Does information flow freely between your business applications?

To stay competitive as the business environment becomes more crowded, successful organizations continually evaluate their processes for areas of improvement. End-to-end system integration can reduce operating costs, enhance customer service, and increase staff productivity.

You use a number of business processes. Which processes are you still performing manually? Which business processes have you automated? Does information and data flow between your automated systems?

To achieve end-to-end process automation requires the evaluation of four key areas:

1. Automating Manual Processes
2. Connecting Existing Processes
3. Automating External Processes
4. Business Intelligence


Automating Manual Processes


The first step in business process improvement is to review any existing manual processes as candidates for automation. Let's take a look at the automation available from Sage Software and its partners that might be beneficial for your organization.

Core Accounting
For most organizations, core accounting is one of the first areas to be automated. As a result, you may not have reviewed the efficiency of these processes for a while. How effective is your budgeting process? Are financial reports available by department and distributed automatically each month? Do credit card transactions flow seamlessly into your cash receipts in Accounts Receivable? A variety of tools from Sage Software and its business partners are available to enhance these processes, here are just a few:

Sage Active Planner for advanced budgeting and allocations

FRx Financial Reporter includes many options for automated report distribution and budgeting

Product Extensions from Sage Software include U.S. and Canadian ACH processing and positive pay

Partner solutions include EFT processing, fund management, prepaid expenses and, deferred revenue tracking

Distribution
If your business includes buying and selling products, the process of ordering and fulfillment may be one of your largest operational expenses. Are warehouse operations efficient? Are you managing your inventory to optimal levels? You may want to consider adding some of the following functionality to optimize your distribution efficiency: warehouse management, warehouse automation/radio frequency solution; small package shipping automation; and inventory replenishment. Product Extensions from Sage Software such as credit card processing; and Sage Business Partner solutions such as rental processing, inventory allocations, and EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) are also available.

Customer Relationship Management
Tracking prospects through the sales cycle is becoming more and more critical to closing business. Sage Software offers three industryleading products with varying levels of sophistication. If you already use a contact management solution, such as ACT! by Sage, it might be time to consider upgrading to Sage CRM or Sage CRM SalesLogix in order to take advantage of sophisticated lead tracking and customer service tools.

Resource And Project Tracking
New labor force regulations are signed into law on a regular basis. Do you have the tools and information you need to ensure you stay in compliance? If you are a project-based organization, can you accurately record labor costs to ensure projects remain profitable? Can projects be tied to manufactured products? Consider the following from Sage Software:

The Project Accounting module integrated with the Manufacturing module

Sage Abra HRMS for workforce management and compliance

Sage TimeSheet online time collection

Manufacturing
If you build products as all or part of your business, production planning may be one of the most labor-intensive aspects of your operations. Automating this process can allow you to realize efficiency gains resulting in lower costs and quicker time to market. It might be time to review your operation and see if you can benefit from any of the following modules:

Material Requirements Planning

Advanced Planning and Scheduling

Estimating

Shop Floor Control

Sage Software Business Partner solutions include process manufacturing, product life cycle management, engineering change management enhancements, CAD/CAM integration, quality assurance, enhanced planning and scheduling, and rules-based product configuration.

E-commerce
E-commerce today means more that a Web storefront or EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) transmission. Self-service portals for customers and employees can provide dramatic improvements in productivity; your staff will experience fewer interruptions accommodating routine status inquiries. Working in conjunction with Sage CRM SalesLogix, you can create an integrated Web portal for your field sales force. Ecommerce modules for Sage MAS 500 include: eCustomer, eOrder, and eSalesforce.


Connecting Current Processes


With software solutions implemented, the next step in creating your end-to-end solution is to make sure data is flowing smoothly between them, eliminating duplicate entry and reducing potential errors. The integration between the Sage MAS 500 modules facilitates that flow of data. Let's take a look at the optimum connectivity between functional areas:

Distribution to Accounting: Fulfilled orders and received shipments post automatically to the receivables and payables systems. Accounting personnel have access to complete shipping information, such as package tracking numbers, serial numbers, and ship-to addresses. Credit card transactions flow into the cash receipts system and post automatically against customer invoices.

E-commerce to Distribution and Accounting: Orders placed online flow automatically into your fulfillment system, allowing for appropriate verification and check points. Credit card transactions flow from the Web into orders and cash receipts.

Manufacturing/Distribution and CRM: When a production cycle is complete, you can automatically fulfill customer orders. Your sales and customer service employees can query the manufacturing system for the availability of products. Your purchasing department has a clear picture of the raw materials needed for the next production run.

CRM to Accounting and Distribution: When you close a sale, your prospect becomes a customer. All the information about the prospect can flow into the customer records in accounting, and the products sold can become an order in your distribution system. You can enter new opportunities for existing customers as well. Resource Management to Manufacturing and Project Accounting: Enter employee time just once in Sage TimeSheet, and data can flow into payroll, manufacturing, and project accounting.


Automating External Processes

Sometimes the most important processes to automate are those that connect with customers and suppliers. A wide variety of EDI solutions are available for specific industries and applications. Make sure these are implemented to work seamlessly with your distribution and accounting systems.


Business Intelligence


Are you taking full advantage of the wealth of information contained in your data? Tools available for Sage MAS 500 such as Business Insights Explorer and Alerts are easier to use and more powerful than ever.

We can help you create or enhance your custom reports and activity alerts or build the key performance indicator charts and graphs relevant to your business.

Now Is The Time To Act
Do you have systems that need to be implemented, upgraded, or integrated? Give us a call today to discuss your needs in creating a fully optimized end-to-end solution for your business.