Netfira to Partner with Ostendo

Netfira Will Partner with Development-X to Integrate Ostendo June 01, 2010 Netfira, a B2B software solutions provider with operations in Australia, Europe and the United States has announced it will partner with Development-X to integrate Netfira’s suite of products with the Development-X Ostendo Operations Software, the leading inventory and operations management add-on solution for MYOB, QuickBooks and Pastel accounting systems in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Malaysia and Singapore. Pleasanton, CA, June 1, 2010 – Netfira, a B2B software solutions provider with operations in Australia, Europe and the United States has announced it will partner with Development-X to integrate Netfira’s suite of products with the Development-X Ostendo Operations Software, the leading inventory and operations management add-on solution for MYOB, QuickBooks and Pastel accounting systems in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Malaysia and Singapore. This represents a significant strategic alliance, since Netfira offers the world’s first solution to enable real-time electronic buying and selling between businesses of any size, and Development-X’s Ostendo supports multi-company, multi-user businesses to integrate inventory and crucial operational activities into existing accounting software to give users complete, real-time information allowing them to make accurate decisions and get faster results. Both solutions are compatible with some of the most popular accounting systems in use today. According to Jay Hennock, Netfira VP ANZ, “We are very excited about the Development-X partnership as there are over 3000 Ostendo users in Australia and New Zealand who can benefit from the integration of Netfira to Ostendo, as well as new Ostendo users having a ‘tick-box’ option to use Netfira. Equally, we believe a number of existing and new Netfira users would benefit by adopting Ostendo. It is the first time that an accounting software vendor partner has used Netfira’s SDK to integrate Netfira to its products. We believe a number of other vendors will see the benefits of integrating with Netfira using our SDK.” The Netfira integration with Ostendo will officially launch at the Development-X Partner conference in Taupo, New Zealand on July 26, 2010. Meanwhile, Netfira is training Ostendo partners to become accredited Netfira Professional Partners and also implementing pilot demonstration projects. There are 40 Ostendo Enterprise Level Partners and 100 Corporate Level partners, all of whom are MYOB, QuickBooks or Pastel certified consultants. According to Jeff Keith, Managing Director of Development-X, “The Netfira Ostendo partnership provides our users with real-time connectivity to their customers for product pricing and availability, and real-time ordering. Netfira virtually eliminates phone, fax and email processes, manual data entry and the associated errors. By adding Netfira to Ostendo, our users will be able to trade electronically in real-time with their customers, whether they are using, MYOB, QuickBooks or Pastel.” About Netfira(www.netfira.com): Netfira is a privately owned software company with operations in Australia, Europe and the United States. Founded in Australia in 2003, the company’s products, NetfiraSeller and NetfiraBuyer, represent a breakthrough solution for streamlining the buying and selling process. This business-to-business supply chain solution facilitates secure, real-time, end-to-end online transactions between trading partners. It also provides powerful, real-time information for buyers about inventory levels in their supply chain. The products can connect instantly and easily to customers’ existing accounting software, including MYOB, Oracle, Peachtree, QuickBooks, Sage, and SAP. The Sleeter Group named Netfira as one of its 2010 “Awesome Add-ons for QuickBooks,” recognizing it as one of the most effective and transformational technologies to enhance QuickBooks. About Development-X (www.netfira.com) and Ostendo (www.ostendo.info/): Development-X specializes in designing and developing affordable, off the shelf operational software solutions for small to medium size businesses including manufacturers, engineering and fabrication job shops, sales and repairs, service and maintenance, projects, trades, contractors and construction, wholesale distributors, exporters and importers and retailers. The company’s philosophy is to encourage clients to focus on their real business goals through managing the operational activity of the business and keeping their existing familiar financial accounting system. Over the past 20 years the Development-X team has discovered that business operations typically fall outside the scope of most financial accounting software systems. Ostendo® Operations Software, as recommended by MYOB, Reckon (QuickBooks) and Usage Business Solutions (Sage Pastel), adds advanced inventory, job costing, manufacturing, service, preventive maintenance, distribution and dynamic reporting to clients’ accounting systems. ### All product and company names mentioned in this document are the sole property of their respective owners.

Customers Perception of ERP

ERP is not only beneficial to the organization but also its customers. ERP has drawn customer attention, largely due to realisation that it creates a easily traceable solution to both products and problems that may be associated with those products. It has emphasised both to the customer and the supplier that the old adage of “the customer is the king of the business”.

Some common reactions

Loyalty and Satisfaction

Enterprise Resource Planning has increased customer satisfaction. It is for these reasons that business’s both small and large are, for the better part, adopting ERP solutions despite the initial cost outlay. Why? Because it helps tham achieve the ultimate business objective, namely, customer satisfaction.

The customer tends to have an increased loyalty because he has become aware of the ability of the supplier to promptly deal with either his purchase or his problems. ERP could by referred to as Custer Enterprise Relationship. This becomes more meaningful with concurrent adoption of a CRM program.

The customer used to face innumerable problems when enquiring order status and delivery. The ability to be able to get a clear picture on where his product was and when it would be delivered could easily jeopardise his own business. With the correct ERP software these sort of problems can be eliminated.

ERP has not only helped in the development of correct business practise within the company but also helped in maintaining a better working partnership with its customers.

Identification of Faults

The customer has come to the realisation that the company that has an ERP solution can more easily trace errors and flaws of its products and can be assured of immediate rectification, provided that the company has fully integrated their ERP solution. Previously if an enquiry were made personnel from within the company would have to query the relevant department or personnel to resolve an issue, now with an embedded ERP solution the answer should be no more than a mouse click away.

Commercial Modalities of ERP

Essantial drivers of ERP include those factors that influence the business’s trade and hence the stake holders value. These factors have considerable influence on both yiel or loss that may be gained from the business’s implementation of an ERP solution. And as such it puts a demand on the ERP supplier to provide a solution that serves these factors to enable him to sell his product. These factors must be investigated either by the implementing business, or by consultation with consultant/supplier.

Factors from the Business’s POV

Pacts

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Personnel

The adaption of involved personnel to the processes of the ERP solution will be a measure for either the success or failure of the solution. It therefore becomes very important to not only to analyse the product for the solutions for the business but also the impact that it will have the personnel that will be affected by any change in process’s and business structure. It must be remembered that an ERP solution not only affects internal personnel but also external personnel, namely the customer. The business must look to a solution that will be not only advantageous to the business processes and practices but also beneficial to any other personnel that may be affected by that solution. Note that objections will be felt, but the measure of the solution is how those objections can be overcome. The business needs to deal with these objections very carefully and instill the benefits that woill arise from the implementation of an ERP solution.

Process

The ultimate target or result is the fulfilment of the process’s that the business has identified through analysis, require change and streamlining. If these process’s succumb to the changes under the implementation of the ERP solution then the chances of the overall success of that solution is considerably enhanced. If these processes do not succumb to the changes that should be brought about by the implementation of the ERP solution then most, if not all efforts are but wasted and the expense of implementation lost.

Factors from the Vendors POV

Marketing

Due to the very nature of the product and the fact that the results from the implementation of an ERP solution are not always immediately evident, the vendor of an ERP solution must depend heavily on their marketing strategy. Add campaigns also require the addition of live demonstration either via the web or inhouse. This adds heavy cost burdens on the vendor and undoubtedly adds to cost of the product.

Competitive Edge

An ERP solution provider must not only ensure his product is up to industry standards but to remain competitive they must be able to provide a better or more enhanced product than their competitors. Don’t believe the adage that all software packages are equal, or a business can fall into the trap of not properly assessing each product ensuring that it is the right product that suits that businesses needs.

Conclusion

The prime consideration that any business must make is that if it chooses to undertake an ERP solution, is that there will be change. If the business cannot enable itself to move with these changes or its personnel are so entrenched in past process’s, then any realisation of value from an ERP solution will be lost. At the same time the vendor must make their solution user friendly and adaptive, to enable changes of processes to take affect with the smallest adverse effects on all participants.

Choosing the right ERP Solution

An ERP Package can offer maximum benefits to any business only when that solution is the right one for their business. Incorrectly choosing the ERP solution can result in the failure of that solution. Any potential user of ERP should first analysis their business so that the choice they make will coincide with that analysis.

Sample of Packages

On the basis of the Application

Customised Solution:

While a custom solution, may on the outside, look to be the best solution, as it “should” always address the needs of the business that it has been designed for. Unfortunately this is not always the case and many expensive customised packages have fallen far short of their expectations. The consult or designer must have an intimate knowledge of the business that they are designing for and this in itself can lead to shortfalls within the package.

Readymade Solutions

Primarily this type of solution requires that the business adapt to the predetermined process’s of the purchased package, although some of these packages are also customisable and therefore can be tailored to specific need of the business. One advantage to this type of solution is the ability to implement within a much shorter time frame.

They range across the market from low priced non customisable solutions to very expensive that are fully customisable.

On the basis of Implementation

The one shot method (big bang)

Some larger companies will choose this style of implementation so that everyone within the organisation will be on the same page at the same time. While it sounds good in theory it requires a considerable amount of preparation and consideration of the impact. The business must have all operating personnel trained and process’s complete prior to implementation or it will fail.

Partial Implementation

This style of solution is one whereby the company can purchase segments of the total package and implement one step at a time. The business can choose which part of the ERP process that they wish to implement at any particular time. For instance, they may wish only to implement better stock control procedures but not implement job tracking. The job tracking can be implemented at a later date once all personnel are familiar with the stock process. This allows the employees to grow with the system and can negate any negatives to the change in practices.

Making the Choice

The major issue in choosing the right ERP solution is that it must reflect the purpose of implementation, be it customer satisfaction, specific consolidation of resources, etc etc. By analysing the business’s specific needs and then applying those needs to different ERP Solutions they will be able to assess its ability to meet their specific needs. The business should always be mindful of growth, so choosing the right ERP solution does not just lie in what is wanted to be achieved now but also in the future. If the business is successful in analysing its specific needs then it will be able to make a decision on the correct ERP solution.

Conclusion

Whether a business opts for any particular style of ERP, be it readymade, customised or partial/segmental, is totally dependent on the needs of that business. The impact of an effective ERP implementation will be seen in the willingness of the business to embrace and change with the process.

Industry Reaction to ERP

ERP has brought about a large amount of discussion among most professionals, IT, employees, business owners, customers and so on. But what does industry itself have to say about ERP, they, in the very least, will be the instigators and major beneficiary from any possible improvements made to there business practice through the implementation of an ERP solution.

A Summation of Industry reactions

The use of modern technology combined with methodology

It would be a fair comment to say that ERP has helped many business’s to realise the full potential of computerisation (IT). Since the instigation of IT business procedures and practices having been simplified and the introduction of ERP software has helped even further along in this process.

There was still a void, IT was not being fully utilised, by most companies. The intervention of ERP has filled this void by fully utilising the employment of the IT industry. For example before the advent of ERP, individual programs looked after individual components of the business process, accounting software for accounts, timekeeping software (that didn’t necessarily interact with the accounting package) to look after timekeeping, HR programs that did just that, look after HR. None, or very few, of these processes could disseminate information from the other, nothing was intergrated. ERP as a solution provides a basis whereby most of the business processes can be interactive with one another and provides an instance where ever the normal manual tasks can be computerised.

The implementation of ERP is in itself an orientation for change of the business management structure and has brought with it a change of the thinking process, rules and procedures within the business structure. The implementation can influence a business to remove the rigidity of previous processes and motivate businesses to offer incentives and innovation.

Changing business processes

In general most of us reject change and business is not spared from this, This fact remains true whether they are a modern or a traditional business model. However the implementation of an ERP solution in itself demands changes to the traditional work patterns and processes. Those businesses that are keen to change their market resource will be greatly influenced by the implementation of an ERP solution.

They not only change the current methodology but have access to new and better work practices and processes. This has a number of benefits, one by ensuring a better work environment and two it can pave the way for presentation of employee grievances and improve the HR within the business.

Conclusion

The thoughts outlined above are by no means statutory obligations to a business that implements an ERP solution but responses that have come from businesses who in implementing ERP have come to realise some of its potential and ability to optimise their resources.

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