Blog Listing
Technology in Practice
Practical guidance on ERP, CRM, HR, finance, and the technology powering modern organizations.
ERP
Unleashing Field Service Automation: How NetSuite ERP Transforms Field Operations for Peak Performance
Are outdated manual processes, operational inefficiencies, and dissatisfied customers holding back your field service team? To thrive in today’s fast-moving business environment, you need more than reactive strategies—you need automation. Enter NetSuite’s Field Service Management solution, a comprehensive ERP platform designed to revolutionize how field service operations are run, streamline workflows, and enhance overall performance.
If your field service organization is ready to leap into the future, here are three key areas where NetSuite ERP can automate and transform your Field Service operations:
1. Smarter Scheduling and Dispatching: Maximize Efficiency on the Road
Effective scheduling is the cornerstone of a successful field service operation, yet manual systems often result in delays, miscommunication, and wasted time. NetSuite’s AI-powered scheduling and dispatching tools tackle this issue head-on, automating the process to ensure that technicians are deployed to the right jobs at the right time, every time.
By automatically factoring in technician skills, job locations, and availability, NetSuite optimizes routes, minimizes travel time, and boosts job completion rates. The result? Faster service, more satisfied customers, and a workforce that operates with precision and efficiency.
2. Empowering the Mobile Workforce: Real-Time Access for On-Site Success
In a digital-first world, field service technicians need more than just tools—they need information at their fingertips. With NetSuite’s mobile capabilities, your technicians can access critical job details, service history, and digital work orders in real time, all from their smartphones or tablets.
This level of mobile empowerment allows technicians to stay connected with the home office, receive instant updates, and even request additional resources while on-site. The result is a field service team equipped to deliver faster, more accurate service, boosting both productivity and customer satisfaction.
3. Data-Driven Insights: Turn Information into Action
Automation does more than streamline operations—it generates valuable data that can be leveraged for strategic decisions. NetSuite’s Field Service Management platform collects and analyzes data from every touchpoint, turning it into actionable insights that help you anticipate problems, manage resources more effectively, and improve service outcomes.
With automated data analytics, you can make proactive decisions—whether it’s scheduling preventative maintenance or fine-tuning resource allocation to meet changing demands. These insights enable your business to operate smarter, not harder, ensuring that your field service operations are always a step ahead of the competition.
Future-Proof Your Field Service Operations with Automation
As businesses embrace digital transformation, field service automation has become essential for those looking to stay competitive. By adopting NetSuite’s Field Service Management solution, you’ll gain the tools to eliminate inefficiencies, boost technician performance, and enhance the customer experience—all while making informed decisions that future-proof your operations.
Now is the time to invest in field service automation and take your business to the next level.
Ready to learn more? Join our upcoming webinar and discover how automation can empower your field service team for peak performance.
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ERP
Unlock the Future: Why It’s Time to Move Beyond Sage’s Legacy ERP/Accounting Software
Sage 100, 300, and 500 have long served businesses, but as the demands of modern accounting and operations grow, relying on legacy ERP systems can hinder progress. Are your current Sage ERP solutions holding you back from greater efficiency, insights, and scalability?
Watch recorded webinar to explore the five hidden risks of staying on outdated Sage accounting software and why upgrading to Sage Intacct is critical for future success. Learn how Sage Intacct’s cloud-based platform can empower your organization by:
Delivering real-time financial data for smarter, faster decisions
Automating workflows to eliminate manual processes and increase productivity
Enhancing security with cutting-edge features and automatic cloud backups
Seamlessly integrating with your existing software for a unified business approach
Offering unmatched scalability and flexibility through modern cloud technology
Don’t let legacy systems limit your potential. Find out how Sage Intacct can help you drive growth and adapt to the future of business.
This complimentary webinar is your opportunity to see firsthand how Sage Intacct can transform your operations.
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ERP
Bulldozing Technology Adoption Barriers: How Construction Companies Can Thrive Amidst Volatility
The construction industry is experiencing an era of labor shortages, continued supply chain issues (particularly with some electrical equipment), contractor backlogs, and industry experts project little or no overall growth in the sector for the next two years, according to the most recent year-end report from CBRE. However, Deloitte reports that some industries, such as manufacturing, transportation infrastructure, and clean energy infrastructure, could see growth due to recent legislation. In this economic climate, many U.S. construction companies are examining their resources and practices to determine how they can grow and meet the challenges ahead.
How can your construction business reach the next level?
Experts have identified several primary areas of focus for construction companies that are eager for growth:
Improved communication, including better methods of tracking conversations about projects
Winning more business by demonstrating greater value or expertise than the competition, which helps win more bids and more business throughout the year
Retaining and developing employees amidst persistent labor shortages
Technology innovation, the often necessary but overlooked key factor that can help address the areas above
What barriers might be keeping your construction company from adopting new technology?
Once you understand the features your teams need in a modern Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, you should address common questions such as:
What are the costs of not implementing new technology to our business in the coming years?
Does the new ERP we are interested in powerful enough and flexible enough for our current and future needs?
Is the new ERP compatible with our existing tech stack?
These questions themselves, however, aren’t often the actual barriers that keep your company from adopting new technology. The common barriers amongst construction companies for new technology are often financial, cultural, and technically related.
“When choosing a new ERP, be sure to interview not just the financial team, but everyone who will be using the system—from shipping and receiving to sales and marketing.”
Financial Barriers
Initial Costs: Quite possibly the biggest barrier when it comes to new technology is the initial cost. While you may not need to purchase additional hardware, the monthly fees, implementation, and short-term strain can be a big concern for smaller companies. But for all those concerns about resources, many studies show that technology is often the biggest factor for small and mid-sized businesses to stay competitive, and even compete with larger more established companies.
Budget Constraints: Many businesses operate with tight budgets and have limited financial flexibility. This is particularly true for small businesses or those in industries facing economic pressures. Budget constraints can limit a company’s ability to handle the ongoing costs of investing in new technology.
Uncertain ROI: When making any investment for your business, how can you guarantee that the investment will show tangible benefits? There are few guarantees in business, but investing in technology and your people has been a tried-and-true successful formula for decades. More importantly, having unified cloud ERP solutions has shown to have substantial ROI compared to other alternatives.
Cultural Barriers
Resistance to Change: Sometimes it’s human nature, sometimes there are other dynamics going on, but regardless of the circumstances, many businesses run into resistance from their staff when they try to introduce a new tool. Many teams feel as if they may already be at capacity or learning a new tool doesn’t make sense in their current workflow. But the benefits of a modern ERP far outweigh any resistance in the long-term both in efficiency, ROI, and collaboration.
Lack of Leadership Support: It can be easy for business leaders to see a problem (i.e., their tech stack) and want to apply a quick solution. Too often leadership may want a new technology that will benefit their business, but it’s not just about the tool or the problem that can cause barriers, it’s the lack of support through the entire process of implementing new technology. Teams need more than an edict to adapt to a new system, they need support and context as to why the new technology will benefit them as well in the long run.
Fear of Disruption: There is no doubt some comfort in the status quo if a company is operating efficiently. But sadly, many companies are not working efficiently and there are many aspects of a business that leadership may be blind to—and therefore these issues are not being addressed. Concerns over increased workloads, learning curves, change in communication, and fear of the unknown are valid and should be addressed internally. However, one constant in business is change, and the companies that choose to stay where they are often multiply their problems or become outdated very quickly out of fear.
Technical Barriers
Business Operations Complexities: Many businesses have intricate and unique operational processes that have been developed over years or even decades. Introducing new technology into these established processes can be challenging and disruptive. One factor to consider is that business operations are always being developed. By providing your teams with custom solutions and communicating with those across the organization, you can overcome these complexities.
Lack of Technical Expertise: For many businesses, it can be rare to have the necessary in-house technical expertise to evaluate, implement, and maintain new technology. This can create a dependency on external consultants and service providers. Successful implementations don’t necessarily need a very tech savvy employee group, but having a champion of the product and implementation has shown to net positive results.
Compatibility Issues: New technology often needs to be integrated with existing systems and infrastructure. Compatibility issues can arise, making it difficult to achieve seamless integration. This is the reason why older systems that do not seamlessly integrate with a single source of truth make reporting and data sharing much more cumbersome without a modern cloud ERP.
The benefits of a modern ERP
Not only is your ERP the heart of business operations for many construction companies, it’s also the one application most of your team will use to perform daily tasks, communicate, analyze and share data, and much more. If your company is looking for increased productivity and accuracy from an ERP, then it’s time to create a list of must-haves for a platform. Below are common requirements mentioned by customers as they explore how a modern ERP can help them meet their business goals.
Increased flexibility and scalability
Features for all departments in one solution, which can help increase collaboration between departments such as Accounting, Finance, HR, Inventory, Project Management, Customer Service, Transportation, Purchasing, and Sales
Fully remote software, including mobile device access and capabilities, that can be accessed anywhere by remote working teams
Seamless integration with other software
Robust project management and job costing capabilities, so you don’t need another construction project management tool
When choosing a new construction ERP software, be sure to interview not just the financial team, but everyone who will be using the system—from shipping and receiving to sales and marketing. Together, your teams can determine the features and functions that are necessary, those that would be nice to have, and those that will be required in the near future.
A modern construction ERP implementation success story
HOJ Innovations is a multifaceted organization that has seven facilities in Utah and Idaho with approximately 200 employees. When they needed to replace their older, heavily customized ERP, they engaged Net at Work to help them handle the implementation of a modern construction ERP.
After investigating multiple ERPs, HOJ Innovations chose Acumatica for its robust, cloud-based platform, extensive core functionality, and ability to be customized for the company’s unique and varied requirements. (Few ERP applications, for example, include functionality as diverse as customer relationship management, project management, and field services. This allowed them to bring their entire diverse operation under one digital roof.)
Acumatica’s broad functionality is proving to be an ideal foundation for the company’s current and future needs. HOJ Innovations’ improvements so far include:
Reduced monthly close time by 50%
Increased order to cash cycle by more than two weeks
Rapid ROI expected from timesaving efficiencies, reduced licensing and development costs
Customization capabilities allow the business to adapt to changes
The process of identifying current pain points, inefficiencies, or manual processes that could be automated can be both challenging and frustrating. But modern construction ERP solutions can help your construction company thrive by streamlining tasks and reports, automating processes, and connecting your business units like never before.
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ERP
Is your Company’s Current ERP Helping or Hindering your Growth?
Power Curbers, a thriving industrial manufacturing company, values both efficiency and stellar customer service. Several years ago, the company realized they would need to replace their legacy enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with a modern ERP that included the features they would need to continue their growth.
Like many organizations, Power Curbers noticed several warning signs that spurred them to investigate migrating to a modern ERP. If you suspect that your company might be ready to look at faster, configurable solutions, ask yourself the following questions:
Are we using disconnected applications that don’t meet all our company’s needs?
Are we still doing some crucial tasks offline without knowing whether or not they could be completed more quickly and accurately online?
Do current employees express frustration with processes made necessary by our current ERP?
Power Curbers turned to Net at Work for guidance as they evaluated several ERPs, and ultimately chose one that had a proven combination of features for their industry. With Net at Work’s assistance during their implementation, Power Curbers was successfully invoicing within a week of going live with their new ERP. And as they fully implemented their modern ERP, the company was able to shave nearly half an hour from its order entry process, change their old processes to new inventory management that helped them overcome supply chain challenges, and gain more reliable access to its business management solutions.
To help your organization decide if now is the time to look at fresh solutions to your current and future challenges, we’ve identified 11 top warning signs that every company should watch for, and 11 gains that your organization could see after migrating to a modern ERP.
Download the list today and learn to recognize when your current enterprise resource planning (ERP) system needs to be replaced by a modern, configurable solution that can help your team work smarter and faster.
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ERP
Defeating the Field Services Labor Shortage with a Modern ERP
Employer Challenges in Field Services
As a company that provides field services, your organization is dedicated to dispatching the right person with the right skills, parts, and tools to the right place at the right time to service your customers. And that means different things in different industries. Field services is a far-reaching industry operating in a wide variety of markets. But in a broad context, it involves dispatching technicians (who can be contractors or employees) to customer locations in order to repair, maintain or install crucial components for other businesses, families, and individuals.
But like many industries, field services is plagued by a shortage of skilled employees. Recently, a comprehensive report by FieldAware stated that the impacts of this shortage include:
42% of employers surveyed report a reduced ability to serve their clients, reduced competitiveness, and reduced productivity
30% reported increased turnover
26% reported lower staff morale
25% needed to offer higher compensation to recruit or retain staff
The Field Services Employee Perspective
The most recent Gallup State of the Workplace Report found that $8.9 trillion (approximately 9% of the global FDP) was lost in 2023 due to low employee engagement. And employees across many industries, including field services, report that their low engagement is due to factors such as few development opportunities, frustrating manual procedures, little opportunity for innovation or higher-level thinking, and technology that is not optimized for their jobs.
Workers in field services face unique challenges that can be either hindered or helped by technology. For example, managers may find themselves without the necessary up-to-date information to assign jobs efficiently; they may be using outdated technology that gives them little visibility into their teams’ locations and work status. Or they may be using manual processes for workflows, daily job reports, timecards, and other important tasks that could be automated. All of this adds up to lost productivity, lower profits, and higher employee frustration.
Most Common Day-to-Day Challenges for Field Services Organizations
A day-to-day view of the most frequently reported challenges includes:
Scheduling, including low utilization (less than 80%), slow response time, limited visibility of the team, and the need for repeated follow-ups
Compliance and Safety, which is often handled by manual processes
Managing inventory in the field, including stock losses, billing issues, low first-time fix rates, and delays in parts requests
Asset management and history knowledge, including extra time spent locating assets (and time calling the home office for information), time searching for assets, and no asset history in the field where it is often needed urgently
Paper-based systems in the field, resulting in delays in paperwork back to the home office, time spent managing customer disputes, and no real-time visibility in the field
Limited metrics and insights from the service team, leading to slow decision-making, poor resource planning, lost revenue, and lost customers
Addressing Labor Shortages with Practical Solutions to the Most Common Challenges
To start, leadership can address the challenges outlined above by streamlining as many processes as possible. An important first step is to assess your company’s current business processes and find those that include a high number of manual steps that could be automated.
Some of the most impactful processes to begin streamlining can be identified in Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable. In these functions, there are often many opportunities for eliminating manual data entry, such as collecting payments, billing, data analysis, and intercompany transactions. And streamlining these and other processes gives your employees more time to tackle more interesting, higher-level, and innovative tasks that can help them remain deeply engaged members of the team.
Solutions to outdated manual processes come in the form of modern Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platforms that can address common challenges by:
Streamlining scheduling and dispatch – A modern ERP for field service operations can easily assign jobs and match resources based on skills, location, and availability.
Improving field visit outcomes – With a modern ERP, technicians have access to real-time customer data, asset history, and service records needed to complete work efficiently.
Increasing customer satisfaction – Through better access to data, field services companies can deliver timely services and solve customer problems in one visit.
Reducing costs – Better utilization of technicians can cut overtime costs, and centralized inventory management increases first-time fix rates and reduces inventory loss.
Improving business performance management – By leveraging data from a single system, you can make better informed decisions and gain deeper insights.
Allowing perpetual inventory tracking – The real-time data available from a modern ERP can be used for automatic notifications when stock falls below a certain threshold and can even be configured to place orders automatically.
Scalability – All of these functions can be scaled up as your organization grows, priming you for further expansion and reducing the need for new employees in the face of continuing labor shortages.
Additionally, better data and automation processes can help your organization more easily add employees in the specific departments where they are most needed, helping your hiring processes become as impactful as possible.
A Modern ERP Helps Create a Culture of Digital Innovation
Anyone who has undergone an ERP implementation knows that it can be a daunting endeavor, but a skilled technology advisor can help your company avoid many pitfalls both during and after the implementation itself. Technology advisor services can include consultation tailored to your company’s needs, including helping you make the most of your modern ERP by adopting new practices that will create a culture of digital innovation. Three of our top recommendations for creating such a culture include:
Looking for ways to utilize the cloud, AI and automation technologies that are included in your modern ERP. Employees who appreciate the innovation and efficiency that are made possible by the new ERP can be the foundation of a digital innovation committee that identifies potential issues that can be addressed via technology before they become pressing problems.
Invest in skills development and training programs. These programs create the internal corporate advocates that your organization needs to enhance its reputation, thus helping strengthen your recruiting and employee retention.
Encourage innovation from all employees. As previously mentioned, frontline workers are usually the most likely to quickly recognize opportunities for change. If your businesses can motivate and tangibly reward innovation, this will go a long way to helping you stay at the forefront of your market.
The adoption of a modern ERP can empower everyone in your business to grow and develop. Ultimately, the best solution will be the one that most closely meets your company where you are now and has the proven ability to grow and scale with you for many years to come.
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Distribution / Manufacturing
ERP
Futureproofing Your Distribution Business: Aligning Leadership and Technology
Keeping up with rapid change in the distribution industry is no easy feat. As your business grows and customer demands evolve, you will likely grapple with challenges around expanding into new markets, managing complex supply chains, and defending your bottom line against disruptive competitors.
How can you future-proof your distribution operations?
The answer lies in developing a leadership pipeline and technology infrastructure that are equally forward-facing.
Your company can have the most feature-packed ERP system money can buy, but without leaders who can harness its potential, you are just scratching the surface of its benefits. Conversely, building your leadership dream team and putting them at the helm of an outdated and disconnected system will stifle that potential. It’s about striking the right balance – nurturing digital-era leadership talent in lockstep with modernizing your technology ecosystem.
Identifying Future Leaders for the Digital Era
What defines a future-ready distribution leader?
Deloitte suggests they are part of a team “with the skills that can evolve with the rapid pace of change.” This might include traits such as:
Digital/tech savviness: The next generation of leaders need more than just tech literacy. They need an innate curiosity about emerging technologies and a willingness to experiment.
Data-driven decision-making: With data coming in from all corners of your business, leaders must be able to extract insights and allow those insights to drive their actions.
Change management capabilities: Transformative initiatives like ERP implementations require leaders who inspire teams and skillfully navigate organizational resistance.
Strategic mindset: Your future leaders should have the business acumen to connect technology investments with long-term growth objectives.
Assessment Methods Tailored for the Digital Age
Identifying these future leaders is easier said than done. Traditional assessments may not give you a full picture of candidates’ potential impact in today’s digital landscape.
It’s time to get creative:
Use data-driven assessments: Analytical reasoning tests and structured interview questions can help to evaluate candidates’ decision-making ability and comfort with viewing data objectively.
Explore problem-solving and innovation skills: Discuss case studies to challenge candidates’ innovative thinking and application of digital tools.
Observe tech proficiency: Discuss the candidate’s knowledge of technology solutions. Experience or even curiosity can give insight into their appetite for experimenting with new technologies.
There are many resources to help you define your candidate testing program, both online and through companies that assist in placement and recruitment.
Upskilling Leaders with the Right Technology Framework
Once you’ve assembled your leadership dream team, the real work begins – empowering them with the tools and skills to drive your distribution business into the future.
Leveraging ERP for Leadership Development
A modern ERP system is the ideal training ground for developing well-rounded leaders. With comprehensive data at their fingertips, your team can:
Gain greater visibility into your organization’s functioning: Dynamic ERP systems break down organizational silos, allowing leaders to understand cross-functional processes and interdependencies.
Make data-backed decisions: Strong reporting and analytics capabilities transform an ERP into a virtual leadership training ground for honing data-driven decision-making.
Enable knowledge continuity: A modern ERP serves as a system of record, ensuring seamless knowledge transfer during leadership turnover.
Building Digital Competencies
An ERP implementation alone won’t magically produce tech-savvy leaders. You’ll need to invest in developing core digital competencies:
Hands-on ERP training: From basic transactions to advanced reporting and workflow automation, ensure that your leaders can maximize your system’s potential.
Data literacy – Equip your teams with the analytical skills to transform raw data into actionable insights.
Exposure to complementary solutions: Familiarize leaders with other critical solutions like CRM (Customer Relationship Management), BI (Business Intelligence), and process automation platforms. Better still, select an ERP that can seamlessly integrate these functionalities.
Fostering an Innovation Culture Aligned with Modern ERP
With the right leadership pipeline and technology infrastructure, you can cultivate an innovative, future-focused mindset across your distribution organization.
Empowering Data-Driven Leadership
Your new ERP system can become a goldmine of insights waiting to be tapped.
Encourage leaders to:
Expand data access: Provide self-service reporting capabilities that empower teams to explore data independently.
Experiment, learn, and refine: Encourage a culture of data-driven experimentation, where leaders test hypotheses and refine strategies based on results.
Recognize data-backed wins: Celebrate and incentivize process improvements and innovations built from effective data analysis.
Measuring Impact and Nurturing Digital Talent
Any leadership development and technology initiative is an ongoing journey, not a one-and-done project.
Regularly assess the results of your efforts:
Track leadership program metrics: Monitor outcomes like retention, internal promotions, and succession planning effectiveness.
Measure gains in process optimization: Quantify productivity boosts, cost savings, and customer experience uplifts resulting from your tech-driven process improvements.
Evaluate innovation outcomes: Review the results of data-driven experiments and pivots – both successes and failures are learning opportunities.
Invest in Continuous Professional Development
Provide ongoing ERP certification paths and learning opportunities.
Support obtaining credentials or degrees in data literacy certifications.
Create mentorship opportunities pairing rising leaders with seasoned leaders to delegate training and ensure unwritten knowledge is passed down.
The Future is What You Make It
Distribution has become increasingly competitive. A powerful and dynamic ERP system coupled with a succession plan pipeline filled with forward-thinking leaders are crucial for your company’s survival. By tightly aligning your leadership development with comprehensive technology modernization, you’ll be well-equipped to capitalize on new opportunities and set your business up for success now and in the years to come.
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Compliance
Distribution / Manufacturing
IT / Infrastructure
Don’t Panic! Achieve CMMC 2.0 Compliance with Confidence and Avoid Disruption
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0 is a tiered system designed to assess and improve the cybersecurity readiness of organizations within the defense industrial base. This system can be compared to a roadmap with distinct levels, each requiring specific cybersecurity practices and controls. Additionally, CMMC 2.0 is an ongoing effort, encouraging the industry to continuously strengthen its cybersecurity posture or the overall status of your cybersecurity readiness.
“It’s not just about ticking boxes and matching security acronyms,” says Tyler Bower, Practice Director and cybersecurity expert from Cloud at Work. “It’s about building a secure environment that ultimately satisfies requirements by leveraging both your existing, and the inclusion of new security measures in a coordinated way.”
In a recently released whitepaper, produced in partnership with Smart Industry, we explore the implications of CMMC 2.0 and outline a path to achieve and maintain compliance with minimal disruption. The paper covers many relevant topics such as:
The opportunities of CMMC 2.0, such as an enhanced security posture, increased trust with partners, and a potential competitive edge
The myth versus realities of CMMC 2.0 and debunking common misconceptions
How CMMC 2.0 compliance can be a catalyst for much-needed upgrades
Click here to download the whitepaper or contact us to discuss your organization’s specific cybersecurity needs.
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CRM
Distribution / Manufacturing
ERP
How Distributors Can Thrive in Change with the Help of Digital Solutions
Distributors are facing a growing number of labor challenges, including worker shortages, difficulty recruiting high-quality candidates, retention of current employees, and others. In a 2022 Baird-MDM survey, 26% of respondents stated that labor and productivity issues were the biggest risk for their business—almost as big of a concern as competition in their markets. Consequently, many distributors are assessing every corner of their business to find ways to be more effective, and some realize that a modern ERP can help them thrive even in an era of rapid change.
“An investment in business process automation is one of the fastest ways to improve efficiency and productivity across every department. Automation reduces the repetitive and monotonous tasks human have to do by relegating those tasks to software, which usually means a better experience for customers, reduced error rates, improved compliance, and lower stress for teams.”
Juan Perez, EVP and CIO of Salesforce
“How Automation Drives Business Growth and Efficiency”
Our recent webinar, “Thriving in Change: How to Navigate Labor Challenges with Digital Solutions,” produced in partnership with Modern Distribution Management (MDM), sheds light on how today’s distributors can best utilize a modern ERP to streamline processes, enhance productivity, and create a culture of digital innovation to attract higher-quality job candidates.
“Streamlining processes is about making your business more efficient and effective,” says Chris Cleary, Acumatica Practice Director with Net at Work. “A recent Net at Work customer realized a 25% increase in efficiency across all departments after their Acumatica implementation. Subsequently, the customer added three new locations and went through three acquisitions with the addition of only two finance team members, thus increasing their profits through efficiency gains.”
Through this webinar, distributors can learn about:
The recommended types of modern digital tools for impactful streamlining of processes
How to measure the impact of employee engagement and retention efforts
How to create strong implementation and maintenance plans that will continue to enhance productivity
How AI can complement the work of your staff, speed up processes, and give employees more time to work on fulfilling tasks that lead to better engagement
Watch and listen to “Thriving in Change: How to Navigate Labor Challenges with Digital Solutions” or contact us to discuss your organization’s specific needs.
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Distribution / Manufacturing
ERP
The McGee Group Sharpens the Focus on Business Success with Net at Work and Sage X3
In the world of optical design, The McGee Group stands out with a half-century legacy. This family-owned business from Marietta, Georgia, continues to grow with a nationwide presence that’s known for its innovative and high-quality eyewear products. At the core of their nationwide success has been an effective use of technology in managing complex operations.
A Brief Foray Into New Territory
The company’s history with Sage X3 spans over a decade, but a push for change led them to consider another leading ERP application. “Sage X3 always served us well,” Weston McGee, CIO at The McGee Group, explains, “but we were swayed by promises of simplicity in integration with the other ERP.” The new course, however, revealed some unexpected shortcomings. Jay Couzins, The McGee Group’s Director of Sage X3 Optimization, recalls, “It couldn’t deliver what Sage X3 can without requiring us to purchase additional add-ons.”
Returning to a Trusted Solution
Acknowledging the need for a scalable, extensible, and flexible ERP system that would allow them to take control of the entire business, The McGee Group decided to recommit to Sage X3. They engaged Net at Work to enhance and align the system with new business initiatives. “They have the country’s largest and most talented Sage X3 team among technology consultants,” Couzins notes. “I call them the rock stars of the X3 world.”
“We see near unlimited possibilities. We’re leveraging our technology to better connect with the world. With Net at Work’s help, we’ve been able to break through barriers, focus on what matters, and incorporate innovative, sustainable business practices.”
Jay Couzins, Director of Sage X3 Optimization, The McGee Group
Streamlining Operations Through Customization
In collaboration with Net at Work, The McGee Group has been able to customize Sage X3 extensively, integrating it with specialized applications such as EyeRepo. Couzins shares, “With Sage X3, we don’t need to bolt on functionality — we can build it. It’s a comprehensive platform for business management and development.”
Navigating Updates with Expertise
The partnership has also ensured that the company’s investment in customization doesn’t hinder their ability to upgrade. “That’s not the case with Sage X3. Net at Work guides us skillfully through every update,” Couzins explained. This aspect has been pivotal in maintaining a modern and responsive IT infrastructure.
The Advantage of Versatility and Expertise
Net at Work’s involvement with The McGee Group extends beyond the ERP. When confronted with performance issues, Couzins recalls a time when the source of the problem was elusive: “Net at Work investigated and correctly identified an issue with our hardware, which our managed services provider had missed.”
Looking Ahead with a Renewed ERP Strategy
Excited about the future, The McGee Group is now leveraging technology to streamline and innovate. A new B2B website integrated with Sage X3 is set to automate order entry and open new sales avenues. “We see near unlimited possibilities,” said Couzins, underscoring the company’s direction towards tech-driven connectivity and innovation.
Solidifying the Foundation for Future Growth
Reflecting on their journey, McGee explains, “The right partner makes the difference. Net at Work supports us through our growth.” Couzins concludes with a nod to the robustness of their chosen ERP, “We tried another ERP, but came back to Sage X3. I think it’s one of the best-kept secrets out there.”
Download the full Net at Work success story to read more about The McGee Group’s pathway to operational excellence.
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