Tech professionals work hard and often have a never-ending stream of tasks to accomplish that fall on their plates. While their roles are often designed for jacks-of-all-trades, the introduction of a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform can be too time-consuming to add to their responsibilities. Your IT point person may not have the familiarity or expertise with a platform like the Microsoft Dynamics NAV to troubleshoot and maintain it on an ongoing basis. More importantly, they have other critical functions to perform within your business that require their attention. 

This is why the support of a third-party service provider is critical to ERP success. Companies that take a do-it-yourself approach to ERP management may fall behind the rapidly evolving industry. It may be challenging for them to prioritize ERP in addition to other areas of IT systems management. ERP systems are deployed to save companies time, money and spare them from suffering from inefficiency. Over time, those savings defray the cost of implementation so that resource allocation becomes more efficient than ever. 

This process is collaborative. While leaders at the ERP system's company don't need to be front-to-back experts on their platform, working with a service provider to establish needs and problem areas is the best way to guarantee a successful deployment. ERP providers should be prepared to learn your business model inside and out to recognize and anticipate areas for improvement throughout the process. They help guide decision makers through deployment and beyond. 

At Accent Software, our experts have deep experience selecting, deploying and maintaining business management software for clients across industries like manufacturing. Contact us today to learn more about how the Microsoft Dynamics NAV can optimize efficiency in your business. 

Deploying an enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform is far from a one-and-done proposition. While selection and installation are critical parts of the integration process, the long-term management of your ERP solution marks the difference between a platform that succeeds or fails. 

"Compared to last year, a higher percentage of organizations are relying on consultants to guide them through the post-implementation phases of their project," explains Panorama Consulting's 2015 ERP report. "Post-implementation activities often involve project recovery work as well as the verification and validation of vendor contracts and overall project deliverables."

In the early phases of implementation, migration and recovery are critical. This means transferring any outstanding tasks or projects over to your new business management software solution. Projects that are already in-process at the time of deployment are some of the most vulnerable to falling through the cracks if appropriate attention isn't given. Those that are started and completed before deployment fall squarely in the "legacy" framework. Projects that begin after deployment can be completed from start-to-finish using new systems. 

However, when tasks and ongoing matters fall somewhere in between, they require greater care and consideration. From an internal perspective, this can include tasks like payroll that never stop as long as your business is operating.

A qualified third-party service provider can help ensure continuity in these matters as you and your team become familiarized with the ERP platform. At Accent Software, our ERP specialists have extensive experience supporting the deployment of new management software in a variety of enterprises. Contact us today to learn more about how your operations can be optimized by an ERP system built to fit your company's present and future needs. 

Human resources (HR) can be expensive to manage, and studies show that companies are continuously funneling more money into their HR departments. From increasing personnel to investing in sophisticated HR systems, this can be a costly area of your business that requires great thought and deliberation to get right. 

According to Talent Management, a majority of companies have increased their HR spending in the last year alone. This upward trend reflects the growing needs and pressures to execute hiring, payroll and other human resources tasks effectively. As these areas become increasingly modernized, tech plays a more critical role in ensuring that your workforce is managed and rewarded as efficiently as possible. 

One of the benefits of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform is the flexible modules for HR tasks that can be integrated within your business' central nervous system. This provides a centralized way to oversee tasks like payroll, hiring and benefits disbursement at the touch of a button. Companies that are reliant on old paper systems may get bogged down in the inefficiency and minutiae of performing tasks by hand, completing forms and keeping track of documents. Even online legacy systems can be clunky and difficult to bring into the next phases of HR innovation and development, particularly where compliance and reporting are concerned. 

Solutions like the Microsoft Dynamics NAV, which we're experienced deploying at Accent give decision makers a new and convenient way to manage HR, and to improve communication between departments about HR-related business matters. Contact us today to learn more about how an ERP platform can take your business management strategies to the next level, simplifying procedures and improving processes like reporting. 

Companies in need of a new business management software solution often turn to enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms to address their diverse internal needs. From human resources to inventory management and scheduling, an ERP system can help support efficiency and reliability in many different enterprise types, including manufacturing firms. According to a study by Panorama Consulting, here are the 10 most common benefits company decision-makers attribute to their ERP platform:

1. Availability of information. When long lines, red tape and bureaucratic silos are keeping your information organized, it can be hard to access, find and confirm the documents or data points you need to do your job. From old paper systems to creaky offline spreadsheets, your internal intelligence might be a scattered mess that's tough to navigate. ERP Systems centralize the process so that the right information can be found easily and immediately. 
2. Increased interaction and integration. One of the reasons why information may not be available is a lack of integration across departments and projects. ERP systems unify your company's various wings like a central nervous system that keeps everyone compatible, all the time. 
3. Improved data reliability. With better data entry and analysis tools, the quality of respondents' business information improve as well. 
4. Improved productivity and efficiency. When the human resources currently dedicated to administrative tasks are minimized, your workers can focus their attention on more important projects and strategic functions. 
5. Better informed decision-making. As a result of these first four points, professionals have the right information to make the best decisions for the short and long-term goals of the enterprise. Working from incomplete or faulty information can lead to errors in judgment, while ERP systems eliminate those constraints on your executive power. 
6. Less duplication of effort. The inefficiency of legacy systems creates a "Whose line is it, anyway?" situation where multiple employees may complete the same task, due to poor delegation of responsibilities. With an ERP system, the whole company can be privy to work that is in progress. This reduces confusion and keeps your employees in their respective lanes. 
7. Controls for compliance. Observing standards set by partner organizations, government agencies and other bodies can be challenging without a standardized process for remaining compliant. ERP platforms provide an efficient and reliable way to honor standards and regulations, as well as an easy-to-follow record of all your enterprise activities. 
8. Improved lead time and inventory levels. For manufacturing companies, this item is one of the most helpful. When your inventory is the most valuable aspect of your business, measuring it accurately and overseeing partner relationships is critical to success. When lead time is reduced, your customers will be more satisfied, inspiring repeat business, larger orders and more. 
9. Reduced IT maintenance costs. Companies that rely on legacy business management systems may get hammered by the cost of upgrading, fixing and troubleshooting fault lines in their current method. ERP platforms like the Microsoft Dynamics NAV provide an easily serviceable system that your solution provider knows inside and out. 
10. Improved supplier interaction. Dealing with customers isn't the only business relationship you need to stay on top of: Your suppliers also need fast and accurate communication about ongoing items of business. ERP platforms make managing those partnerships easier than ever.

At Accent Software, our team of experts prides itself on tailoring ERP solutions to your specific business needs, both present and future. Contact us today to learn more about the advantage of working with an ERP solutions provider. 

In many businesses, inefficiency stems from a failure to delegate certain key tasks. Whether responsibilities are being hoarded at the top or tasks simply fall between departmental cracks, some leaders resist delegation.

"Weak bosses believe that delegating makes them less important," writes Geoffrey James of Inc. Magazine. "They therefore cling to their authority, relinquish it with great reluctance, and then micromanage the results, hoping (secretly) that the employees will conclude that the boss is essential."

Strong bosses, the piece concludes, recognize that delegation is a way to prioritize things. With limited time and space to get everything done, the sooner tasks are assigned, the closer they are to being completed.

Within a single department, certain tasks might not be adequately assigned to specific positions. However, what about broader inefficiency across the organization? Are there human resources tasks that fall to your finance team, or vice versa? Failing to unify the company around agreed-upon delegations can lead to employees dropping the ball.

One of the best ways to unify the various areas of a company is with better enterprise resource planning (ERP). An ERP solution can centralize the critical processes within a company, from staffing to inventory management and payroll. This way, everyone can get on the same page about how assignments are delegated. It's important to choose an ERP provider that can familiarize itself enough with your business plan to anticipate future needs, like expansions to a standard platform to help the enterprise run smoothly.

Contact Accent Software today to learn more about the benefit of upgrading your business management software into a single unified solution, like the Microsoft Dynamics NAV platform.