Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software collects and organizes all of the important business data that you generate.  What do you do with the data?  With the right predictive analytics and reporting features, you can turn data into insight and use the insight to drive business growth.  Microsoft Dynamics® GP is robust business management software that offers both analytics and reporting features that will turn mountains of data into actionable insight.

The volumes of data that is collected in your ERP software can be very valuable when collected properly and actually used.  Companies of all sizes use Microsoft Dynamics GP to manage financials, supply chain, manufacturing, project and services management, and other core business data.  This particular ERP software solution also offers built in business intelligence and detailed reporting features.  The Business Analyzer function will enable you to choose the metrics that are important for you to track.  You can receive alerts when metrics are reaching a certain level, so that you can react quickly in response to that data.  When tracking metrics, you can drill down to get more detail about the data you are monitoring and create or delegate related tasks to stay on track. Being able to access real time financials will enable you to take advantage of a new opportunity before your competitors snatch up a potential customer.

By connecting sales orders with purchasing and customer data, you will end up with a lot of powerful data about the products and services you offer.  Using the Business Analyzer and powerful reporting features in Microsoft Dynamics GP, you can identify your best-selling products and top customers.  Taking that information to the next level, you can create marketing campaigns around the products that sell well.  Knowing top customers will enable you to improve cross-sales and up-sales around the products that your best customers purchase.  Focusing on your most profitable products and customers will optimize profitability.

Collecting data in ERP software is the most efficient way to connect internal operations and get a big picture view of your business.  The data that you collect is only useful if you have an ERP system with powerful analytical and reporting functions, like Microsoft Dynamics GP.  Contact PANGEA Business Solutions for more information about getting the answers you need to drive growth by using Microsoft Dynamics GP.

By Alexandra Gonzalez with PANGEA Business Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics Partner out of Florida

It might seem obvious that if you add automation to the office, you’ll be able to get more done and faster.  Any manual process that you can automate will save time.  What is less obvious, might be what processes to automate.  Adding the right enterprise resource planning (ERP) software will add automation throughout your company that will save time, improve accuracy, and improve the bottom line.

Businesses of all sizes have found success with the added automation provided by Microsoft Dynamics® GP.  This comprehensive ERP software solution offers management of financials, manufacturing, project and services management, supply chain, and other core business functionality.  Having all of your critical data in a single software solution will save you time from having to open other software programs or search through file folders.  Like other commonly used Microsoft products, Microsoft Dynamics GP is easy to learn and use – a big time-saver.  Employees can be confident that they are entering data properly and you can be confident that you have real time data to use to drive business growth.

Automating financials is a quick way to save time and improve accuracy of data.  Microsoft Dynamics GP will link business operations with financials which will reduce the need for double-entries, such as entering project expenses, then having to enter accounts payables data, followed by accounts receivable data.  Having to enter data repeatedly increases the chance for human error.  You might miss an entry or put it in the wrong spot.

When you have the right technology, such as Microsoft Dynamics GP, you can streamline how data is captured and shared.  You also reduce the chance for human error, losing data, or improperly entering data, which will improve data accuracy.  The time you save by using the right ERP solution can be used on other important business tasks.  Contact PANGEA Business Solutions for more time-saving tips offered by Microsoft Dynamics GP.

By Alexandra Gonzalez with PANGEA Business Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics Partner out of Florida

Customized ERP has a bad rap mainly because it means a much larger price tag for you. It can have its benefits, but here are some situations when you shouldn’t modify your ERP solution.

• Your current ERP software solution is old and out of date. If customization requires a matrix of coded workarounds, it is not worth the money you’re throwing at it to do its job. Manipulating software is necessary to some extent, but if your software currently causes more headache than relief, then it may be time to start from scratch.

• You’re not entirely sure of what you need it to do. ERP software customizations aren’t a time for experimentation. You need to be absolutely clear of what your main goals and objectives are before entering into the world of software modification. If you jump in before you’re ready, you risk wasting valuable time, resources, and a huge chunk of your software budget. This is where a software partner is vital in the process. They know what questions to ask and what areas to focus on. There are also phased approaches to ERP implementation that can ease the overwhelming nature of these projects as well as go easy on your budget.

If you’re trying to answer the questions of whether to modify or not modify your current ERP solution, contact us at PANGEA Business Solutions for guidance. We can ensure you make the right decision for your company.

By Alexandra Gonzalez with PANGEA Business Solutions, Florida Microsoft Dynamics Partner

Sorry to break it to you, but there isn’t really a “for sure” way to come to this decision. Unfortunately it takes a lot of time, research, and analysis of your business processes to approach an answer that fits your needs. And even then, it can vary. But don’t let this news discourage you. If you stick to a few important tips along the way, you should be in good hands:

• The software vendor relationship is important: The relationship with your software vendor should be strong and you should have a high level of trust developed before moving ahead with a big CRM implementation project.

• There are no stupid questions: In software implementations, you should know what’s going on. Although your software vendor is there to take care of the process, you still need to make sure things are headed in the right direction. So if you don’t understand a process or an additional charge, ASK!

• Get everyone involved: A CRM solution is meant to connect your business. Ideally, you want everyone to use the solution and use it right so you can achieve a return on your investment. Get them involved in the implementation project by asking them a few basic questions. Write down their wish lists and specific requirements or even gauge how comfortable they are with technology. All this information can increase the chances of success for your CRM implementation.

If you’re wondering where to begin in developing a relationship with a software vendor, sign up for our newsletter and stay in touch with our CRM experts.

By Alexandra Gonzalez with PANGEA Business Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics Partner out of Florida

Marketing teams love the sound of Microsoft Dynamics® CRM 2011 because it simply makes their lives easier! Marketing functionality is a big part of Microsoft Dynamics CRM and really has been since the beginning. After all, sales and lead generation are a direct result of your marketing teams so it’s only natural marketing functionality is built into your CRM system.

Marketing lists, dashboards, and workflow automation are the newest features added to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 and are making lives even easier for marketing teams around the world:

• Marketing Lists- Lists make it possible for marketers to target their campaigns by filtering contacts or accounts by certain criteria. If a marketer repeats or follows up regularly with a certain target audience, these marketing lists in Microsoft Dynamics CRM are a huge time saver.

• Dashboards- Tracking the effectiveness of marketing campaigns ensures a successful business. Budget is spent in the right places and the marketing team is able to make efficient choices based on the information available to them. Dashboards in Microsoft Dynamics CRM make this type of insight available in a quick and easy-to-read, real-time view.

• Workflow Automation- Workflows give marketing and sales employees a process to follow based on previously determined best practices to increase the productivity and efficiency of an organization. For example, workflow automation in Microsoft Dynamics CRM allows you to qualify a lead by answering default questions.

By Alexandra Gonzalez with PANGEA Business Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics CRM and ERP Partner out of Florida

One of the more common mistakes in CRM implementations is overlooking the business assessment phase. The title of this blog may seem like common sense to some, but many organizations try to proceed with just a high level view of what they need the software to do. It’s extremely important to be specific, thorough, and patient!

If you don’t specify your requirements beforehand, you’re bound to run into two issues:

1. Miscalculation of Costs: Your software vendor can only estimate the costs they’re aware of. If something comes up in the middle of implementation, there’s no way they can foresee additional costs until they happen. This unexpected shift in budget can greatly affect your implementation and ultimately your bottom line.
2. Insufficient Technology: You run a much higher risk of deciding on a CRM solution that can never really meet your needs. This issue brings about even more costs that you hadn’t planned for or your stuck with a solution that doesn’t really even make anything better.

We understand software implementations can be overwhelming and it’s easy to get caught up in the craziness. This is why choosing a software vendor that can walk you through the process is so important. A trusted partner can help you with software implementation best practices and help keep costs low and functionality high.

By Alexandra Gonzalez with PANGEA Business Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics Partner out of Florida

Change is inevitable, especially in the business and technology worlds. A survey done by Technology Evaluation Centers shows 76% of senior managers dissatisfied with enterprise software change capabilities.This study shows that companies are working with systems that don’t scale to today’s business needs. If companies aren’t able to easily change or adapt to new market trends, then it opens them up to significant risks. P.J. Jakovljevic, Principal Analyst at TEC says, “The lack of flexibility in systems to support business change is paralyzing some companies and cannot be underestimated”.

How does your ERP solution scale to your business needs? Is it easy to make changes? Or do you end up implementing new manual processes that manipulate your ERP software to do what you need it to do? If the last statement sounds true, then it may be time to look for a new solution that can handle the change you’re bound to go through.

Microsoft Dynamics® GP is robust business software that scales with you as you grow. It’s a perfect solution for those outgrowing their current accounting software, showing its capability to help businesses take the next steps in growth.

If you’re tired of being one of those senior managers dissatisfied with enterprise software change capabilities and want to learn more about an ERP solution that can handle change, contact us at PANGEA Business Solutions.

By Alexandra Gonzalez with PANGEA Business Solutions, Florida Microsoft Dynamics Partner

In this day and age, productivity is a direct result of automation. If your sales crew is focusing on bringing in new leads instead of manually entering or exporting information, then you’re on the right track. If they’re focusing more on the manual tasks at hand, then it is likely the productivity at your company is low.

The key here is to eliminate those manual processes and streamline the overall sales process with CRM software. CRM Software can speed up contact entry as well as sales team tasks. For example, in Microsoft Dynamics® CRM, you can set up reminders to contact a prospect on a certain day or time because it integrates and works hand in hand with Outlook. It keeps the sales team on task, as well as ensures they’re more efficient with their time. If a prospect or customer calls into them, they can also quickly bring up past information that makes the conversation go smoothly and possibly even pushes the close rate a bit higher.

Bottom line is if your sales team is worried or distracted by where all their information is or whether it’s up to date, then they don’t have the capacity to focus their attention on selling. It’s time to automate your sales crew and it’s possible to do that with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Contact us at PANGEA Business Solutions to learn more.

By Alexandra Gonzalez with PANGEA Business Solutions, Microsoft Dynamics Partner out of Florida

Increasing and decreasing rates in taxes are inevitable. Sometimes a good thing and sometimes a bad thing, but either way, Microsoft Dynamics® GP adapts easily to these changes. Your financial reporting and management will not suffer with GP in place.

For example, recently the Future Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) rate decreased from 6.2% to 6.0%. Sure this is an inconvenience to employers, but the change is relatively easy to update in Microsoft Dynamics GP and with these last minute tax changes, we need a scalable solution that can adapt well. The worst thing you can do as an employer is ignore these tax changes and risk the change of being incompliant.

Microsoft Dynamics GP helps reduce the costs of keeping up to date with government regulations and eliminates the chance of being incompliant. If you have questions on how to update your current GP solution with these tax changes, please contact us for more information.

By Alexandra Gonzalez with PANGEA Business Solutions, Florida Microsoft Dynamics Partner

Our previous blog touched on a few points about why non-profits need Microsoft Dynamics® ERP. To build on this concept, we have a great example of one of our non-profit clients here in Florida. They’ve gone above and beyond the normal ERP functionality and are realizing the benefits. Let’s take a look…

As one of the largest non-profit organizations in Florida, our client was struggling with their financial management, inventory control, and complicated day-to-day operations. They had multiple disparate systems that sometimes talked to each other, but not all the time. This caused confusion and extreme lack of insight into what was happening on a day to day basis.

We worked with our client to create a workflow with Microsoft Dynamics GP and SharePoint 2010 that fixed any disconnections. Our client handles blood donations and delivery to hospitals throughout Florida. They send out mobile units daily to receive donations. These mobile units are not connected via wifi, so they have a few solutions that help them track everything during the day, such as what supplies they used throughout the day, whether there were any discarded blood bags, etc. Once they return to the office, they are able to facilitate two quick and easy phases that pulls in and collates all relevant data.

Once those phases are complete, Microsoft Dynamics GP takes over and streamlines job costing so they can see exactly how much money it’s costing them to perform business tasks. GP also tracks and maintains inventory and accurately manages all financials.

In addition to Microsoft Dynamics GP, we are working to get them set up with SharePoint 2010 so they can connect everything throughout their organization, allowing more visibility in real-time and creating data they can rely on.

By Santiago Morales with PANGEA Business Solutions, Florida Microsoft Dynamics Partner