means to you) and not just blindly shoveling all of the old data into the new system. This is a great time to “clean”  your data before you make it part of your new system.

#3 – Know Your Cost Up Front – Your implementation project should be fixed bid. It’s impossible to overrun the budget if the provider has committed to getting it done for a set price. Beware of open ended arrangements, where you are expected to pay for costly overages if your ERP provider does not have fixed bid incentives to get you up and running successfully in an agreed upon time frame. A fixed bid implementation shows that the provider is willing to share the risk with you, and is confident that things will go smoothly.

AcctVantage ERP implementations are always within budget because they are always fixed bid. Our implementation success rate of over 95% comes from our deep commitment to your success, our 22+ years of experience exclusively in small business software, and our willingness to share the risk with you.

Managed Growth

What would happen if your top line increased 50% in the next year or two? 100%? 200%? For most managers, that’s a frightening prospect. But isn’t that why you’re in business in the first place? With the right ERP package, your operation can scale easily and relatively painlessly, allowing you to take full advantage of the business opportunities that arise, rather than sweating it out and hoping things hold together.

Reliable Numbers

It’s no good running your business with software that will allow you (or anyone else!) to “rewrite history.” If your current software allows someone to change a historical transaction or make a receipt or check “disappear”, you should be concerned. As a business manager, you need to know that the numbers you are seeing are accurate and reliable, and aren’t going to change over time. A good ERP package will have a tight audit trail, giving you the security that your numbers are reliable.

Right-size Inventory

It’s all too easy to waste money mismanaging inventory. The cost of over-purchasing, or maybe worse, running out of popular items, can be substantial. A good ERP package will give you the tools to easily “right-size’ your inventory so you are spending your money wisely, and not wasting dollars on excess stock that collects dust in the warehouse, or losing business because you ran out of something.

Data Security

A good ERP system will allow you to control who gets to see what data. As you grow, this becomes increasingly important. Otherwise, as your company grows in size and assets increase, your company’s financial security will be at stake.  It’s better to solve that problem sooner rather than later, before you have to pay the price for your data’s insecurity.

These are just a few of the reasons you may want to consider stepping up to a good ERP package such as AcctVantage ERP. With over 22 years focused exclusively on small business ($2MM – $20MM) operations management, AcctVantage ERP can help you take advantage of opportunities that drive your growth, while avoiding common pitfalls that will hold you back.

In today’s ERP market, over 55% of ERP implementations go over budget and beyond the scheduled time period.  But, AcctVantage ERP has an implementation success rate of over 95%.  Unfortunately, ERP implementation failures are not uncommon in general, but at AcctVantage, they are extremely uncommon.  We have the benefit of  over 22 years of experience as publishers of Windows and Mac Accounting Software for small business and have developed an implementation process that delivers success time and time again.

Here are some of our inside tips for making your ERP implementation a success:

- Get Organized: Knowing ahead of time what data you want to bring forward, and what data you would rather leave behind is a big step in the right direction.  Some companies choose to “start fresh” and hand-enter new data, which allows for the “cleanest” data transfer.  This way you know that each customer, vendor, etc. that goes over belongs in the new system.  Some companies, however, choose to “move it all” as to retain the fullest history possible (warts and all).  Either way can work, you just need to know up front what you want to do so it can be worked into the plan.

- Get Trained: One of the most common “freshman errors” is to think that you can figure it all out as you go.  But, your new system is going to be more powerful (and complex) than your old one, and you’re going to be new to it, so go ahead and get proper training ahead of time.  It will be one of the best investments you can make in your implementation success.

- Participate: Your implementation is not going to happen successfully without your participation.  No one knows your business better than you, so you will need to be fully engaged in the project.  ERP is a big investment, and can take your business to new heights.  This is not something you want to leave up to others.

- Go With Proven Success: Ask your provider what their implementation success rate is.  Be concerned if you don’t get a quick number back.  (And answers like “really high” or “I’m sure you’ll be fine” are not numbers.)  Also, ask whether your provider is willing to share the risk with you by working under a fixed bid arrangement.  Are they willing to guarantee your success? AcctVantage ERP does both.  We don’t want to settle for anything less. Do you?

Our core time and money saving strategies include:

– We provide fixed bid services.
– We share the risk.
– We guarantee results.

One of these key ways in which AcctVantage ERP sets itself apart is in how we deliver our services. Most providers will simply promise the implementation will be successful, but we actually put our money where our mouth is by making all AcctVantage ERP services strictly fixed bid.

We’ve been doing ERP implementations for over 20 years now and we know what it takes to get a small business up and running successfully with our Windows and Mac accounting software. To that end, we will tell you, before you even commit, exactly what the implementation service will cost.

By setting the price right up front, we share the risk inherent in the implementation of complex software with you, rather than tell you “it depends” or ask you to pay by the hour regardless of the outcome. When we tell you what will be done, and what the cost will be, it’s on us to hit that mark, or suffer the consequences of any excess time required. You still pay the same thing.

By the same token, because we fix the price and tell you up front what will be required, we can guarantee our results. When you buy AcctVantage ERP, you will be up and running successfully for the stated price, no question.

The benefits are pretty obvious when the software is a good feature fit.  Here are some of the stories of how AcctVantage ERP proved beneficial to our clients:

- A west-coast educational materials distributor was able to manage a 400% increase in their top line without adding any administrative staff by using AcctVantage ERP to manage their orders and inventory.

- A mid-west distributor of auto accessories successfully grew their business from under $1MM to over $8MM using AcctVantage ERP, due in large part to our ability to tailor the software without customization.

- A manufacturer in New England manages their complex, multi-level assemblies and all the inventory necessary to produce them using AcctVantage ERP, and has for over 15 years.

On the expense side, we work strictly under a fixed bid arrangement for all implementations. This practice moves much of the risk of the ERP implementation onto us, which has helped AcctVantage achieve an implementation success rate of over 95%– unprecedented in the ERP industry!

In fact, we’ve even written a white paper about the factors necessary for a successful ERP implementation. Our 23 years in the industry has taught us a thing or two about making small business successful, and our customers benefit from that hard earned knowledge and experience every day.