How to decide on and best use your ERP solution

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Your business is growing so quickly that simple accounting solutions are no longer an effective option for you. This is where an ERP management software solution would be perfect for centralizing and streamlining all of your business needs. Microsoft Dynamics NAV is flexible and allows companies to house a system on-site or on the cloud. For businesses wishing to propel themselves ahead into this modern age, Microsoft Dynamics NAV may be the best solution. 

Even if you have decided on utilizing Microsoft Dynamics NAV, The Huffington Post created a simple guide as to how best to ensure that you not only find the right ERP solution for your business, but also utilize it properly. These solutions require proper planning, being smart with maintenance and life cycle management, finding the right tools and creating a scalable solution.

First, make sure your ERP provider can offer customer assistance with not only the planning, but also with the implementation and ongoing support. It is a significant undertaking and you want to make sure you are provided with the means for success. Also, be sure to choose a solution that will grow with your enterprise. Don't just choose a system that meets your current needs, try thinking ahead to the future! Utilizing a solution that is cloud-based will further increase your ERP deployment scalability. 

Interestingly enough, also try to treat your ERP as if it is a living creature. If you don't tend to it and let it grow with you business, it could be costly down the road. Finally, it is important to find the right tools that will allow you to supplement your solution with added functionality and streamlined integration. If you focus on what specific features your company needs, then look for ERP solutions that are tailored to those needs.

For more information on ERP solutions and other business accounting systems contact Accent Software.

2 ways in which ERP improves customer service

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Most companies understand that enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is meant to make it easier to handle data pertaining to product planning, manufacturing, service delivery, marketing, sales, inventory management, shipping and payment. What most don't realize, however, is that as these business processes are made more efficient, the entire enterprise is empowered and able to provide better service to clients and consumers.

Here are two specific ways in which ERP solutions improve customer service:

Integration of best practices: ERP systems allow companies to handle data in the most efficient way possible. They promote the adoption of industry best practices to reduce tasks like documentation, testing and training. Companies are therefore able to spend more time ensuring that products meet quality standards or services are delivered promptly, and are able to dedicate themselves to handling customer issues immediately. Following best practices also ensures compliance with the business regulations certain industries must follow, which benefits consumers greatly by guaranteeing that they are receiving products or services that meet specific quality standards.

Inventory management: Manufacturers and retailers find that ERP is particularly beneficial as an inventory management system, improving visibility and allowing for greater inventory control and tracking. This allows for better planning and ensures that customers will be less likely to encounter serious problems such as delayed or incorrect shipments and the shipment of defective or broken products. Consumers will also always have the information — such as inventory availability or re-stocking dates — to make long-term commitments.

Accent Software is known for its dedication to product knowledge and customer service. If you are searching for an ERP solution for your manufacturing business, we can help out. We are a Microsoft Business Solutions Partner and have 15 years of experience in ERP systems. 

3 ways inventory management eases the burden of tax season

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Tax season is a miserable time of year for many people. Business runners have it even harder as they work to compile information on lost inventory, income and yearly expenses. Even companies with automated accounting tend to run into challenges since inventory control is often tracked separately.

Inventory management software can help create a seamless automation process that can ease the pain of tracking, calculating and filing once it is time to file taxes. Here is how:

Separate assets: Many businesses operate from multiple locations, making asset tracking a difficult task. Companies need to be able to accurately track inventory between multiple locations, which often includes online and brick-and-mortar stores spanning several states. Online sales and in-store sales will need to be separated, and companies operating in multiple states will need to file individual state income taxes for each store or warehouse. Inventory management software such as Microsoft Dynamics NAV can automatically keep track of inventory, no matter how far and wide it is spread, and necessary information can be extracted separately or together, making tax filing much easier.

Intelligent tracking: The accounting method a business uses can make a difference on the taxes that business pays on earnings. The most common inventory valuing methods is Last In, First Out (LIFO), where it is assumed that the items the organization acquires last are the first ones it sells. The First In, First Out (FIFO) methods assumes that items are sold in the order they are received. Which method is best depends on the business, its size and how it operates. Often times companies will start with one system and then switch over to the other when it becomes more beneficial. Microsoft Dynamics NAV and other inventory software can give organizations the flexibility they need to use the accounting method that suits them best. Software can quickly and easily switch between one method and the other without a company having to retrain employees or rework spreadsheets.

These are just two of the ways inventory management software can help a easy tax-time challenges. Contact Accent Software for more information on Microsoft Dynamics NAV and its inventory management capabilities.

The importance of inventory management

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If you're in the manufacturing industry and find yourself constantly falling below your targeted profits, a lack of effective inventory management might be what's holding you back. Without it, you won't have true process visibility, something that allows you to see into your company's operations and pinpoint what exactly it is you could be doing better. This knowledge of your inefficiencies can be the difference between your business muddling in the middle and skyrocketing to the top.

Some businesses in Bloomfield, New Mexico are realizing this, as they've recently discovered the benefits of proficient inventory management. AirStar and Twin Stars, two distribution companies of differing sizes (about 60 and 12 employees, respectively) have improved their internal communication and minimized misunderstandings by engendering more quality record-keeping and tracking of raw goods.

"Inventory presents complex challenges for all businesses that sell retail products or build products from raw materials," says Claudia Infante of the Santa Fe New Mexican. "Poor monitoring hurts profits in numerous ways — most obviously in sales if a part isn't in stock or can't be found when needed. Stagnant inventory represents money that's unavailable for other needs and it's easily damaged if moved frequently."

Infante also says that, contrary to popular belief, the most effective tool one can use to enhance this crucial facet of running a company is not just more meticulousness, but things like weekly meetings of staff and company-wide memos: essentially making sure everyone is on the same page.

Want to experience the success that these enterprises have? Accent Software has the experience needed to help you improve your Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana company's inventory management system. 

Finding a dependable solution to your inventory management problems

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With running a manufacturing business comes the responsibility of keeping record of all that goes into making your business thrive. The issues that arise from a faulty inventory system can be a significant hindrance to productivity and maintaining a fluid work environment.

As outlined in this article on the ERP Software Blog, the classic manufacturer's nightmare is having "a customer order and/or production ticket ready for staging only to find that the raw materials are not available." Not trusting your current inventory management software and feeling the need to do a "visual review of the raw materials in the warehouse to verify inventory quantities" is a growing obstacle in what is increasingly becoming a more globalized and efficiency-dependent industry. Many companies even use "disparate systems" in their inventory management, which can lead to inconsistencies and the emergence of still more dysfunction.

So what can you do to make sure there's nothing lost in translation between your business' warehouse and its inventory? Accent Software's expertise and experience with the masterfully designed inventory solutions of Microsoft Dynamics NAV can alleviate any concerns you might have with your inventory management system. 

The added ingenuity we bring to our inventory management software is what sets us apart from our competitors. We have developed industry specific additions to the base software that improve functionality and allow businesses to adapt the program to their individual inventory management needs. Since we began as a development-oriented company, customization of the software to fit your unique situation is our forte, and maximizing the efficiency of your inventory system, and the ease with which you can manage it, is our goal.

If you own a manufacturing business in the Indiana, Ohio, or Kentucky region and are looking to considerably enhance the reliability of your inventory management system, make sure to contact the business management software specialists at Accent Software.

U.S. manufacturing continues upward trend

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The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) and Markit have both reported continued increases in their latest Purchasing Managers Indices (PMI). A PMI above 50 percent means that a sector is expanding, and ISM placed it at 57.1 percent in July, the highest level since April 2011. Markit has already released its August PMI, which is at 57.9 percent, and does not expect any variations in September. A PMI also provides fairly accurate predictions on the evolution of the gross domestic product (GDP).

"The third quarter as a whole has seen the strongest expansion since the sector began to recover from the financial crisis," said Markit chief economist Chris Williamson to Reuters. "We expect GDP to grow at an annualized rate of at least 3 percent and as much as 4 percent, depending to a large extent on how the vast services economy fared in September."

According to the data, which is compiled from extensive surveys of industry executives, the manufacturing sector has grown for 14 consecutive months. Of the specific areas that the ISM examines, backlogs and inventories are the only ones that are trending down, slightly below a 50 percent PMI. But Bradley J. Holcomb, the chair of ISM's Business Survey Committee, told Manufacturing.net that there is little cause for concern, and that a reduction in inventory is a byproduct of increased production and should rebound soon.

Inventory management software helps manufacturers keep track of their supplies regardless of how much production fluctuates. This way companies can ensure that their inventory is adjusted to their demand, and that they are neither falling short nor spending too much money on unnecessary supplies.

Manufacturing Software Improves Delivery Time

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For manufacturing enterprises, being able to produce in correlation with consumer demand is becoming imperative to sustained success. In an age where technological advances are driving the efficiency of ERP, utilizing software that can optimize supply chain management accelerates delivery services. By implementing the appropriate business management software, a manufacturer can act in accordance with the needs of its customers.

Accent Software, Inc. provides manufacturing enterprises with an abundance of software solutions that can improve their operations by articulating supply management to its greatest effect. Inventory management software is a major component in realizing that achievement. By limiting the time that is applied to purchasing and planning activities, supply chain managers can expedite the delivery process to ensure customer satisfaction.

By having access to supply chain information in real time, manufacturing software allows supply chain managers to order inventory in a cost effective manner. Limiting the amount of overhead that is allocated to inventory allows manufacturers to reduce the costs of production by ordering supplies in an efficient manner that is relative to their production forecasts.

The automation of Kanbans is a major proponent in achieving proper supply chain management. Inventory management software is able to capture and analyze data from this logistic process. In doing so, the data attributed to production can be analyzed immediately. This instantaneous analysis enables inventory management to adapt to nuanced fluctuations attributed to changes in consumer demand.

Accent Software, Inc. offers as a means of truly optimizing the efficiency of inventory management. By having a track record of proven experience in Indiana, the company offers manufacturers with a multitude of business solutions. Their expertise is demonstrated by their status as a trusted Microsoft Business Partner and a staple of Indiana's manufacturing industry as a resource for advanced ERP.

IoT bringing new potential to the supply chain

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The Internet of Things (IoT) is gaining ground in both popularity and awareness, but the latest advantage companies are finding in it are improvements to their supply chain.

According to EBN Online, IoT is delivering significant support to supply chain management 2.0 – a major overhaul in how the supply chain operates in manufacturing and other sectors. This is due to the fact that manufacturing ERP software is evolving to incorporate IoT and mobility, and the wide-spread proliferation of IoT thanks to massive mobile device adoption in the workplace. In fact, Gartner recently noted that there will be a 30-fold increase in internet-connected devices by 2020, driving significant changes to how the supply chains operate.

"It's important to put IoT maturity into perspective, because of the fast pace at which it is emerging, so supply chain strategists need to be looking at its potential now," said Michael Burkett, managing vice president at Gartner. "Some IoT devices are more mature, such as commercial telematics now used in trucking fleets to improve logistics efficiency. Some, such as smart fabrics that use sensors within clothing and industrial fabrics to monitor human health or manufacturing processes, are just emerging."

IoT is expected to bring about "enhanced solutions that intelligently connect people, processes, data, and things via devices and sensors," EBN Online noted. This, for manufacturers, will be supply chain management 2.0 – a different way to looking at supply chain data intelligently, utilizing analytics and automation to boost visibility and manufacturing efficiency.

From reducing asset loss to improving stock management, these changes will deliver key opportunities for companies looking to optimize inventory management and other back office processes. By investing in the right business management software, IoT and mobility will be able to be harnesses for maximum effect.

Due diligence is needed for picking proper manufacturing software

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Every business has been influenced by the changing technology landscape, though to different levels. You would be hard pressed to find a company that isn't using some kind of computer system to facilitate daily operations, and more organizations are starting to get involved with the latest innovations like mobile devices, the cloud and wireless networks.

While it is easy to see how the modern office has embraced these changes, it is also impacting industries across the board, even if they do not seem to be the most technology savvy.

A recent article from Manufacturing Business Technology Magazine looked at the way that the supply chain in manufacturing has been impacted by the use of new software and hardware solutions. While traditional systems like enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions are still popular, some experts believe that organizations have been relying too heavily on them and this is causing them to miss out on an opportunity to upgrade to more state of the art solutions.

Jeffrey Vail, the author of the piece, wrote that in too many situations, businesses do not realize until it is too late that the systems they have relied on are outdated or have plateaued because of the unpredictable and ever changing nature of the manufacturing industry.

While there are merits to new approaches like bring-your-own-device (BYOD) strategies, businesses need to make sure that the software systems that are in place can support this approach successfully. Older software enables companies to look backwards but can hinder the ability to look forward. It may not be enough for manufacturing companies to want to maximize delivery efficiency and improve production and process.

"Optimization technology allows manufacturing companies to become more flexible and to more efficiently manage their supply chains by accounting for real life constraints and business rules," Vail wrote. "They can review 'what-if' analysis of various scenarios, tied to key performance indicators that measure success on an ongoing basis. They can generate near optimal plans from the virtually infinite number of possible options. And with a clear set of future-oriented KPIs they can measure tomorrow's performance before it happens."

For peak efficiency to take place, the supply chain planning and optimization is required that is configured for the specific environment it is in. No two businesses are alike, and thinking that a run of the mill software solution can be plugged in and played is a mistake.

Software solutions need to take into account the machine capabilities and alternatives per products, production sequences including sequence-dependent changeovers, specific site constraints, inventory limitations, replenishment options and so on. To make matters more complicated, all of this needs to be handled in real-time as the wrong answer can mean lead to longer lead times, excess inventory, loss of business and lower profit.

Every business is ultimately trying to increase their profits and grow. The supply chain is critical and companies need to embrace end-to-end solutions. In many instances, this means companies need to examine their entire operations to make sure they are deploying a business management software that matches all of the needs of the individual company.

Inventory management is on the rise

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For many business, inventory control has risen on the priority list. This has been the case because of the growing use of technology systems that's intended to change the customer experience. Online shopping through computers and mobile devices, make it possible for consumers to browse products and conduct purchases from anywhere, adding pressure on the need to update inventory levels.

A recent article from Experian Data Quality examined the new ways that organizations are looking to answer this challenge. It makes the case that the same technology that is adding to the problems could be used to fix it.

This is where the use of an inventory management system comes into play. The right tools can be crucial for organizations to keep track of their warehouses and watch product inventories. This allows the decision makers to not only know what is on hand at any given time, but also anticipate shortages and surpluses. With this information, sales and marketing can create better strategies and improve the customer experience.

"The key is to keep operations running smoothly so that all customers, both the in-person and virtual ones, have access to the goods they demand," the article reads. "Keeping data on inventory and sales can help keep shopping on both fronts chugging along."

This isn't just important for retailers, but any business that is required to keep an eye on its inventory. Manufacturing companies, for example, need to make sure that all parts are accurately accounted for. Failure to do this can cause any project to go off the rails.