Only 15% of ERP users have a BI solution according to a recent survey.
The well respected ERP portal MSDynamicsworld.com has just completed a survey on business software users' attitudes to BI tools. The survey was a success, with 432 respondents offering insight into their desire for improved analytics, challenges in analyzing and reporting Dynamics data, problems with offline spreadsheets, highlighted areas for organizational improvement, and barriers to business intelligence.
Respondents said that huge amounts of data from Dynamics ERP and CRM applications aren’t being used to effectively solve management challenges. Users want more from their data, with over three-quarters saying they need to improve analytical capabilities to stay competitive.
Dynamics users also said they face challenges in making better use of the data, including reliance on technical staff, the time taken to perform this work, and not having the right tools. “Business users have a clear desire to perform analysis themselves, without relying on technical staff, but aren’t sure how to make this a reality,” the survey concluded.
For example, nearly 72% of respondents said they use spreadsheets for analysis and reporting, but problems arise because they are not connected to the original Dynamics data source. The problems include human errors and data accuracy; the integrity of the data with users having multiple ‘versions of the truth’; and the time it takes to extract the data.
The three big areas identified as most affected by a lack of data access are operational efficiency, containing costs, and managing inventory. Not surprisingly, this differed for CRM customers, who focused on sales improvement.
In other results, the survey found only 15% of respondents actually have a business intelligence solution. The main barriers to getting BI include lack of budget, and a belief that BI takes too long to implement and gain a return on investment. Businesses are also worried about working with their IT departments to implement BI; and are concerned that software be user friendly to minimize the reliance on IT.
ZAP Technology's BI tool was developed specifically for Dynamics NAV and includes a wizard which means that deployment takes no more than a few days. Any schedules in NAV can be ported straight into ZAP and, using drag n drop, users can quickly build a series of dashboards which provide focus on what's going right, and wrong, in their business.
Download the ZAP overview at http://www.turnkey-bs.com/p_BS_KPI_Dashboard.aspx
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Fed up receiving emails about non-existent malware? Read on..
If you work in IT, you probably get a bit fed up hearing about supposed viruses which turn out to be nothing but harmless hoaxes. We've all received those emails marked "URGENT" imploring you not to open such and such a message as it will destroy your hard drives, infect everyone in your contact list, cause the PC monitor to explode, ruin your marriage and eat your children (OK, I made up that last bit).
Well, things seem to have just become a wee bit more serious - word from our infrastructure colleagues here at Turnkey is that there is a particularly clever programme circulating across the world at present.This programme takes on many guises such as XP Anti Malware, XP Defender Pro, and about 20 other different names.
They are picking up instances where users systems have been compromised and their anti-virus and internal software firewalls shut down, even where they had a reasonable level of protection in place. So if you haven't been too concerned about potential attacks, think again and take some extra precautions. Now might be a very good time to speak to TIS (Turnkey Infrastructure Solutions to you and I). Not that I want you diverting any of your IT budget away from software to hardware but, if your system is trashed, then nothing will work. So, be safe.
Well, things seem to have just become a wee bit more serious - word from our infrastructure colleagues here at Turnkey is that there is a particularly clever programme circulating across the world at present.This programme takes on many guises such as XP Anti Malware, XP Defender Pro, and about 20 other different names.
They are picking up instances where users systems have been compromised and their anti-virus and internal software firewalls shut down, even where they had a reasonable level of protection in place. So if you haven't been too concerned about potential attacks, think again and take some extra precautions. Now might be a very good time to speak to TIS (Turnkey Infrastructure Solutions to you and I). Not that I want you diverting any of your IT budget away from software to hardware but, if your system is trashed, then nothing will work. So, be safe.
Monday, 8 March 2010
To verticalise or not to verticalise, that is the question.
Most long-term Navision resellers (and we've been with NAV since 1996) will tell you that historically it didn't really matter what the client wanted, we could pull it together in Navision. The development environment was just THAT good. Quick to develop and with such great underlying functionality already in place, nothing very much fazed the NAV reseller. So, when we were all urged to go vertical, most of us thought why? We can deliver whatever ANY client wants and at a great price.
But, I have to confess that the last couple of years have changed my view somewhat. Not because the product is any less effective; in fact it's even better now with the introduction of the web tier. No, what's changed is the competition. At one time we would compete with Sage, Access, Sun, Pegasus, Exchequer etc, none of whom could touch NAV as soon as the client's requirements went beyond their "buy it. add a margin and sell it" comfort zone. And, when Microsoft bought NAV, that added to the sense of confidence an organisation could place in its long term IT purchase - it wasn't future proof, but it was as good as you could get!
No, what's changed that there's been a seismic shift of the "if you can't beat it, join it" type. And now, on any bid, we will inevitably find at least one, if not more, 'new' NAV resellers competing with us as well. We're fortunate in that we have around 150 NAV sites so we know our way around the product and have plugged the inevitable functionality gaps. Our standard NAV rollout to customers starts with those gaps filled in i.e. all those little annoying things that, with a bit of NAV know how, we can eliminate from the customer's snagging list before they even realise they exist. However, we have accepted that to win more business, going head to head with the new boys who are trying to make their mark in the NAV marketplace might not be the most efficient use of our skills.
So, we have to take to market some of our bigger, better, tried and tested vertical solutions - tool hire, builders merchants, log management, HR & payroll and professional services. See http://www.turnkey-bs.com/p_BS_VerticalSolutions.aspx
It's all a question of focus now and we have come round to the conclusion that it is time. Time to "get big, get vertical or get out" as they used to say.
But, I have to confess that the last couple of years have changed my view somewhat. Not because the product is any less effective; in fact it's even better now with the introduction of the web tier. No, what's changed is the competition. At one time we would compete with Sage, Access, Sun, Pegasus, Exchequer etc, none of whom could touch NAV as soon as the client's requirements went beyond their "buy it. add a margin and sell it" comfort zone. And, when Microsoft bought NAV, that added to the sense of confidence an organisation could place in its long term IT purchase - it wasn't future proof, but it was as good as you could get!
No, what's changed that there's been a seismic shift of the "if you can't beat it, join it" type. And now, on any bid, we will inevitably find at least one, if not more, 'new' NAV resellers competing with us as well. We're fortunate in that we have around 150 NAV sites so we know our way around the product and have plugged the inevitable functionality gaps. Our standard NAV rollout to customers starts with those gaps filled in i.e. all those little annoying things that, with a bit of NAV know how, we can eliminate from the customer's snagging list before they even realise they exist. However, we have accepted that to win more business, going head to head with the new boys who are trying to make their mark in the NAV marketplace might not be the most efficient use of our skills.
So, we have to take to market some of our bigger, better, tried and tested vertical solutions - tool hire, builders merchants, log management, HR & payroll and professional services. See http://www.turnkey-bs.com/p_BS_VerticalSolutions.aspx
It's all a question of focus now and we have come round to the conclusion that it is time. Time to "get big, get vertical or get out" as they used to say.
Monday, 18 January 2010
See us at the Executive Hire Show - 3rd & 4th February!
Turnkey will be exhibiting our NAV4HIRE rental software at the Executive Hire Show, Ricoh Arena, Coventry from 3rd to 4th February. Further product details are available on the "Solutions for Your Industry" page of our website. See us on stand B105. You can register for tickets at http://www.eventdata.co.uk/Forms/Default.aspx?FormRef=EHS20Visitor
VAT2010 - just when we thought things were settling down!
Just in case you thought things couldn't get more complicated, along comes another bundle of legislation - VAT2010.
If you buy from or sell to EC companies then be aware your software may not be up to the new legislation. Fortunately Microsoft, the power behind our main accounting product Dynamics NAV, have released the changes necessary to ensure compliance with new rules. Another reason to stick with the main software players it seems.
See more at http://blogs.msdn.com/uknav/archive/2010/01/11/vat2010-report-part-for-nav-2009-sp1.aspx
If you buy from or sell to EC companies then be aware your software may not be up to the new legislation. Fortunately Microsoft, the power behind our main accounting product Dynamics NAV, have released the changes necessary to ensure compliance with new rules. Another reason to stick with the main software players it seems.
See more at http://blogs.msdn.com/uknav/archive/2010/01/11/vat2010-report-part-for-nav-2009-sp1.aspx
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
New Website Launch
The new website reflecting our discrete business units, all held under the auspices of Turnkey Group Limited, should be live this week. The TCTL World of Business Software blog is unique to Turnkey Business Software Limited but you may well also be able to subscribe to blogs by our IPS team and our Infrastructure team. These should be available for access on their respective micro-sites.
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
2010 And All That
Major changes are afoot as Turnkey moves into 2010. A reorganisation of the business into 3 new streams means that each unit can focus on what it's good at, while maintaining (and leveraging) the support of the other parts of the organisation. So, we in the Business Software company can work hand in hand with our Infrastructure company and also benefit from the status that Turnkey holds within the accountancy profession - 5,000 users of our IPS software among the leading accountancy firms such as Ernst & Young, Grant Thornton, Delotte Touche, KPMG et al means that we're doing something right! So, as we head into 2010, Turnkey Business Software Limited will focus on our status as one of the UK's leading providers of Microsoft Dynamics NAV (or 'Navision' in old money). So, let's believe it's a V shape dip and not a W!
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