Tag: ERP

The Importance of Investing in Technology for Operationally Geared Businesses

Market and industry awareness coupled with experience is invaluable in operationally geared businesses; especially those that are subject to cyclical or seasonal revenue flows. Whilst this will give a good insight into external factors, data and the quantification of performance or trends remains the nadir of prudent decision making. The time delay between calendar month end and senior management receiving reliable performance data is an uncomfortably common scenario. Compound this with an operationally geared business and the data, and decisions made as a result, might seriously lag the actual performance of the organisation. Risk in this scenario is exacerbated where profits are under pressure due to high operational gearing.

Improving customer acquisition rates and retention in subscription-based business models; the importance of Net Promoter Score

It is of little surprise that business models have become more subscription based. Companies benefit from a recurring revenue stream and greater revenue predictability. Consumers pay for time-bound access to goods and services, avoiding large capital expenditure when compared with buying the same access outright. However, as subscriptions become the dominant model, high customer loyalty and net promoter scores are needed to ensure consistent business growth. Given that customers are paying for access rather than ownership, it is easier to switch to competitive products at the end of contract terms. Crucially, this could be before customer lifetime value (LTV) has balanced customer acquisition costs, therefore yielding a negative gross customer margin.

ERP – ‘Jack of All Trades, Master of None?’ How to Save Time and Avoid Unrealistic Expectations when Selecting ERP Systems

Abstract: On a weekly basis I meet with businesses looking to purchase ERP software, many of whom are looking to consolidate a fragmented system landscape. Software constraints aside, many rightly identify the ‘nirvana’ of having a single system to manage all processes. However, I see many businesses, often the smaller and medium enterprises, having unrealistic expectations of their requirements. As...

International businesses need global visibility with local compliance… but at what cost?

According to the Ethnologue Catalogue there are 7097 living languages across 195 countries. Business today is unquestionably global, both for businesses with international offices, but equally for domestic businesses selling overseas. Statutory requirements and cultural preference vary widely from nation to nation, presenting a complex landscape not only for the practice of conducting business, but also for global software systems. On a weekly...

In today’s competitive business environment, how do you purchase an ERP system for the unforeseen requirements of tomorrow?

Abstract On a weekly basis I meet and engage with businesses making ERP selections. Many take a far too narrow view of their current requirements, with the selection triggered often by reactive factors, such as unmanageable paper/ excel based processes or unplanned increases in support function headcount. Most fail to attribute sufficient value to product breadth and flexibility beyond immediate...