A Finance Manager’s (FM) Guide To Choosing ERP Software

The service manager module can fully integrate with Sage Evolution accounting and ERP, and assists with scheduling and managing the services of assets. It considers the rental and servicing of the assets for the customers, as well as in-house.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• Automation and management of service requests or tasks
• Reporting and control of service costs
• Management of technician schedules and productivity

The CRM module is a tool that makes interaction with your business, suppliers, colleagues and customers seamless. This will also store any incidents (even after they have been closed), and allows you to view a history of events as far back as you need. Your brand will be able to track all sales and support activities associated with the customer.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• Automated sales opportunities that are tracked for existing and prospective customers
• Creation, viewing and updating of incidents by the customers
• Organisation of the company’s time management and priorities
• Sharing of information, support or sales
• Easy workflow processes to ensure the highest quality of work
• Quick setting up contracts for customers showcasing prompt service
• Seamless integration with Microsoft Outlook 2007/2010 for all communication

Sage’s pricing matrix module adds flexibility, by giving you the ability to establish volume-based or time-based price breaks. You are able to specify discounts by the customers or a group of customers. Your company will be able to create unlimited discount variations (such as multiple discounts per stock item or group) and be able to override discounts on processing invoices.

With the need to track items individually, you will need to use a reliable solution like the serial number tracking module. This keeps record of who you are selling to, when the item was sold and whether it was under warranty. From the point of purchase (or sales or returns), each item is tracked and information kept. This module provides a report which showcases all transactions and all details around each of them, providing you with a holistic view and insight if required.

This add-on module of multi-warehousing ensures that you are able to keep inventory items in discrete areas or in your company warehouses. This could include keeping raw materials separate from the items you are selling, keeping track of stock samples in a separate space, the separation of obsolete items, or the tracking of demo stock. This module includes the ‘Inter-brand Transfers’ feature where you’re able to transfer items from the dispatching warehouse into the ‘goods in transit’ warehouse.

In the fixed assets module, you will be able to add an unlimited amount of assets or forms of depreciation – assisting you with controlling your fixed assets in an affordable and reliable process. These could include straight line depreciation, reducing balance, write-offs, units of usage, plants and machinery or allowance.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• Accurate tracking of assets (grouping multiple assets or an individual asset)
• Importing of serial numbers and comparison reports of matched or unmatched records
• Reporting on asset consolidation listing

Using the multi-currency module enables you to process customer or supplier transactions in their preferred currency, tracking these values in both the foreign and local currency for your records. You can then view the balances and transactions on this system in the required currency at any point in time. This solution keeps a record of the exchange rates so that you are able to use the most accurate exchange rate at the time of the transaction, and know what was done previously.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• Processed and printed customer or supplier documents in the foreign or local currency
• Printed statements, analysis and transactions reports in the foreign or local currency
• Processed foreign currency cash book transactions

The debtor’s manager tool provides the opportunity to improve debt collection processes with reports that showcase what employees need to do in order to collect these outstanding debts. You will be able to turn this department into a communication centre where all interactions can be found in one centralised place, where the reasoning behind the debt can be recorded and kept as a status.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• Awareness and visibility of outstanding amounts, periods of time and the reasoning behind this
• Instant access to debtors’ reconciliations
• Tracked outstanding accounts in order to reduce write-offs
• Forecasted cash flows with targets on collections
• Increased productivity
• Automated email communication to clients with outstanding debts

The intelligence centre is a reporting tool that is a result of combining a leading accounting software with Microsoft® Excel, assisting with how you make decisions about your business. This is an add-on module that links to your Sage data and is beyond the standard reporting functionality. Using this report tool allows you to drag-and-drop data and formats when you construct a report, and retains the format you create – making them available for use every time you need this. You have access to real-time data which allows you to be agile and make decisions on the go.

These are the two extensions of this module:

• Online analytical processing (OLAP) caters for multidimensional analysis of your data, answering the questions of ‘why’ or ‘what if’. It looks at trends and gives you the opportunity to adapt your business based on your requirements, customers and suppliers.
• Online web reporting provides worldwide secure access to your business reports. This is a great platform to share information with partners, suppliers and customers – and all your need is internet access. You will be able to view these reports anywhere in the world, anytime you like.

The manufacturing module is an extension to the bill of materials module, separating the manufacturing process into different time periods where items are transferred into ‘work in progress’ and then ‘finished’ goods.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• Full audit trails of each manufacturing process
• A count of stock, whether it be at the beginning of the process or once the process has been completed
• Unaffected manufacturing processes using the same bill of materials
• Creation of byproducts in addition to your manufactured product
• Forward planning with the material requirements

In order to track several units of a stock item (whether it be the same lot or a batch number), the lot tracking module assists in making this an easy and seamless experience. Create a user defined status, expiry date or status (purchased or sold) in this system allowing all elements to be tracked simultaneously.

This add-on module of job costing allows you to invoice your customers easily. Using a job card (with unlimited job cards available to you) provides you with the ability to link to different types of items within the job. You can allocate costs and measure the profitability of your different jobs, or even bill a job on a partial basis. Use this module to track your labour costs in the time sheets, and calculate your transactions made.

Our retail point of sale module integrates with front office point of sale module and back office software for an end-to-end retail management solution. This module is suitable for businesses with high retail volumes and with multiple branches – often requiring flexibility of offline software for brand retail independence. Sage’s solution is easy to navigate, fast and seamlessly integrates with Sage Evolution Accounting, with a centralised maintenance area controlled by a head office. You will be able to generate sales orders, invoices and credit notes from a simplified interface which can only be accessed by specific users or security profiles. Control purchases from brand levels, ensure goods sent between your warehouses are monitored and tracked, and reduce any shrinkage being experienced.

The point of sales module ensures that it can integrate with Inventory as well as Receivables, focusing on the practical issues within the POS environment with reporting that enables you to analyse and make changes. The functionality includes tender types (be it cash, vouchers, credit or cheque cards), discounts, pricing or security parameters. This module is extremely user-friendly and allows flexibility with till configuration, supporting devices such as pole displays, slip printers, bar code scanners or cash drawers.

In order to become more efficient and encourage better staff productivity, the alert management module streamlines key roles within your company and provides notifications set up on a defined criteria in an attempt to have better planning and control in your business. These notifications can be set up as an SMS alert or e-mail, depending on your preference; but the main focus is to keep your team, customers and suppliers updated with any information or updates around your company. These alerts can be customised around group messages, user requirements or any other custom information you want to communicate.

The inventory advisor module is a cloud solution that is affordable, helps companies reduce excess inventory and capital while reducing stock-outs. This program integrates seamlessly to your Sage 200 Evolution data, saving you time spent on forecasting and identifies the optimal investment you need to achieve your target. This module is both a web and mobile solution so that you can use it anywhere and be effective.

Manage your customer credit risk through an easy process, with Sage’s credit risk management. Before credit is granted, an application is required to be completed in order to assess the reliability of a potential customer and find out about their credit history. This module produces credit applications and runs all data through a scoring system, with generated legal documentation on the business you are running. If a customer passes the credit test with a high score, a new account will open for them; whereas a low score will result in requests for security or guarantees.

Sage’s bill of materials are designed for the manufacturing and assembly environment and to create assembly sheets of each component. You will be able to invoice the completed item, finalise manufactured items before they’re officially sold or manufacture the item on the go (from your stock). Using a single operation or a complex process, you can manufacture items  over a period of time and work on the process concurrently. The bill of materials module is most useful when you have units of completely different measure.

Branch accounting provides you with a system that consolidates all data, makes it easy and seamless to share the information and allows all data to be kept safe in one centralised place. We aim to assist you with optimising your processes as much as possible so that you are operating efficiently. You’ll be able to change product pricing at a head office level, and automatically push this change through to all branches for implementation.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• Increased productivity with the time saved on transactions that are simplified
• Minimal errors with once-off entry data capture
• Complete visibility into the business activities with an audit trail of the transaction history
• Centralised accounting
• Merged data with the head office

The bank statement manager module assists in electronic population of the cash book when there are large volumes of transactions being processed and imported into a bank statement. Once all information is confirmed and validated, this will then update to the cash book 19 Sage Evolution Premium batch, and then to the General Ledger. The supported formats include OFC, CSV and ASCII. This module focuses on saving you time, where codes for transactions only need to be assigned once and then only new transactions are coded after that.

The annuity billing module integrates with both Receivables and Inventory, allowing for recurring invoices to take place on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. You are then able to choose whether you want those invoices printed or emailed. In this module, your team will be able to specify contract periods and create a recurring template for your invoices. Use this flexible module to customise your own application to suit your business and your requirements.

Sage’s advanced procurement enables you to streamline your purchase order and tender processes, and manage it seamlessly. Your company will be able to build your credibility and reputation in the market place with the suppliers and the stakeholders. Use the module to analyse your supply chain and the performance of your supplier, to make responsible decisions about your profitability.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• Well managed purchase order, tender, supplier and quoting processes
• Categorised suppliers by the sectors
• Easy quoting through workflows
• Specific user defined fields to filter preferred suppliers
• Simplified import and export functionality of supplier quotes

The account consolidations module allows integration with Receivables and for branches to have separate invoicing, with additional functionality of printing a consolidated customer statement. This is extremely helpful when you want to keep updated with a group customer where you are able to capture all sales made by the individual brands and keep this consolidated.

The tools that it can provide ranges from tracking daily financial operations, generating reports and statements to analysis. This software has the capability for complex requirements that companies might have, but is also able to be used with ease in smaller businesses.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• Operations that are streamlined and efficient
• Integration across different business entities
• Accurate and live visibility into the business activities and performance
• Effective work and service both locally and globally
• Migration of historical data that is easy and simple

This allows managing your leads, marketing, sales and customer accounts in a space that is always up to date where there are consolidated records. Acumatica provides dashboards with live sales data and allow you to communicate seamlessly with your customers through it Acumatica Customer Portal.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• A 360 degree view on your business, including its finances and services
• A portal that empowers your customers with access to their information
• A sharing and collaborative system that allows you to build an effective team
• Improved customer service with immediate responses to requests at any point
• Easy tracking of campaign expenses and revenue

This system is integrated and allows you the tools to improve your supplier relationships, get rid of all the paperwork and provide memorable customer service. This software is ideal for service companies that require a program for quoting, sales orders and purchase orders; but would prefer eliminating inventory and management of the warehouse.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• Controlled costing across the supply chain to determine profitability
• Eliminated delays through automation of orders and processing
• Simplified pricing and discounts
• Saved time with automated processes and approvals

The Human Resource Management suite focuses on streamlining all communication between your team members – from managers to employees. This system (by BirdDogHR – formerly known as InfinityHR) provides the company with automated functions to manage their employee data and the actions that need to be executed from this.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• Accessible software and programs that can be used anywhere, anytime
• Flexible integration with technology platforms
• Comprehensive reporting and electronic delivery of these
• Reduced staff expenses through this automation

The Acumatica xRP technology platform provides the chance to empower your development team to customise how your customers do business with you. Using standard web and development languages, you are able to create a separate development environment or modify your own business using platform tools. This platform is built on the best cloud and mobile technology, with tools that enable you to be creative around your company’s applications and what tools you need to be successful.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• A universal platform with advanced knowledge and capabilities
• Quick turnaround time to go into market leveraging the pre-built functionality
• A familiar environment to work on, built on standard Microsoft
• Protected investment in a platform as technology always changes

Having an advanced inventory management and tracking system, allows you to focus on growing your profitability whilst providing the best customer service. This software assists with efficient control over a system-wide inventory, distribution processes, and can even drill down to small details such as tracking serial numbers or accounts.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• Accurate tracking of costs of items that have been sold or are in inventory
• Easy management of multiple warehouses with automation
• Multiple methods to make agile adjustments

Acumatica’s manufacturing system is a complete, holistic control and planning platform for stock and orders – providing integrated production with customer management, sales, accounting and financial reporting. This assists in giving you a real-time overview of all activities across your business and how efficient you are running.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• One holistic solution to provide real-time coordination of your activities
• Functionality that adapts your business needs as you grow or change
• Deadlines being met seamlessly, with the ability to respond and plan to the demand
• Accurately tracked material and labour costs

Acumatica’s Service Management software allows you to track every detail and moment of your field service operations, and track this accurately. In order to shorten the time between receipt of the project and the assignment of the job, this platform provides you with the opportunity to capture information quickly and automate the manual processes you have. Streamlining your processes focuses on reducing your time and costs to improve revenue and customer service.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• Correct scheduling and dispatching to provide the right service
• Tracking of all equipment maintenance related to your customer and schedules
• Anytime access to the information in the cloud, from anywhere

In order to ensure a smooth and consistent experience for your customer, we recommend using the Commerce Management software to integrate all sales channels such as online, mobile and in-store. This solution allows you to monitor the expectations from the customers and be able to meet these with managing elements such as orders, shipping, inventory, accounting or returns.

If you use this software, you’ll experience benefits like:

• Reduced inventory and pending orders, through live counts and analysis
• A centralised, multi-channel experience using a single reliable source
• Accelerated processing of orders and reduced errors
• Improved customer service with optimised returns or exchanges