Tag: ERP

The complex nature of the shipping and logistics industry combined with the fierce competition that exists in this sector brings unique challenges to the small and medium-sized operators. This makes it imperative that freight forwarding firms, non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs), custom house agents, international freight brokers, shipping agents and cargo agents streamline their multifarious business operations to remain competitive. Deploying the right ERP system dedicated to logistics and freight forwarding can help firms efficiently realign and scale up their activities whilst being adaptable to the rapidly changing regulatory environment.

Whilst an ERP framework can go a long way in helping you integrate diverse business and operational functions, choosing an ideal freight forwarding software that allows you to manage, access, and share information coming from and going into various departments is not easy. Before planning and deploying an ERP system, it is important that businesses analyse their potential keeping the following factors in mind:-

Integration of all operational and accounting elements within a single platform

The most important factor to consider is the degree of integration your ERP allows. For instance, a small and medium-sized freight forwarding agent who uses different applications to manage functions, including freight management, customs brokerage, documentation, container tracking, shipment tracking and compliance services would benefit more if all the applications are integrated into a single master application based on Tally ERP 9 platform. This customised Tally solution makes the operation more efficient, cost effective and provides the owner with real-time visibility of in-bound/out-bound shipments and their corresponding payables/receivables.

Avoiding duplication due to centralization of multi-branch tasks

The second parameter to consider is to what extent the ERP system allows the centralization of key multi-branch tasks. Consider each branch of a multi-location shipping agency using a separate business accounting application. This will result in disconnected pools of data independent to each other causing unnecessary delay, disruption and data re-keying whereas the business owner needs real-time business and operations data monitoring. On the other hand, if the same agency decides to partner with a Tally services provider and deploy a centralized software application, it has a greater predictability of its operations. Since this scenario allows the master application to read, write and edit data to and fro from each of the branch offices, it helps business owners track shipment-wise payment, performance, profitability and outstanding details.

Enhanced financial control and greater visibility

The ERP system that you choose to implement should provide a greater financial control by cross-integrating data from operational tasks and data from actual transactions. The system should allow the owner to calculate the expected profit per shipment and then compare it to the shipment’s actual cost and profit (using the data from transactions, receivables, payables and brokerage expenses). This helps the owner to track each jobs profitability which in turn can help them to focus on future shipments/jobs that have a greater profitability ratio.

Quick information access, report generation, and data archiving

Information reporting, data archiving and data storage are all important aspects of the logistics and shipping business. The ERP system should be able to generate and archive reports, including balance sheets, shipping-related MIS reports, packing lists, purchase orders and multiple invoices for different chain partners and quotations. Furthermore, cargo documents, including Cargo Arrival Advice (CAA), Cargo Arrival Notice (CAN), Delivery Order (DO) and House Bill of Lading (HBL) should be directly generated from the application. This helps business owners not only to retrieve but send these documents directly from the system to the logistical chain partners.

By SAP, we mean Systems Applications and Products in Data Processing. Designing and development of this platform was done during 1970s as standards based software alternative to custom built ERP software, SAP has grown a long way since. SAP has taken the forefront of ERP business software ever since. ERP product development can be possible through SAP and can be used by companies to manage their enterprise. This can include managing their day to day operations, finance, logistics, quarter end, month end, annual activities, HR, reporting etc. Although, there may be certain ERP vendors who would do the same, the key difference for SAP lies in the way that is easier to use and at the same time it gets sophisticated for including all activities that are necessary for proper management of a business enterprise.

In almost all industries, youll find that SAP ERP is expert to customize and accomplish both mid scaled and large business software needs. Entrepreneurs need SAP integration software for meeting the requirements of their company. The departmental and operational classifications structurally remain designed by SAP. These can include SAP ERP Logistics, SAP ERP human resource management, and SAP ERP Logistics.

You must make sure that enterprise application software modules that are needed for SAP implementation are supplied from same vendor. Additionally to this, your firm should install the expert system. Users are facilitated for integration of different modules. These features can be obtained through SAP implementation methodology that can surely provide simple treatment to business website on the internet. Having an experienced, professional, and intellectual SAP consultant, mid-scaled businesses can simply opt for SAP ERP systems heavy grade integration for grasping simple customization features.

SAP implementation, more importantly, is helpful for data processing to simplifying business management, process automation solutions and other processes. SAP stands for System Applications and Products providing management process. Different individual modules can be available that you must purchase.

SAP Sharepoint is another collaboration tool for Microsoft that links and empowers business owners with its integrated set of features.

You get better search abilities and can easily enable users to deliver quick response for changing business needs by making data driven decisions and deploying customized solutions.

It can lower maintenance and training costs and does increase productivity.

This statement really reflect its real capabilities.

Managing content becomes easy with information lifecycle.

Large enterprises got increased complexity over the time often resulting in fragile and inflexible systems. Retaining business agility in a world of mobile internet, SaaS, API, enterprise service integration can be crucial. Businesses get higher which enables better decisions with accurate information when needed.

Business process management platform is viable enterprise technology in the current demanding marketplace. You look in for many factors in business process management to make sure that you get the right solutions for your business.

Businesses operate 24×7 online with the help of portable internet devices. So, SAP mobile application lets you easily handle many tasks that help your business. SAP integration has been proved great for data processing to simplify business solutions, management and other enterprise processes.

In comparing to other ERP and Small and Midsize Business Accounting applications, SB1 is more flexible and where traditional system may require programmer to code the custom logic and then integrate it with existing user interface and the database – SAP BO may have this custom logic to be easily set up in User Defined Tables and User Defined Fields, and SAP B1 software developers already supplied simple user interface to work with newly created objects, let’s us show you how. We will be assuming that you are on SAB BO version 2007A, international version 2007B should be the same if you translate our article to you local language, and if you are on SB1 2005A/B, you should be able to find the same functionality in slightly different menu paths:

1.OK, let’s assume that you need few new fields to be associated with Business Partner, such as Statement Type: email or mail. You will need new field on the Business Master table, the field should be named Statement Method, it should be Drop Down List with two options: Email and Mail. Please, open Tools->User Defined Tools->User Defined Fields-Management. Expand Master Data, Business Partner, highlight it and click add button at the bottom of the form. Name the field Statement Method, give appropriate description, alphanumeric, Structure: regular, mark Set Valid Values for the Field and click new to create Email and Mail options in this new DDL. Now, open Business Partner and pull out existing customer, for example. in Menu: View->User Defined-Fields and you should notice that New Small Windows is now open to the right of the Business Partner Master Data window, here you may select Email or Mail from DDL, when you will click on OK (or Add, if you are adding new Business Partner/Customer), Statement Method will be saved together with the regular Business Partner info. For those of you who are IT people or Software Developers, please click on View->System Information and then place your cursor over new field – you will see that it is created in OCRD table (Business Partner Master Table)

2.Let’s come out on the fresh air and between us, who are Corporate ERP consultants discuss, what we just saw. In other more traditional Corporate ERP, MRP, CRM, Sales Order Processing systems, etc., this is legitimate so-called “customization”, where programming is required or at least recommended. SAP Business One does the job in out-of-the-box install with five minutes long setup procedure. Please, relax and expect more surprises, let’s move on to new custom table creation

3.User Defined Tables. Tools->Customization Tools->User Defined Tables Setup, here give it the name, description, and select No Object if the table will be stand alone, or select Master Data if it is supposed to be linked to Master Data table, or Master Data Rows (in you plan to link it to Business Partner Address, which is Master Data Row classified table), Document (if you plan to link it to AR Invoice, or other legitimate document header), or Document Rows (if you plan to link it to AR Invoice Inventory Item or Service Line, for example). In our example, let’s try to be moderate and give you just simple example, we would like to create Non-Inventory Item Monthly Cost table, which is No Object. Give it the name, description, and then Tools-> Customization Tools->User Defined Fields Management, expand User Tables, highlight Non Inventory Item Monthly Cost and click Add: Add Year, Month and Cost fields (feel free to apply your judging on the type). Now, let’s enter the rows into newly defined table. User Defined Windows, select your newly created table and feel free to enter data there. Small comment, SB1 designers looks like were trying to make our life easier, so the created two mandatory fields: Code and Name, we recommend you to enter unique values there

4.SAP Business One Executive Demo or technical presentation. Via Web Session and Phone Conference you can request this service being USA, Canada Nationwide, in Europe, Brazil, Latin America and Internationally

5.Second Opinion on SB1 implementation or modules selection. This service is popular if your local SB1 reseller failed in challenging implementation, when you have to do complex Data Conversion, Integration to Legacy Systems, including Lotus Notes, Oracle Custom DB, legacy ecommerce

6.SAP B1 as Publicly Traded Multinational Corporation local branch ERP. SB1 licensing is relatively cheap and considering the fact that it is localized (translated to local languages in the majority of the countries: Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Israel, Russia, China, to begin the long list; plus it is certified with foreign countries tax agencies). Special considerations to the customers, where their corporate ERP is not localized in the overseas branches. Good example is Dynamics GP Great Plains, it is only supported in USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Arabic countries, Spanish Speaking Latin America and English Speaking South East Asia. If you have Dynamics GP Great Plains as your Corporate ERP in USA or Canada, please consider SAP Business One in such country as Brazil, Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, etc., for your local branch with GL or even full data consolidation to Dynamics GP via Great Plains Integration Manager. SAP Business One allows simple data export to Microsoft Excel, or you can do exported data marking on SB1 SQL DB level

7.How to get help? Please, call us: 1-866-528-0577,

The definition of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) in 90s included finance, human resources, order management and manufacturing. Because of todays high level competition in businesses, customer satisfaction have gained top priority in everyones mind. However, today ERP is referred as a technology strategy that joins a set of business functions, such as finance, HR and purchasing, with operational aspects, such as manufacturing or distribution, through tight linkages from operational business transactions to financial records. Its a widespread idea that executing ERP improves efficiency and provides a transparent view on productivity and growth. An enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution checks your business software that has been designed to record and manage your enterprise data.

Advantages of a well-planned ERP

A good ERP strategy must include potential vendors, business processes, business requirements, business goals, deployment strategy, business and technical architecture. ERP is considered as the backbone of a businesss operations and the primary system-of-record.

1. Combination of all business processes

To understand a well implemented ERP system, it must combine all aspects of your business from customer, to planning and scheduling, till the production and distribution of the products that you make.

2. Increases overall performance

Applying an ERP solution will check that the routine reporting work of employees at all levels are reduced. It also helps your companys management to understand their workforce in a better manner from analyzing individual performance through different business sites to visualizing the overall performance of an entire operating zone. Hence, it helps organizations to take strategic decisions as well.

3. Operational efficiency

If your business is small with less than 50 employees, then it is easier for you to manage, control and track things. But, when the business multiplies and you have an employee strength of more than 1000 employees, it becomes difficult to maintain and control workforce, different processes and procedures. Implementing an ERP solution could help businesses update variety of processes, log them and track them on an hourly basis. In addition, it increases productivity and profitability thereby reducing operating and overhead expenses.

4. Improves accuracy and consistency

In organizations where different departments are not properly integrated, information is inconsistent and sometime inaccurate. The views of every department might vary and hence, the information that they provide the manager will also be different. This hints to confusions and wrong decisions being made. Implementing an ERP solution will make sure that all information is maintained and managed in a consistent manner across the departments.

5. Quality Reports and Performance Analysis

Analysis on ERP will allow you to produce financial and meeting room quality reports, as well as to conduct analysis on the performance of your organization. Overall, ERP solutions work as an excellent information tool especially for medium and large businesses, for better decision making and accomplishing required goals. Hence, its a must for every growing business.