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Monday 31 October 2011
Capri Linen Goes Green with HP, VMware and Synergy Group
A Simple Business Lesson
[Published on IT Web: 4 August 2010] -
A prime example is Selati Technistruct: experiencing serious problems with its network infrastructure, its system was constantly falling over, and this caused a decrease in both productivity and system integrity.
Bernodette Carreira, Director of Selati Technistruct, says Synergy Group was a logical solution to its networking nightmare as she was aware of the level of expertise the group offered. As a current Accpac client with Synergy Group, all it took was one call to get the assistance it so desperately needed.
Investigating the issues at hand (including severe back-up issues and a server that constantly froze), it took Synergy Group a week to provide the client with an infrastructure that, with minimal maintenance, will remain a cost-effective and viable solution. Bernodette reports: “Our system is [now] running smoothly and we have confidence that, with regular maintenance from Synergy Group, our infrastructure will still be running smoothly well into the next decade.”
All businesses must realise that with thousands of service providers per industry, it is more important than ever to stand out from the crowd. Ensuring your clients recommend you as a top IT service provider takes a lot of work, but the rewards speak for themselves.
The lesson is simple; pull up your service-delivery socks or other companies will service-excellence you out of existing business.
After more than 15 years in the IT services industry, Synergy Group knows that the only way to get clients, and keep them, is to deliver. “Service excellence is our philosophy and we have seen over and over how this has been paramount to our growth in the market,” says Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group.
A prime example is Selati Technistruct: experiencing serious problems with its network infrastructure, its system was constantly falling over, and this caused a decrease in both productivity and system integrity.
Bernodette Carreira, Director of Selati Technistruct, says Synergy Group was a logical solution to its networking nightmare as she was aware of the level of expertise the group offered. As a current Accpac client with Synergy Group, all it took was one call to get the assistance it so desperately needed.
Investigating the issues at hand (including severe back-up issues and a server that constantly froze), it took Synergy Group a week to provide the client with an infrastructure that, with minimal maintenance, will remain a cost-effective and viable solution. Bernodette reports: “Our system is [now] running smoothly and we have confidence that, with regular maintenance from Synergy Group, our infrastructure will still be running smoothly well into the next decade.”
All businesses must realise that with thousands of service providers per industry, it is more important than ever to stand out from the crowd. Ensuring your clients recommend you as a top IT service provider takes a lot of work, but the rewards speak for themselves.
The lesson is simple; pull up your service-delivery socks or other companies will service-excellence you out of existing business.
Accpac is the Logical Choice for Redpath Mining
[Published on IT Web: 8 June 2010] -
In an ERP world where everything tends to look the same and costs too much, Redpath Mining says they found something rare in Sage ERP Accpac.
A customer since 2004, Redpath Mining recently completed an implementation of Sage ERP Accpac ERP 500, project and job costing and Pacific purchasing workflow. Davlin Richardson, IT Manager at Redpath Mining, says cost, local support and expertise are the reasons why the company remains an Accpac customer. “One of the main reasons for choosing Accpac back in 2004, and again this year, is the fact that there is good support for the product in South Africa.”
He says that with any ERP system, the competence and experience of the consultants managing the implementation has a direct impact on the success of the project. “These consultants also add immense value to the product; without their experience and know-how, the ERP system remains a generic package without any value to the customer.”
Thinking big is what Sage ERP Accpac 500 does best. Keith Fenner, vice-president: sales, Softline Accpac, says this edition provides mid-market customers like Redpath Mining with big business aspirations and all the tools for success. “Sage ERP Accpac 500 offers advanced inventory, purchasing, and order management with up to 10GL account segments, unlimited account structures, 99 years of financial history, and the ability to manage an unlimited number of concurrent users and companies.”
Customisation remains another key success factor when it comes to ERP implementations. Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group, the Softline Accpac business partner responsible for the success at Redpath Mining, says the addition of purchasing workflow and workflow documents add-on has greatly benefited the client. “The complete workflow process drives accurate data capture, improves decision-making, and reduces potential errors through a built-in authorisation trail.” He says the workflow solution also manages procurement and internal stock issues by allowing for the creation of an unlimited number of workflows and associated rules and alerts.
These simple-to-use screens provide companies like Redpath Mining with the correct information analysed appropriately at data entry. As requisitions are made, they are automatically allocated to the appropriate cost centres, shafts, processes, and equipment, based on user profiles, stock structures, or expense codes. This saves time and eliminates the need for reallocations at month end.
By using Workflow, Redpath Mining has gained tremendous benefits as well as a competitive advantage due to the nature of the business and the centralised procurement department at head office. “It has enabled us to implement proper controls and to align them with our company policies and procedures as well as streamline our approval processes,” concludes Richardson.
In an ERP world where everything tends to look the same and costs too much, Redpath Mining says they found something rare in Sage ERP Accpac.
A customer since 2004, Redpath Mining recently completed an implementation of Sage ERP Accpac ERP 500, project and job costing and Pacific purchasing workflow. Davlin Richardson, IT Manager at Redpath Mining, says cost, local support and expertise are the reasons why the company remains an Accpac customer. “One of the main reasons for choosing Accpac back in 2004, and again this year, is the fact that there is good support for the product in South Africa.”
He says that with any ERP system, the competence and experience of the consultants managing the implementation has a direct impact on the success of the project. “These consultants also add immense value to the product; without their experience and know-how, the ERP system remains a generic package without any value to the customer.”
Thinking big is what Sage ERP Accpac 500 does best. Keith Fenner, vice-president: sales, Softline Accpac, says this edition provides mid-market customers like Redpath Mining with big business aspirations and all the tools for success. “Sage ERP Accpac 500 offers advanced inventory, purchasing, and order management with up to 10GL account segments, unlimited account structures, 99 years of financial history, and the ability to manage an unlimited number of concurrent users and companies.”
Customisation remains another key success factor when it comes to ERP implementations. Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group, the Softline Accpac business partner responsible for the success at Redpath Mining, says the addition of purchasing workflow and workflow documents add-on has greatly benefited the client. “The complete workflow process drives accurate data capture, improves decision-making, and reduces potential errors through a built-in authorisation trail.” He says the workflow solution also manages procurement and internal stock issues by allowing for the creation of an unlimited number of workflows and associated rules and alerts.
These simple-to-use screens provide companies like Redpath Mining with the correct information analysed appropriately at data entry. As requisitions are made, they are automatically allocated to the appropriate cost centres, shafts, processes, and equipment, based on user profiles, stock structures, or expense codes. This saves time and eliminates the need for reallocations at month end.
By using Workflow, Redpath Mining has gained tremendous benefits as well as a competitive advantage due to the nature of the business and the centralised procurement department at head office. “It has enabled us to implement proper controls and to align them with our company policies and procedures as well as streamline our approval processes,” concludes Richardson.
Synergy Group Drives Motorsport SA
[Published on IT Web: 24 May 2010] -
Motorsport SA, the controlling body for all forms of motor sport in South Africa, recently completed an upgrade of its accounting system with the implementation of Sage Accpac ERP 200 by Softline Accpac business partner, Synergy Group.
Motorsport SA finance manager Michelle van Tonder says of all its benefits, Accpac's financial accuracy is the most impressive. “An Accpac user since 2004, Motorsport SA can easily process a large volume of transactions per month and, as a result, accuracy is of the utmost importance. Using Accpac ensures our financial data is spot-on each month.”
Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group, says the accuracy of Accpac plays a vital role in ensuring that Motorsport SA is always compliant. “The system prevents the customer from making any errors, as well as protecting them from any possible fraud attempts.”
With 25 employees nationwide, users of the system reside in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Access, and live use of the system, is made possible with the implementation of terminal servers.
Keith Fenner, vice-president: sales, Softline Accpac, says Sage Accpac ERP 200 builds on the solid financial and operations management capabilities of Sage Accpac ERP 100, but with added advance credit claim and user-defined account group capabilities and support for up to four GL segments. “Sage Accpac ERP 200 is completely web-based, affordable and expandable business management solution for medium-sized accounting environments. It offers powerful analysis and reporting tools and a robust accounting feature set complete with operations management capabilities.”
"Technology aside", Van Tonder says "Synergy Group ensured the upgrade was a hassle-free, smooth process". With a busy motor sport year ahead, Van Tonder is guaranteed an accounting system that won't lose control, no matter how fast she drives it.
Motorsport SA, the controlling body for all forms of motor sport in South Africa, recently completed an upgrade of its accounting system with the implementation of Sage Accpac ERP 200 by Softline Accpac business partner, Synergy Group.
Motorsport SA finance manager Michelle van Tonder says of all its benefits, Accpac's financial accuracy is the most impressive. “An Accpac user since 2004, Motorsport SA can easily process a large volume of transactions per month and, as a result, accuracy is of the utmost importance. Using Accpac ensures our financial data is spot-on each month.”
Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group, says the accuracy of Accpac plays a vital role in ensuring that Motorsport SA is always compliant. “The system prevents the customer from making any errors, as well as protecting them from any possible fraud attempts.”
With 25 employees nationwide, users of the system reside in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Access, and live use of the system, is made possible with the implementation of terminal servers.
Keith Fenner, vice-president: sales, Softline Accpac, says Sage Accpac ERP 200 builds on the solid financial and operations management capabilities of Sage Accpac ERP 100, but with added advance credit claim and user-defined account group capabilities and support for up to four GL segments. “Sage Accpac ERP 200 is completely web-based, affordable and expandable business management solution for medium-sized accounting environments. It offers powerful analysis and reporting tools and a robust accounting feature set complete with operations management capabilities.”
"Technology aside", Van Tonder says "Synergy Group ensured the upgrade was a hassle-free, smooth process". With a busy motor sport year ahead, Van Tonder is guaranteed an accounting system that won't lose control, no matter how fast she drives it.
If it Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it... Trefoil Success Story
[Published on IT Web 11 March 2010] -
Having used the Accpac DOS system for many years, stationery manufacturer and distributor Trefoil is no stranger to Accpac's software. The system's age, however, was preventing the company from implementing improvements in its supply chain, and was nearing the end of its life.
“Trefoil's long attachment to the Accpac DOS system was the result of its flexibility: Trefoil was able to independently adjust the system as and when it became necessary to match its exact needs,” explains Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group. “The appreciation of this flexibility and independence resulted in a reluctance to change the system, with Trefoil achieving almost 100% stability and performance from its Accpac DOS.”
Trefoil's CEO, Alan Robertson, explains that the system was completely stable and configured exactly to what was needed; there was no need to change what was working perfectly. However, as the company started to seek improvements in its business processes, it realised that the Accpac DOS system was limiting what it could do. The company, therefore, decided to move onto the Windows platform, but waited as long as possible to ensure it would be stable. “This decision, and the move, were complicated by the fact that we had very specific ideas of what we wanted and what we needed, and we were battling to find a company that could provide it for us,” says Robertson. “We were frustrated by the fact that we wanted to own the intellectual property, but everyone we had spoken to wanted to sell us an ongoing consulting package.”
“Trefoil was reluctant to move away from its longstanding relationship with Accpac, and was struggling to find the right partner with the right understanding of its needs. We proved to be that right partner,” Regenass adds.
Together with Synergy Group, Trefoil achieved a successful Accpac ERP 500 implementation that offered a shared vision and understanding of the new technology and how the system works. Trefoil's team participated in every aspect of the planning, deployment and implementation of the system, partnering with Synergy Group to customise and integrate the solution.
“We approached this on a different level,” says Robertson. “We knew what Accpac could do for us because we had been using the DOS version for so long, but we wanted to be hands-on and own the project. With Synergy Group, we were able to achieve this.” In fact, Trefoil went as far as sending two people on the Accpac Certified Consultancy training course in order for the Trefoil team to be able to interact with the Synergy Group team on a higher, more advanced level.
Trefoil and Synergy Group used the Accpac 500 ERP system as the basis of the solution. This comprehensive, multi-tiered business management system provides access to all of Trefoil's locations across southern Africa, offering the company powerful analysis and reporting tools. The system is able to work with multiple currencies as well as focus on national accounts, ensuring a comprehensive, in-depth view of all of the company's operations.
“Accpac ERP 500 5.5 is ideal for companies requiring a functionally-rich, highly scalable system that supports international business infrastructures,” says Keith Fenner, Sales Director of Softline Accpac. “Delivering an unprecedented degree of flexibility, the system offers a robust suite of modules and provides seamless integration to a full set of end-to-end business management applications.”
“Working in partnership with us, Trefoil provided hands-on direction of their exact needs. The shared vision of what the system could do was only successful because Trefoil took ownership of the project and participated in all aspects of the solution. They now have far greater control of financials and inventory, enabling the means to accurately forecast and analyse sales and buying patterns. This has resulted in streamlined processes and in-depth views of all aspects of the business,” Regenass concludes.
Having used the Accpac DOS system for many years, stationery manufacturer and distributor Trefoil is no stranger to Accpac's software. The system's age, however, was preventing the company from implementing improvements in its supply chain, and was nearing the end of its life.
“Trefoil's long attachment to the Accpac DOS system was the result of its flexibility: Trefoil was able to independently adjust the system as and when it became necessary to match its exact needs,” explains Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group. “The appreciation of this flexibility and independence resulted in a reluctance to change the system, with Trefoil achieving almost 100% stability and performance from its Accpac DOS.”
Trefoil's CEO, Alan Robertson, explains that the system was completely stable and configured exactly to what was needed; there was no need to change what was working perfectly. However, as the company started to seek improvements in its business processes, it realised that the Accpac DOS system was limiting what it could do. The company, therefore, decided to move onto the Windows platform, but waited as long as possible to ensure it would be stable. “This decision, and the move, were complicated by the fact that we had very specific ideas of what we wanted and what we needed, and we were battling to find a company that could provide it for us,” says Robertson. “We were frustrated by the fact that we wanted to own the intellectual property, but everyone we had spoken to wanted to sell us an ongoing consulting package.”
“Trefoil was reluctant to move away from its longstanding relationship with Accpac, and was struggling to find the right partner with the right understanding of its needs. We proved to be that right partner,” Regenass adds.
Together with Synergy Group, Trefoil achieved a successful Accpac ERP 500 implementation that offered a shared vision and understanding of the new technology and how the system works. Trefoil's team participated in every aspect of the planning, deployment and implementation of the system, partnering with Synergy Group to customise and integrate the solution.
“We approached this on a different level,” says Robertson. “We knew what Accpac could do for us because we had been using the DOS version for so long, but we wanted to be hands-on and own the project. With Synergy Group, we were able to achieve this.” In fact, Trefoil went as far as sending two people on the Accpac Certified Consultancy training course in order for the Trefoil team to be able to interact with the Synergy Group team on a higher, more advanced level.
Trefoil and Synergy Group used the Accpac 500 ERP system as the basis of the solution. This comprehensive, multi-tiered business management system provides access to all of Trefoil's locations across southern Africa, offering the company powerful analysis and reporting tools. The system is able to work with multiple currencies as well as focus on national accounts, ensuring a comprehensive, in-depth view of all of the company's operations.
“Accpac ERP 500 5.5 is ideal for companies requiring a functionally-rich, highly scalable system that supports international business infrastructures,” says Keith Fenner, Sales Director of Softline Accpac. “Delivering an unprecedented degree of flexibility, the system offers a robust suite of modules and provides seamless integration to a full set of end-to-end business management applications.”
“Working in partnership with us, Trefoil provided hands-on direction of their exact needs. The shared vision of what the system could do was only successful because Trefoil took ownership of the project and participated in all aspects of the solution. They now have far greater control of financials and inventory, enabling the means to accurately forecast and analyse sales and buying patterns. This has resulted in streamlined processes and in-depth views of all aspects of the business,” Regenass concludes.
Synergy Group to Add Fibre to Operations at MCT Telecommunications
[Published on IT Web: 20 October 2009] -
MCT Telecommunications has selected Accpac CRM 200, from Softline Accpac, to foster better business practices and effortless information exchange throughout the enterprise and across its customer care activities. Synergy Group will be responsible for the implementation of the project.
Operating from Rivonia, Johannesburg, MCT Telecommunications is a leading provider of managed services for copper and fibre cable networks, and a supplier of operational support systems for outside plant (OSP) applications, as well as optical transport and specialised technology applications in the telecommunications environment.
Chief Financial Officer of MCT Masopha Moshoeshoe says the company is committed to consistently exceeding its customers' expectations by effectively aligning technology solutions and professional services with their business requirements. In line with this, one of the key factors that led to MCT's decision to invest in Accpac CRM is its industry-leading customer care automation module. "With its rich functionality, the customer care module will easily allow us to workflow the process we follow from the detection of a break to re-characterising the fibre as part of the maintenance and support service we provide. We will also be using this CRM module to project, manage and monitor the progress of our turnkey fibre-optic network and access builds.”
Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group, says the nature of MCT's operations call for monitored and transparent workflow and communication across its own departments, its clients, and other stakeholders involved in its fibre-optic network projects. “Our initial contact with MCT revealed that they needed a CRM solution that could go beyond sales force automation and that could easily be configured to manage multiple operational processes. They also needed a solution that would integrate to Accpac ERP. Integrating business rules across all channels, departments, and employees is easy with Accpac CRM automated workflows. In combination with e-mail integration, Accpac CRM ensures that actions requiring attention or escalation are automatically routed to the appropriate employees or partners.”
Keith Fenner, Sales Director, Softline Accpac, concludes that the scalability of Accpac CRM 200 supports MCT's commitment to continually evolve its business processes in order to track and assess its efficiency and effectiveness. “Accpac CRM is a vital component of any end-to-end business strategy. It offers outstanding functionality - from lead generation to sales to support - while providing an architectural foundation unique in the industry that adds value both at installation time and for the lifetime of the business.”
MCT Telecommunications has selected Accpac CRM 200, from Softline Accpac, to foster better business practices and effortless information exchange throughout the enterprise and across its customer care activities. Synergy Group will be responsible for the implementation of the project.
Operating from Rivonia, Johannesburg, MCT Telecommunications is a leading provider of managed services for copper and fibre cable networks, and a supplier of operational support systems for outside plant (OSP) applications, as well as optical transport and specialised technology applications in the telecommunications environment.
Chief Financial Officer of MCT Masopha Moshoeshoe says the company is committed to consistently exceeding its customers' expectations by effectively aligning technology solutions and professional services with their business requirements. In line with this, one of the key factors that led to MCT's decision to invest in Accpac CRM is its industry-leading customer care automation module. "With its rich functionality, the customer care module will easily allow us to workflow the process we follow from the detection of a break to re-characterising the fibre as part of the maintenance and support service we provide. We will also be using this CRM module to project, manage and monitor the progress of our turnkey fibre-optic network and access builds.”
Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group, says the nature of MCT's operations call for monitored and transparent workflow and communication across its own departments, its clients, and other stakeholders involved in its fibre-optic network projects. “Our initial contact with MCT revealed that they needed a CRM solution that could go beyond sales force automation and that could easily be configured to manage multiple operational processes. They also needed a solution that would integrate to Accpac ERP. Integrating business rules across all channels, departments, and employees is easy with Accpac CRM automated workflows. In combination with e-mail integration, Accpac CRM ensures that actions requiring attention or escalation are automatically routed to the appropriate employees or partners.”
Keith Fenner, Sales Director, Softline Accpac, concludes that the scalability of Accpac CRM 200 supports MCT's commitment to continually evolve its business processes in order to track and assess its efficiency and effectiveness. “Accpac CRM is a vital component of any end-to-end business strategy. It offers outstanding functionality - from lead generation to sales to support - while providing an architectural foundation unique in the industry that adds value both at installation time and for the lifetime of the business.”
Capri Linen Puts the Lid on Sluggish Processes with Customised ERP from Synergy Group
[Published on IT Web: 8 October 2009] - Local cookware reseller Capri Linen is set to upgrade to Accpac ERP 500 5.5, from Softline Accpac, to support its growing needs and facilitate the streamlining of its operations. Accpac business partner Synergy Group will contribute to this new phase of the company's growth through custom developing a long-awaited hire purchase management system within Accpac 5.5.
Capri Linen has been in operation for 43 years. Its head office is in Randburg and operations extend to Namibia, Swaziland and Botswana. Credit manager Michael Swanich explains that the company's main business is the sale of cookware on a 24-month installment basis. This kind of business is synonymous with paperwork and the gathering of information from outside sources, like credit bureaus. “The National Credit Act has had a significant affect on businesses like ours. We recognised the need to upgrade our current system as it is no longer meeting our needs, especially in terms of compliance with the NCA. There is also no installment sales module in the system and since this is the basis of our business, it was imperative that we found a system that could effectively manage this for us. Another motivation behind the upgrade was to move towards a paperless environment through the digital storage of data.”
Accpac ERP 500 5.5 was identified as the best fit for the company and Synergy Group as the implementation partner of choice, due to its impressive track record in the areas of financial and distribution systems, as well as custom development services to enhance the functionality of Accpac ERP.
Synergy Group's CEO, Ashley Regenass, says Accpac ERP 5.5 will provide Capri Linen with all the tools for success. “The solution combines the benefits of ERP and CRM to support integrated front and back office business processes and workflow. This, together with the embedded hire purchase management system, will improve Capri Linen's decision-making abilities by providing insight into what is happening within the business, enhancing collaboration between departments, and facilitating improved customer relationships by providing employees with a complete and consistent view of the customer.”
The biggest benefit to Capri Linen is that the hire-purchase module is an end-to-end solution within the ERP, so there will be no integration challenges. The company will benefit tremendously from the improved functionality the suite offers, the successful implementation of which will lay the foundation for solid future growth.
Keith Fenner, Sales Director, Softline Accpac, concludes that Capri Linen's ERP system can be still further enhanced to meet their market's specific requirements, if necessary, thanks to Accpac's wide range of high-quality integrated vertical tools and the expertise of development partners such as Synergy Group.
Capri Linen has been in operation for 43 years. Its head office is in Randburg and operations extend to Namibia, Swaziland and Botswana. Credit manager Michael Swanich explains that the company's main business is the sale of cookware on a 24-month installment basis. This kind of business is synonymous with paperwork and the gathering of information from outside sources, like credit bureaus. “The National Credit Act has had a significant affect on businesses like ours. We recognised the need to upgrade our current system as it is no longer meeting our needs, especially in terms of compliance with the NCA. There is also no installment sales module in the system and since this is the basis of our business, it was imperative that we found a system that could effectively manage this for us. Another motivation behind the upgrade was to move towards a paperless environment through the digital storage of data.”
Accpac ERP 500 5.5 was identified as the best fit for the company and Synergy Group as the implementation partner of choice, due to its impressive track record in the areas of financial and distribution systems, as well as custom development services to enhance the functionality of Accpac ERP.
Synergy Group's CEO, Ashley Regenass, says Accpac ERP 5.5 will provide Capri Linen with all the tools for success. “The solution combines the benefits of ERP and CRM to support integrated front and back office business processes and workflow. This, together with the embedded hire purchase management system, will improve Capri Linen's decision-making abilities by providing insight into what is happening within the business, enhancing collaboration between departments, and facilitating improved customer relationships by providing employees with a complete and consistent view of the customer.”
The biggest benefit to Capri Linen is that the hire-purchase module is an end-to-end solution within the ERP, so there will be no integration challenges. The company will benefit tremendously from the improved functionality the suite offers, the successful implementation of which will lay the foundation for solid future growth.
Keith Fenner, Sales Director, Softline Accpac, concludes that Capri Linen's ERP system can be still further enhanced to meet their market's specific requirements, if necessary, thanks to Accpac's wide range of high-quality integrated vertical tools and the expertise of development partners such as Synergy Group.
Konica Minolta Bloemfontein Re-inks Processes with Synergy Group
[Published on IT Web: 3 September 2009] -
Konica Minolta Business Solutions Bloemfontein has selected Accpac ERP 500 5.5 financial and distribution modules, including serialised inventory and CRM, from Softline Accpac, to streamline operations at its Bloemfontein branch. Synergy Group was responsible for the implementation.
Konica Minolta Bloemfontein is the principal distributor of the innovative and award-winning Konica Minolta range of Bizhub digital copiers, laser printers and fax machines. The company's vision is to be recognised as the complete business solution provider of choice, and this is supported by a mission to create the most recognised brand while building lasting business relationships.
Ronald Rens, IT and Engineering Solutions Manager, Konica Minolta Bloemfontein, explains that the company had been operating off three separate software systems to run the three departments within the organisation. These included a CRM system, a front office system, and an ERP system. While the set-up functioned well, the systems used different database structures, which made integration very challenging. “Our daily cash flow reports were generated with second-hand information and more time than necessary was spent balancing the ERP with the service manager program. Much time and resources were also spent on manually linking data and balancing the three systems. This was unproductive and costly.”
In addition, Rens says that on a CRM level, the sales teams had no access to live data and communication channels were non-existent. With a commitment to superior relationship marketing, the need arose to have access to timeous information and the current, non-integrated systems could not deliver this. “It became increasingly important to make the customer a partner in our daily business processes, and to achieve this, we needed a 360-degree view of our customers - which our non-integrated systems couldn't deliver.”
Ashley Regenass, CEO, Synergy Group, says Konica Minolta explained that it had become important to equip all employees with as much information as possible to empower them to make quick, informed decisions in line with company goals. After evaluating several systems, Accpac ERP 500 5.5 emerged as the product of choice and, based on their knowledge of the industry and an excellent track record, Synergy Group as the implementation partner of choice.
While still in its early stages, Accpac ERP 500 5.5 is already delivering benefits. These include:
Keith Fenner, Sales Director, Softline Accpac, concludes that Accpac ERP 500 5.5 is part of Softline Accpac's Extended Enterprise Suite and includes integrated CRM and BI. “The suite combines the benefits of ERP and CRM to support integrated front and back-office business processes and workflow. This, together with the embedded BI, will improve Konica Minolta's decision-making abilities by providing insight into what is happening within the business, enhancing collaboration between departments, and facilitating improved customer relationships by providing employees with a complete and consistent view of the customer.”
Konica Minolta Business Solutions Bloemfontein has selected Accpac ERP 500 5.5 financial and distribution modules, including serialised inventory and CRM, from Softline Accpac, to streamline operations at its Bloemfontein branch. Synergy Group was responsible for the implementation.
Konica Minolta Bloemfontein is the principal distributor of the innovative and award-winning Konica Minolta range of Bizhub digital copiers, laser printers and fax machines. The company's vision is to be recognised as the complete business solution provider of choice, and this is supported by a mission to create the most recognised brand while building lasting business relationships.
Ronald Rens, IT and Engineering Solutions Manager, Konica Minolta Bloemfontein, explains that the company had been operating off three separate software systems to run the three departments within the organisation. These included a CRM system, a front office system, and an ERP system. While the set-up functioned well, the systems used different database structures, which made integration very challenging. “Our daily cash flow reports were generated with second-hand information and more time than necessary was spent balancing the ERP with the service manager program. Much time and resources were also spent on manually linking data and balancing the three systems. This was unproductive and costly.”
In addition, Rens says that on a CRM level, the sales teams had no access to live data and communication channels were non-existent. With a commitment to superior relationship marketing, the need arose to have access to timeous information and the current, non-integrated systems could not deliver this. “It became increasingly important to make the customer a partner in our daily business processes, and to achieve this, we needed a 360-degree view of our customers - which our non-integrated systems couldn't deliver.”
Ashley Regenass, CEO, Synergy Group, says Konica Minolta explained that it had become important to equip all employees with as much information as possible to empower them to make quick, informed decisions in line with company goals. After evaluating several systems, Accpac ERP 500 5.5 emerged as the product of choice and, based on their knowledge of the industry and an excellent track record, Synergy Group as the implementation partner of choice.
While still in its early stages, Accpac ERP 500 5.5 is already delivering benefits. These include:
- A centralised ordering structure.
- Daily on-hand cash flow and financial reports.
- Improved control of business processes.
- Improved communication in departments using CRM.
Keith Fenner, Sales Director, Softline Accpac, concludes that Accpac ERP 500 5.5 is part of Softline Accpac's Extended Enterprise Suite and includes integrated CRM and BI. “The suite combines the benefits of ERP and CRM to support integrated front and back-office business processes and workflow. This, together with the embedded BI, will improve Konica Minolta's decision-making abilities by providing insight into what is happening within the business, enhancing collaboration between departments, and facilitating improved customer relationships by providing employees with a complete and consistent view of the customer.”
Synergy Group Give liquorish.co.za a New Twist
[Published on IT Web: 26 August 2009] -
Online retailer liquorish.co.za, a subsidiary of Telesure Investment Holdings, has selected Accpac ERP 500 5.5, from Softline Accpac, to improve its business processes, with the aim of delivering an enhanced shopping experience to its customers and laying a foundation for positive future growth.
Daniella Morrison-Jones, Financial Executive, liquorish.co.za, explained that the project was implemented within an extremely tight time frame and Synergy Group was responsible for the implementation. “The decision to implement Accpac ERP came on the back of our holding company already using this software, so we were familiar with the product and its benefits. The tricky part came in when we told Accpac that our current systems were being shut down in two weeks, and we therefore needed the Accpac ERP up and running in the same time. The deadline was met and we went live mid-May.”
At the heart of the improved functionality from which liquorish.co.za will be benefiting is the core operational modules of Accpac ERP (inventory control, order entry and purchase orders). Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group, explains that these streamline the order fulfilment process so the business delivers every time. “The order entry and purchase order modules offer the most flexibility in the way transactions can be processed, while the inventory control module allows liquorish.co.za to manage thousands of items and create flexible price lists. They even have the option of determining how and when inventory costing is performed.”
Keith Fenner, Sales Director, Softline Accpac, says Accpac ERP is an advanced application built on a multi-tiered, object-oriented architecture. ”Accpac ERP lets you choose the solutions and configurations that work best for you - the applications, the database, the deployment options and languages, the network environment or operating system, and the add-on software developed by Accpac or one of our network of independent industry experts. The functionality in Accpac ERP 5.5 will undoubtedly help liquorish.co.za operate more efficiently and allow the company to focus on growing its business the right way.”
He concludes that Accpac ERP 500 5.5 is part of Softline Accpac's Extended Enterprise Suite and includes integrated customer relationship management (CRM) and business intelligence (BI).
“The suite combines the benefits of ERP and CRM to support integrated front and back-office business processes and workflow. This, together with the embedded BI, will improve liquorish.co.za's decision-making abilities by providing insight into what is happening within the business, enhancing collaboration between departments, and facilitating improved customer relationships by providing employees with a complete and consistent view of the customer.”
Online retailer liquorish.co.za, a subsidiary of Telesure Investment Holdings, has selected Accpac ERP 500 5.5, from Softline Accpac, to improve its business processes, with the aim of delivering an enhanced shopping experience to its customers and laying a foundation for positive future growth.
Daniella Morrison-Jones, Financial Executive, liquorish.co.za, explained that the project was implemented within an extremely tight time frame and Synergy Group was responsible for the implementation. “The decision to implement Accpac ERP came on the back of our holding company already using this software, so we were familiar with the product and its benefits. The tricky part came in when we told Accpac that our current systems were being shut down in two weeks, and we therefore needed the Accpac ERP up and running in the same time. The deadline was met and we went live mid-May.”
At the heart of the improved functionality from which liquorish.co.za will be benefiting is the core operational modules of Accpac ERP (inventory control, order entry and purchase orders). Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group, explains that these streamline the order fulfilment process so the business delivers every time. “The order entry and purchase order modules offer the most flexibility in the way transactions can be processed, while the inventory control module allows liquorish.co.za to manage thousands of items and create flexible price lists. They even have the option of determining how and when inventory costing is performed.”
Keith Fenner, Sales Director, Softline Accpac, says Accpac ERP is an advanced application built on a multi-tiered, object-oriented architecture. ”Accpac ERP lets you choose the solutions and configurations that work best for you - the applications, the database, the deployment options and languages, the network environment or operating system, and the add-on software developed by Accpac or one of our network of independent industry experts. The functionality in Accpac ERP 5.5 will undoubtedly help liquorish.co.za operate more efficiently and allow the company to focus on growing its business the right way.”
He concludes that Accpac ERP 500 5.5 is part of Softline Accpac's Extended Enterprise Suite and includes integrated customer relationship management (CRM) and business intelligence (BI).
“The suite combines the benefits of ERP and CRM to support integrated front and back-office business processes and workflow. This, together with the embedded BI, will improve liquorish.co.za's decision-making abilities by providing insight into what is happening within the business, enhancing collaboration between departments, and facilitating improved customer relationships by providing employees with a complete and consistent view of the customer.”
Kelvin Power Leaps Light Years Ahead with Accpac ERP 500
[Published on IT Web: 2 July 2009] -
Kelvin Power, a privately owned power station, has implemented Accpac ERP 500 and is now reaping the benefits of improved workflow and industry best practices.
David Rink, Financial Manager of Kelvin Power, says "since implementing this leading Accpac solution, the business has consistently met its targets."
Softline Accpac business partner Synergy Group led the implementation of the system at Kelvin Power. CEO Ashley Regenass explains that the 600MW facility, situated in Kempton Park, Gauteng, supplies power to City Power for the Johannesburg grid. The plant contains 13 turbines, 18 boilers and a great deal of auxiliary equipment, which results in it being a complex plant to operate and maintain. “As an existing user of Accpac for debtors, creditors and general ledger, Kelvin Power concluded that it needed a solution that would incorporate procurement and inventory control. This is when we demonstrated how powerful the Purchasing Workflow for Accpac, developed by Pacific Technologies, could be for approving purchase requisitions and ensuring purchases were made within budget. Purchasing Workflow provides an easy-to-use requisitioning program and a powerful, configurable workflow engine that supports many of the workflows and controls that Kelvin needed.”
The Purchasing Workflow and Funds Availability modules have ensured that funds are spent in accordance with Kelvin Power's overall business plan. The business plan has been broken down into individual budgets, which have been loaded into Accpac. The culture of the company has also changed, as everyone is now aware of the importance of proper planning and expenditure control.
Since implementing Accpac, Kelvin Power has been in a position where it is consistently within its expenditure targets.
“The current system is also providing a platform to make further improvements by implementing more modules. The company has recently added Advanced Remittance, which it has found to be very powerful. Integrating Internal Issues with Workflow, which will include optimising and automating inventory purchases, is in the pipeline and, in the future, Kelvin Power will consider implementing the Project Management Module and the Maintenance Module,” adds Regenass.
Kelvin Power had been working with and receiving good service from Synergy Group for many years and was again impressed by the speed at which the Accpac upgrade was completed. The upgrade gave the business the opportunity to implement best practices to ensure complete transparency for every transaction.
It was, however, the daily interaction between the Synergy Group and Kelvin Power project managers that Rink believes was a critical factor in the success of the implementation. “Experts were called in when required and solid project management brought all the aspects of this project together seamlessly. Training proved to be one of the biggest challenges as our number of Accpac users increased to more than 60, with about 40 of these responsible for controlling budgets. To manage the change, an easy-to-use, comprehensive manual was created and distributed to all users, and this manual was regularly updated with new knowledge and developments.”
Keith Fenner, Sales Director, Softline Accpac, says Accpac ERP 500 is a comprehensive web-based business management solution with powerful financial and operations management, e-business and customisation capabilities. Built on a solid, multi-tiered, open architecture, Accpac 500 supports unlimited users and offered Kelvin Power an easy upgrade path from its other Accpac editions. Accpac 500 offers advanced inventory, purchasing, and order management with up to 10GL account segments, unlimited account structures, 99 years of financial history, and the ability to manage an unlimited number of concurrent users and companies.
Kelvin Power, a privately owned power station, has implemented Accpac ERP 500 and is now reaping the benefits of improved workflow and industry best practices.
David Rink, Financial Manager of Kelvin Power, says "since implementing this leading Accpac solution, the business has consistently met its targets."
Softline Accpac business partner Synergy Group led the implementation of the system at Kelvin Power. CEO Ashley Regenass explains that the 600MW facility, situated in Kempton Park, Gauteng, supplies power to City Power for the Johannesburg grid. The plant contains 13 turbines, 18 boilers and a great deal of auxiliary equipment, which results in it being a complex plant to operate and maintain. “As an existing user of Accpac for debtors, creditors and general ledger, Kelvin Power concluded that it needed a solution that would incorporate procurement and inventory control. This is when we demonstrated how powerful the Purchasing Workflow for Accpac, developed by Pacific Technologies, could be for approving purchase requisitions and ensuring purchases were made within budget. Purchasing Workflow provides an easy-to-use requisitioning program and a powerful, configurable workflow engine that supports many of the workflows and controls that Kelvin needed.”
The Purchasing Workflow and Funds Availability modules have ensured that funds are spent in accordance with Kelvin Power's overall business plan. The business plan has been broken down into individual budgets, which have been loaded into Accpac. The culture of the company has also changed, as everyone is now aware of the importance of proper planning and expenditure control.
Since implementing Accpac, Kelvin Power has been in a position where it is consistently within its expenditure targets.
“The current system is also providing a platform to make further improvements by implementing more modules. The company has recently added Advanced Remittance, which it has found to be very powerful. Integrating Internal Issues with Workflow, which will include optimising and automating inventory purchases, is in the pipeline and, in the future, Kelvin Power will consider implementing the Project Management Module and the Maintenance Module,” adds Regenass.
Kelvin Power had been working with and receiving good service from Synergy Group for many years and was again impressed by the speed at which the Accpac upgrade was completed. The upgrade gave the business the opportunity to implement best practices to ensure complete transparency for every transaction.
It was, however, the daily interaction between the Synergy Group and Kelvin Power project managers that Rink believes was a critical factor in the success of the implementation. “Experts were called in when required and solid project management brought all the aspects of this project together seamlessly. Training proved to be one of the biggest challenges as our number of Accpac users increased to more than 60, with about 40 of these responsible for controlling budgets. To manage the change, an easy-to-use, comprehensive manual was created and distributed to all users, and this manual was regularly updated with new knowledge and developments.”
Keith Fenner, Sales Director, Softline Accpac, says Accpac ERP 500 is a comprehensive web-based business management solution with powerful financial and operations management, e-business and customisation capabilities. Built on a solid, multi-tiered, open architecture, Accpac 500 supports unlimited users and offered Kelvin Power an easy upgrade path from its other Accpac editions. Accpac 500 offers advanced inventory, purchasing, and order management with up to 10GL account segments, unlimited account structures, 99 years of financial history, and the ability to manage an unlimited number of concurrent users and companies.
Synergy Group to take Southern Africa Trust into the Future with Accpac ERP 200 5.5
[Published on IT Web: 9 June 2009] -
Independent, non-profit organisation Southern Africa Trust has selected Accpac ERP 200 5.5, from Softline Accpac, to enable it to meet its growing organisational needs. The software will be implemented with the expertise of Accpac business partner Synergy Group.
Neville Gabriel, Executive Director of Southern Africa Trust, explains that the organisation is a regional agency that supports deeper and wider regional policy engagement to overcome poverty in southern Africa. In so doing, the organisation's overall aim is for the poor to have a better say in shaping such policies. This is achieved directly and indirectly through strategies such as capacity building, policy dialogue, evidence-based advocacy, the creation of enabling environments, and the provision of grants to civil society organisations, which represent the interests of the poor and are focused on regional poverty-reduction policy work.
“Mindful of the trust's rapid growth, we recognised the need for a system that would enable us to generate timely and reliable management reports and better control and management of our procurement system. We also needed a versatile accounting package that could integrate our grant management and payroll systems without disrupting the workflow. Given the size of our organisation, Accpac ERP 200 5.5 became the right choice. It is a well-crafted system that has been customised to meet our needs. We are, therefore, confident that the software will keep up with our sustained growth and financial accounting needs,” says Gabriel.
Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group, says "Accpac ERP 200 5.5 offers user-defined account group capabilities and support for up to four GL segments, which means it can accommodate up to 20 concurrent users, and there is no restriction on the number of companies that can be managed."
Southern Africa Trust has also purchased Project and Job Costing, an Accpac module, which is focused on project costing requirements. As the organisation executes projects on a continuous basis, with this functionality it will now be able to specifically account at a project level. Accpac ERP 5.5 also comes with free business intelligence (BI), an entry-level solution powered by Alchemex.
“It was obvious that Accpac ERP 200 5.5 was the ideal fit for this customer. The system offers powerful analysis and reporting tools, a complete accounting feature set, and operations management capabilities, as well as an easy upgrade path to accommodate growth,” says Regenass.
Keith Fenner, Sales Director of Softline Accpac, says Southern Africa Trust will get instant integration, flexible deployment options, and unmatched investment protection out of Accpac ERP 200 5.5. “All Accpac ERP editions are built on the same world-class, object oriented, multi-tiered architecture, making them highly-customisable and scalable. Accpac ERP 200 is designed from the ground up to meet the demanding needs of diverse business environments.”
Independent, non-profit organisation Southern Africa Trust has selected Accpac ERP 200 5.5, from Softline Accpac, to enable it to meet its growing organisational needs. The software will be implemented with the expertise of Accpac business partner Synergy Group.
Neville Gabriel, Executive Director of Southern Africa Trust, explains that the organisation is a regional agency that supports deeper and wider regional policy engagement to overcome poverty in southern Africa. In so doing, the organisation's overall aim is for the poor to have a better say in shaping such policies. This is achieved directly and indirectly through strategies such as capacity building, policy dialogue, evidence-based advocacy, the creation of enabling environments, and the provision of grants to civil society organisations, which represent the interests of the poor and are focused on regional poverty-reduction policy work.
“Mindful of the trust's rapid growth, we recognised the need for a system that would enable us to generate timely and reliable management reports and better control and management of our procurement system. We also needed a versatile accounting package that could integrate our grant management and payroll systems without disrupting the workflow. Given the size of our organisation, Accpac ERP 200 5.5 became the right choice. It is a well-crafted system that has been customised to meet our needs. We are, therefore, confident that the software will keep up with our sustained growth and financial accounting needs,” says Gabriel.
Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group, says "Accpac ERP 200 5.5 offers user-defined account group capabilities and support for up to four GL segments, which means it can accommodate up to 20 concurrent users, and there is no restriction on the number of companies that can be managed."
Southern Africa Trust has also purchased Project and Job Costing, an Accpac module, which is focused on project costing requirements. As the organisation executes projects on a continuous basis, with this functionality it will now be able to specifically account at a project level. Accpac ERP 5.5 also comes with free business intelligence (BI), an entry-level solution powered by Alchemex.
“It was obvious that Accpac ERP 200 5.5 was the ideal fit for this customer. The system offers powerful analysis and reporting tools, a complete accounting feature set, and operations management capabilities, as well as an easy upgrade path to accommodate growth,” says Regenass.
Keith Fenner, Sales Director of Softline Accpac, says Southern Africa Trust will get instant integration, flexible deployment options, and unmatched investment protection out of Accpac ERP 200 5.5. “All Accpac ERP editions are built on the same world-class, object oriented, multi-tiered architecture, making them highly-customisable and scalable. Accpac ERP 200 is designed from the ground up to meet the demanding needs of diverse business environments.”
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