The Attivo Blog

Attivo Cares: Affecting Change at the Global Level

05-23-2012 | By: Len | (0) Post comment » | Read comments »

The Attivo Group Partners with Knights of Columbus to bring Wheelchairs to those that need them most

It’s no secret that as technology and society advance, the world has become a smaller place. More and more businesses are becoming participants in the global business world. That same shrinking world that we live in also allows us the opportunity to impact lives on a global scale with the same amount of effort typically required of local endeavors.

As the General Manager and founder of The Attivo Group, a while back I launched a charitable arm of our organization called Attivo Cares. One of the organizations we have partnered with, the American Wheelchair Mission through the Knights of Columbus,will allow us to touch the lives of people in our own communities as well as the far corners of Asia and Latin America. It was a natural fit for me, and the Attivo Group, given my many years of work with the Knights of Columbus here in California. Already having an intimate knowledge of the American Wheelchair Mission and the great work that they do really makes me proud to have the opportunity to contribute to their cause.

Below is a 10 minute video sharing just some of the work this great organization does:

How you are already participating and supporting the good works

Wheelchair Mission The program that we have initiated here could potentially impact hundreds of physically disabled individuals around the world. For every 5 users of any of the software products we offer, we will donate one wheelchair to an individual in need.

It is estimated that worldwide, 100 million people are in need of wheelchairs, but can’t afford to purchase one. The wheelchairs provided by the American Wheelchair Mission typically retail in medical supply stores for $500, and would be impossible for many to even dream of having access to.

The impact that a wheelchair can have extends far beyond just the physically disabled. By giving the gift of mobility, the American Wheelchair society helps to lift burdens off of entire families. In some cases, it turns an almost certain death sentence into a rich, active and fulfilling life.

The American Wheelchair Mission serves those in need both at home and abroad, helping the innocent victims of war torn regions around the world, as well as US veterans and the poor. We couldn’t be more proud to have the opportunity to contribute to such a life altering cause and I am grateful to all of our partners whose continued trust in the Attivo Group makes this possible.

ERP Solutions Begin With Implementation, Not End

05-23-2012 | By: Len Reo | (0) Post comment » | Read comments »

Before you can implement a solution to any problem, you first must identify the problem. Whether that is eliminating that knocking noise coming from your car’s engine or increasing the profits of your company, the process is still the same. Find out what’s causing the problem, identify the solution, implement the solution, and lastly, perform the necessary care and maintenance to keep things running smoothly. It’s the first and last steps that several companies skip in search of instant results.

Too often we see mid-size companies rush into finding a solution to flagging financial reports and production inefficiencies without taking the time to get their hands dirty and do a little diagnosis. And quite frankly, it can be difficult to turn an unbiased eye on your own business processes, which is why there are so many third party ERP software consultants out there.

The difference between ERP Integrator & ERP Consultant

In a recent blog post by Eric Kimberling, he discusses the difference between hiring an ERP integrator and hiring an ERP consultant. At first glance you might be asking yourself what’s the difference? After all, any ERP consultant worth the paper their certification is printed on is going to be able to walk you through software implementation and training. But if you hire a consultant based solely on one criterion you’re liable to wind up with a cookie cutter solution that doesn’t perfectly fit your business. Just like buying a suit off the rack, the arms and legs might be the right length, but without a tailor lending their expert hand, the fit might be too tight in some places and too loose in others.

Just like your company has a set of unique business processes, your ERP consultant should have business processes that go beyond software implementation. What you really need is that set of unbiased eyes to analyze each individual department of your company, identifying the areas that require the most attention. You need someone with the expertise to dig deeper than the surface issues, and customize your software solution rather than try to plug your business processes into a prefabricated solution.

Once diagnosed, integration becomes paramount. Most ERP consulting firms will be able to implement new software and provide training for your staff. What separates the true consultants from the integrators is the ability to tailor the software, whether it is Macola ES, Microsoft Dynamics or Sage 100 (formerly known as MAS 90), to fit your business like a custom suit.

What should you ask an ERP consultant?

With integrators, that is where the service ends. But with a true ERP consulting firm, integration is just the first step of the solution. There are questions that every department head and business owner needs to ask when hiring a business consultant.

What happens if I have a tech support issue?
Who will train my staff when software updates are rolled out?
How do I know I am getting the most out of my new software solution?

A true ERP consultant will have all of those answers plus the answer to any other questions that you might have.

Your business is constantly growing and evolving, and so should your ERP solution. There is no magic button that will solve all your current and future ERP needs without occasional maintenance along the way. But if you hire an integrator rather than a consultant, you might find yourself moving from one rut to another without having truly solved your problem.

What do you think?

Are you not getting the ROI from your ERP system that you hoped for? Do you need a more customized software solution?

image by by PetroleumJelliffe on Flickr

Real-time Macola Data, Faster, With PULSE Dashboard and Archive

05-22-2012 | By: Rachel Pradhan | (0) Post comment » | Read comments »

Macola, but Better. See it in a Webinar and Live Demo of Two Products by Leahy Consulting

There's an easier way to get the critical data you need, when you need it, from your ERP system. We've partnered with Leahy Consulting to bring you several products that help Macola run in real time so you can make decisions in real time. As we all know, a nimble company is a successful company.

This month Leahy Consulting is holding three webinars on two of it's most powerful and popular products:

PULSE Dashboard: more readable, usable, and real-time data
PULSE Archive: don't delete information, archive it

Click HERE to one of their live webinars/demos of these two products.

Interview with Mike Leahy of Leahy Consulting

Watch our Exact Engage Conference interview with Mike Leahy of Leahy Consulting, talking about the PULSE products.

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Rachel Pradhan, Director of Marketing for The Attivo Group, is NOT an expert in anything ERP related, nor does she play one on this blog. Instead she takes a fresh look at softwares, business processes, and profit improvement practices - and how to help your employees embrace them. As a marketing expert, she'll also share how she uses CRM systems to fill the funnel and make sales happen.

Sage Software is so different - and the same

05-18-2012 | By: Rachel Pradhan | (0) Post comment » | Read comments »

Sage North America opened its doors to its new website and branding of its popular ERP accounting and CRM software products. But don't worry, it's the same software. It'll still work the same, look the same internally, and you'll still have your General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Payroll and other functions that you've relied on Sage Software to provide for you.

Their new videos and design are really nice, though. The green has definitely gotten a face-lift and the clean design has, so far, made it much easier to move around the site. But what's up with all the name changes? Well, as Sage has acquired software products that have been beneficial to their users, they've decided to transition into a more 'Sage-friendly' name so that you know all the different options that Sage offers. An example is Peachtree Accounting Software, now called Sage 50 Quantum. Many still thought that Peachtree was its own product and company and didn't realize that Sage was the developer for this software. With the new name, Sage 50, you instantly know who is behind it. Plus, the new number increments help you know the order of software that a company would use as they grow: Sage 50 for a small business, Sage 100 for a bigger small business to medium sized business, and so on.

Sage Software Name Change List

Want to know more about the new name changes? Here's a complete list:

Sage Software - Former Name	Sage Software - New Name
Sage Abra SQL HRMS	Sage HRMS
Sage ACH Processing	same
Sage ACT!	same
Sage Active Planner	same
Sage BusinessVision Accounting	same
Sage BusinessWorks Accounting	same
Sage Check Processing	same
Sage Credit and Debit Card Processing	same
SageCRM	same
Sage DacEasy	same
Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200	Sage 100 ERP
Sage ERP MAS 90	Sage 100 Standard ERP
Sage ERP MAS 200	Sage 100 Advanced ERP
Sage ERP Accpac	Sage 300 ERP
Sage ERP Accpac 100	Sage 300 Standard ERP
Sage ERP Accpac 200	Sage 300 Advanced ERP>
Sage ERP Accpac 500	Sage 300 Premium ERP
Sage ERP MAS 500	Sage 500 ERP
Sage ERP X3	same
Sage FAS Fixed Assets	Sage Fixed Assets
Sage FAS Gov Fixed Assets	Sage Fixed Assets Government Edition
Sage FAS Nonprofit Fixed Assets	Sage Fixed Assets Nonprofit Edition
Sage FAS Canada Fixed Assets	Sage Fixed Assets Canadian Edition
Sage Fund Accounting	Sage 100 Fund Accounting
Sage Fundraising 50	same
Sage Fundraising 100	same
Sage Fundraising Online	same
Sage Grant Management	same
Sage Master Builder	Sage 100 Contractor
Sage Millennium	same
Sage Peachtree	Sage 50–U.S. Edition
Sage Peachtree First Accounting	Sage 50 First Accounting
Sage Peachtree Pro Accounting	Sage 50 Pro Accounting
Sage Peachtree Complete Accounting	Sage 50 Complete Accounting
Sage Peachtree Premium Accounting	Sage 50 Premium Accounting
Sage Peachtree Quantum	Sage 50 Quantum Accounting
Sage Peachtree Pro Accounting with Payroll	Sage 50 Pro Accounting with Payroll
Sage Peachtree Premium Accounting for Construction	Sage 50 Construction Accounting
Sage Peachtree Premium Accounting for Distribution	Sage 50 Distribution Accounting
Sage Peachtree Premium Accounting for Manufacturing	Sage 50 Manufacturing Accounting
Sage Peachtree Premium Accounting for Manufacturing	Sage 50 Manufacturing Accounting
Sage Peachtree Quantum — Accountants’ Edition	Sage 50 Accountant Edition
Sage PFW ERP	same
Sage Pro ERP	same
Sage Project Lifecycle Management	same
Sage SalesLogix	same
Sage Simply Accounting	Sage 50–Canadian Edition
Sage Simply Accounting First Step	Sage 50 First Step Accounting
Sage Simply Accounting First Step — Express	Sage 50 First Step Express Accounting
Sage Simply Accounting Pro	Sage 50 Pro Accounting
Sage Simply Accounting Pro with Payroll	Sage 50 Pro Accounting with Payroll
Sage Simply Accounting Premium	Sage 50 Premium Accounting
Sage Simply Accounting Premium with Payroll	Sage 50 Premium Accounting with Payroll
Sage Simply Accounting Enterprise	Sage 50 Quantum Accounting
Sage Simply Accounting — Accountants’ Edition	Sage 50 Accountant Edition
Sage Simply Accounting HR Manager	Sage 50 HR Manager
Sage Simply Accounting (English/Spanish)	Sage 50 Accounting–Spanish/English Edition
Sage Simply Accounting First Step (English/Spanish)	Sage 50 First Step Accounting–Spanish/Bilingual Edition
Sage Simply Accounting First Step - Express (English/Spanish)	Sage 50 First Step Express Accounting–Spanish/Bilingual Edition
Sage Simply Accounting Pro (English/Spanish)	Sage 50 Pro Accounting–Spanish/Bilingual Edition
Sage Simply Accounting Premium (English/Spanish)	Sage 50 Premium Accounting–Spanish/Bilingual Edition
Sage Simply Accounting Enterprise (English/Spanish)	Sage 50 Quantum Accounting–Spanish/Bilingual Edition
Sage Simply Accounting - Accountants' Edition (English/Spanish)	Sage 50 Accountant Edition–Spanish/Bilingual Edition
Sage Timberline Estimating	Sage Estimating
Sage Timberline Office	Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate
Sage Timberline Enterprise	Sage 300 Trade Specialty
Sage TimeSheet	same
Sage Timeslips	same

New Sage Software Video

Here's another great video from Sage North America to explain the new changes, including a little history.

What do you think of the new Sage branding?

Do you miss your old software names, or are your ready for the face-lift? Did it give you ideas on having your own brand updated? Or, perhaps it's time to update your software and business processes?

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Exact Engage Conference : What's New With Exact?

05-16-2012 | By: Rachel Pradhan | (0) Post comment » | Read comments »

What you missed at 2012's Engage Conference.

As I was new to the Engage Conference, I can't really tell you how it was different, but I can share what I personally took away from it as a truly 'fresh' user of Synergy and Macola. Being personally new to Synergy and Macola, I was looking forward to the real-world examples of how companies can utilize the Exact systems to better run their business through better processes and better control that these systems allow businesses to have.

In fact, one of my favorite workshops was the JobBOSS workshop "Welcome to the Real World!” This course was interactive with two presenters and active participation from the audience. There was a lively conversation between two business owners on the struggle to “let go” of email and move to the more accountable system of Synergy. More on that in another blog post. Plus they switched from the PowerPoint presentation to the live version of the system to give examples and helpful tips.

Here's a quick run-through on what was great about the 2012 Engage Conference:

Exact Navigator: The announcement of the anticipated 'Exact Navigator' software, which was created to help Distribution and Manufacturing businesses to be able to quickly review reports to make faster decisions and execution. (More on that below!)
Help Desk: Almost two full days of a well-staffed source for answers to specific support related questions at their 'Help Desk' allowed participants to schedule 30 minute increments of one-on-one support with an Exact Software expert. These rooms were full of activity, yet wait times weren't that long.
Vendor Showcase: A great selection of third party software that helps you take better advantage of your Macola and/or Synergy investment. We actually had the opportunity to chat with a few of these great people and learn about their products. Subsequent videos and blog posts to come in the next few days!
Regional Conference: With four different conference options to go to, many newcomers were at the conference (like me), which allowed for new alliances and networking opportunities.

Exact Navigator: Helping Manufacturing and Distribution Companies Utilize Macola/Synergy

According to Exact, "Exact Navigator brings together workspace functionality that provides users with their own unique dashboards, menus, external Web applications and reports including financial, operational and exception, helping users drive business productivity and profitability to unprecedented heights. The Navigator workspace is now the single location from which users can conduct all activity, simplifying every job function’s day-to-day tasks and processes."

I found a great example of a manufacturing company, Neutral Posture, showing how they use Exact Navigator and explaining how he has experienced less training time, faster decision making, and overall better processes.

Mitchell Alcon, President of Exact Americas, Tips His Hat to Attivo

Len Reo, General Manager of The Attivo Group, and I met and chatted with Mitch Alcon during the conference and was excited to share some of the changes Exact is expecting. Watch the interview below.

What do you want?

Lastly, several of the workshops focused on the product strategy and direction for Macola, Synergy and JobBOSS - new features, functionality and ideas that they were considering. I was wondering, what would you like to see? What did you see at Engage that you're hoping will come to fruition?

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