What is a Business Management Solution? And how will it help my business?

1. How do you find a solution that meets all or most of your
current and future requirements?
GETTING IT RIGHT
THEFIRSTTIME
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS:

2. By going beyond ERP and looking at the wider picture,
companies can find a Business Management Solution
that matches their exact requirements, without sacrificing
business agility. The following paper will help you carry
out a much more focussed and thorough search to get your
Business Management Solution choice right, the first time.
Let us start by understanding what a Business Management
Solution is and how it can help you.
These thought-provoking findings, concluded from the ERP
Report 20151
by Panorama Consulting Solutions demonstrate
that the reputation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
solutions is damaged. There is no doubt that ERP systems
add value to companies, but choosing the right solution can
prove to be intimidating.
When companies recognise the need for an ERP solution,
they sometimes rush into the selection process without first
figuring out exactly what they want to achieve from their
implementation. These companies often find themselves
overwhelmed by the broad range of options available in the
marketplace and run the risk of making a rash judgement.
This is where Business Management Solutions can step in.
They are faster, simpler and more flexible and eliminate
much of the pain associated with ERP selection and
implementation process.
Business Management Solutions:
Getting it right the first time
Introduction
45%
ONLY
of companies are
satisfiedwith
their overall ERP
vendor experience
5%
increase in the
number of ERP
failures since
last year
65%
of ERP
implementations
take longer
than expected
(duetoscheduleoverruns)
58%
of ERP projects
costmorethan
expected
(exceeded their planned
budget)
most
ERP
implementations
under-deliver
business value
1
Panorama Consulting, ERP Report 2015

3. A Business Management Solution is a fully integrated, real-
time system that gives you the information you need to grow
your business. It enables agility by collecting and connecting
information from everyone, every department and every pro-
cess throughout your entire business. This means a seamless
flow of information throughout the company - manufacturing,
sales, marketing, distribution, accounting, financial, human
resource management, project management, inventory
management, service and maintenance,
and transportation —within a single system.
Business Management Solutions:
Getting it right the first time
What is a Business
Management Solution?
2
Gartner, CEO and Senior Executive Survey 2013: CFO Turns to Growth
And how will it help my business?
Overall, Business Management Solutions deliver flexibility,
functionality and security, without the complexity and cost
of typical enterprise systems and work towards accelerating
a continuous process of growth and improvement within
the organisation. Therefore, moving away from ERP towards
Business Management Solutions can empower the entire
organisation to become leaner, more efficient and ultimately,
more profitable.
According to a Gartner Study 2
, top business priorities have
shifted in recent years, from cost-saving to growth and
profitability. For no less than 41% of companies, growth is
now one of the top three priorities and IT solutions play a
pivotal role in making this happen.
Reasons for Implementing
Business Management Solution
Source: Panorama’s 2015 ERP Report
Business
Management
System
Business
Alerts
Human
Resources
Business
Continuity
Planning
Finance
Management
Reports
Document
Library
Web
Viewing
Portal
Project
Planning
Case
Management
System
Tracking
17%
18%
16%
14%
12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
2%
O
ther
Replace
old
ERP/legacysystem
12%
Im
prove
businessperform
ance
12%
Integrate
system
sacrosslocations
11%
Position
com
panyforgrow
th
10%
Reporting/regulatorycom
pliance
10%
Standardize
globaloperations
7%
Appease
parentcom
pany/stakeholders
7%
Betterserve
custom
ers
7%
M
ake
em
ployee
jobseasier
5%
Reduce
w
orking
capital
1%
O
thercom
panieshave
ERP

4. Whether you are looking for your first Business Management Solution or looking to move away from the typical complexity of ERP,
and upgrade to a more cohesive system, keep in mind that the entire process represents a serious investment for any organisation
and is crucial for its future success.
The progression from evaluation to selection and then implementation is an important, long-term decision for your organisation.
Consequently, the entire selection process should be considered a priority, with proper time and resources devoted to it.
Here are the top 4 steps to help you towards successful assessment, selection and implementation of a Business
Management Solution:
Business Management Solutions:
Getting it right the first time
The assessment and selection process:
Starting out on the right foot
It all begins with you!
The wide adoption of internet has
changed the way we do business,
and over the years, the effect has
trickled down to customers, who now
have higher expectations. Therefore,
whether you are a growing business
or an established enterprise, you need
a proven method to streamline your
operations, drive growth, improve
customer experience, enhance
your competitive position and be in
control of your business. Business
Management Solution is the answer
to all your wishes.
STEP 1
Determine your reason and objective
By being realistic about your goals,
management and problems, you can
find the best software that will help
streamline your entire business. Just
ask yourself what you really want and
why, and work towards establishing
your current and future objectives.
Make sure that your corporate goals
align with your Business Management
Solution and that you
have the necessary infrastructure
in place prior to the implementation
process. The more focused you are in
identifying your business need, the
better your software selection would be.
STEP 2
Freedomintermsofflexibilityandchoice
Available in the cloud, SaaS or
on-premise, Business Management
Solutions are ideal for growing or
enterprise businesses, especially those
in the manufacturing,
distribution or service industry. Moreo-
ver, as Business Management Solutions
are faster, simpler and more flexible than
typical ERP solutions, companies achieve
greater insight into their business
processes by bringing everything
together in one simple solution.
According to the size and need of your
business, determine whether your
company needs specific industry functio-
nality, or whether it will work better with
a more flexible, standardised software.
Irrespective of which software or method
you chose, make sure the entire process
is divided into steps and each step has
specific timelines for completion. To
guarantee a seamless implementation,
assign someone responsible for ensuring
those deadlines are met.
STEP 3

5. Business Management Solutions:
Getting it right the first time
Standardised implementation =
minimum amount of time
As with most implementations,
the success of your Business
Management Solution will depend
on following a systematic approach
from start to finish. Sometimes, the
implementation process runs into
minor bumps, and the timeline falls
a bit off the track to accommodate
those unforeseen circumstances.
However, with standardised
implementation, the process
is supported with templated
documentation, so the chances of
hitting such bumps is close to nil.
Such pre-worked documentation
shared by the provider ensures that
as a business, you are able to hit
the ground running, and zero in on
opportunities instantly.
STEP 4
The assessment and selection process:
Starting out on the right foot...continued

6. Does the system offer:
Business Management Solutions:
Getting it right the first timee
Checklist for choosing the right Business
Management Solution for your business
A complete package, integrating all aspects of running a business.
The latest technology and the most advanced features and options.
Menu items and screen layouts that are user friendly, intuitive and easy to use.
Enough flexibility to adapt to your business needs.
Easy customisation built-in from the start.
Full integration and doesn’t require manually inputting the same changes on multiple screens.
Maximum performance in your weakest areas.
Cost-effectiveness to strike a good balance between the overall cost of the planned software
deployment and the project’s profitability in the payback period.
A detailed online help system.
YES NO
YES NO
YES NO
YES NO
YES NO
YES NO
YES NO
YES NO
YES NO

7. As seen in this graph, only 45% of respondents are satisfied
or very satisfied with their overall ERP vendor experience. This
is a relatively low percentage, given the increase in reported
ERP failures and decrease in overall software satisfaction.
Nearly half of respondent organisations are neutral about
their overall experience with ERP vendors (44%), hence
signalling that many businesses have evolved beyond the
traditional ERP technology and capabilities.
As a result, it is paramount that you work with a partner
who understands your business needs, undertakes relevant
and required planning and provides you with training and
implementation documentation.
The easy way to evaluate the right solution provider is to
look for the following 4C’s: Company history, Consultant
experience, Customer references and the overall Culture
of the company. Once you have shortlisted the potential
providers on these bases, you are ready to dig deeper into
your discovery of finding the perfect partner.
Business Management Solutions:
Getting it right the first time
Steps to choosing
the right vendor
Source: Panorama’s 2015 ERP Report Copyright © 2015
Panorama Consulting Solutions
Choosing the right partner
With the objectives and requirements of your Business Management Solution nearly sorted, it is time to look for
the right vendor or partner who will meet your expectations. Having the right partner on-board is one of the main
reasons why some companies have a dream deployment, while others have an unnerving experience.
Neutral Satisfied Very Satisfied
Very Dissatisfied Dissatisfied
37%
8%
6%
5%
44%

8. Business Management Solutions:
Getting it right the first time
Steps to choosing
the right vendor
Round one – specification and pre-selection
Among the shortlisted providers, look for those who provide
maximum security for your investment and come with an
international or industry-specific focus. Scour the internet for
freely available information and attend fairs and roadshows
where you can get an opportunity to meet the provider
personally.
Round two – Discuss the application
Further deduce promising candidates based on detailed
specifications by asking for key business processes and
project requirements. This is the basis for concrete proposals
for both a solution and a first offer. Ask as many questions
and look at as many examples as possible to build your trust
in the provider. Compare the offers and reduce your list to a
maximum of 4-6 vendors.
Round three – Final presentation
This is the stage where you evaluate the actual performance
of the eligible candidates. To gain insight, ask for demonst-
rations involving complex business processes. This step will
help you observe how competent they are to handle your
current business needs and future requirements. Follow it up
with supplementary workshops with the best two or three
candidates. Meeting your providers face to face will enable
you to explain your business goals and allow your questions
to be answered in greater detail.
Round four – The decision
This is where you realise the fruit of your labour. Go through
all your research and assess the solutions, the performance
and the competence of the top 2 or 3 solutions and providers.
For better acceptance, involve the representatives of the
affected business areas before taking the final call.
Make your final decision in consultation with the
representatives of the affected business areas. This will
result in better acceptance. Make careful preparations before
the implementation by holding joint workshops. The more
detailed the planning, the lower the risk of nasty surprises.
Round three – Final presentation
The walls of ERP are crumbling.
With flexibility and ease of use becoming critical to business
competitiveness, ERP is gradually being replaced by Business
Management Solutions that are faster, simpler and more
flexible. These solutions offer increased satisfaction and
security, without the complexity and cost of typical enterpri-
se systems.
While choosing the right Business Management Solution can
be challenging, it is worth the time spent. In long-term, the
right solution will pay for itself in business success, employee
satisfaction* and company growth.
With good preparation and planning, the decision may be
easier than you think. It will bring benefits such as faster
optimised processes, lower costs and greater transparency,
which in turn will enable the company to quickly and flexibly
adapt to market requirements.
To simplify, think of this whole selection and implementation
process as going on a road trip. You need to be willing and
ready to undertake that trip, find the best route possible that
takes you to your destination and make full use of all your
packed resources. You might hit a few bumps in between, but
with proper planning, you will most likely have a smooth ride.
Let’s hit the road.
*The 2013 Aberdeen report on Best-in-class strategies for selecting an ERP solution revealed that a massive 56% best-in-class businesses look for solutions that are easy
to use. That is because even the most functional of ERP solutions are a waste of money if employees can’t use it. A user friendly solution will lead to a higher employee
usage rate and the solutions benefits will more quickly and profoundly manifest themselves throughout an organisation. Business Management Solutions are clear, easy
to use and come with an intuitive interface that helps decrease user confusion and increase overall productivity.

9. Sage X3
Flexible Business Management Solution for mid-sized to
enterprise companies
Sage X3 delivers enterprise-class business management
functionality and security, without the complexity and cost
of typical enterprise systems. It simplifies the management
of all aspects of your operations – from financials, sales
and marketing, to distribution and manufacturing – and
keeps your organisation lean and ready to grow.
Sage X3 is a faster, simpler and more flexible business
management solution developed for midsized to
enterprise companies, to grow a profitable business,
both internationally and locally.
With powerful functionality for manufacturing, process
manufacturing, project management, IT services,
professional services, maintenance services, distribution
and production industries, and a collaborative approach
across all business units and departments, Sage X3 is ideal
for business growth.
For a fully-scalable business management solution that’s
flexible, simple to learn and easy-to-implement, with no
hidden costs – talk to us about Sage X3.
Sage 200
Business Management for small to medium-sized
businesses
Sage 200 is a business management solution that helps
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises get full visibility of
information across their entire business.
It manages finances, stock and business insight in
one solution, allowing you to control all your business
processes within one integrated solution.
You can also choose from a range of modules and
features, including Manufacturing and Project Accoun-
ting to build a fully customised solution for your business.
With a choice of online or installed on premise software,
there’s even more flexibility about how you use, roll out
and pay for your software.
Business Management Solutions:
Getting it right the first time
Introducing Sage Business
Management Solutions
http://www.sage.co.uk/software-and-services/
business-management-solutions/sage-200-extra
http://www.sage.co.uk/software-and-services/
business-management-solutions/sage-x3
For more information visit
For more information visit

10. Sage UK Sage House, Wharfedale Road, Winnersh, Berkshire, RG41 5RD
With over 6 million customers in 24 countries, Sage is one of the market leaders for
business software and services for small, medium-sized and enterprise companies.
For over 30 years we have helping our customers achieve success within their business.
Because every business is different, we offer products and services - covering a wide
range of needs - which are secure, effective and easy-to-use.
http://www.sage.co.uk/software-and-services/
business-management-solutions
or call 0845 111 9988.
For more information visit