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.

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?

Mark Bolick, COO of His Glassworks credits AcctVantage ERP with allowing him to grow the company without adding staff.

“…our revenue has more than doubled without the need to add any additional staff and for a small business, that’s amazing!”
-Mark Bolick, COO His Glassworks

Being small doesn’t mean that your customer base and revenues have to be. My dictionary has a great definition of small, “not large as compared with others of the same kind.” I like that definition.  The world continues to get smaller thanks to technology and the advent of the Internet has allowed many small businesses to become “big” small businesses. His Glassworks in Asheville, NC is one company that has become big while staying small by leveraging technology.

In 1984 glass artist Bob Stephan moved his small glass art studio, His Glassworks, from Virginia to a beautiful cove hidden away near the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, NC. Glass art is a trade where many specialized tools and supplies are needed and Stephan struggled with the fact that many of these specific tools were not readily available. Artists are by nature creative and as the old adage goes, “necessity is the mother of invention.” It was that necessity that drove Bob in 1992 to begin manufacturing some of the tools and supplies he needed and marketing them to other glass artists through trade shows.

Word continued to spread about the products that His Glassworks was selling and the business began to grow. In 1994 a young college graduate named Mark Bolick joined His Glassworks and soon introduced the idea of creating a website and web store to help drive sales. Over the next seven years the company continued to grow and expand sales. “Once we grew into the manufacturing and distribution side of things and had inventory to manage, we quickly outgrew our technology until it became obsolete,” recalls Bolick who is now COO. “Our company file just became too big.”

His Glassworks continued to work with their off-the-shelf accounting package trying to make it adapt to their business. “I even called the vendor for suggestions and was told there was nothing they could do for us. They said that we had outgrown their software.” said Bolick. He continues, “it was a miserable failure by the time we were done with it. We were stuck in a lurch and had to find something to work.”

After months of exhaustive research and narrowing the field to ten different ERP solutions, His Glassworks chose to partner with AcctVantage ERP. Integrated inventory, accounting, sales, marketing and resource planning capabilities were features that

Bob Stephan, President of His Glassworks

His Glassworks required. AcctVantage ERP delivered those features plus the flexibility that they needed. “AcctVantage ERP gave us the freedom and leeway to adapt the system to meet our needs,” says Bolick, “plus, it was able to work with our existing mixed Windows and Mac network.”

During the ten years that they have been using AcctVantage ERP, His Glassworks has cut their turnaround time by more than half and the majority of orders now ship the day they are received. Now shipping to more than 40 countries, that’s an improvement that directly affects their bottom line. “We used to have a whole day’s lag time even for shipping inventory that we had in stock,” says Bolick. “now when an order comes in, production has it within seconds and it’s often shipped before lunch. That never happened before.”

In 2011 His Glassworks moved its sales, inventory and shipping operations to their new facilities along the French Broad River in Asheville. The ability to have their entire process from manufacturing, acquisition, sales to shipping all handled in one complete accounting software has allowed them to grow their business and revenues substantially. When asked if he felt AcctVantage ERP had impacted his bottom line Bolick shared, “since we switched to AcctVantage ERP our revenue has more than doubled without the need to add any additional staff and for a small business, that’s amazing!”

So what does Mark like most about switching to AcctVantage ERP?  “Aside from the fact that it has greatly increased our profitability and paid for itself many times over, I love the intuitive design and the ability to tailor AcctVantage ERP to each user’s unique needs and clearance levels.” He adds, “AcctVantage ERP’s dependable service and support has helped us keep His Glassworks up and running from day one! We’re just amazed at how much more productive we are with this system. We couldn’t be happier.”

To learn more about AcctVantage ERP use the LiveChat at the bottom of this page or give us a call at 828.692.3301

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.

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.

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. For more information on AcctVantage ERP call us today at 828.692.3301 or chat live with us using the LiveChat feature at the bottom of this page.

ERP in the Small Business

ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning, which is just a fancy way of saying “software that manages all aspects of your business.” ERP software has been available for many years in the middle and upper tiers of business software, and in more recent years it’s become available for small businesses. While it’s great for a small business to have the increased profits that go with a successful implementation of the right ERP system, it’s the “successful implementation” part that catches many small business owners, many of whom have not implemented a full-blown ERP system before.

The High Cost of Failure

It’s not uncommon for ERP implementations to overrun the budget by 100%, 200%, 300% or more, or even fail outright. There are well known horror stories about big, publicly traded companies and outrageously expensive ERP implementation failures. Do an Internet search for “erp disasters” and you’ll see. These failures can devastate a company’s financial performance.

Unfortunately, these costly failures are not limited to large businesses. Those are just the ones you hear about because they are high profile. Small business ERP implementations can lead to disastrous cost overruns and outright failures as well. They certainly don’t have to, but they sometimes do. In order to know how to avoid these problems, you first have to understand what drives the cost of ERP implementation.

The Drivers of Cost

The short story is that there are three categories of cost when you’re talking about successful ERP implementation: one they tell you about, one they sort of tell you about, and one that you have no idea about until it’s too late.

The One They Tell You About

License or subscription fees are simple. That’s the one that’s right there on the table. You have a certain number of user seats, you license a certain set of modules, out pops a dollar figure. First-time ERP buyers often think that this is a good part of, if not most of, their total budget for the project, which is not the case.

The One They Sort Of Tell You About

Next are service fees, which are normally presented as estimates on the proposal. Services include training classes, a certain number of hours of consulting required to get the package installed, some hours of consulting to get your data into it, etc. Most often, services are described as an hourly rate with an estimated number of hours necessary to get your system “up and running.” Your initial invoice will likely include a block of service time based on these estimates.

It all fits your budget and all is well. This is where many businesses sign the contracts, but this is also where the problem of runaway cost begins.

The One You Have No Idea About

What they don’t tell you is that the costs stated up front are “best case” costs, and rarely will you be up and running successfully for the stated amounts. After all, most ERP software is sold through third party channels, and third party vendors make their money on service fees. This category of cost can become a big problem by the time you feel you’re into your commitment and implementation “too deep to stop now.”

Here’s another way of saying the same thing: the vendor is responsible for what they sold you, and only you are responsible for your success.

You need it so the vendor is responsible for your success, which is quite a different thing.

Your Checklist for ERP Implementation Success

This checklist will help you make sure that you know what you’re getting into with your ERP implementation, and that the people you’re thinking of doing business with can make you successful for the stated cost.

- The implementation costs and outcomes are clearly expressed in writing.

One of the primary ways costs overrun is if the services are provided on a hourly basis and/or the definition of “done” is not crystal clear and agreed upon in writing.

Ask the vendor for an implementation guide and time line before committing. This should include, in detail, lists of the data elements that can be imported. Be sure that any historical data that you deem critical is included. Agree to a definition of “done”. At what point does the vendor consider your implementation complete? Does this definition ensure your success?

- You understand who is responsible for each element.

Ultimately, you are responsible for the success (or failure) of the project, but it should be clear from the beginning who is responsible for each task. If you have a VAR/reseller involved, will she be responsible for any changes needed in the software, or is the software publisher? Who will be involved in managing data export/import and formatting? These are the type of finger-pointing issues that you don’t want to encounter in the midst of implementation.

- The service work is fixed bid.

A provider who knows what they’re doing should gladly offer fixed bid work. It shows their confidence in their processes and implies a track record of success. It also shows that they’re “in it with you” and not all about maximizing service revenue. A provider who is willing to share the risks inherent in ERP implementation is a keeper.

- You’ve considered travel costs

This is a no-brainer, but still easy to underestimate or even miss entirely. Again, the tighter the implementation plan, the less likely there will be higher travel expenses than you budgeted.

If you can be assured on each of these points, then your chances for a successful ERP implementation will be greatly increased.

The AcctVantage Advantage

At AcctVantage ERP, we’ve been implementing small-business ERP successfully for over 20 years.

AcctVantage ERP is a time-tested enterprise software application designed from the beginning exclusively for small business. Our focus is on delivering ERP success, not just software and services.

We are the publisher and developer of AcctVantage ERP, and provide all sales, consulting, training and support services to our customers directly. No fingers pointed, no bucks passed.

All services are provided on a fixed-bid basis. Implementation, data conversion, special feature integration, training, etc. Any service provided by AcctVantage is fixed-bid so you’ll know exactly what your costs are before committing. Our decades of experience give us the confidence to bid projects accurately, and focus on making you successful.

Spend ten minutes with us and you’ll know if we’re a good fit. Call today at 828-692-3301 to speak to an AcctVantage ERP specialist or visit us at www.AcctVantage.com.

About the author

Dan Beckett has been designing, writing, selling and supporting small business software for over 20 years. With a decade in custom business software and a decade in packaged ERP software, Mr. Beckett has helped small businesses nationwide reap the benefits of affordable software coupled with effective, personal services. He is the author of several journal articles and co-author of a 700-page technical book about business software development tools and techniques. He is recognized worldwide as an expert in the 4th Dimension line of software development tools. Mr. Beckett is currently President of AcctVantage ERP, an ERP software publisher specializing in small business, based in Hendersonville, NC.

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.

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.

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.