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Who are the millennials? Known by some to be lazy, narcissistic, impatient but extremely tech-savvy and ambitious generation with a willingness to change the world. According to Environics Analytics, millennials make up 37% of the Canadian labor force now, and this number is expected to rise to 75% by 2028. They have high expectations for everything, so how they can change the way ERP software is implemented?

1. Accessible Anywhere, Anytime

Millennials want data to be available whenever and wherever they want it - and it relates not only to mobile access. They invented the term "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD), which means that they want to see all the necessary data on their personal devices. In this case, an ERP system needs to be flexible, mobile and easily accessible.

2. User-Friendly Interface

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ERP configuration is one of the most crucial steps in your implementation process. Part of what makes ERP systems effective with improving productivity and efficiencies within an organization is that it’s not a one size fits all product. For every organization, ERP software will function differently to best meet your company’s own data, parameters, fields and workflow in order to ensure that your employees are receiving and sharing accurate information with one another.

Proper configuration of your ERP system is crucial for ensuring both financial and reporting accuracy within your company. Prior to implementing an ERP software, start by finding an ERP platform that best matches with your business processes and understand the needs of each of your department as well. Failure to do can result in spending thousands of wasted dollars on ERP add-ons and additional customizations.

Although it is a difficult task, it is not impossible to learn how to configure your ERP systems by yourself. However, ERP consultants exist for a reason. For a fixed fee, various companies offer both on premise as well as online instructions for proper ERP implementation. It is highly recommended that individuals with limited IT knowledge contact a consultant, as clients who fail to successfully implement their ERP systems by themselves are likely to be costing themselves more money in the long run.

For those interested in learning more about ERP systems and features, click here to visit our YouTube channel for discussions and product tutorials. Feel free to also contact us for any additional question or inquiries you may have regarding Microsoft Dynamics products.

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Even though ERP vendors try to make implementation as smooth as possible, there are still some challenges that may come along the way. It takes a lot of time for employees to get used to the new software and start to get benefits from it but there's a way to make this transition faster. Below are three tips on how to make an ERP system implementation more comfortable for your employees.

1. Build an ERP system around existing business processes

Often, business processes of a company are adjusted to an ERP system. But it's a big mistake. To start getting benefits from an ERP system as soon as possible, it's better to identify all the gaps in the company and then build an ERP system around existing business processes.  

2. Establish trust with your ERP implementation partner

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Part of what makes ERP software so popular within various industries is its ability to adapt alongside growing companies. Gone are the days where organizations were required to spend tens of thousands of dollars for system update fees. Instead, companies now have the freedom to grow freely, and no longer need to be tied down by software limitations. In this post, we discuss the three features of scalability in ERP software and how this benefits businesses:

Enhance customer account management:

As your company grows, so too will your list of clients and customers. Your systems must be able to handle this increase in customer information, ensuring you have the necessary space to add additional data entries and ensure that your systems continue to run smoothly under heavy workloads and across multiple applications within your system.

Cross-platform capabilities:

Learn about how we serve the Manufacturing industry 

It’s a well-known fact, that manufacturing is one of the biggest industries in Canada, which makes up almost 12% of Canada's national GDP. The industry is still growing, and manufacturing companies need modern software to ensure maximize growth potential. Here are three more reasons why manufacturers should consider an ERP system:

1. Enhanced Communication between Departments

Communication is a crucial factor for a manufacturing company, which has tens of different departments as well as a need to work efficiently. An ERP system can ensure effective communications between departments through connecting an entire company into one unified system.

2. Automated Processes

MS Dynamics 365 for Sales vs Salesforce | Learn more about Dynamics 365 for Sales features

Continuing from our previous blog post, we’ll further discuss the process of capturing leads and how to develop them into potential customers. Now that you’ve established your workflow and have found some promising leads, the next step towards gaining new customers is to build on your relationship with your leads and to nurture them.

What is lead nurturing?

Lead nurturing refers to the development of a series of planned actions and communication strategies for the purposes of eliciting certain behaviours from potential clients. The idea of lead nurturing is to guide consumers down their purchasing journey, sending them specific and relevant content which can help convince clients that you both understand their needs and assuring them that you have the solution to their problems.

How does lead nurturing work?

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No doubt, CRM plays a significant role in today's business world – it provides useful insights, improves customer service and automates everyday tasks. But what about one of the fastest developing industries in the world – the IT industry? How can a $200 billion worth industry benefit from a CRM system? Here are three ways how CRM helps software companies to increase their sales:

1. Determine the best marketing channels for quality lead generation

Does your marketing team know which leads bring you the most value – the ones that were acquired from LinkedIn or the ones that saw your ad on Google? Assessing it without a CRM system is tough.  A CRM system can also determine the most effective messages, which influence a sale, and the best time to deliver them. This makes a CRM system an irreplaceable tool for software sales.

2. Develop a well-established customer journey

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With Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales and the implementation of marketing automation, managing and nurturing leads has never been easier. With automation software, potential leads can be tracked and nurtured accordingly based on their level of interaction they have with your company’s content. However, establishing a lead nurturing workflow is not a one size fits all process, and requires some initial setup and customization before you can begin to start bringing in new clients. Consider the following three steps before you decide on implementing any CRM software:

1. Understand Your Customers

Before you can begin setting up any sort of automation, you need to understand how your customers interact with your content. Who is your ideal target segment? Is the information and content relevant to their needs? Knowing how consumers are engaging with your company (i.e. social media, blog posts, etc.) will influence the type of content you post and how you choose to interact with them based on where they are at in their customer journey.

2. Plan Out The Steps To Your Workflow

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No matter what size your business is, time tracking is always a good idea. Without time tracking software, it's easy for your employees to get lost in projects and hard to follow their efficiency and productivity. Below are more reasons why it’s worth considering implementing a time tracking software for your business:

Track Work Efficiently

Time tracking software can create time sheets, which makes it easier to understand your company's workflow. Moreover, you can do without the punch-in/punch-out process and other old-fashioned attendance systems, which make time tracking process more complicated and less convenient both for you and your employees.

Improved Client Billing

For many companies, the Cloud is still considered new and unfamiliar territory. For the uninitiated, the Cloud refers to the ability to share, store and process information through a network of servers. With Cloud hosting, a company’s online resources will be spread across various web servers, allowing companies to freely transmit and access their data outside of their place of work. The Cloud is more than just a place for companies to store their data however, and once integrated will actually shape the way organizations do business in the future. For companies considering moving their business to the Cloud, here are several changes you may expect to occur:

Expect a change in your IT Infrastructure:

Should you decide to move to the Cloud with a fully managed service provider, time consuming activities such as server maintenance and resource management will be handled by your Cloud-based service provider. As a result, companies have reported having to reassign their CTOs and IT directors to undertake additional tasks and roles such as managing IT expenses and strategic planning.

Prepare for an increasingly fast paced work environment:

According to a HBR-Verizon survey report, 75% of businesses state that the Cloud reduced business complexity, 61% claimed that it increased employee productivity, and 53% stated it increased response time with customers. With its automated tools, business operations have become more streamlined and allowed for greater flexibility for companies to enter new markets and for faster rollout for new businesses initiatives and exploit new opportunities.

WebSan Solutions Inc. chosen as award winner of the Modern Marketing Innovation Award

MISSISSAUGA, 2017 – Microsoft Canada is delighted to announce the 2017 IMPACT Awards winners.  The awards took place on July 9^th at the Marriott Hotel, Washington DC as part of Inspire, formerly called Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC). The annual event now in its 14^th year celebrates outstanding achievement across Microsoft’s community of partners, system integrators and service providers who are committed to the pursuit of quality and innovation.

Microsoft has worked closely with all partners on a wide range of customer solutions and business propositions. A number of the finalists chosen have showed their confidence and commitment to the partnership by leveraging Microsoft cloud offerings.

“In this mobile-first, cloud-first era it’s an exciting time to be a Microsoft partner in Canada,” said Andrew King, Managing Director of WebSan Solutions Inc. “We are honoured to be chosen as one of the winners for Microsoft Canada’s IMPACT Awards and to be recognized for our accomplishments within the Canadian Partner community.”

Winners are invited to an exclusive awards dinner hosted by the Microsoft Executive Team, providing a unique opportunity to network with executives and strengthen relationships with Microsoft business groups

WebSan Solutions Inc. chosen as award winner of the Modern Marketing Innovation Award

MISSISSAUGA, 2017 – Microsoft Canada is delighted to announce the 2017 IMPACT Awards winners.  The awards took place on July 9^th at the Marriott Hotel, Washington DC as part of Inspire, formerly called Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC). The annual event now in its 14^th year celebrates outstanding achievement across Microsoft’s community of partners, system integrators and service providers who are committed to the pursuit of quality and innovation.

Microsoft has worked closely with all partners on a wide range of customer solutions and business propositions. A number of the finalists chosen have showed their confidence and commitment to the partnership by leveraging Microsoft cloud offerings.

“In this mobile-first, cloud-first era it’s an exciting time to be a Microsoft partner in Canada,” said Andrew King, Managing Director of WebSan Solutions Inc. “We are honoured to be chosen as one of the winners for Microsoft Canada’s IMPACT Awards and to be recognized for our accomplishments within the Canadian Partner community.”

Winners are invited to an exclusive awards dinner hosted by the Microsoft Executive Team, providing a unique opportunity to network with executives and strengthen relationships with Microsoft business groups

MS Dynamics 365 for Sales vs Salesforce | Learn more about Dynamics 365 for Sales features

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales, also known as Dynamics CRM, has become a powerful tool that, when successfully implemented, can greatly increase sales revenue and improve customer retention by as much as 27%. Successful implementation can be difficult however, partially due to reluctance by sales representatives who are unwilling to overcome the initial learning curve that comes with the software. To help smooth over the initial transition process, here are three ways in which you can encourage your sales representatives to begin using CRM to assist them in sales:

1. Communicate Financial Benefits

The ability to improve lead management should be communicated to sales representatives, as well as the potential financial benefits that stems from it. D365 for Sales helps sales representatives better track and follow up with potential sales leads. This has resulted in businesses reporting upwards of 30% increase in sales revenue per sales rep.

2. Emphasize Personal Accessibility

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While creating emails, people usually make two significant mistakes: in their emails, they sell too much without any useful content, or they put too much content without enough selling. So, how can you find "the golden mean" and make your emails more effective? Here's a handy guide:

1. Be Yourself

Let’s be honest – people are tired of emails that contain similar messages and don’t have anything personal. The vast majority of them is based on the traditional techniques, which make them look just like one another. To combat this, try to contribute a little bit of your personality into an email – tell a joke, share your opinion, be honest about the product that you sell. Soon enough, your personality can come through the emails and become a unique identifier that’ll make your company stand out.

2. Use Trends

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According to World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Rank, Canada ranked the 2nd country in the world for starting a business (New Zealand took the 1st place if you're curious). Vancouver and Toronto always make the lists of the best cities for startups. So, what makes Canada so attractive for entrepreneurs?

Access to Governmental Funding

Canadian government encourages people to start a new business through providing a variety of grants, loans, and tax credits. You can find a financial support program “for every taste” -  it can be regional, industry-specific or just general business support. For example, you can get up to 50% of a tax credit for your R&D investments with the help of SR&ED. This has attracted a number of tech geniuses to launch their startups in Canada.

Great Talent

Inefficient organizational software can negatively impact how your manufacturing business is run. Whether it be due to complications with understanding manufacturing variances or failure to effectively track time and materials for a job, having an efficient and easy to use operating system will help to relieve some of the most troubling aspects of manufacturing that affects the productivity of your business. Here are three ways in which ERP software can help improve your manufacturing operations:

Automating business operations

If you’re preparing your business for further growth in the future, you may be considering how to help your operations grow with it. With an ERP system, manufacturing companies are able to automate all business operations, allowing you the flexibility to configure the system to suit your company’s changing needs. ERP systems are not one-size-fits-all, but instead they are configured, so allow for personal customization.

Maintaining your customer base

With increasing competition swaying customers with lower prices or claiming to have the best available products, it’s become even more imperative to find new ways to stand out and deliver exceptional service for your customers. Gain real time information on your company’s operations to help prevent disruptions and delays, as well as break up informational logjams to help both your staff and users make decisions more quickly and effectively.

According to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, there are 1.1 million small companies (1-99 employees) in the country. However, 60% of small businesses fail within the first five years, so there's a big concern for entrepreneurs on how to stay competitive. Here are three ways you can stay ahead of your competitors if you run a small business.

1. Be passionate

Usually, small business owners started their business because of passion. Passion drives motivation, which makes small business owners the busiest people in the world. They don't finish their work when it's 5 o clock and rarely think about vacation. This drive and passion are factors that make them successful.

Convert your passion into hard work, and you’ll be one step ahead of the pack.

2. Use CRM

Out of the many reasons employees choose to leave a company, majority are likely to point back to a problem with how a company decides to manage their employees. According to Forbes, three common reasons that have motivated employees to quit is if the employee feels intellectually stifled, they lack autonomy, and/or they feel as if though their work is unrecognized and unappreciated. If you’re worried about losing your best and brightest, see how ERP software implementation can help you address some of these concerns.

Dealing with unchallenged employees

Repetitive tasks such as entering order entries or entering General Ledger Reconciliation and Collections can be labour intensive, creating unmotivated and unhappy employees. With built in automation functions however, these tasks can be completed in minutes, allowing your employee to use their time more productively and apply their efforts to more worthwhile tasks.

Lack of autonomy

To micromanage or to establish various security protocols that hinders your employee’s ability to do their jobs can easily make an employee feel as if they aren’t trusted to make basic decisions in their work. ERP software such as Dynamics GP resolves this issue through employee portals, which allows employees rights to access necessary information and to communicate with other members of the team for help or assistance.

In December 2016, the world got to know that Microsoft acquired LinkedIn. Now we can see the first results of this deal – Microsoft has announced that Dynamics 365 for Sales is integrated with the LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

The new LinkedIn solution is a widget, which integrates into your dashboard and consists of 2 parts – a member profile and a company profile.

A LinkedIn member profile allows you to get general information and some insights about your prospect. It also helps you to find the best ways to get introduced to your prospect as well as proposes a list of related leads based on your target audience.

Deciding whether to invest in an ERP software can be difficult. The price of the software can be discouraging, let alone navigating the learning curve required to properly integrate the software with your company’s day-to-day activities. With more and more businesses turning to ERP to manage their operations however, can you afford to miss out? Ask yourself the following questions and see if now is the time to switch over to an ERP system:

1. Are you using multiple systems to accommodate the needs of each individual department?

Communication and transparency are essential for a company’s operations to run smoothly. When various systems are running separately and the data received from each department isn’t synchronized, then issues involving processing errors and information logjams are all the more likely to occur.

2. Do you or your staff spend more than 3 hours to complete repetitive tasks?

As a business grows, so too does the amount of data and information that will need to be dealt with. This can mean hours upon hours spent on managing invoices, inputting sales orders, updating inventory, etc. and using time that could have been spent on more lucrative or productive activities.