Do you currently use a Sage Application?  Well you’re in luck because Sage has a bunch of promotions for customers for the month of September.  I’ll be sure to get them out quicker next time, but it’s never too late to save a buck is it?

Intelligence Reporting  - Connector and Report Designer Bundle for Sage 100, 300, and 500 ERP customers	Customers can purchase the Intelligence Reporting Module Bundle for $2,000 (buy Connector Module and get Report Designer at no cost)
Off-Plan Sage SalesLogix and Sage CRM -  Sage SalesLogix and Sage CRM (U.S. and CAN) off-plan customers who have been off-plan for six or   more months To be eligible, Sage SalesLogix and Sage CRM customers must be off-plan for six months or more To qualify, Sage SalesLogix customer must be on Sage SalesLogix version 6.2 or above Sage CRM will be issued a key for the version on record This is valid for U.S. and Canada customers only By purchasing a minimum of ten named-user licenses, the customer  is not required to pay any associated maintenance and support fees, and the customer will remain off-plan and ineligible for maintenance  upgrades or support access (until such time as customer reinstates) If purchasing Sage SalesLogix Cloud, customer will be considered new, and receive all the benefits related to a new subscription Customers who wish to have the benefits of a Sage Business Care plan, can reinstate at        any time and pay the reinstatement fees, and purchase a Sage Business Care plan moving forward that will include the additional users	Off-plan customers can purchase a minimum of ten or more named-user licenses, and their reinstatement fee will be waived. A minimum of ten users must be purchased to qualify Or, Off-plan customers can trade in their off-plan user licenses for a two-year $30 credit per user, per month, toward Sage SalesLogix cloud user licenses
Reinstatement Offer   (N-2)*     N-2 customers (whose last shipped product is generally no more than two versions behind thecurrent version), who reinstate with the election of Easy Pay     *Sage 100 ERP (versions 4.3, 4.4); Sage 300 ERP (versions 5.5, 5.6); Sage 500   ERP (versions 7.2, 7.3)	Customer can receive up to five user licenses at no charge (in any combination of Sage ERP and/or Sage CRM user licenses) Customer  receives Sage Gold Business Care upgrade at no additional charge (priced at Silver)
Upgrade Bundle (Product   Upgrades)     Sage 100 ERP customers   upgrading from: Sage 100 ERP Standard to Sage 100 ERP Advanced or Premium Sage 100 ERP Advanced to Sage 100 ERP Premium Sage 300 ERP customers upgrading from: Sage 300 ERP Standard to Sage 300 ERP Advanced or Premium Sage 300 ERP Advanced to Sage 300 ERP Premium	Customers may receive up to five user licenses at no charge (in any combination of ERP and/or Sage CRM user licenses)
Users  (Add-on user sales  only)    Applicable products include, Sage 100 ERP, Sage 300 ERP, and Sage 500 ERP   (Sage CRM users do not apply to Sage 500 ERP customers), Sage Pro ERP, and   Sage PFW ERP	Buy four users (ERP or Sage CRM) and receive one free

The post September Promotions for Sage Customers appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3muvq4WB0E

SugarCRM, the world’s fastest growing customer relationship management (CRM) company, and HubSpot, the leading provider of inbound marketing software, today announced a packaged integration between the two systems to provide a complete, closed-loop inbound marketing solution.

“The most successful companies understand the value of closed-loop marketing and the benefits of sales and marketing collaboration,” said HubSpot CEO and Co-Founder Brian Halligan. “HubSpot’s integration with SugarCRM provides the right tools for even more businesses to make smart marketing decisions that lead to more sales.”

Recommended:  Hubspot Introduces Hubspot 3

As part of the integration, users of both SugarCRM and HubSpot will be able to more effectively generate leads, better manage lead-to-sales conversions, and leverage the lead intelligence and reporting tools in both products for complete, closed-loop marketing analysis. The integration between the two offerings enables:

• Improved sales intelligence by automating the import of lead data from HubSpot to the SugarCRM Leads module.
• Closed-loop reporting and ROI analysis using bi-directional synchronization of closed-won leads data.
• Optimization of marketing activities by making it easy to identify the most effective sources of leads and sales in either system.

“It is becoming increasingly more difficult for businesses of all types to stand out in a crowded marketplace,” said Clint Oram, CTO and co-founder of SugarCRM. “With an intelligent, inbound marketing approach powered by tools like HubSpot and SugarCRM, companies can more effectively reach more prospects and better align their sales and marketing teams to execute more effectively and close more business.”

The post SugarCRM and Hubspot: A Cost-Effective Integration appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgSvRHzGdnk

At this year’s Sage summit, I was lucky enough to get to interview a few of the vendors that had booths at the convention.  This interview is of SalesFusion’s Chief of Marketing, Kevin Miller.  You can follow them on twitter here.

If you’re not yet familiar with SalesFusion, they are based in Atlanta, GA and was officially launched in 2007 as an integrated marketing and CRM solution designed to automate the entire lead-to-sales process.  SalesFUSION 360 is the flagship product of First Reef, LLC, the holding company for SalesFUSION, and is a SaaS marketing automation software solution that is specifically designed to integrate marketing and sales by connecting your marketing process and technology with your installed CRM system.

Thanks again, Kevin for the interview be sure to look out tomorrow for another vendor interview.  Click here to discover more about SalesFusion.

The post Sage Summit YouTube Interview with Kevin Miller of SalesFusion appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

Ever wanted to access your ERP system on the go?  Now you can with the all new bly:MOBILE app. With bly:MOBILE, you get all the features of MAS 200 (now Sage 100) for the price of MAS 90 (also now Sage 100).  The app allows you to deploy Sage 100 no matter where you are.

With no software download or installation requirements, Sage 100 applications, programs, and functions can run from virtually anywhere and via any web compatible device. bly:MOBILE is built on Providex technology, so its functionality, integrity and reliability are identical to that of your ERP business applications.

bly:MOBILE is really three separate components:

Web browser-based Sage 100 eliminates the need for expensive remote access tools (like Terminal Services or Citrix), and provides full system screens and capabilities for remote or traveling users. This allows for multi-platform support through your browser. Currently supported browsers are Internet Explorer 7+, FireFox 3+ and Safari 3+.   Deploy one user or an entire remote office. Sage 100 on your smart phone.  Access key system components easily and quickly using your mobile device (with an updated browser). Customize your mobile screen using the standard Custom Office module. Self-service browser-based portal for your salespeople. A streamlined Sage 100 interface combined with the power of your system gives them the ability to review their own accounts, update contact information, place orders, and more.

Recommended:  More on bly:MOBILE’s three components

Since the BlythecoDev bly:MOBILE suite uses Providex™-based technology adapted to flexible delivery options, you can enjoy the power and intelligence of your Sage 100 system using the device most convenient for you.

The post Introducing the All-New bly:MOBILE App appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

by Joe Panettieri @JoePanettieri

NetSuite (NYSE: N), the cloud-based ERP company, says Q2 2012 revenues rose 29 percent to $74.4 million. The company had a $9.9 million net loss, but shares still rose slightly nearly 7 percent in after-hours trading. The reason: NetSuite is raising its full-year outlook for revenue and non-GAAP EPS (earnings per share).

The company frequently credits channel partners for its success, empowering VARs to help customer migrations from on-premises ERP (enterprise resource planning) to cloud-based financial software. In its most recent quarter, CEO Zach Nelson said the company exceeded its previously stated outlook on revenue.

Still, competition could intensify in the coming months. Microsoft continues to upgrade and enhances its cloud-based Dynamics business. And SAP’s cloud-based ERP system, called BusinessByDesign, gained a software development kit (SDK) this week. The kit could allow channel partners to write application extensions for SAP’s cloud program.

NetSuite has frequently targeted SAP and Microsoft in its marketing and sales campaigns, but the company rarely targets Oracle — likely because Oracle CEO Larry Ellison is a long-time NetSuite investor.

Download your free demo of Netsuite today!

The post NetSuite: Cloud-based ERP Revenues Rise 29 Percent appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

During the first quarter of 2011, NetSuite conducted a survey on the state of business within the mid-market manufacturing industry.

The majority of respondents reported significant optimism for growth in the future. More than 75% believe their business will improve in the near term, and almost 98% reported that they believe their business will either improve or remain steady—a dramatic and significant improvement over survey results NetSuite saw in its earlier, 1H10 survey of North American manufacturers.

For key objectives, 60% are focused on both revenue growth and cost savings, with about 30% focused primarily on revenue growth only. Maintaining and increasing revenue growth while watching costs and delighting customers are key priorities for manufacturers in 2011. The optimism among manufacturers has increased significantly from 2009, when companies were focused on cost reductions above all else.

The results of this survey indicate that manufacturers are once again focused on investing to create new products and get revenue growing among both new and existing customers.

To better understand the manufacturing industry’s economic health, business objectives, focus areas, key challenges and its use of software to support their key business processes, download our free whitepaper.

The post Key Business Objectives and Challenges among Mid-Market Manufacturing Companies appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

7/25/2012 at 12:50 pm by The Sage ERP Team

If implemented successfully, ERP business solutions offer organizations immense possibilities to change the way they operate. CIO’s Martha Heller recently interviewed several chief information officers to get their insight regarding how companies can deploy ERP software more effectively.

One CIO told Heller that businesses must plan for potential performance dips during ERP implementation. If they do so, companies can minimize this impact and begin taking full advantage of ERP solutions earlier in the process.

Another expert encouraged organizations to think of ERP technology as a way to replace certain IT systems, much like a person would with the wiring throughout a house.

[Learn all you can about ERP at Sage Summit August 12-17th!]

“You already have the house [your business and its operations] but you are threading in a new core element. Make sure you don’t overload the job with a bunch of wonderful, amazing, bright shiny new things,” the CIO told Heller. “Be sure that your business today can run against current performance metrics before you add in process reengineering, new features and deep analytics.”

Considering a new ERP solution may be a new experience for some employees, chief financial officers must ensure they are there from start to end and support the project, another expert told Heller.

Cloud-based ERP also requires patience

Cloud computing is currently one of the most popular IT solutions available and many businesses are looking to integrate their ERP systems with the cloud. InfoWorld’s David Linthicum believes many companies simply want to perform this task immediately and without the proper planning, which can lead to issues down the road.

“First, any addition or replacement of an enterprise IT resource – storage, compute and so on – requires enough preparation so that IT resources can become at least 90 percent productive after a shift to a cloud service, whether IaaS, PaaS or SaaS,” Linthicum wrote. “This means you’ve done enough configuration and development so that existing core business systems can exploit the value of this cloud computing service right away.”

Linthicum also asserted that companies have to establish how cloud computing fits their IT requirements beforehand by launching an architecture program. Although some businesses may not have the resources to implement this type of solution, organizations must do all they can to ensure their clouds support their goals.

To learn how to maximize your ERP efforts with ACOMDocMgMt, click here!

The post Planning for ERP Solutions Makes all the Difference appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

By Nicole Laurier, @NicoleLaurier

Back in March, I read an article in Redmond by Don Jones titled ‘What’s Your Time Worth?’. Don discusses the challenges of getting a business to understand the value of automating a process and how to show ROI (return on investment) to your employer to add this type of third party tool.

That’s a very interesting concept (and a great article!) but very often a mid size business does not have an internal IT department, so they have probably not come across Business Process Management Software or even heard the terminology. And so they will not realize how their business will benefit by adding this type of software application to their current systems.

Going back to basics, what is the definition of Business Process Management? According to Wikipedia:

‘It promotes business effectiveness & efficiency, while striving for innovation, flexibility and integration with technology.’

[To learn how to cut your time in half by automating daily tasks, attend our webinar July 12th.]

So Business Process Management Software was designed and continues to evolve to automate companies manual business processes; to ensure that organizations are aware of what is happening in their internal systems; to notify business owners of critical company information; to handle daily, weekly or monthly reporting; to integrate disparate business systems so that the same information does not have to be re-keyed twice.

I know the description above is a little bit vague, some real life examples of typical Customer requirements are:

~ Credit Control Procedures

~ Purchase Order Approvals

~ Handling of orders that come in from an e commerce Store

~ E-Mail Archiving

~ Handling Literature Requests from a website

~ Reports to Management of new sales

And there are so many other processes that could be added to this list.

Ask yourself ‘do you want your employees to manually handle the same task on a daily basis if their time could be better spent? Do you want them engaged in labor intensive, repetitive  processes where errors can easily be made? I am sure your answer is NO!

So what other key benefits do businesses gain by adding a Business Process Management Solution? Not only do you free up your employees time, but your business becomes more efficient, you know what is going on in your internal systems and best of all you will quickly see the ROI from your investment.

Interestingly business often purchase this type of application to use for just one process but once they have that in place, they realize all the other process that can benefit.

The hardest part is to define what are your process needs; once you have done that you are halfway to solving your business problem and ready to look at the solution.

Do you have a manual process that is taking up too much of your employees time? Do you want to discover how your business can benefit by adding Business Process Management?

The question is ‘What do you want to Automate?’

The post How Business Process Management Benefits Businesses appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

1. The Cynical Girl

• http://thecynicalgirl.com/
• @lruettimann

Hilarious, and authoritative, Laurie Reuttimann has over a decade of HR experience with Fortune 500 companies. She approaches career and HR advice with humor, irreverence, and cats.

2.  The Social Workplace

• http://www.thesocialworkplace.com/
• @socialworkplace
• #socialhr

Elizabeth is a speaker and influencer on improving employee engagement and business productivity through the use of social technology. Her insights are clear, credible, and inspiring.

3.  Think

• Think.blytheco.com
• @blythecollc

Employment law updates, HR news, and career and employer advice are just a few of the topics tackled on the wide-ranging Blytheco blog. Business tools, tips, events, and news, plus fun stuff from a diverse crew of writers.

4. Pamela Ross

• http://www.pamross.ca/
• @pamelamaeross

Canadian speaker and consultant Pam Ross weaves together operations and human resources to get people engaged and help companies improve bottom lines.

5. The Grindstone

• http://thegrindstone.com/
• @the_grindstone

Exploring the world of work for modern women, The Grindstone specializes in asking (and answering) those workplace questions that we’d all be afraid to ask.

6. Curtis Midkiff

• http://www.shrm.org
• @shrmsocmedguy

THE Twitter resource for SHRM’s Annual Conference, Midkiff is the Director of Social Engagement for SHRM.

7. HR Fishbowl

• Hrfishbowl.com
• @hrfishbowl

The blog and feed of HR Exec Charlie Judy takes a ranting, raving, and compelling back-to-basics approach to workplace management.

8. Challenger, Gray & Christmas

• http://challengeratworkblog.blogspot.com/
• @challengergray

Trends, news, issues, and media from one of the nation’s leading outplacement companies. A must-follow.

9. Marcus Buckingham

• www.tmbc.com
• @mwbuckingham

Author and consultant Marcus Buckingham gives leadership and strength development advice and thought leadership.

10. Evil HR Lady

• www.evilhrlady.org
• @realevilhrlady

Suzanne Lucas tackles tricky HR questions on her widely-read blog.

For help with maximizing twitter for your business, check out our free slideshare presentation. 

To learn how to develop the right social media policy for your workplace, click here.

The post The Top Ten People to Follow for Social Human Resources appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.

So Sage Summit is this August 12-17 and it’s in the country music capital of the world – Nashville, TN! May 31st is the last day to sign up for the early-bird special so don’t delay.

Here’s a quick preview of what you can expect to learn about SageCRM:

If you can’t wait for Summit this year, check out one of the performances below from Sage Summit 2011 and satisfy your desire!  :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtOUpsHU5hw

For more info on how to pick the right CRM solution for you, download this free whitepaper.

The post The Top 6 Things you’ll Learn About SageCRM at Sage Summit appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.