Bellwether Magazine - Customers 1st Issue - Q1 2015

Volume 6 | Issue 1 | First Quarter 2015
BELLWETHER
Customers

vs.
Inventory management just
got a face lift
Our 25 year old vision of a truly mobile warehouse is now a reality
With a live connection you never have to worry about syncing again.
Manage Sage 100 inventory from your pocket with Scanco Warehouse
and see the difference. What’s not to love about the new Scanco?
Visit blytheco.com/scanco for more information
`
SYNCING...
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PLEASE WAIT

3bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership
TRENGTHEN
Customer Service
Across the Supply Chain
3 Ways to
sections
Letter from the Editor 5
Leadership 6
Sales & Marketing 8
Corporate Finance 14
Industry News 16
Cover Story 24
Customer Profile 26
Technology 30
18
“The goal as a company is to have
customer service that is not just the best
but LEGENDARY.”
Sam Walton - Founder of Wal-Mart
12
30
CORCOR6
Customers
24

Bellwether Magazine | First Quarter 20154

LETTERFROMTHEEDITOR
BELLWETHER
A Blytheco Magazine
Volume 5
First Quarter, 2015
www.blytheco.com
www.bellwethermagazine.com
STAFF EDITOR
Apryl Hanson
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Greg Went
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Devin Ambron
Alicia Anderson
Avalara
Patty Benitez
Careena Dudic
Joni Girardi
Denise Renee Phinn
Kelley Starr
Kelvin Takhar
Christi Whipple
Paul Ziliak
ADVERTISING SALES
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TRENGTHEN
Customer Service
Across the Supply Chain
3 Ways to
LEADERSHIP
Your business starts and ends with one thing: your customer.
Without your customer, your business has no rhyme, no
reason, and a whole lot of unused products and inventory
sitting in the warehouse. In the day-to-day activities involved
with running a smooth and efficient warehouse operation,
it can be hard to keep this important concept in mind. Your
customer gets lost in the shuffle – placed on a shelf until the
final product arrives at their door or until they raise such a
clatter they become hard to ignore.
by Devin Ambron
Truth is, the customer is not the focus in most of today’s
warehouse environments. Warehouse managers are too
busy trying to improve productivity numbers, increase
efficiency and streamline processes to think about the
ultimate reason for doing these things. While the customer
holds a significant role behind the scenes, their stage time in
the warehouse is limited (if they make an appearance at all).
Over the past 20 years of working with warehouses across
the country, our employees at Scanco have made it a priority
to help our clients see the value of their customers in every
area of the supply chain. We have found that companies
who are customer-focused in all they do are not only more
successful in terms of profitability, but they also experience
an increase in customer satisfaction across the board.
True Customer Service Occurs at Every Stage
in the Game
In 2012, a survey was taken of American consumers to gain
an understanding of what is most important to customers
when choosing and interacting with businesses. The survey
revealed that 98% of respondents said that customer
experience is among the top three factors in deciding
whether or not to do business with a company. So if the
customer’s experience is such an important factor to them,
shouldn’t it be just as important to the company?
One of the greatest misunderstandings about customer
service is that it begins and ends in the customer service
department. While it’s true that customer service agents
shoulder much of the responsibility for keeping customers
happy, the burden does not lie on them alone. If you truly
want to keep your customers happy and coming back for
more, you need to place an importance on customer service
in every department, including the supply chain.
Over the past 20 years, Scanco has helped many companies
improve the way they manage their warehouses so they can
better serve their customers. As a result, we have learned
some tried-and-true methods designed to bring a customer-
focus to the supply chain. Here are three ways you can begin
to strengthen customer service right from your warehouse
floor:

1. Streamlinedatatransferacrossyourorganization
so everyone has access to the information they
need. Does your customer service department
know what’s going on in the supply chain? Are they
aware of delays in shipping before the customer
calls to complain? Is your warehouse aware of last-
minute changes in customer orders? Having access
to real-time information is crucial for providing
superior customer service. In fact, according to the
survey, 40% of customer service calls could have
been avoided if the company had a thorough and
accessible system of documentation.
2. Remind your employees of the bigger picture.
Rather than harp on the importance of increased
productivity numbers, let your employees know
why these numbers are important. Ultimately, high
productivity means getting your products into your
customers’ hands faster, which translates into more
satisfied customers who are willing to continue
doing business with your company. By showing
your workers how their jobs (no matter how menial
they may seem) impact the customer, you can
start creating a customer-centric culture in your
warehouse and across our organization.
3. Do your job fast, and do it well. In today’s
economy, your customers have a lot of options.
If you cannot meet their expectations and fulfill
their orders in a timely manner, they will take their
business (and their money) elsewhere. That’s why it
is so important to master every step of the supply
chain – from receiving to picking, packing, and
shipping. Automating time-consuming processes
and eliminating repetitive tasks is not just beneficial
in the warehouse, it’s beneficial to your customers
too!
The Answer to Your Customer Service Woes
is in Your Pocket
Creating a customer-centric culture in your warehouse
doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it can be incredibly easy
if you have the right tools and technology. This year,
Scanco created a mobile app designed to help companies
better serve their customers. Scanco Warehouse, our first
fully mobile warehouse management solution, integrates
seamlessly with Sage 100 ERP and grants every department
in your organization access to the information they need
to answer customer inquiries. Designed to work with your
smartphone or tablet, Scanco Warehouse gives you the
same capabilities as a full warehouse management solution
– just in the palm of your hand. Users can use the solution
to automate key warehouse management tasks and bring
order back into the warehouse.
Being proactive about your customer relationships is key, so
why not start in the supply chain? Learn about how Scanco’s
products can help deliver the service your customers expect
and need by visiting http://www.blytheco.com/scanco/.

You can tell when an organization has its eye
on the ball. If you’re a customer, you feel
that you’re known and appreciated. If you’re a
supplier, you respect the business-like ordering.
If you’re an employee,
you always have the
data you need to
meet customer
needs
intelligently.
User-Centric Business
Intelligence: The New
Way to Put People First
and Send ROI Soaring
by Joni Girardi

Joni Girardi is the founder and CEO of DataSelf Corporation, an innovative leader in business intelligence and analytics
solutions for SMBs. DataSelf solutions simplify and amplify Tableau and Microsoft BI technologies with 5000+ out-of-the-box
reports, dashboards, and KPIs, plus an ultralight data warehouse for plugging into different systems. Learn more at
www.blytheco.com/dataself/ and connect with Joni on Linkedin at www.linkedin.com/in/jonigirardi/
About the Author
It all comes down to putting people first, and it’s just
plain good business. Despite all our new technology,
nothing has dampened our craving for attention. When
we feel it, we’ll do anything to keep it.
Smart executives know this. They make sure they have
a business intelligence system that lets them keep their
eye on a few critical ways that gives people that feeling.
Knowing Customers Through the Data
Every customer is an individual, keenly aware of his or
her own history and needs. And a business intelligence
system worthy of the name lets decision makers at all
levels see through the data to the customer.
“Customers don’t care about the other hundred or
thousand different customers we may think about,” says
the Vice President of Marketing at a Midwest-based
online retailer who asked to be anonymous. “It’s as if
each customer wants their needs anticipated as if they’re
the only one alive.”
Sweating the Small Stuff
Customers need to have confidence in your operation,
especially if their only contact is through a website and
phone calls. They want to know that your organization
operates efficiently and can respond to their needs
promptly.
It’s Good to Put People First, but Which
People?
Let’s be frank. When you’re in a crunch, you make tough
choices. You may not have time to put all your customers
first. A user-centric system provides the clarity you need
at times like that.
Freeing Employees to Do the Highest-Value
Work
There’s no worse drudgery than coaxing technology
and data to do what it’s meant to do effortlessly. Well
designed, user-centric data systems free everyone to
do the highest value work they can do. That sends ROI
soaring. Managers analyze data easily, and IT escapes
report-configuration to do real IT work.
Give knowledgeable employees smart tools. When
data’s easy to analyze, answers come faster — followed
by more questions that might never have been asked
otherwise. They can modify reports without waiting for
the IT department. When they’re not even sure what
question to ask, they can perform free-wheeling data
discovery to home in on value.
It Comes Down to One Thing: User-Centric
Design of Software
The company that provides smart, user-centric tools tells
people that it cares. Knowing that, how can people fail
to work harder and smarter?
Employees find the user-centric business intelligence
system so intuitive that they jump in with most functions
right away, with no help from experts. They create and
modify reports, dashboards, and KPIs from scratch or
modify them simply and quickly.
Customers feel the difference. Suppliers enjoy the
smooth, intelligent ordering that makes their job so
much easier. There’s simply something in the air when
people feel taken care of.
A user-centric data analytics system also puts executives
first. It sends labor cost plunging, usually 80% or more,
and ROI soaring. The system deploys in hours instead of
weeks or months, and connects automatically to a wide
variety of ERP and CRM systems. It frees IT people to
do high-value work. Across the organization, people feel
competent, confident, and productive.
“I don’t know how we ever operated without our business
intelligence system,” says a call-center executive at
a mid-sized manufacturer in Florida. “With DataSelf
Analytics, I can hear a smile in every voice.”
SALESMARKETING

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by Careena Dudic
Historically, marketing initiatives were based on contacting
as many relevant customers at a time through a myriad of
methods, usually based around television and print advertising
or cold-calling. Generally, the cost of these endeavors required
fewer campaigns to be managed throughout the year. While
something such as a Super Bowl advertisement had the potential
to reach millions of potential customers, the enormous cost of $4
million for a 30-second slot causes this marketing tool to be out
of reach for smaller companies and can deplete a great portion
of a larger organization’s marketing budget.
Enter the advent of social media which has the potential to reach
an enormous client base either for free or by managing costs
for advertising and advanced features. With over 75 percent of
adults utilizing at least one social media platform, the impact of
social media on the client experience is undeniable. It has been
identified that there are in fact seven psychological needs that
can be met when an individual logs onto a social media platform
including: acknowledgment, attention, approval, appreciation,
acclaim, assurance, and inclusion. These needs are also integral
to businesses elevating their customer experience.
As described in Forbes magazine, “Social media is here, and
is the preferred mode of communication by a large segment
of your customers, so make it a positive differentiator for your
business. Don’t force them to use an automated phone response
system, or a faceless unresponsive form. Customers are not all
like you, and they have choices, so “one size fits all” customer
service is no longer a viable option.”
So then exactly how are businesses using this marketing tool to
reach out to their client base and put value in their brand? Below
are four pertinent examples of organizations creatively using
social media platforms to reach out to their customers:
Oreo (Nabisco)
During the 2013 Superbowl, a power outage caused the lights
at the Super Dome to go out for 34 minutes. While Oreo did
not purchase Super Bowl advertising space, they did have a 15
person social media team to respond to any event of the Super
Bowl. Oreo’s response to the power outage was a tweet of a
dimly lit, solitary Oreo that read: “Power out? No problem! You
can still dunk in the dark.” The solitary tweet was retweeted over
15,000 times and received more than 20,000 likes on Facebook.
The customer base was reached and return on investment were
impactful without purchasing advertising space.
Target
Target’s data breach in 2013 could have been a total disaster for
the company’s wider image and customer trust. However, the
company’s swift and effective social media campaign effectively
controlled the customer reaction and reasserted confidence
in the company. With clear and concise updates provided via
social media on the data breach status, customers had ease of
access to information and were able to have questions quickly
answered with little effort on their part.
Intuit
Intuit has successfully bridged the gap between traditional
marketing and the use of social media. By enrolling small
businesses in a social media contest, Intuit is offering the winner
a Super Bowl advertisement, engaging thousands of businesses
at once. Furthermore, the company regularly provides support
and answers questions through Facebook and Twitter boasting
$6 million in revenue from their social media presences.
Dollar Shave Club
Dollar Shave Club was a startup that generated almost its
entire client base from a single YouTube video. The viral video
generated more than 12,000 sign-ups for the company’s monthly
subscription-based razor service, with more than 4.75 million
views in the following three months. The social media presence,
The introduction of social media has had an impact beyond affecting the way
humans communicate. Utilizing social media has now become a critical portion
of business’ marketing strategies. While social media platforms such as Facebook,
Twitter, and YouTube were originally seen as a pastime outside of the workplace, the
recent move of large companies and startups creatively implementing social media
campaigns has created a new concept of marketing with tools that are surprisingly
free to get started with.
By Careena Dudic
Improving the Client Experience with
Social Media

which cost the startup $4,500 to create, generated $9.8 million in
venture capital funding following its upload.
Are these isolated cases or is the overall impact of social media
on the client experience tangible? While the
“new age” of social media dominance cannot
be denied, digital marketing spending is
increasing by more than 10 percent and
traditional marketing contracting by almost
five percent. Yet, marketing executives still
find the overall monetary impact of social
media hard to measure. Qualitative
impact is significantly easier to discern
than quantitative impact due to the
fact that it is impossible to know
exactly how many people
are viewing a campaign
due to restrictions of
Internet usage privacy
law. That being
said, this does
not offset the
fact that
companies plan on
increasing their social media budget
by at least five percent for the coming year. The average company
polled by Duke University states that they have an average of
three social media experts on staff to take full advantage of the
newest trend in marketing.
While the exact effects of social media cannot be easily extracted
at this point, it is still considered imperative for companies to
have a social media presence. Martin Zwilling, a contributor for
Forbes Magazine commented, “As I visit the websites of many
startups, as well as more mature businesses, I still too often
see a “contact” page offering nothing but a sterile form for
customers to submit, never to be heard from again. Social media
connections, if they exist, are buried elsewhere or reserved for
monitoring purposes only.”
With the use of social media still a burgeoning marketing tool,
it is recommended to start small and then expand. With the
majority of social media platforms being free to set up a profile
and get started while more advanced features and advertising
comes at a cost, this marketing device is one of the most
accessible marketing options for all businesses from startups
to Fortune 500 companies. These are the recommended steps
for companies to begin their social media presence:
1. Organize your business information on social media.
Make sure that all your company information is visible and
easily accessible.
2. Create content that reflects your company brand.
Brainstorm marketing campaigns that truly represent the
type of business you are and the client you want to attract.
3. Ask your customers how they found
you. Target which social media platform your
customers use the most and focus on that.
4. Accept customer feedback
and questions. Do not be afraid of
negative comments, but respond to them
appropriately and timely.
5. Put time into your social media
presence. Companies that have the
strongest social media presences, respond
to more than 65 percent of the questions
asked by their client base.
Social media is still a new player to the
marketing field, so being able to use it well
does not have a strict definition at this point.
However, its growing influence is undeniable
and the potential for business growth,
company branding and ultimately revenue
generation make it a key marketing tool.
Using a social platform that allows customers
to feel connected and cared for by a company
should become an integral part of every marketing
strategy no matter how big or small and organization
may be.
As commented on by Jeff Bullas, “Through the use of
social media, customers and prospects now have an almost
instantaneousplatformfordiscussionoftheirideas,experiences,
and knowledge. Increasingly, the use of social media is playing
an important role in the professional lives of decision-makers
as they utilize the tools and mediums before them to engage
their decision-making processes. The social nature of decision-
making has increased with impressive strength, connecting
generations of professionals to each other—changing the
dynamics of customer relationship management, marketing, and
communications – forever.”
SALESMARKETING

3 Ways Manual Sales Tax Management
Customer Satisfaction
Many ERP systems, while amazing at streamlining business
functions, still rely on legacy processes (which tend to be
manual) to manage transactional tax - even though they have
the ability to automate tax compliance via out-of-the-box
integrations. If you don’t add automation capability to your
ERP system, calculating sales tax basically requires you to
upload rate tables, enter and track sales tax schedules in each
applicable city, county, and state as well as rules, rates, and
boundary changes.
Here are 3 tax-related issues that could
negatively impact customer satisfaction:
1. Address Validation - Traditional address validation
functionality is limited to ZIP codes, which aren’t always
accurate. This leads to wasted time tracking down correct
addresses and contact information and charges from
carriers for undeliverable items. Moreover, a single ZIP
code can have up to 20 different tax rates in it because
taxing jurisdictions and postal codes do not align. This can
result in overcharging sales tax to your customer which
increases the final amount on their invoice.
2. Changing Product & Service Taxability - Sales and
use tax rates and rules are constantly changing at local,
state, and federal levels and the definition of nexus has
changed substantially in the last few years. What once was
not taxable now is – particularly things like business services
and products that were once tax exempt. This all varies by
state and taxing jurisdiction. The last thing you want to
do is have to go back to your customer post-transaction
to collect tax because you realized your rate tables were
inaccurate. Your staff will spend inordinate amounts of time
researching rates and updating tax tables.
3. Tracking Tax Holidays - Have you seen the most recent
list of tax holidays by state? It’s daunting and incredibly
difficult to be proactive about. Sales tax holidays are the
best time for consumers . . . but for those in charge of tax
compliance, it can be anything but a holiday. Often times,
consumers use these tax holiday periods to stock up on
specific items. If you’re not current on accurate product
taxability and tax holidays, you could find yourself with
an upset customer at the register when you accidentally
charge them tax during a tax holiday.
The truth is, if you are attempting to handle sales and use
tax compliance manually, you are expending valuable time,
energy, and money on activities that are not generating
revenue and unnecessarily adding a level of complexity
to customer satisfaction. At the same time, you expose the
business to unnecessary financial risk from an audit.
Learn more about the relationship between tax compliance
and customer satisfaction by reading the results of
a recent study conducted by Wakefield Research at:
http://info.avalara.com/bellwether
HURTSHURTS
CORPORATEFINANCE
By Avalara
Transactional tax compliance is a critical task for almost every business. Yet,
most businesses don’t realize that manually managing tax compliance can
create issues with customer service that are otherwise preventable. This is
primarily due to companies not fully realizing the impact ERP tax compliance
tools can have on their business and underestimating their value.

For more information: sales@mapadoc.com | www.mapadoc.com | 877.979.5462
MAPADOC EDI is a fully integrated, easy-to-use electronic data interchange (EDI) solution that
integrates seamlessly with Sage 100 ERP, Sage 500 ERP and Sage ERP X3.
MAPADOC EDI IS A COMPLETE AND TRULY INTEGRATED SOLUTION
When trading partners institute new rules, you will be ready.
MAPADOC provides a user-friendly way to map to and from Sage ERP
fields, preset variables and user-defined fields (UDFs).
With MAPADOC, you will be able to:
Receive inbound documents
Process orders
Send out the necessary outbound documents
MAPADOC EDI is a powerful
and flexible EDI solution that
enables you to:
Integrate seamlessly with Sage 100 ERP,
Sage 500 ERP and Sage ERP X3
Access integrated documents which
include: 850 Purchase Order, 810
Invoice, 856 Advance Ship Notice,
and many, many more
Create UCC-128 labels
Use Visual Process Flows to receive in-
bound documents, process orders and
send out the necessary outbound
documents
Dramatically cut data-entry time and
costs by eliminating duplicate entry
Improve communication with vendors
and customers
Save time and money
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UPCOMING WEBINAR
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by Patty Benitez
The Retail Challenge
These days, retailers are demanding more from their
suppliers than ever before. In the past, a company may
have shipped a large order to a retailer’s distribution
center; now a typical order is likely to be shipped directly
to hundreds of individual store locations. One late order
may mean hundreds of thousands in lost revenue dollars
and chargebacks.
As complex orders pour in from retail customers, suppliers
can now only keep up by maintaining adequate stock at all
times and responding quickly to every retailer demand, no
matter how minor it seems.
An Increasing Need for EDI
Successful big-box retailers have always understood the
need for business-enhancing technology such as EDI
systems. Now that the smaller companies are growing
bigger, they are also realizing the many benefits that EDI
brings.
For larger companies or for companies with no time to
waste, EDI can be a life saver. EDI empowers suppliers
to automatically process customers’ / trading partners’
incoming orders, send order acknowledgements, generate
advanced shipping notices (ASNs), and deliver invoices
automatically. When a supplier chooses to use EDI, they
can exponentially lower their risk for chargebacks.
Here’s an example of how EDI helps reduce chargeback
risk: in a typical month, a company may ship millions of
units. A single order from a retailer may result in 3,000
individual orders for the supplier, as they must send the
units to scattered individual store locations. In the past,
processing and shipping such a large order could have
taken close to a week. With EDI, companies can pick,
pack, and ship orders of that size - all within a single day.
Because there are now so many shipments, and because
late or incorrect shipments can result in large chargebacks
(often per box), many companies are choosing to rely
on EDI technology to ensure that they meet their retail
customers’ detailed compliance rules.
Within today’s dramatically changing retail landscape, manufacturers and
distributors must meet strict labeling, packing, shipping, and invoicing
protocols… or risk being forced out of business.
With these high stakes, how can you ensure that your company continues to grow and flourish in this new
marketplace defined by tight margins and increasing regulations? Many bigger suppliers are now choosing
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) software as a way to survive—but that option doesn’t work for every
company. How can you tell if EDI is the right choice for you?
Some Companies Aren’t
Helped by EDI Are You?
Some Companies Aren’t
Helped by EDI - Are You?

INDUSTRYNEWS
We are all now part of a business environment in which
retailer requirements, including labeling directives, EDI
mandates, and penalties for missed or incorrect shipments
threaten to overwhelm many distributors. As such, EDI has
become the new competition differentiator: those who
use it are raising the bar in the supply world.
Does Your Company Need EDI?
As the saying goes, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”
Following that maxim, it would seem that the clearest way
to compete in an EDI-centric world is to add EDI to your
own business.
But EDI isn’t the right choice for everyone.
Many companies choose to strategically determine the
costs vs. benefits of implementing EDI at their company
with an EDI Assessment.
How an EDI Assessment Works
An EDI Assessment is a service that reputable EDI
providers will offer. The aim of a good assessment is to
objectively determine whether EDI will help a company
enough to justify the software and implementation costs.
When performing an assessment, your EDI consultant will
first help you calculate whether or not the cost of being
compliant adds value to the business relationships you
share with your customers / trading partners. A consultant
will usually begin by asking a series of questions to learn
about your business needs. Questions include:
• What are your transaction volumes?
• Are you spending too much time with manual entry?
• Is your business process becoming more and more
complicated due to chargebacks?
• Is your bottom line fading away?
After your consultant analyzes and reviews your business
requirements, you and the consultant will work together
to determine whether or not EDI is the ideal solution for
your needs. Sometimes EDI is the right choice… but
sometimes it isn’t. With an EDI Assessment, your company
will know the facts before you make a commitment.
Assessment Options
I work for MAPADOC, a company that values customer
service so much that we offer EDI Assessments for free.
Because we value our customers’ time, budgets, and
business goals, we are happy to donate our time to
your company in order to determine if our EDI solution,
MAPADOC, is right for you.
We don’t want you to waste your resources on something
you don’t need. If EDI isn’t the right choice for your
company, we will tell you that, honestly and clearly.
The MAPADOC Difference
Our honesty with our free EDI Assessment customers isn’t
a fluke; we at MAPADOC have built our whole business
model on putting our customers first. For us, customer
service isn’t a strategy, it’s a culture.
WhenyouchooseMAPADOCforyourfreeEDIAssessment,
you’ll know that the MAPADOC team will always put your
priorities ahead of anything else. This helps us to provide
a personalized customer experience for you every time—
which is important when we’re helping you solve those
highly individualized retailer compliance requirements.
We make it a point to know all about our customers: who
they are, what they want, and when they want it. Not
only do we know our customers, we are also constantly
developing improvements that help us consistently
deliver increased value for all of our customers, in all of
the markets in which they operate.
About MAPADOC
With MAPADOC, you can always expect:
• A powerful, easy-to-use EDI tool that integrates with
Sage 100 ERP, Sage 500 ERP, and Sage ERP X3
• Fast, efficient, and accurate service
• High-quality products at a competitive price
• Friendly, helpful service staff to provide information
and answer questions
• Prompt responses to inquiries, whether online, by
phone, or in person
• A trained staff that can handle EDI questions for
integrated Sage ERP systems without referring them
on
Schedule Your Free EDI Assessment
Visit http://bit.ly/mapadoc
Patty Benitez is the Senior Channel Sales Executive at MAPADOC and SWK Technologies. With over a decade of Sage-centric experience, she is the
person to contact when you have questions about time-saving software that integrates with your Sage ERP system.
About the Author

The secret to improving your
interaction with your customers
is also the key to saving your
employees time – and it starts when
you decide to eliminate your paper
filing system.
If a customer called right now demanding
immediate assistance and you found yourself
needing to search through file cabinets
or piles of documents on your desk, that
would be frustrating for your client and it
would damage their impression of your
organization. Consider instead investing in
a paperless system that allows you to access
the documents you need immediately from
wherever you are.
There are different options available as you
begin your paperless journey. You can start
by scanning and saving documents in a
network file share or using the functionality
inherent in your accounting system. Each
of these options will give you serious cost
savings benefits and save you some time in
searching, though the functionality will be
limited when compared to a full integrated
document management system. Investing
in a solution like Sage ERP Document
Management adds multi-dimensional search
options, automated document capture
and archival, workflow, and sophisticated
reporting capabilities.
If you decide to invest in a fully integrated
solution, you gain the ability to access
documents in any of the following ways:
• Sage ERP: If you spend most of your time
within the Sage application, you would
have the ability to drill down to documents
related to the record you’re on directly
from the Sage ERP screen.
• Document Management Application:
For those who want to access documents
outside of Sage, you can search from your
desktop for any of the documents you
have the proper security privileges to view.
You’d be able to easily drill down to related
documents and immediately send the
documents in question to your customer
via email.
• Mobile Device: Employees that are always
on the go can access the documents they
need directly from the web or a mobile
device no matter where they are.
Immediate access to information is critical
to provide a seamless customer experience.
It’s also vital to making the best use of your

File Cabinets are Coming
Between You and Your
Customers
employees’ time. The amount of time each of your team members currently spends filing, copying
and searching for documents would be better spent on more proactive, strategic tasks.
One thing stands in the way of your ability to provide superb customer service and it can easily be
alleviated by going paperless.
Sign up for a webinar to learn more: bit.ly/AltecQ115
by Christi Whipple
INDUSTRYNEWS
Christi Whipple is the Channel Program Manager at Altec, a leader in mid-market enterprise document management solutions. Learn more at
www.blytheco.com/altec
About the Author

Is Your Supply
Chain Ready for
2015 and Beyond?
Your Supply Chain serves as a crucial connection
to your customers. Understanding how to drive
improved performance throughout your entire
Supply Chain is critical to growing your profits year
over year and outperforming your
competition. Knowing what areas
to improve, how to measure the
proposed improvements and drive
Supply Chain Value for maximum
results in 2015 and beyond is a key
consideration for all manufacturers
and distributors this year.
by Kelvin Takhar
Take Action to Get Your Supply Chain in
Gear for the New Year

To help your company drive greater Supply Chain Value, it is
necessary to take the following actions:
• Identify all the Supply Chain Challenges you are currently experiencing.
• Trace these challenges to the specific root causes.
• Identify the key solution for each issue that achieves the right results for
your company.
Identify Your Supply Chain Challenges
How many Supply Chain Challenges do you need solved now? Go through the following Supply Chain
Challenge Check List to determine your gaps and pain points: (Check all that apply)
—— Automation Gaps: Re-keying of ERP Order Data and Shipment Data (i.e. tracking number and
freight amounts)
—— Automation Gaps: Manual Printing of Labels/Packing Slips
—— Compliance Issues: Invalid Barcodes, Incomplete ASN (Advance Ship Notices)
—— Preventing Late, Early & Incorrect Shipments
—— Improving Communication between the Front Office and Back Office (Warehouse)
—— Creating Added Visibility into the Status of Orders/Shipments in the Warehouse
—— Creating Reports to Evaluate Supply Chain Costs (i.e. customer freight costs or net margin per order)
—— Incorrect Labels, Packing Slips, VICS BOL, and other required reports.
—— Incorrect Freight Amounts Posted/Quoted
—— Costly Software Upgrades
—— Costly Software Customizations
—— Other - Please specify _____________________________________________
Action = Results
Whether you have checked one or all of the above, direct action must be taken to maximize your Supply
Chain’s performance both short term and long term. Here are 3 ways to take action to get your Supply Chain
in gear for the New Year:
1. Review your current Supply Chain technology to determine whether the software you have in place is
adequately supporting and in alignment with your Supply Chain’s KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).
2. Discuss your Supply Chain technology options with your software Reseller.
3. Request a Supply Chain Evaluation with a Key Solutions™ Provider Supply Chain Specialist (Edisoft® offers
a complimentary in-depth Supply Chain Performance Consultation for manufacturers and distributors; email
sales@edisoft.com to request yours.)
Every day you rely solely on your Supply Chain to deliver value to your customers. For a most promising start
to the New Year, be sure there are no weak links by taking the necessary steps to ensure your Supply Chain is
ready and able to take you successfully through another productive and prosperous year.
INDUSTRYNEWS

Service Pro®
is an end to end system for automated repair center and field service management,
including mobile, scheduling, back office & integration with Sage 100, NetSuite and other ERP
systems.
Learn how Service Pro®
can help your field service business at www.msidata.com/blytheco
Better field service requires better service management tools.
Service Pro®
software can help.
blytheco@msidata.com www.msidata.com 262.241.7800
Calls, Assets, Parts,
Contracts, RMA & more
Mobile
Technician
Service
Dashboard
Real-Time
Scheduling
“Always render more and better service than is
expected of you, no matter what your task may be.”
-Og Mandino
( in field service, easier said than done )

800.462.4016 info.vtechnologies.com/blytheco shipsage@vtechnologies.com
StarShip is the GOLD standard when it comes to Sage ERP integrated shipping.
Twenty-five years and thousands of Sage customers later, StarShip has been trusted
to get over a billion packages out the door! WORK LESS. SHIP MORE.

Mitch launched his career while still in college, interning
with Toyota during each summer, then entered their
management training program upon graduation. After
about six years, he left to work at a friend’s IT firm to run
their sales team. When that company decided to change
direction, Mitch was still intrigued by the networking side
of the business. So he left and became a partner with
two college friends in a venture they had launched called
Spinnaker Network Solutions.
Spinnaker started as an IT infrastructure consulting firm
which specialized in both Novell and Microsoft at the time.
But after being introduced to Pat Sullivan, creator of both
ACT! and SalesLogix (now Infor CRM), Spinnaker shifted
the direction of their organization to follow sales force
automation and SalesLogix. They would go on to become
the top selling partner globally for SalesLogix and receive
numerous awards and recognition for their leadership in the
industry. As a result of the success, Mitch was invited to be
one of the founding members of the SalesLogix Business
Partner Advisory Council. Later, he became part of both
NetSuite’s CRM Partner Advisory Board and Microsoft
Dynamics partner advisory council and contributed to
shaping the trajectory of what ultimately became offered
to the public.
So what was the CRM landscape like in 1997 when he
began as a sales partner with SalesLogix? “Well, that was
well before the industry was called ‘CRM,’” Mitch clarifies.
“By definition, CRM is sales, marketing and support.”
“Pat Sullivan was the original guy that started the contact
management side of the business by creating ACT! An
early leader in the industry, ACT! was the first automated
‘rolodex’ of contact information inside of an organization
where you were able to actually track customer notes and
history.
Mitch credits the beginning of a transition from contact
management software to sales force automation with Pat
Sullivan selling ACT! to Symantec (for a pretty nice sum!)
by Denise Renee Phinn
To sit down with Mitch Cannady and
trace the development of modern CRM
software landscape is to be given a bird’s eye
perspective from someone who has not only
had a front row seat to the action for almost
20 years, but also had a hand in shaping
said action. One of the newest additions to
Blytheco’s Executive team as the Vice President of the CRM
Practice, Mitch’s unique history with CRM software is like few
others.
A History of The Modern
CRM Landscape With
Mitch Cannady
Mitch Cannady
Blytheco Vice President of CRM

COVERSTORY
and proceeding to take 2 years off to play golf. “In those
two years,” Mitch says, “Sullivan asked a lot of business
owners about what they liked about ACT! and what they
didn’t. Around that time, the networking side of the
role really started to grow and that was one of the key
grievances Sullivan heard over and over. Business owners
were looking for not just a desktop application but one that
was set up for the network environment and was also able
to truly automate the sales process.” Sullivan reentered
the market and founded Interact Commerce, the company
which developed SalesLogix CRM.”
Sullivan wasn’t the only one noticing what business owners
were asking for. The industry responded with programs
like GoldMine, Maximizer CRM, Pivotal, and Onyx CRM.
“They did a lot of great things by continuing to develop
the applications at the time to the point where they adding
on both marketing and support functions, which took sales
force automation programs into what we currently know
as CRM.
To complete SaleLogix’s timeline (or at least bring it to
current), while a principle at Interact Commerce, Sullivan
went back to Symantec, repurchased ACT! and integrated
it into Interact’s offerings. He would later sell both ACT!
and SalesLogix to Sage in 2001. In 2013, Swiftpage
acquired both SalesLogix and ACT! from Sage and then in
August 2014, sold only SalesLogix to Infor and the product
is now called Infor CRM.
As technology evolves and businesses adapt, customer
demands change over time which causes software creators
to adjust accordingly. “I would say one of the key things
you’re seeing in CRM programs today and what customers
are asking for – which 2 years ago, they weren’t asking for
– is cloud-based solutions,” Mitch offers.
“Another big trend on the marketing automation side
is being able to track and implement internet based
marketing: email marketing, social media marketing, and
search word optimization. What is also very big is being
able to track when somebody goes to your website and
being able to relay that information back to your CRM so
you can go to a contact record and see where they went,
what they did, and how they interacted with your website.
You can then develop highly customized campaigns and
follow-ups around that intelligence.”
“There’s a number of applications out there that have
some level of interactions with all of those features but
there are also a lot of add on products – especially on the
internet marketing side – like HubSpot, Salesfusion and
Marketo, which provide a very high level of technology
and integration back into CRM applications.”
Today, having moved on from Spinnaker and being an
expert in selling SalesLogix, Mitch has great ideas he
plans on implementing at Blytheco which will help enrich
our client’s businesses. Under his leadership, anticipate
an increase in CRM product offerings and knowledgeable
staff to support the growth. Better still, Mitch plans to
bring his expertise in marketing verticals to the table,
which will mean greater industry focused insights and
an understanding of how to tailor software solutions for
company’s unique challenges.
“The one thing I want to say about verticals is that it
changes the way we actually go to market and the way in
which we sell applications,” Mitch contributes. “In the past
when we would go to a customer or prospect, we would
sit down and ask them what they needed and what they
were looking for a CRM system to do to benefit them. It
is still something we do ask but being in specific verticals,
you go in with much more knowledge and as an educated,
trusted advisor.”
For more information on the current CRM landscape,
visit www.blytheco.com/crm. If it’s time to re-evaluate
your current CRM needs, start the conversation today
with one of our Regional Account Managers by calling
800-425-9853.

“Customers First” In Action:
A Client Profile
E
yeQ Eyewear is a B2B distributor of eyeglass frames. They
describe themselves as being in the value segment as they sell a
lot of insurance frames, supply for Medicaid and they even service
correctional facilities. A self proclaimed “lean and mean” operation,
EyeQ is small enough to be able to give personalized attention to
independent doctor’s offices that sell glasses to their patients and single
location glasses stores. Simultaneously, they are agile and capable
enough to count Walmart, Sam’s Club, VisionWorks, Washington State
and North Carolina State among their large volume customers. They
handle such a diverse clientele with their Florida based warehouse and
a sales team that is dispersed across America.
by Denise Renee Phinn
THE STORY

CUSTOMERPROFILE
How They Put Their Customers First With Speed
and Agility
Jaclyn Frumkin wears many hats at EyeQ, from in-
house sales manager to customer service. Across the
board, her clients’ biggest need is for speedy, almost
on demand service; they want their orders when and
where they want them. “We can get our customers
their product when they need it,” shares Jaclyn. “If
they’ve kept a frame in stock, and their customer wants
it but it’s on back order and can’t get it for months, it
creates a big issue.”
“We’re a small company so we’re able to do things
other companies can’t,” says Jaclyn. “We have very
low back orders, which makes us competitive in our
industry. Every order that is placed that day is shipped
that day. Most companies in our industry don’t do that
just because they are so much bigger. We think of
ourselves as lean and mean.”
Customers First Through Software Support
Part of what allows EyeQ to operate at super human
speeds is their technology support. At the center of it
all is their Sage 100 ERP system. One way they use it to
help customize their clients’ experience is by using each
contact record to the fullest. Jacklyn shares: “When we
open a new customer, we’ll input detailed notes such
as who we should talk to, the office contact, the buyer,
the owner, plus all their inquiries so that when we go
to call them, we have all that information handy. Then
we can add price codes for everyone. Each customer
gets individual pricing based on how much they order
and then we’re able to do customized promotions for
them as well.”
Utilizing EDI is how they keep the ordering and
processing pipeline zippy for their big box store
customers like Sam’s Club and Walmart. Their smaller
customers either call in orders or connect with them
through their website, which is about to be overhauled.
Jacklyn shares that some of the planned upgrades
include clients being able to choose their favorite
frames and reorder with a click of a button. Ultimately,
the website will automatically feed important sales
details back into their Sage 100 ERP system.
Customers First Through Personal Touches
One of the benefits of being a smaller company is
that EyeQ can still keep a personalized touch with
their clients. Holiday cards are one way. Throughout
the year, the customer service department sends out
invoices every week and they are stuffed with flyers and
promotions so they can be reminded of new releases
and other relevant information. Jaclyn also brings a
personalized touch to her face to face meetings as well.
“I know what my customers want when I go to see them
because I know them really well. For example, some
customers like a personalized report of how they are
doing that year or what’s selling/what’s not selling so
I’m able to add more value into their experience with
us. I really just get a feel of each client’s personality.
Ultimately, it’s a very individual kind of thing.”
WHO THEY ARE: EyeQ Eyewear
WHAT THEY DO: Eye Glasses Frames Distributors
WHO WE TALKED TO: Jacklyn Frumkin, Customer Service Manager
BLYTHECO ACCOUNT MANAGER: Christa Krompolcas
WHERE THEY’RE LOCATED: St. Pertersburg, FL www.eyeQeyewear.com
WHEN ESTABLISHED: 1993
WHY THEY’RE FEATURED: They’re a “Lean and Mean” Operation!
THE STATS

We Make
EDI Painless
We Make
EDI Painless
888.205.1531 | www.highjump.com/truecommerce
Watch this to learn more.
Look for the
Sage X3 integration
coming in 2015!
erequester.com/blytheco | 1-877-727-9528

Financial/Tax/Corporate
Avatax
Dimension Funding
Sage Payroll Tax Forms & eFiling
Vertex SMB
Reporting/Analytics/Budgeting
BizNet
Budget Maestro
DataSelf
Supply Chain/Procurement
Avercast
Edisoft®
eRequester
Paramount Technologies
TaskCentre
Alerts/Workflow Management
Alerts & Workflow/Knowledgesync
TaskCentre
Barcode/Warehouse Management
bly:Warehouse
JOScan
Scanco
Scanforce
WOScan
Document Management
ACOM
Altec
EDI – Electronic Data Interchange
Edisoft®
HighJump/TrueCommerce
MAPADOC
eCommerce
InSynch
SeeVolution
TaskCentre
Websitepipeline
xkzero
Field Service Managment
MSI Data
Shipping Automation
bly:Carrier
Edisoft®
Smartlinc
Starship
xkzero
Mobile
bly:Mobile
Scanco
xkzero
Sales Intelligence
InsideView
SeeVolution
xkzero
Human Resources
Alerts & Workflow
Cloud Payroll
Employee Engagment
iConnect
iRecruit
Learning Management
Performance Management
Printboss
Sage Cyber Recruiter
Sage Cyber Train
Sage Garnishment Manager
Sage HR Actions
Sage HRMS Payroll
Sage HRMS Talent Management
Sage Time and Attendance
Sage Time and Labor Import
Sage Payroll Tax Forms & eFiling
WOTC
Marketing Automation
HubSpot
SalesFusion
Swiftpage
CRM to ERP Integration
bly:Connector
Guided Selling/Quote to Order
Smart Catalog
xkzero
2015
Software
Buyers
Guide

ACOM
www.blytheco.com/acom
Sage 100 ERP, 300 ERP, 500 ERP
EZContentManager is a powerful Document Management
and Process Automation solution uniquely integrated with
Sage to capture, manage, and streamline processing of
all business information – providing a secure compliance-
ready repository immediately accessible directly from Sage
screens.
Starts at $18,000
Alerts & Workflow
www.blytheco.com/knowledgesync
Sage 100 ERP, 500 ERP, SageCRM Sage HRMS
Monitor your business data, automate the production
and delivery of documents and automatically trigger
workflow to update applications, schedule tasks and move
information between systems.
Starts at $4,000
Altec
www.blytheco.com/altec
Sage 100 ERP, 500 ERP, ERP X3
Sage ERP Document Management (doc-link™) software
is an integrated document management system that
integrates with your business system to effectively
eliminate paper from your office. Sage ERP Document
Management enables you to archive, process through
workflow, retrieve and report on document transactions
from the desktop.
Starts at $4,500
Avatax
www.blytheco.com/avatax
Sage 100 ERP, 500 ERP
A hosted, web-service-based sales tax automation solution
that automatically performs address validation, sales tax
jurisdiction research and rate calculation – all on the fly
within your accounting application, with no change to your
existing workflow. Fully detailed reports are always at your
fingertips and returns are automatically repopulated and
generated.
Starts at $10,000
Avercast
www.blytheco.com/avercast
Sage 100 ERP, 500 ERP, NetSuite
Avercast has become the supply chain planning tool of
choice for many companies in both the small/midsized
as well as the large business marketplace. Products
include: Inventory Forecasting, Demand Planning, Sales
& Operations Planning, Rough Cut Capacity Planning,
Salesperson Collaboration, Vendor Collaboration and
Retail Store-Level Analysis.
Starts at $25,000 / Cloud-based starts at $995/mo
BizNet
www.blytheco.com/biznet
Sage 100 ERP, 500 ERP, X3 ERP
BizNet makes Excel better. It provides reporting and an
analytics portal with real-time access to your business data
from Excel. You can create reports 5x faster and reduce
the time you spend in Excel. With BizNet you will reduce
errors in your spreadsheets and always be able to work
with the most current data. You can send 100s of reports
with 1 click and it enables you to make decisions based on
data you can trust.
Starts at $1,000
bly:Carrier
www.blytheco.com/blycarrier
Sage 500 ERP
bly:Carrier brings tightly integrated shipping into your
Sage 500 ERP system. All shipping tasks are done from
right within ERP. You can rate shop and get real-time
carrier pricing between major carriers. Shipments are
tracked within the system so reps can find shipments at a
glance. Shipping detail flows automatically to operations,
finance, and executives.
Starts at $30,000
bly:Connector
www.blytheco.com/blyconnector
Sage 100 ERP, SugarCRM
It allows the two software packages to “talk with each
other” by synchronizing customers, inventory items,
non-inventory items, and service items, invoice and sales
receipt history, and sales orders/estimates between
SugarCRM and Sage 100. The synchronization between
the packages is set to run on a scheduler, typically every 10
minutes.
Starts at $1,499/year
bly:Mobile
www.blytheco.com/blymobile
Sage 100 ERP
bly:Mobile brings Sage 100 ERP to smartphone, tablet and
internet browsers.
Starts at $3,800
bly:Warehouse
www.blytheco.com/blywarehouse
Sage 500 ERP
bly:Warehouse is a Windows CE (Embedded Compact)
application for a wireless interface with Sage 500. This
solution, coupled with the use of handheld RF Wireless
devices, provides mobile workstations with the capability
of updating Sage 500 with the following warehousing
functions: Bin Transfer, Preferred Bin Setup, Physical
inventory, Picking, Receiving
Starts at $45,000
TECHNOLOGY

Budget Maestro
www.blytheco.com/maestro
Budget Maestro works with your accounting or ERP system
to enhance your business budgeting and forecasting
capabilities and improve budget and forecasting accuracy.
It is designed to work with any G/L application. It models
your financial and organizational views, and supports
multiple G/L structures so you can generate financial
statements independently or at a consolidated level.
Starts at $6,000
Cloud Payroll
www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/benefitmall.asp
Sage ERP, Sage HRMS
Sage makes managing your payroll easy and convenient
by providing a range of options to fit your needs. Whether
you choose to process payroll in-house with Sage HRMS
Payroll or outsource payroll processing with BenefitMall,
Sage has the solution to handle payroll your way.
Pricing based on # of employees
DataSelf
www.blytheco.com/dataself
All Sage ERP, Sage CRM
DataSelf provides best-of-breed and easy-to-use analytics
and business intelligence solutions for medium-sized
businesses (SMB). Its solutions simplify and amplify
Tableau and Microsoft BI technologies by providing
thousands of reports, dashboards and KPIs plus ultralight
data warehouses for ERP and CRM systems.
Starts at $260/month
Edisoft
www.blytheco.com/edisoft
Sage 100 ERP, 300 ERP, 500 ERP, ERP X3
Edisoft® optimizes the Global Supply Chain of
Manufacturing and Distribution companies with Key
Solutions™ for ERP Integrated EDI and Warehouse
Automation. Edisoft® delivers optimal Order Automation,
Order Management and Warehouse Automation for
Manufacturing and Distribution companies without the
need for software customization.
Starts at $6,500
Employee Engagement
www.blytheco.com/engagement
All Products
Focal Employee Engagement (Focal EE) is a cloud-
based employee survey solution that is easy to setup
and administer. Vastly different than a simple employee
satisfaction survey, Focal EE goes deeper with time-tested
survey questions written by psychologists.
eRequester
www.blytheco.com/erequester
Sage 100 ERP, 300 ERP, 500 ERP, ERP X3
eRequester makes procurement and expense
management simple with its powerful approval workflow
engine, support for multi-company, detailed reporting,
and deep integration for supported Sage ERP systems.
Starts at $10,000
HighJump TrueCommerce EDI
www.blytheco.com/truecommerce
Sage 100 ERP, 300 ERP, 500 ERP
Additional EDI Integrations for ERP X3 & NetSuite
TrueCommerce EDI Solutions – everything you need
to fully implement an EDI system from one source.
Implementing EDI with TrueCommerce is simple.
Whenever your business grows and you acquire new
customers that require EDI, all you need to do is request
an affordable software plug-in that allows your current
system to interact with a new customer or vendor.
Starts at $13,000
HubSpot
www.blytheco.com/hubspot
SalesLogix, SugarCRM
Attract scores of high-quality leads with blogs, social
media and search. Nurture sales prospects with the right
content at the right time. Measure it all. HubSpot makes it
possible.
Starts at $12,000/year
iConnect
www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/iconnect.asp
Sage HRMS
iConnect is intuitive and user friendly. Your new hires
automatically receive the appropriate hiring package via
email and can sign in securely to the iConnect Applicant
Portal to complete the forms and upload any supporting
documentation. Even before their ﬁrst day on the job!
Hiring Managers can track and monitor the status online,
send reminders to new hires, and can approve or request
changes before the forms are ﬁnalized.
InsideView
www.blytheco.com/insideview
SalesLogix, SugarCRM
InsideView maximizes sales team productivity by delivering
a one-stop shop for your prospecting needs and
accelerates the sales cycle by enabling sales people to
call the right prospects at the right time. It’s no longer just
who you know that will make business deals happen but
“what you know about who you know” tightly synched with
“when and where you should know it”.
Starts at $29-$99/user/month

In-Synch
www.blytheco.com/insynch
Sage 100 ERP
IN-SYNCH allows you to pull sales orders from a website;
the product is customizable and can be expanded to
accomplish many more Sage 100 ERP integration and
synchronization needs.
Starts at $11,000
iRecruit
www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/irecruit.asp
Sage 100 ERP
iRecruit is an easy-to-use, powerful and ﬂexible applicant
tracking and recruiting software. iRecruit’s set-up and
implementation is quick and easy.
Configurable pricing options
JOScan
www.blytheco.com/joscan
Sage 100 ERP, JobOps
JOScan is the handheld and/or desktop barcode
scanning and data collection solution designed to allow
manufacturers and field service organizations to minimize
costs, maximize productivity and maintain a competitive
edge in today’s marketplace.
Starts at $4,000
Learning Management
www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/learning-management.asp
Sage HRMS
Sage HRMS Learning Management provides a single point
of access to e-learning delivery, instructor-led training (ILT)
administration, virtual classroom sessions, social learning,
and content management.
Mapadoc
www.blytheco.com/mapadoc
MAPADOC is a fully integrated, easy to use electronic data
interchange (EDI) software solution for Sage 100, Sage 500
and Sage X3 that will: dramatically cut data entry time and
costs, improve communications with trading partners and
reduce mapping time by over 75%.
Starts at $5,500
MSI Data
Sage 100 ERP, NetSuite ERP
www.blytheco.com/field-service-software
MSI Data is the developer of Service Pro®, the “All-
in-One” Field Service Management Software solution
integrated to Sage 100 ERP and NetSuite’s cloud ERP.
Service Pro® automates office to field communication in
the areas of work orders, dispatching, scheduling, labor
time, parts/inventory, assets, warranties, maintenance
contracts, tasks, inspections, photo & signature capture,
service history and more.
Subscription Pricing
www.blytheco.com/workplace
Sage ERP
Paramount Workplace automates requisition,
procurement, inventory management, project accounting,
and time and expense transactions to make internal
workflow processes more efficient, improve employee
productivity, reduce time and errors and save money.
Starts at $20,000
Performance Management
www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/performance-management.asp
Sage HRMS
Sage HRMS Performance Management by Cornerstone
OnDemand helps identify and track high-performing
employees, increase the quality of employee performance
reviews, develop critical skills, and cultivate the leadership
pipeline across your business.
Pricing base on # of employees
Printboss
www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/printboss.asp
Sage HRMS
PrintBoss makes your documents smarter because it
adds the intelligence to print, email, fax and digitally file
your documents anywhere on your network. PrintBoss
seamlessly integrates with your accounting software.
Sage Cyber Recruiter
www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/cyber-recruiter.asp
Sage HRMS
Sage HRMS Cyber Recruiter by Visibility Software, a Sage
Endorsed Solution, helps recruiters and hiring managers
manage and communicate during the entire recruiting
process to fill open positions more quickly and efficiently.
Sage Cyber Train
www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/cyber-train.asp
Sage HRMS
Sage HRMS Cyber Train, a Sage Endorsed Solution,
empowers supervisors, instructors, and employees
by making information regarding classes, course
requirements, programs, and certifications available
through the web and not just through the HR department.
Sage Garnishment Manager
www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/garnishment-manager.asp
Sage HRMS
Sage HRMS Garnishment Manager, a Sage Endorsed
Solution, relieves the payroll staff of the tedious, time-
consuming, and often error-prone tasks of calculating and
prioritizing complex garnishments for child support, tax
levies, student loans, and creditor liens.
TECHNOLOGY

Sage HR Actions
www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/hr_actions.asp
Sage HRMS
Streamline the collection and approval of employee data
using the web. Sage HRMS HR Actions lets you easily
create paperless forms using any fields from Sage HRMS.
Process any action from request to hire to termination
and everything in between including status changes and
performance appraisals.
Sage HRMS Payroll
www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/sage-hrms-payroll.asp
Sage HRMS
Sage HRMS Payroll provides a comprehensive and flexible
solution that includes the payroll functionality needed by
midsized organizations to process their payroll accurately
and quickly every time.
Sage HRMS Talent Management
www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/talent-management.asp
Sage HRMS
Sage HRMS Talent Management covers the employee
lifecycle, from onboarding through learning management
and performance measurement to succession planning
(and even outside to your customers and partners)
Sage Payroll Tax Forms and eFiling
www.blytheco.com/aatrix
Sage ERP, Sage HRMS
With Sage Payroll Tax Forms and eFiling by Aatrix, you
can meet all state and federal reporting and payment
requirements right from your Sage HRMS Payroll software.
It is easy to use and saves you time by eliminating the
need to create reports manually. Reports are automatically
completed, reviewed and edited on screen, then eFiled in
minutes for processing.
$500/year/unlimited filings
Sage Time and Attendance
www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/attendance.asp
Sage HRMS
Sage Time and Attendance is a comprehensive, state-of-
the-art workforce management solution that enables you
to collect, analyze, and take immediate control of your
employees’ attendance and labor data—online and in real
time.
Sage Time and Labor Import
www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/time-labor-import.asp
Sage HRMS
Sage HRMS Time and Labor Import, a Sage Endorsed
solution, streamlines the process of validating and
importing data from almost any data source into the Sage
HRMS Payroll timecard file using an easy user interface.
SalesFusion
www.blytheco.com/salesfusion
Sage CRM, SalesLogix, SugarCRM
SalesFUSION is an enterprise b2b marketing automation
software platform designed to support the business,
technology and process needs of B2B marketers.
SalesFusion specializes in integrating key marketing and
lead generation processes to your installed CRM system.
$500/month
Scanco
www.blytheco.com/scanco
Scanco specializes in an extensive line of products
designed to increase warehouse productivity. From basic
barcode label printing to wireless inventory management,
there is a solution to fit every budget and need. Users can
also use iOS, Android and Windows Mobile devices with
Scanco, lowering hardware costs significantly.
Starts at $10,000
ScanForce
www.blytheco.com/scanforce
Sage 100 ERP
ScanForce combines the affordability of a batch
upload solution with the cutting edge technology of
wireless communication. Warehouse Automation, Sales
Automation, Remote Sales Automation and Labeling.
Starts at $5,000
SeeVolution
www.blytheco.com/seevolution
SeeVolution’s Real-Time Tools display analytics and
heatmaps directly on YOUR website. No complicated
dashboards - everything is simplified and easy to
understand.
Starts at $79/month
Smart Catalog
www.blytheco.com/smartcatalog
SalesLogix
SmartCatalog™ is a best-in-class guided selling and
configuration platform. To achieve the optimal quality
level, the internal complexities and nuances of your
business cannot be the burden of those who do business
with you.
Starts at $2,000
SmartLinc
www.blytheco.com/smartlinc
Count on Shipping by SmartLinc. Reduce costs while
processing shipments accurately and on time, every time.
Starts at $13,000

Starship
www.blytheco.com/starship
StarShip is the trusted shipping solution; integrating with
Sage ERP systems for over 14 years to streamline shipping,
accounts receivable and customer service. Rate and ship
both small parcel and LTL directly from Sage.
Starts at $6,000
TaskCentre
www.blytheco.com/taskcentre
Sage ERP, SalesLogix
Imagine an all-in-one solution that offers, alerting,
workflow, and that enables you to easily integrate your ERP
with e-commerce, marketing automation, website, and
CRM. Don’t imagine. Learn about TaskCentre.
Starts at $3,750
Vertex
www.blytheco.com/vertex-smb
Vertex SMB offers a scalable, comprehensive, cloud-
based solution for sales and use tax with no upfront costs
and a pay-as-you-go pricing model. Vertex has seamless
integration to several ERP systems.
Websitepipeline
www.blytheco.com/websitepipeline
Sage 100 ERP, 300 ERP, 500 ERP, X3 ERP
If you are a manufacturer or distributor using Sage 100,
Sage 300, Sage 500, or Sage X3, then you will benefit
from Website Pipeline’s cloud-based, Sage-integrated
ecommerce and B2B customer self-service portal. W
Starts at $16,000
WOScan
www.blytheco.com/joscan
Sage 100 ERP
WOScan for Work Order is a highly flexible, adaptable
wireless data collection solution, ideal for manufacturers
using the Sage ERP 100 Work Order module.
Starts at $4,000
WOTC
www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/wotc.asp
Sage HRMS
Recent legislation renews the VOW to Hire Heroes Act,
which allows for employment tax credits for both For-Profit
and Non-Profit companies under the Work Opportunity
Tax Credit Program “WOTC”.
xkzero
www.blytheco.com/xkzero
xkzero creates technologies to further the success
of companies with supply chain management and
distribution needs. Featured applications are Mobile Sales
app for Sage 100 and X3, eCommerce solutions for Sage
100, Transportation Logistics for Sage 100, Sage 500 and
X3 and Universal Search for Sage 100.
Multiple Price Options
TECHNOLOGY

Service Just Got Personal:
According to The Service Council’s (TSC)
report, The 2014 Service Outlook: “service
organizations are looking to get ahead via improved
customer relationships and enhanced customer
loyalty.” In fact, “Improve Customer Satisfaction”
came second only to “Increase Revenues” in the
study’s 2014 Priority List.
by Kelly Starr
So we all know finding ways to improve customer
satisfaction is important. But today’s customers
are demanding more than ever. And with ever-
advancing technologies to help businesses provide
better service and give customers more accurate
ETA service windows, why wouldn’t they be?
I mean, just put yourself in their (your
customers’) shoes…
Their heater is broken in the middle of winter.
They’ve been freezing for 24 hours. They get hold
of a service company who gives them a six hour
window during which they need to wait at home.
When the tech finally arrives (in the seventh hour
of the six-hour window), he doesn’t know anything
about the problem so it takes him forever and he
has to drive back to the office to get a part.
What an annoying experience! I don’t think they’ll
be doing business with that company again
because, frankly, they don’t have to. There are
dozens of HVAC service
organizations who could fix
the heater faster and
provide a better service
experience for a similar
price.
While this is just
one anecdote, this
is the sort of
problem service
o r g a n i z a t i o n s
everywhere are
facing in every
industry.
But, have no
fear! You don’t
have to be
that company.
By investing
in the success
Customers today have high service demands. Arm your
field workforce with the tools and information to wow your
customers with a strong service performance
every time.
How Mobile Service Management Software
Helps Service Organizations Personalize
Customer Experience

of your technicians with integrated mobile service
software, you’ll prepare your field workforce to
give your customers the personalized, quality
experience they’ve come to expect.
Technicians are the face of your organization; give
them the tools to represent your company well.
Your field workforce is quite literally the face of your
service organization. They’re the ones interacting
face-to-face with customers day in and day out.
Don’t you think it makes sense to invest in their
ability to make a great impression?
With access to customer information and
data collection capabilities through a service
management app, good techs can become great
techs by arriving on site prepared with the right
parts and information to get the job done quickly
and explain it to the customer, all with a smile on
their face.
By providing your team with the mobile tools they
need to fix a problem the first time
and provide more transparency to
your customers, your organization
will start to see increases
in customer loyalty and
revenue. Customers
notice the expertise
of your service
t e c h n i c i a n s
more than
anything else
about your
business;
don’t drop the ball when it comes to supporting
worker performance.
How a Mobile Technician App Improves
the Customer Experience
Equipping field techs with a service management
app opens the door for many ways to improve
customer satisfaction and make the experience
more personal. Here are some of our favorites:
• Inform technicians in the field with service
history and equipment information to make the
best impression in the field.
• Improve first time fix rates (service customers’ #1
concern) with access to accurate parts inventory
and strong communication and knowledge
sharing base.
• Eliminate billing surprises with mobile signature
capture, warranty transparency, and onsite
billing.
• Help technicians make sales, upgrades, and
contract renewals in the field with mobile
picture-taking capabilities.
• Give customers access to equipment and
performance statistics through a stakeholder
service portal.
Conclusion: Time to Get Personal
Your service organization can no longer afford to
remain distant from your customers. If you expect
to keep them coming back, you need to prove they
can trust you by giving them a quality experience,
personalized to their service needs. Learn more
about how a service management app can start
improving your customer satisfaction and loyalty
today by visiting:
www.blytheco.com/field-service-software
TECHNOLOGY
Kelley Starr is Director of Business Development at MSI Data , a provider of field service
management software, and developer of the enterprise field service app, Service Pro.
Connect with Kelley on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/kelleystarr/
About the Author

1-855-562-6874
www.info.avalara.com/Bellwether
Don’t risk
unhappy
customers.
Isn’t it time you automated your
sales and use tax processes?
In a recent study by Wakefield Research, 28% of companies said they’ve
invoiced customers with incorrect sales tax rates applied to the transaction.
WHITEPAPER
Read the report >

In a challenging technology market, the growth
of CRM continues to defy the trends. The
number of companies leveraging technology to
improve sales and customer service has grown
dramatically in recent years. In a 2014 study on
Sales Performance Optimization performed by
CSO Insights, 83% of sales organizations report
using some type of CRM solution. This represents
a huge increase from even a decade ago, when
companies reported a 49% rate of adoption.
With over 400 CRM offerings on the market, not
including accessory solutions such as marketing
automation, choosing the right one for your
business can be a paralyzing exercise.
Criteria for CRM selection usually include
functionality, cost, technology, usability, and
support. As a first step, we recommend our
clients prioritize those based on their specific
business needs. To get you started, let’s take a
quick tour through three levels of solutions in our
market to understand basic areas of solution fit:
Smart business leaders know that
automation of sales and customer
services drives business growth. For any
business with customers, CRM systems
are a must.
by Alicia Anderson

by Joni Girardi
Agility for Growth
The small to mid-sized business typically seeks a
solution to deploy quickly and cost-effectively out
of the box, with little customization. SugarCRM
is affordable CRM for the small business that
envisions growth and demands agility. Their
mobile offerings are solid and social apps are built-
in so users can quickly make use of vital customer
information at a glance.
Sugar is deployed in the cloud, enabling fast
track implementation and rapid user adds as your
business grows. With an ecosystem of hundreds
of integrations and add-ons, Sugar is flexible
and versatile. The software is intuitive to use
and personalize – many businesses choose to
deploy it on their own successfully, though larger
and more complex implementations make use
of the extensive partner network for support.
Middle Market Player
SageCRM has evolved into the signature CRM
offering for mid-sized companies who seek a
flexible solution that plays well with ERP, thus
enabling a connected business from end-to-
end. Deployed either on-premise or in the cloud,
SageCRM offers full functionality out of the box as
well as customizability and personalization – it’s
the best of both worlds in terms of cost-effective
CRM that is as simple or complex as it needs to be.
SageCRM is highly usable so adoption is typically
fast and relatively painless. Most customers prefer
to engage the services of a CRM partner to assist
with deployment, and many quickly become self-
sufficient on maintaining the platform.
Enterprise Stability
The recent transition of SalesLogix CRM from
Sage to Infor resulted in a name change on the
product line to “InforCRM,” but no changes so
far in publisher investment in the future of the
solution. Built to run in a traditional on-premise
infrastructure, InforCRM can also be hosted.
It offers robust functionality and full customization
capabilities for the business with unique processes
or needs and the resources to support those
needs. Deep analytics and workflow frequently
result in InforCRM becoming the “brain” of the
enterprise, making it the central repository for
critical transactional business data as well as
more typical sales information. The system is
highly configurable with strong bi-directional ERP
integration.
Most customers require support and service to
implement, customize, and maintain the system,
and user training and adoption goals are included
in these service engagements.
Hopefully you can begin to see yourself in one
of these categories. Starting your CRM search
with an idea of solution fit should position you to
quickly short-list solutions and make a decision.
Only then can you begin to enjoy the benefits of a
more productive sales force and better customer
relationships.
If you would like more detailed information on
availablesolutions,pleasecheckout“TheForrester
Wave”, a guide to comparing seventeen CRM
offerings on the market. Download the guide at
blytheco.com/saleslogix/crm-guide.asp.
TECHNOLOGY

Omni-Commerce:
A Customer-First
Approach With Mobile
ERP
It makes sense, then, that retailers are so obsessed with
a new idea you might think of as ‘Omni-Commerce’. The
idea of marketing and selling to customers wherever
they are (and whenever) is no longer a nice-to-have
feature; it’s an essential strategy.
To appreciate the business value of mobile technology,
we need to pay attention to the way mobility has shaped
consumers’ thinking. Keep in mind that carrying smart
phones and tablets everywhere has led us to expect
instant gratification on many levels. When a consumer
experiences a sight, sound, or smell which triggers a
desire, mobile devices have the tools to satisfy that
urge with the appropriate product right then and there.
To win the sale, businesses need to anticipate these
compulsions and be more immediately accessible than
their competitors.
Fortunately, this is possible with mobile commerce,
which is well within reach for small and mid-market
manufacturers. But all mobile solutions are not alike.
Users embrace a mobile ERP and specialized apps when
they have a very high level of trust in the reliability of the
data presented. Furthermore, the system needs to be
easy to learn and easy to use for individuals with varying
levels of technical proficiency. Ultimately, it must create a
far better experience than ever before. This takes an app
that is a good fit for your company’s needs, which might
even be found right in the app store, aka “off the shelf.”
WEB STORES FALL SHORT
To illustrate how omni-commerce might work, let’s say a
consumer named Sally is driving down the highway and
spots a billboard advertising a pair of shoes that would
look absolutely amazing with the dress she’s wearing
to a big party the next day. She pulls off the road (of
course) and uses her smart phone to do a Google search
for those perfect pumps. In a flash, she finds the shoes
on the retailer’s web site! Sally is smiling, and so is the
retailer. You, not so much. Your company doesn’t have
page 1 ranking so you didn’t get that sale.
But hold on! Sally hasn’t submitted payment yet.
There is another way to become her retailer of choice.
Sally sees the overnight shipping cost and can’t justify
it so she continues browsing till she finds your site. If
your store has a good mobile app, you can enable her
impulse purchase and still win the sale! The app can
help her find the closest location with the shoes in stock.
Even better, with a tap on a map, she automatically links
to directions to where she can pick them up now. Sally is
one happy customer, and you both win!
The greatest incentive to migrate to a mobile ERP stems
from the powerful impact of creating new processes
altogether. It is also a smart way to overhaul specific
business functions, such as sales. by Paul Ziliak

TECHNOLOGY
WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS’ CUSTOMERS
CARRY PHONES, TOO
Mobile ERP can provide similar opportunities for small
and mid-sized distributors and manufacturers. Here’s an
example:
Suarez Brothers (name changed for privacy) is a
wholesale distributor of beauty supply products
serving approximately 600 retail and re-distribution
customers scattered far and wide throughout Central
and Southern California. The sales reps support their
customers with a direct sales force of 8, each assigned a
territory of customers who they visit on a regular basis,
with the primary purpose of taking new orders.
Our company, xkzero, equipped Suarez with iSales 100,
our native iPhone-iPad sales app for Sage 100 ERP a
couple of years ago. This app allows the sales reps to
place orders on the spot, which are electronically fed
directly into Sales Order Entry for next-day picking and
delivery.
However, despite the increased productivity afforded
by the mobile sales app—and perhaps because of
it—a consistent theme of business problems started to
become apparent.
Suarez Brothers had been struggling to keep
the shelves stocked with inventory demanded
by customers. They simply did not have enough
salespeople on the street to visit every single customer
each week. Consequently, they were losing orders—
and market share. One logical solution could have
been to hire another salesperson or two, forcing labor
costs higher. It would have also worsened another
problem—the increasing travel costs to visit the rural
customers.
CHARTING AN OMNI-COMMERCE SOLUTION
Suarez’s goals were clear. First, hold the line to maintain
customers. Then, increase customer loyalty, increase
market share, and reduce costs.
To achieve these goals, the owners turned to xkzero
for help. We were able to solve their problems in a way
that didn’t require them to buy any additional software.
Suarez merely took advantage of the flexibility inherent
in iSales 100 and moved toward an omni-commerce
approach, providing the customer with unprecedented
freedom in the way they purchased goods. Customers
could now buy product without the distributor’s
assistance, and no longer had to wait for a sales rep
to visit or pick up the phone to call a customer sales
representative.
Here’s what Suarez Brothers did to meet their market
share, loyalty, and cost goals:
• Assigned a user ID and password for each store
• Restricted customer access to information from only
their own account
• Filtered the list of inventory items available to each
particular customer
• Changed settings to indicate that a customer cannot
override calculated price (the app already follows
pricing rules established in the ERP.)
• Set preferences to require customer signature
• Set defaults for each customer’s available
warehouse(s)
• Set a default to automatically place customer-
initiated orders on hold
• Orchestrated a campaign to orient targeted
customers to the new ordering option
iSales 100 has every control needed to provide Suarez
Brother’s customers access to a mobile app. They were
even able to implement everything on the back-end set
up in Sage 100 ERP within a few short hours.
Now Suarez Brother’s customers have the independence
to make purchases from Suarez directly from the store
aisle, using their smart phone or tablet. The results were
restored customer loyalty and improved market share,
plus the added bonus of reduced travel and sales costs.
These small steps make it easy for retail customers to
reduce or eliminate out-of-stock situations, and keep
inventory levels just right–for final consumers like Sally.
Customer freedom to shop and purchase from anywhere,
anytime—that is the essence of omni-commerce. That is
the promise of iSales 100.
Paul Ziliak is co-founder of xkzero, developers of mobile and web commerce solutions for small and mid-sized B2B manufactures and distributors,
specializing in Sage ERP. Reach Paul and xkzero at info@xkzero.com or 847-416-2009.
About the Author

www.blytheco.com/avercast

bellwethermagazine.combellwethermagazine.com
16
Issues!
17
Have You
Read Them
All?
COVER2COVERCOVER2COVER

Why Should Your
Company Do an
Employee
Engagement Survey?
800.425.9843 x2500
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AlignEmployeeswithCompanyStrategicGoalsEmployees are more likely to focus their energies in the right direction
when they understand and are aligned with strategic goals.
IncreaseProductivityWhen employees are engaged they are simply more productive.
They are more willing to give what it takes to get the job done
accurately and efficiently.
ToReduce‘’(wrong)employeeturnoverSome turnover is healthy. Employees who are not a good fit leave,
which makes way for fresh perspectives and energy. By contrast,
unwanted turnover happens when a company loses talented
employees they want to keep.
In
Take a test drive at
blytheco.com/engagement
Focal Employee Engagement (Focal EE) is a cloud-based employee survey solution that is easy to
setup and administer. Vastly different than a simple employee satisfaction survey, Focal EE goes
deeper with time-tested survey questions written by psychologists. Focal EE gives you the tools to
identify, understand, and fix employee engagement problems through actionable results.
Key features include: Over 53 pre-written questions, benchmarking data, tight confidentiality
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ERP anywhere. An unmatched mobile ERP experience that provides immediate customer
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For more information, visit xkzero.com/blytheco.aspx
info@xkzero.com | @ERP_apps | 847.416.2009
Goodbye “I’ll send you a quote when I
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Carrier 100%10:00 AM
iSales 100
Contacts 2
1
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Bellwether Magazine - Customers 1st Issue - Q1 2015