While this year’s event is all about preparing for and embracing the future, we’ve taken a quick look back to see what our past Aspire attendees have found most valuable about the conference and what would be the Top 10 Reasons to attend Aspire 2010:

10.  A variety of sessions focused on empowering you as a person and as a professional

“It is nice to have a conference that includes messages that promote better business and life.” – Kathy McCord, Liberty Savings Bank

9.  Opportunity to meet and interact with Socius staff

“It’s especially nice to have the opportunity to interact with our Socius “family” when we are often too busy to touch base with you on a regular basis.  You have a great crew!”  -Gwen Ross, School Employees Retirement System

8.  A terrific location and amazing food

“I thought the conference center was a great place to hold your event as they were so welcoming.” – Missy Anderson, ELK Promotions

“Lunch was TOO good!” – Kristy Spire, Grand Aerie FOE

7.  Networking opportunities with other software users and members of the business community who you can share experiences and tips with

“Talking to other people to learn about them, their business, etc. – Networking and seeing others who use similar products was the most valuable part of Aspire for me.”  – Takasi Sibuya, Riverain Medical Group

6.  Learn more about third-party products that can enhance your solution directly from the people who know them best – our Independent Software Vendor (ISV) sponsors

“Talking to ISVs about our needs was very valuable.  Thanks for bringing them in.  I had no idea these option were available.” – Kathy Grove (Shephard), OPERS

5.  Real-life examples of how businesses like yours are leveraging technology to accelerate their growth and profitability

“I valued meeting all the various [software] users and learning how businesses are integrating the various applications.”  – Diana Louiso, Horan Associates, Inc.

4.  An inspiring and relevant keynote address that is meant to help you succeed in work and life

“I felt the speaker was truly wonderful.  It got me motivated and excited for the remainder of the day.  I also felt enthusiastic to take this information all back and motivate the rest of my team.”  – Missy Anderson, ELK Promotions

3.  Roadmap presentations to help you understand the future direction of our Microsoft and Sage solutions – presented by the software company executives

“I really valued the roadmap review.  It was extremely helpful to see where [the software company] is heading.” – Jennifer Lunsford, Unifund

2.  Expert presenters that are excited about the information

“[The presenters] were very prepared and enthusiastic and gave very helpful tips.”  – Donald Lapp, St. Luke Lutheran Community

“I enjoyed these sessions and the presenters were very informative and presented the messages very well.  I can take some of the things I’ve learned and apply these tools to my job function.”  – Tannisha Kendrick, R.C. Olmstead, Inc.

1.  One day designed to equip and excite you to find greater success in work and life

“Aspire has not only helped my business move forward…but has helped me move forward as a professional as well…I took away more from this conference than any other, anywhere.” – Bob Wright, ELK Promotions

Learn More about Aspire 2010 or…

People around the world have cast their votes by choosing Microsoft Dynamics GP and are using it to enhance their business’ operations and financial management every day.

So, what makes Microsoft Dynamics GP “The People’s Choice” for their businesses? 

We asked five of our clients what motivated them to chose Microsoft Dynamics GP and how their choice has affected their business.  Here are their responses:

Built for People to Easily Adopt and Adapt to

Erie Shipbuilding, a manufacturer of ship in Erie, PA, understood that the interoperability between Microsoft Office Excel and Microsoft Dynamics GP would help speed adaption and help users in accounting and business management functions to be more productive.

“To support the sophisticated project management and accounting required by our growing business, we turned to Microsoft Dynamics GP,” says Kenneth Boothe, Jr., Program Manager for Erie Shipbuilding. “With Microsoft Dynamics GP, we can actually see expended labor hours per task on a project.  This has helped us distribute our workload in a much more manageable way.”

Helps People Access the Right Information

“We really needed an application that could slice and dice the operations.  We have an awful lot of stakeholders we have to please including 110 different public funders, several hundred individuals and a couple of dozen private insurance companies,” says Tom Browne, CFO for Wingspan/Bellefaire JCB, a not-for-profit organization in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Wingspan implemented Microsoft Dynamics GP business intelligence solutions including Business Portal and began monitoring divisional targets using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).  Because each program is unique, it is difficult for Wingspan to implement a centralized performance measurement system.  Customized views using Business Portal allow individual program managers to track the information most relevant to them.

Maintains Microsoft’s “People-Ready” Reputation

BioStorage Technologies, an Indiana-based Biopharma Services company, recognized that it would have to invest in smart technology to streamline their billing process.  “A goal of the project was to ensure that our customers received accurate, timely invoicing supported by a transparent, secure and easily maintainable database,” says Mike Reffeitt, Vice President of Global Finance and Human Resources. 

“We certainly were aware of the reputation of Microsoft Business Solutions, and as we evaluated the Microsoft Dynamics GP product, we knew it would work well for us.  The time savings were immediate and significant.  We now have one person preparing our invoices.  From start to finish it takes about a week.  Without Microsoft Dynamics GP, it would easily take four to five people all month to complete the process…We’ve achieved our goal – our customers are pleased.”

SQL Integrations Enable People to Focus on Growing Revenue

“[Microsoft] offers a powerful integrated ERP, project accounting, manufacturing and CRM solution with a SQL database,” said Jean Ockuly, Vice President of Finance for Neundorfer, Inc., a Clean Tech company in Northeast Ohio. 

By utilizing the Microsoft SQL Server, Neundorfer no longer needs to spend up to 8 hours each week creating the company’s most vital report.  Now they can monitor cash flow, projections, total backlog and other key performance indicators in real time. 

Partnering with the Right People to Maximize the Benefits of the Software

LPK, an international design and branding agency in Cincinnati, Ohio, had narrowed their ERP system search down to three finalists.

“Any of the systems could have worked for us, so we turned our focus to the partner relationship and network of users that would be available for each of these finalists,” says John Keller, Financial Services Manager.  “Socius impressed us from the very start.  Their process-focused approach to the project assured us they were best able to deliver a long-term software solution and make the switch a successful one.”

Socius implemented an integrated solution for the company utilizing the Project Management component of Microsoft Dynamics GP.  Keller is confident that LPK made the right choice – both in the software it selected and the business partner who implemented the software.

“With the support of Socius, this solution provides us with unlimited abilities to measure, report and act on accurate and timely data…Socius has an amazing team that has succeeded on every request for integration – this is key to maximizing the software’s capability.” 

If you are like LPK and are looking for some help determining which ERP solution would be the right choice for the people in your organization, request a free business strategy assessment from Socius!

SaaS is your best bet if you…

• Do not employ internal IT staff or if you can’t maintain the hardware needed to support on-premise software.
• Would benefit from a short implementation time-frame and solution that is available to you whenever your business is ready for the solution.
• Prefer a monthly software fee rather than a large upfront investment.

On the flip side, On-Premise is a good choice if you…

• Require a variety of customizations in order for your CRM system to support your business strategies.
• Have data access needs that require two-way integrations with other applications (like your accounting system or ERP solution).
• Want to reap the long-term cost benefits of recouping your upfront software and implementation costs through the systems benefits.
• Have access to an IT staff and the hardware to support the system.

To get some help assessing your business needs to see if SaaS or On-Premise CRM is right for you, request a complimentary business strategy review from Socius.

Remember, whether you select hosted CRM or on-premise, the best long-term solution for your growing business is to choose a CRM software with a flexible deployment.  Both Ohio Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Sage SalesLogix CRM allow you to switch between on-premise and hosted deployments as your business needs develop and change.

In our previous post, “What a Difference a Partner Makes – Part 2,” we provided some bullet points of how engaging an effective software partner can help you get employee buy-in throughout the implementation process and beyond.    We have a perfect example of how one company put these concepts into action. 

Here is the story of how Neundorfer, an Ohio Clean Tech consulting and manufacturing company, worked with Socius to engage their employees from the beginning of the software selection process to ensure a successful implementation. 

Software Selection based on Business Requirements

From the time they reached out to Socius for assistance in selecting a new ERP software solution, Neundorfer was already including employees from across the organization in their decision making process.  Socius’ first step in any engagement with a new client is to perform a business requirements assessment.  Neundorfer made people from every department from finance and operations to sales and marketing available for Socius to ask questions and determine what their needs really were so that they could suggest the solution that would fit their business best.  Neundorfer ultimately decided on an integrated Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Dynamics CRM solution that would fit the needs of everyone in the organization. 

“Socius listened, they understood our process, they asked a lot of powerful and good questions and then they came up with a solution.”
- Mike Neundorfer, CEO at Neundorfer

Request a complimentary Business Strategy Assessment by Socius

Review Business Processes as a Team

Prior to jumping into the implementation project, Neundorfer partnered with Socius to complete a comprehensive business process review (BPR) which allowed Socius to work with the staff to identify current business processes and develop best practices going forward.  This review was another opportunity for individuals across the organization to make sure that their day-to-day activities were supporting the goals of the organization efficiently.  Neundorfer saw immediate benefits from the BPR including reduced meeting times which resulted in significant cost savings for the company.

“By involving our entire team in the process, getting their feedback and buy-in, we were able to streamline many operations.”
- Jean Ockuly, VP of Finance at Neundorfer

Internal Training Shows Corporate Ownership

A standard part of Socius’ implementation methodology that Neundorfer participated in is the training of the user community.  For this training, Socius trained the project leadership team and was on-hand to contribute subject matter expertise, however, the general user training was conducted by the project team.  Having the project team lead this training proves to the staff that the leaders are invested in the project and the success of the ERP implementation.  This training also gave the project team and Socius the opportunity to test their assumptions and refine the new processes to ensure that the solution worked as it was intended for all users, allowing them to see how their needs were being addressed by the solution prior to “Go Live.” 

Use Technology to Demonstrate the Value of the Individual

Neundorfer has a large computer monitor hanging prominently in their facility that displays sales figures, backlog volume, production costs, and other current data.  Socius showed Neundorfer how they could use their new Microsoft Dynamics GP solution to extract that data and stream it live to the monitors so that employees could refer to it and see how their work to boost sales and minimize costs is affecting the organization in real-time.

  “Across every department, our staff understands the value they add to the company and the importance of their positions and the work they do. They look for ways to improve our operations, and that leads to better quality for our customers.”
- Jean Ockuly, VP of Finance at Neundorfer

Ongoing Engagement through Ongoing Education

Neundorfer continues to keep their employees plugged-in and up-to-date on the latest tools and resources for Microsoft Dynamics GP by encouraging them to participate in educational opportunities that Socius and Microsoft offer.  GP users from Neundorfer are consistently on Socius’ monthly webinars where they learn tips and tricks to enhance their use of the product and improve their organizations results.  Additionally, Neundorfer sent representatives from every department to Socius’ annual Aspire conference so that everyone in the organization could benefit from the knowledge that the attendees brought back.  By having people from various roles participating in these learning opportunities, it not only keeps the employees engaged in and using the software, but it also keeps the partner more involved and gives Socius more opportunities to help Neundorfer continue to make the most of their Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP software.

To hear from the Neundorfer staff why they chose Microsoft Dynamics GP and Socius, watch this video!

There is no arguing that certain Microsoft Dynamics ERP products serve certain industries more effectively than others. You need only look at the industry lists off of each of the Dynamics product pages on Microsoft’s website to see which industries Microsoft thinks their solutions fit best in.  However, as you can see in the chart below (which Houston referenced in his post as well) there is a tremendous amount of overlap in the products functionality. 

As you can see, all four are equally suited to fit the needs of a 250 employee distributor and manufacturers with 500 employees will receive a comparable experience using Dynamics GP, NAV, or AX.  That is why these other two aspects are of such great importance.

ISVs
As Houston mentioned, there are over 9000 independent software vendors (ISVs) providing customized solutions for Microsoft Dynamics products.  Many of these ISV solutions are industry focused.  Pairing an industry specific ISV solution with a Dynamics product can provide you with the proprietary software experience without the headaches of maintaining and updating a proprietary system. 

Partners
When you are considering a Microsoft Dynamics ERP solution, you are not just shopping for software, but a Microsoft Dynamics Partner as well.  The best way to find a solution that fits your industry is to look for a partner that understands your unique needs and has experience working with other companies in your industry.  

Some partners have either worked with ISVs or developed their own industry specific solutions built on Microsoft Dynamics solutions that they take to market.  Others have consultants on staff with industry expertise that they use to manage the software selection and implementation process to ensure that the right ISVs are engaged and the right solution is crafted for each individual organization.  Regardless of which track your partner goes down, if they have experience serving your industry, they will provide you with references and evidence of their expertise that you can use to assess not only the partner, but also the software solutions they offer.  

Often if you select a Microsoft Dynamics partner that has a great depth of knowledge in your industry, the right software solution for your organization will follow. 

Request a complimentary Business Strategy Assessment from Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Dynamics SL Partner, Socius

• Fast online access – Get started in less than five minutes with either a complimentary trial or paid subscription.  Access your Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online data via the web, through a Microsoft Outlook interface, or from a wide range of mobile devices.
• Simple contact management – Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online offers easy data migration from other systems, a single unified view of customer data, and a new Get Started Pane which delivers guidance, training, and access to Microsoft communities and resources.
• Better sales performance – A new home page dashboard provides real-time views into key metrics that help all members of the sales team prioritize daily tasks.  Ohio Microsoft Dynamics CRM also provides workflow capabilities that ensure customer interaction happens quickly and consistently.
• Better economics – Microsoft has simplified its pricing structure to offer Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for one price of $44 per user per month.  This price includes offline support, 200 custom entities, 200 workflows, and 5 GB of storage.

See these enhancements first hand:
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Service Update: November 2009

Along with this update, Microsoft is offering Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online at no cost for 6 months to existing Salesforce.com and Oracle CRM On Demand customers.  Contact your Ohio Microsoft Dynamics CRM partner, Socius, to learn more about this offer. 

You can also try Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for 30-Days at no cost

Find out how Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online stacks up against Salesforce.com, read our comparison post.

These are basic level tips for Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly Ohio Microsoft Great Plains) users:

Rename SmartList Columns
If you don’t like columns in your SmartList to have names like ATYALLOC, simply rename them.

• Open a SmartList
• Select Columns
• Pick an item in the Display Name column and change the name
• Save it as a Favorite to save changes
   

Impose Order with Multiple Sorts
SmartList lets you sort by clicking on the column title.  To sort by multiple columns:

• Click Search
• Select Order By
• Add columns to search by

Ease Printing with Report Groups
Report groups let you add multiple reports to a group and then print them all at once.  This feature is especially useful for month end reports.

• Select Reports within an area (i.e. Sales Reports)
• Select the Groups option
• Name the Group
• Add Report Options (Report Settings*)
• Run the report

*It is best to use settings like “Beginning of Previous Month” and “End of Previous Month” in the report options; otherwise you have to change all of the dates and it defeats the purpose of creating the group.

For intermediate and advanced SmartList and Reporting tips for Ohio Microsoft Dynamics GP, access the whole presentation.

Aspire Industry Session: Field Service

Date: October 13, 2009
11:45-1:00 p.m.

Location:

The Conference Center at NorthPointe
9243 Columbus Pike
Lewis Center, OH 43035

Socius and FieldPoint would like to introduce you to a solution that makes sure all of the pieces of your service organization are in place for success. Join us for a seminar designed to help you discover the value of using a web-based application for project management, job costing, and field service. By integrating this system with CRM and ERP software, you will see the improvements your sales and delivery teams make in driving revenue and streamlining costly inefficiencies.

Register today to see:

• Microsoft Dynamics GP: A richly featured ERP and business management software solution that allows you to operate and grow your business using powerful yet familiar tools.
• Fieldpoint’s Alert Software: A 100% web-based application for project management, job costing, and field service integrated to Dynamics CRM and GP. See how this integration improves sales and delivery team interactions with customers to drive revenue, and streamline costly service operation inefficiencies.

Registration is complimentary (a $250 value)
Cancellations within 7 days of the event or no-shows will incur a $25 fee.

The Streamlining Professional Services Planning and Execution seminar is taking place during Aspire 2009, Sociusannual conference.

By attending this seminar, you will have access to the entire Aspire conference including an inspirational keynote address on Innovation in a Changing World, networking opportunities with professionals from across the Midwest, and 24 additional breakout sessions on software and business issues. 

Choose a session to attend during Breakout Session 2
Choose a session to attend during Breakout Session 3

Business Ready Flexible Pay allows you to purchase a Microsoft Dynamics solution today that you may not otherwise be able to purchase based on cash flow or budget constraints. Microsoft Dynamics solutions, along with Business Ready Flexible pay, can help you increase business productivity more quickly and realize rapid return on investment.

This offer reduces your upfront investment through predictable and affordable annual payments which can help optimize your cash flow and improve IT budget management. Microsoft is listening to customers and is actively enabling them to preserve capital resources while making strategic investments in their future.

With Business Ready Flexible Pay, you can:

• Get affordable and predictable payments. Manage cash flow and control costs with predictable payments over three years, resulting in ownership of the Microsoft Dynamics software licenses.
• Realize rapid return on investment. Align software expenses with the long-term benefits of your Microsoft Dynamics solution, resulting in rapid return on your investment up front.
• Increase productivity today. Start using a Microsoft Dynamics solution today to increase productivity. Also, enjoy access to the Business Ready Enhancement Plan, which provides the tools and resources you need – product information, downloads, self-support resources, training, and more- to keep your users working efficiently.

Download the Business Ready Flexible Pay Fact Sheet for more information and offer details.

Contact Socius to learn more about purchasing Microsoft Dynamics solutions through Business Ready Flexible Pay.  Products included in this offer: Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics SL, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Dynamics AX, and Microsoft Dynamics NAV.  Offer expires December 23, 2009.

The right ERP solution will manage your reporting, administrative tasks, and financial data so that you can demonstrate a high level of accountability in order to secure funding and focus on the success of your mission.

Why Microsoft Dynamics GP?
Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly Ohio Microsoft Great Plains) is packed with tools to ensure that you adhere to regulations and controls, manage grants and budgets proactively, and improve efficiencies across your accounting processes.

Microsoft Dynamics GP’s financial management tools include:

• Interfund Accounting – Streamline and automate the transfer of balances between funds, eliminating the need to manually reconcile fund accounts.
• Control Account Management – Gain a detailed picture of your financial managing payables control accounts by reporting segments.
• Encumbrance Management – Manage granular control over budget expenditures and monitor encumbered purchases from any point in time.
• Commitments – Enable employees to enter purchase requisitions online and track them as commitments against budgets.
• Grant Management – Manage grants proactively, help ensure accountability to sponsors, and maintain tight control over project and funding success.

In addition, Ohio Microsoft Dynamics GP can benefit your organization by enabling:

• Greater worker productivity – Empower your employees’ effectiveness with a software environment that is comfortable, consistent, and easy to use.
  
• Less duplication and lower potential for errors – Introduce consistent, flexible automation and centralization into all areas of financial management to streamline your efforts, minimize the potential for errors, and eliminate redundant data entry.
• More strategic management – Lighten the load on your financial managers and let them concentrate on critical and strategic tasks with comprehensive reporting and automation capabilities designed with not-for-profits in mind.

Hear what a Not-for-Profit organization thinks of their Ohio Microsoft Dynamics GP solution.

Why Now?
With the economic downturn, your organization is undoubtedly facing a limited availability of funds and increased competition for funding.  By implementing an ERP solution, like Microsoft Dynamics GP, you can secure, track, and report on that funding more efficiently and keep your efforts focused on serving your members and community.

Along with the economic downturn came the Recovery Act which promises stimulus money to organizations like yours!  Those funds can be used on both the software and the implementation services of a new ERP solution.

Microsoft Dynamics GP has made the software solution decision even easier with a special offer just for Not-for-Profit organizations.  When you purchase the Foundation Pack of Microsoft Dynamics GP before December 23, 2009, you get two additional “full-access” users at no cost for a total of 3 system users. 

Contact Socius, an Ohio Dynamics Partner, to learn more about Microsoft Dynamics GP and to learn terms and conditions for the special offer.