What if I told you there was a way you could eliminate up to half of your spending on costly resources while increasing your company’s productivity? The answer is simple – consider implementing cloud technologies in your day to day operations.

In today’s competitive world, companies are always looking for ways to stand out from their competition. Businesses in fields such as accounting, healthcare, marketing, consulting or law spend their precious resources, time and energy managing operations which range from collecting time and expenses and approvals to invoicing customers and collections.

Considering the benefits in terms of cost, manpower, control and accessibility, it’s no surprise that many corporate companies are now looking into implementing a cloud solution for the business software they use to manage administrative or financial tasks. The following explains how cloud technologies can benefit not only regular businesses, but service businesses as well.

• It saves you money and time – As previously mentioned, service companies spend their valuable time and money collecting expenses and time from their field personnel while they should be focusing on delivering value to customers.  By including cloud technologies like web-based time and expense reporting in your company, you can reduce paperwork, and costs by allowing employees to access data at various locations.
• It increases productivity – Cloud integration breaks traditional boundaries in business.  With cloud, businesses are now able to communicate, share files, and interact with clients or employees around the world with more ease.  Projects can continue to move along even when employees are away for travel or not in the office.
• It can help gain a greater competitive advantage - Cloud based integration can help gain new customers and boost market share because of its ease of use and how it enables you to focus more time on your customers.
• It can enable better customer satisfaction – In a service based business, you want to spend the majority of your time and energy on your customers. Utilizing cloud can help simplify IT operations and improve your customer experience.
• You gain better control of your business – Cloud technologies make navigating through your company’s data and information effortless. It also makes delegating tasks less complicated due to increased accessibility to your company's files and documents. For a growing service business, it can help a company quickly adapt to market demands.

Competition in the services business market continues to increase. By taking advantage of cloud technologies, like Cloud Dynamics GP by WebSan, you can stay ahead of the curve and focus on what’s important – the customer. So, why not try it out?

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An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Consultant is either a contract employee or an employee that’s part of a company that is hired to do either of the following: implement, upgrade or support an ERP system.

The main function of the ERP consultant is to help organizations move to ERP software. A successful ERP consultant is able to adjust to a client business process, to determine where ERP systems would be most useful.

ERP Consultants relevant fields of study are information technology, business information systems or management information systems. You have the option of letting a consultant help out with the full implementation of an ERP project, from matching your business requirements with the right software to managing change within the organization as a result of the software.

You know you have a good consultant when he/she is capable of communicating with users at all levels of the organization.

If you are looking for an ERP Consultant, contact WebSan Solutions Inc. we've got the experience and expertise you need to help lead you in the right direction. We ensure your new integrated ERP system will meet all your management, reporting, financial and accounting needs while also helping you to streamline processes and improve your overall business.

If you are a frequent user of Microsoft Dynamics GP, chances are you use a select few windows much more often than others.  If this is the case, you may find it helpful to have shortcuts to these key windows directly on your home page.  These shortcuts can be added in several different ways:

1. Quick Links – Arguably the most popular method is to add the window to the Quick Links pane of your home page.  To do this, hover over the Quick Links pane, select the pencil icon that appears in the top right corner of the pane, and click the Add button to add new links.  Don’t forget to refresh your home page if the new link does not appear right away.
2. Navigation Pane – To add a shortcut to your navigation pane, open the window that you want to link to, select File, and select Add to Shortcuts.  A link to that window will now be added to your navigation pane when you are on your home page.
3. Toolbar – To view the toolbar for a particular series, right-click the blue menu bar at the top of the Dynamics GP screen and select the desired series so that a checkmark appears next to it.  To customize which icons are on the toolbar, right-click the blue menu bar again, select Customize…, choose the appropriate series from the drop-down menu, and click Add to add a new icon to the toolbar.

By: Rahim Jiwani, Application Specialist, WebSan Solutions Inc.

 WebSan Solutions Inc., a cloud Microsoft Dynamics Certified Partner and IT consulting and solutions provider has moved to a new office that offers a bigger and brighter workspace. The new office space will support a significant expansion of WebSan’s team and the growth that the Canadian company is continually experiencing.

The previous office space that the company occupied had limited space which could no longer support the increase in WebSan’s team. As WebSan continues to experience business growth, an expansion in office space was a natural next step to better accommodate the team’s needs and an increase in new clients.   

Over the past year, WebSan has acquired a substantial number of new clients and particularly strengthened its Dynamics CRM practice.

“Our team is excited about expanding our office space to accommodate WebSan’s growth. The new office space will not only allow us to better serve our customers, but also reflects our progression as a company,” said Andrew King, Managing Director of WebSan Solutions Inc. 

Linz Tan, Web Marketing Assistant, WebSan Solutions Inc. a 2014 Ontario Business Achievement Award Winner for Service Excellence

WebSan Solutions’ Microsoft Dynamics GP and CRM interactive demos help evaluate the two software’s capabilities within minutes and gives an overview of each system’s look, features and functionality. The demos serve to give a preview of the software before deciding to purchase and insight into the additional functionality for those who have experience using the systems. With over 200 downloads, our demos have given businesses an inside look into what Dynamics GP and CRM can offer.

An updated version of our Dynamics GP and CRM demos are now available. The demos’ interactive functionality allow the user to click through and type in data, making for an engaging experience.

The Dynamics GP demo now features common business issues faced such as poor project management and limited project visibility and addresses how Dynamics GP’s modules and functionality can solve these issues.

The Dynamics CRM demo presents new features available in the newly released CRM 2015 version. The demo gives a sneak peek into Dynamics CRM’s top features including Global Search and Nested Quick Create Forms.

Get started and download our free interactive Dynamics GP and CRM demos to see the systems’ capabilities today! 

Buying accounting software is a big decision you have to make when the time is right for your company. It’s a harder decision, especially when you’re a small business owner and don’t know much skill about accounting. Some people might wonder if online accounting software is right for them. What I’m going to do is point out the pros and cons of inquiring online accounting software. Hopefully some of these pros and cons will give you an idea if it’s for you or not, make sure you do your research and find the right accounting software for you.

The Pros of using online accounting software:

• Some software can be straightforward to use even though you don’t have much financial knowledge. Their job is to help small business owners with the necessary tools to operate their business.
• It’s easy to make updates because it can be done automatically.
• You can check up on your financials everywhere and anywhere you are because all of your finances are online.
• The software company has online support just in case you have a question. 
• Most accounting software’s out here have mechanisms to back up your data so nothing happens to your data.

The Cons of using online accounting software:

• There’s still the risk of hackers getting in the software.
• Make sure you have an up-to-date internet connection because if your computer is running slow, so is your accounting software.
• Having mobility is a good thing to have but be careful if you ever have to log in a public computer or even a friends computer, make sure you log off properly because you don’t want just anyone looking at that information.

By: Natalie Williams, Marketing Coordinator, WebSan Solutions Inc., a Canadian Certified Microsoft Dynamics Partner

Business owners have many decisions that they have to make. From hiring employees to how the business should operate. Choosing the most efficient technology is not always priority number one. With the rise of software-as-a-service (SaaS), business owners have taken advantage of what SaaS has to offer. If you are still on the fence about switching to a cloud-based solution, make sure you take the following reasons into consideration.

The software is affordable

Business owners sometimes don’t have the extra funds to deploy a new system. The cloud is a fantastic solution because it’s less expensive than any on-premise system. You pay a lower subscription and maintenance cost and don’t require additional software and infrastructure.  For instance, Cloud hosted Dynamics GP is a robust, cost-effective business software that could meet your business needs.

Do you wonder how much it  would cost? Try our three step quote generator for instant results!

You can get started right away

The rise of cloud computing has led to a strong push from many companies to adopt security and data portability in a cloud environment. Cloud computing, otherwise known as SaaS (Software-as-a-Service), allows you to have your data and applications available to you virtually anywhere via the Internet.

Companies large and small are looking to the cloud as their future. All of this sounds good right? The only problem is that these companies cannot carefully self-manage their own IT projects to fulfill their future needs; projects grow in size and costs eventually run over budget.

There is a solution. When partnering with an experienced vendor such as WebSan Solutions Inc., your company will experience distinguished service and support when moving to the cloud.  WebSan Solutions Inc. will strive to use our leading solutions to your company’s benefit in order to make the transition smooth and help your company move forward.

Cloud Dynamics GP is crucial for companies looking to propel forward but don’t get lost while you’re in the transition.

Contact us here to learn how we can help.

The Cloud has virtually changed the way businesses handle financial transactions. Gone are the days when companies must rely on old-fashioned and outdated approaches to document transactions, like pen and paper or Excel spreadsheets. These methods are not only more time consuming and extremely faulty, but they are not a realistic way to run a business in the 21^st century. Moving into a new, innovative, and integrated system like Microsoft Dynamics GP can prove to be beneficial for a company of any size for the following reasons:

Time Saving - With a system that automatically inputs customer, vendor, and employee entered data into your system and easily connects all information into one platform, the tasks of manually entering the same data into various spreadsheets and software can greatly reduce the time consuming tasks of data entry. In addition, errors in data entry can simply be eliminated with all clients, employees, and vendors entering data into one system.

Save More Money - Cloud accounting lowers your IT costs because you no longer need to update software each time a new version is released or worry about large, one-time licensing fees. The software costs are spread out over a predictable, smaller, monthly fee. Updates and maintenance are carried out by the cloud provider. With cloud accounting, you can ensure that your system is consistent and up to date.

Easily Create Automated Reports -Microsoft Dynamics GP has tools which simplify accounting processes.  Since all data needed to create reports is stored in one system, creating reports is easy as a few clicks.

Safe & Secure -You have the peace of mind that your data will always be backed up no matter what obstacle your company faces – hardware issues, lost data, or even natural disasters.

Yesterday’s rainfall was the most rain in Toronto’s recorded history. Toronto is still recovering from an unprecedented rainstorm that shattered records and paralyzed the city. Yesterday’s storm dropped more rain in two hours than the city usually receives in the month of July. More than 300,000 residents were without power.

However, WebSan’s Microsoft Dynamics GP hosted environment was up and running full speed. We experienced no issues throughout the storm and our backup generating system was on standby when needed. Our SAS70/SSAE16 certified data centre was not affected by the severe weather; it was business as usual for all our clients. You always have access to your data, through our secure network, in our SAS70/SSAE16 certified data centre!

There are several different elements that need to be well thought-out in order to receive a good ERP quote. Enterprise Resource Planning by definition is a system that integrates information across a company using services such as: finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales, customer relationship management (CRM) and more. You want to make sure that you get a quote that’s in your budget, but you don’t want to sacrifice the essentials to stay within your budget either. Make some room in your budget for fluctuation and negotiation to ensure that you get the best quote.

Modules

There are a number of modules that are offered in an ERP system, it’s up to you to choose which ones best fit your company. For example if you are a consulting company maybe you only need CRM, Finance and the Sales module. Save money on modules that you don’t need and get the one’s that you do need. You have the option of getting standard or advanced modules. Advanced modules offer more variety of features but are usually used for larger businesses. There needs to be research done to explore what particular capabilities you need.

Number of Users

The number of user’s plays an important role when determining the price. It is important to have a firm estimate of the amount of user’s that you need. Plan in advance to avoid unanticipated cost and to get a more accurate quote.

When selecting a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, one of the first considerations to make is whether to go hosted (on the cloud) or on-premise. Although both types have their advantages and disadvantages, it’s worth taking a closer look and offering points of consideration to make the software selection process less daunting. Software Advice, an advisory firm that helps buyers select ERP software, conducted research to create a comprehensive guide to help buyers determine the best type of software needed for their organization, with findings compiled in this article.

The biggest difference between the two types of systems is cloud-based software is hosted on the vendor’s servers and accessed through a Web browser, while on-premise software is installed locally, on a company’s own computers and servers. Although over time, both systems’ cost tend to converge, cloud-based software is priced under a monthly or annual subscription basis, while on-premise software is usually priced under a one-time perpetual license fee.

Some advantages of cloud-based ERP software include its shorter implementation time, great stability with frequent updates from the vendor and no additional hardware investments. On the other hand, some disadvantages of this type of system are its less customizable functionalities and an organization’s possible less peace of mind that comes with data security being in the vendor’s hands.

On the other end of the spectrum, on-premise ERP systems are known to be more customizable and offer greater control over data. However, the implementation process can take longer and organizations have to pay associated hardware and IT costs. Organizations will find that cloud-based ERP systems are more mobile-friendly compared to their on-premise counterpart. 

It would be in an organization’s best interest to first assess its needs, budget and top concerns before deciding on the right type of ERP system that will be the right fit.

When selecting a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, one of the first considerations to make is whether to go hosted (on the cloud) or on-premise. Although both types have their advantages and disadvantages, it’s worth taking a closer look and offering points of consideration to make the software selection process less daunting. Software Advice, an advisory firm that helps buyers select ERP software, conducted research to create a comprehensive guide to help buyers determine the best type of software needed for their organization, with findings compiled in this article.

The biggest difference between the two types of systems is cloud-based software is hosted on the vendor’s servers and accessed through a Web browser, while on-premise software is installed locally, on a company’s own computers and servers. Although over time, both systems’ cost tend to converge, cloud-based software is priced under a monthly or annual subscription basis, while on-premise software is usually priced under a one-time perpetual license fee.

Some advantages of cloud-based ERP software include its shorter implementation time, great stability with frequent updates from the vendor and no additional hardware investments. On the other hand, some disadvantages of this type of system are its less customizable functionalities and an organization’s possible less peace of mind that comes with data security being in the vendor’s hands.

On the other end of the spectrum, on-premise ERP systems are known to be more customizable and offer greater control over data. However, the implementation process can take longer and organizations have to pay associated hardware and IT costs. Organizations will find that cloud-based ERP systems are more mobile-friendly compared to their on-premise counterpart. 

It would be in an organization’s best interest to first assess its needs, budget and top concerns before deciding on the right type of ERP system that will be the right fit.

You finally have Microsoft Dynamics GP and now you are ready to explore the wonderful world of online accounting software which is good and all but while you’re having lots of fun using the different applications it provides, don’t forget that you have to maintain it! Here are five tips to help you maintain Microsoft Dynamics GP.

1. SQL Backup

Make sure you create SQL backups of every database on your server. It’s recommended that you performed full backups or you have the option of full backups with transactions log backups, but it’s ultimately your choice. You also need to back up Dynamics databases, Company (s) databases and Model database.

2. File Backup

SQL aren’t that only backups that you have to do, don’t forget the other multiple files that need backing up to. For example any folder that ends in dic, set or config and all the other folders including subfolders. The <DATA> folder is included in the backup process as well as Dex.Ini that is located in the <DATA> folder for example OLEPath, OLEPathHR, Word Macro File etc.; I have one more suggestion, backup any files in the manuals of any add-on products.

If you are thinking of starting a new business, or getting a new software system, what company do you choose? How do you know that the company that you decide to go with fulfills your needs? It’s time that you do your own research and be in charge of your business financial system. Here are some questions that you should ask before you make a decision:

1.       Will the accounting software grow with your business?

You want to make sure that you don’t outgrow your system. It’s better to get a system that has the capacity to grow with your business.

2.       Can access be restricted for some users?

Having the power to monitor who uses particular functions is very important to a company. Having control is very important for senior level employees to keep certain information confidential and private.

I was reading an article called “Six Basics of preventing pain in our ERP implementation” and I thought to myself, why are all these problems with ERP implementation occurring in the first place? It’s happening more than normal and I think I know why, Companies are not doing enough research, therefore, they choose the wrong partner and software. Here I have a checklist of six rules you should consider before saying yes and signing the dotted line.

Really research thoroughly about which partner would be the right partner for you and which software would be the right software for you. Even if you have ten companies and have to narrow it to one then do that. If you’re Googling “accounting software” there are millions of results that come up, I know that can be overwhelming but don’t choose only the top three results. Some people think that the top three results are the best results, but that’s completely untrue. Google doesn’t rank you higher based on your product or services quality, they rank based on search engine optimization, keywords and links. But that’s another blog; basically what I’m saying is take your time to do your homework.

When you find the right partner and software, make it clear on what you expect from your partner. Have a one on one sit down with the company you will be working with, there needs to be impeccable communication between both companies. Make sure you listen to their expectations and make sure they listen to your expectations, because if one person’s not listening to the project is bound to go wrong. Even if you have to take notes, you need and they need to fully understand the expectations of the project. That’s to prevent sentences like: “I never said that”, “But I thought you said…”, “I told you that, remember?” Also, it’s good to get everything in a tightly sealed contract so you can also avoid those phrases.

So once you’ve found the right partner and you found the right accounting software and there’s clear understanding amongst both companies, make sure they don’t go anywhere. Sounds weird enough, but I’m not joking, whoever is in charge of your project make sure they stay in charge of the project. The reason this is on the list is to prevent your partner from doing an 180 on you. If you have one project manager that is in charge of the project, if there are any hiccups in the implementation you can go straight to that person to address the problem. If there’s no one particular in charge of the plan, you’re only going to get the run around when a problem occurs because no one’s in charge. Another reason it’s on the list is because if the company switches the manager, you would have to communicate every single detail about the project all over again hoping that they can comprehend it  and execute it all in a short matter of time.

Tune into part two and see the rest of the checklist!

Cloud computing has become a huge trend in the last five years; IDC has predicted a 130% increase in cloud computing by 2016. There are so many benefits to moving to the cloud that companies cannot resist anymore. For example, companies prefer a subscription payment model because they only pay for how much data they need. Cloud computing recovery services have been a cost-effective way to back up your whole company. Also, security is improving all the time; there is continuous effort to provide cloud computing companies with top quality safety structure. Here are three interesting cloud trends to watch which could help boost cloud computing in the long-term:

1. In a study done by Gartner, they predict the size of the cloud computing market could reach $150 billion in 2013.This is not a surprising number due to the excitement and benefits that cloud computing can offer businesses in the long run. An on-premise solution looks less appealing as the cloud computing market thrives.
2. Mimecast did a statistic based study and found that 7/10 companies using cloud services will move new applications to the cloud. Only 70%? Have you heard the saying “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”? This means some businesses are still skeptical about moving to the cloud. However, based on trends, they will probably move their applications to the cloud sooner or later.
3. Gartner also predicted that 60% of server workloads will be virtualized by 2014.This was not news to me because of the number of benefits you get in return. You don’t need to purchase hardware; you can reduce your carbon footprint and lower your energy costs. This is a great way to save money in the long run. At WebSan Solutions, you have access to your data, through our secure network, in our SAS70/SSAE16 certified data centre.

To see what our business accounting software can offer you visit our website.

To read more about different cloud computing statistics click here.

Natalie Williams, Marketing Coordinator,WebSan Solutions Inc., a Canadian Certified Microsoft Partner

The release is almost here! Business is growing and so is technology so look no further! Microsoft Dynamics GP is committed to helping you do this by delivering a widespread vision and solution for your business. In part 1 of this blog I will be talking about 3 features that you can look forward to in the upcoming release.

Take command of your business

Have access to Dynamics GP virtually everywhere. There will be a new web client so you can use and contribute to Dynamics GP anywhere, anytime. The business analyzer dashboard helps you gain access to key performance indicators, reports and important information.

What’s new about business intelligence is it now offers both full service and self-service users have more of an “out-of-the-box” Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services and Microsoft Excel Reports.

Drive efficiency up while you drive costs down.

WebSan Solutions’ Microsoft Dynamics GP and CRM interactive demos now enables users to leave feedback to unlock new resources that will offer additional information that can help in the ERP software selection process.

The Dynamics GP and CRM demos boast over 300 downloads and have been a trusted tool in helping give an overview of both systems’ capabilities and main modules. The demos give an inside look at what the systems can offer and show a preview of each system before users decide to purchase. Not only are the demos useful in the research process, they also prove valuable for their interactive functionality. The interactive functionality allows users to type in and click on specific fields; a feature that is not common to traditional software demos.

When users leave feedback for the demos after downloading, they are given links to valuable resources that offer additional information on the two systems. For the Dynamics GP demo, users can access an estimate of WebSan’s Dynamics GP implementation cost, while those who leave feedback for the Dynamics CRM demo can watch an exclusive webinar on maximizing Dynamics CRM’s out-of-the-box features.

Download our demos today to unlock these valuable resources!

 Linz Tan, Web Marketing Assistant, WebSan Solutions Inc. a 2014 Ontario Business Achievement Award Winner for Service Excellence

I recently read an article in the Toronto Star titled “IT projects are ticking time bombs.”

The article cited a study at Oxford University where they found that 17 percent of IT projects were so mismanaged that they had “average cost overruns of 200 per cent….”

After reading the article, I spent some time thinking about the IT projects I’ve been involved in over the years, from the large, multi-million dollar SAP projects to the smaller, 5-15 user Dynamics GP projects. I’ve had my share of smooth go-lives and my share of “rough” projects. One common theme with the projects that run smoothly is that an unbreakable link exists between the project team and their vision of what they’re working on and the overall business goals for the project.

It’s somewhat human nature, really. If we understand the “why” of what we’re doing, then the “what”, and “how” are easier to understand and “get behind.” I’ve seen projects with great potential and a really strong business case go off the rails because the executives didn’t effectively communicate to the project team what the real goal was. If the project team and leaders have “context” by which to understand the purpose behind the project, the odds of success rise dramatically.

There are obviously numerous other factors that affect the outcome of an IT project (which I’ve written about in the past), but I come back to executive involvement and leadership as the #1 factor in project success.