Establishing Trust with Mobile ERP

Why Mobile ERP, Why Now?
blog series by xkzero

In this technology-driven society, we have high expectations for our business software. That certainly holds true with mobile apps for ERP too. We need both our systems and apps to have the capacity to handle dynamic information, the sophistication to enable analyses, and the credibility to have trustworthy accuracy.

Part of that precision comes from accessing the rich and even visceral story beyond spreadsheets with raw numbers. This means building a narrative with product images, customer feedback notes, contact information and geo-tags. Using the video chat functions native to our mobile devices, we can not only communicate but gather sights and sounds from remote locations. This data can be used, for example, to assess the source of a machine malfunction, or to walk through a store to approve a product’s placement.

Even outside the realm of business, we have enjoyed the capabilities of sophisticated technology. When driving to the airport recently, two colleagues IndicatorLightsnoticed a pair of icons were lit up on the dashboard. The passenger used her iPhone to search the manufacturer’s web site and quickly matched up these images with a list of warning signs. “This means your tire pressure is low,” she said. The car had been driving smoothly, and none of the tires were overtly flat, yet the built-in system was designed with safety in mind. Its functionality was proactive; it provided the driver a warning before she even suspected a problem.

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“Car Talk” Hosts Ray & Tom Magliozzi, aka Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers (photo courtesy of NPR)

It’s a good thing automobiles weren’t always so sophisticated, or we may have never enjoyed “Car Talk,” the brilliant call-in show hosted by Tom and Ray Magliozzi, known as Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers. It first aired in 1978, at a time when cars were simple enough that many people did their own repairs.

Although these guys had the brains to graduate from MIT and enough auto expertise to run their own fix-it shop, their diagnostic methods were laughable. Click would answer a call like this, “Ziliak with a Z… How are things in Chicago?”

Humans making car sounds got a lot of air time. A typical caller might say, “I crank the ignition and it goes, ‘RRRRHUURRHRRRCHSHH.’”

Clack would disregard the reason for the call and impart his philosophies about deep dish pizza, and his sudden craving for a large pepperoni pie. Click, unfazed by the interjection, would inquire about loyalties to the White Sox or the Cubs. Amidst the rolling tangents, one of them would announce, “It must be the transmission!”

These goofy guys earned an impressive following in the 15+ years the show was live, and fans still tune in to listen to previously unaired episodes. They set the tone with sibling razzing, marked by the catchphrase, “Don’t drive like my brother.” They also thrived on settling bets—especially those between a husband and wife—about questionable DIY repair methods, or how to tell if the animal living in the engine is a muskrat or a chipmunk.

While people continued to call Click and Clack to get their on assessment of the auto ailment associated with their impressions of squeaks, creaks, and whirrs, the real takeaway was the duo’s hilarious spin on the problem and Tom’s infectious laugh. That said, they were actually spot-on when troubleshooting your 1980 Dodge Dart based on a few suspicious sounds.

However, cars have evolved, and so have our diagnostic methods. Today, you wouldn’t trust a mechanic with your brand new fuel-efficient European sports car who listens to your funny noises, replies, “It’s the transmission!” then pops open the hood and gets to work (on your dime).

These days, when shelling out the cash for auto repairs, car and truck owners can expect a comprehensive diagnostic process conducted with precise electronic measurements. Mechanics often use mobile devices to collect information from the car’s computer system, which gives the customer confidence that their data is scientifically based—and meant to be taken seriously.

~~~
Tom Magliozzi died November 3, 2014 from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease. Coincidentally, we discussed the content of this blog on that very day, before learning of his passing. We extend our sympathies to his loved ones.

NPR, November 4, 2014: “‘We have learned absolutely nothing,’
Tom Magliozzi on Decades of Car Talk”
~~~

Why Mobile ERP, Why Now?
blog series by xkzero
This article is part of a series based on xkzero co-founder Paul Ziliak’s talk at Sage Summit 2014 called “Why Mobile, Why Now?: A Decision Maker’s Guide to Business Success.”

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Paul Ziliak shows off his new invisible smart phone to an incredulous Las Vegas audience.

Through our blog, we bring to you some of the ideas initially shared in this talk. We will also continue to add new insights about why mobile for ERP is here to stay and how you can get the jump on your competitors by incorporating everything special about mobile technology into your business now.

We carry the auto theme into an article about mobile technology’s role in parking meter payments, “Is Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel a fan of this app?

 

Re-imagine Your Selling Processes for Mobile ERP

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Your Sales Process Can Be Re-imagined

Your Sales Process Can Be Re-imagined

 

In a recent post we talked about how you can initiate a cultural shift in your organization by empowering the sales team with off-the-shelf apps that integrate with your ERP system.

By doing so, you improve your sales team’s ability to respond and react to situations that build customer confidence. However, it’s likely that this won’t help you create any substantial competitive differentiation since many of your competitors have easy access to the same or similar apps.

To truly disrupt the competition and win more marketshare, you need to make an honest evaluation of your current processes, systems and opportunities. This is a creative effort that can be accomplished through good old fashioned business process re-engineering.

Re-imagine a Common Sales Process

Let’s consider the challenge of a fictitious company called Seeson’s Greetings. Seeson’s Greetings sells Christmas and other holiday ornaments through wholesale distribution. Their industry is considered to be very competitive.

A major part of Seeson’s Greetings sales come from active participation at industry trade shows. From the trade show floor, Seeson’s team of sales reps need to provide quotes, orders and invoices, and in some cases, accept payment on the spot from their B2B clientele.

The current sales process for Seeson’s Greetings is manual, and looks something like this:

  • Confirm pricing for the customer in a printed catalog.
  • Prepare handwritten invoice/order form, and obtain a signature from the customer.
  • Call the office to provide credit card information.
  • Fax or physically deliver the handwritten invoice/order form to the office.
  • Enter sales activity into the ERP.
  • Send email order confirmation to the customer.
  • Document the transaction; either file the signed customer invoice in a cabinet, or manually scan and attach it to the invoice record in the ERP.

INEFFICIENCY MANIFESTED

This process is wrought with inefficiencies, and potential for mistakes, information delays, and effort duplication. In short, it is ripe for an overhaul. Here are some of the problem areas:

  • Trade show activity is not available to management in real-time.
  • Salespeople have no access to a customer’s prior sales history while interacting at a trade show.
  • Revenue and credit card receipt postings to accounting are delayed.
  • Warehouse inquiries are inaccurate because inventory quantities in the ERP don’t reflect trade show sales until later.
  • Excess labor costs are incurred by having additional staff enter the transactions.
  • Risk of error increases when entering after-the-fact data based on a hand-written form.

Seeson’s has some real opportunities to re-engineer the trade show selling process in a way that provides measurable benefits. These improvements include increased salesperson and customer confidence, reduced order processing labor costs, and greatly accelerated visibility of trade show activities at any moment in time.

BETTER PROCESSES ENABLE MORE SALES.

When engaging in process re-design, imagine all the benefits of making trade show sales with a smart phone or a tablet app designed for your ERP:

  • A salesperson can now review the customer’s history—on the spot.
  • Customer specific pricing is available, current and accurate.
  • Product bar code scanning speeds up customer checkout.
  • Swiping credit card data speeds up checkout, too.
  • Electronic signature capture improves accountability.
  • Photographic proof of delivery is captured.
  • Invoice receipt is automatically printed or emailed, saving time.
  • Geo-coded, time- and date-stamped transactions improve visibility.
  • Sales data, including the signature, the photo, the geo-code info, etc. is fed into the ERP immediately, increasing confidence.
  • Show activity is completely backed up. Re-keying of data is no longer necessary.

You’ve just re-imagined a process that, when acted upon, will likely increase the satisfaction of your customers, salespeople, customer service reps and most likely, management and ownership. Best of all, with this imagined process, you created documentation suitable to help evaluate software developers and determine who has the best technology and experience to satisfy your needs.

To learn more about how xkzero can help you develop a mobile ERP strategy to fit your business, please contact us at info@xkzero.com or 847-416-2009.

 

Infinite Peripherals: Streamlining Warehouse Operations with Mobile Devices

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xkzero Technical Services featured client solution:
Infinite Peripherals

Infinite Peripherals provides mobile point of sale (POS) devices to 30% of the top 20 U.S. retailers. As the premier manufacturer of mobile scanning, printing and payment swipe devices for Apple, Infinite Peripherals once had slow, paper-based manual warehouse processes that didn’t integrate with their Sage 100 ERP. As the products began to proliferate in the marketplace, the management team knew that to keep up with the continued demand, they needed better solutions.

Here is the story of why the company decided to hire xkzero to create customized software to meet the challenge, and also add some of its existing iOS apps into the mix. In the article below, “Streamlining Warehouse Operations with Mobile Devices,” originally published in July 2014 on the web site The BarCode News, Infinite Peripherals President Andy Graham writes about the partnership’s positive impact on operations.

Please note the bold, italicized text interspersed throughout the story below, and the introductory paragraph above was not included in the original article. It represents commentary by xkzero team members, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Infinite Peripherals.

In 2009, as Infinite Peripherals, Inc. (IPC) entered the mobile POS industry with its Linea Pro® (the first-to-market iOS peripheral), the company began experiencing significant growth and business opportunities. With increasing adoption of mPOS over the years, IPC rapidly expanded, outgrowing its warehouse and internal data systems to manage increasing inventory and order flow.

After six years in its former offices in Arlington Heights, Ill., IPC moved in December 2013 to a new corporate headquarters in Elk Grove Village, Ill. At 25,000 square feet, the new office and warehouse are triple the company’s former space, and are located in an industrial park minutes from O’Hare International Airport, through which most of the company’s products are shipped, as well as easily accessible from downtown Chicago.

Infinite Peripherals runs Sage 100 ERP to manage the wholesale distribution part of its business from end-to-end.

Built from raw space and designed by NELSON Chicago, the new offices feature a sleek, forward-thinking look that recently earned a RED Award from the Illinois Chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) for exemplary design.

Opportunity to Mobilize
The larger warehouse and corresponding surge in market demand presented an ideal opportunity for IPC to put its own devices, including the Linea Pro and Infinea Tab M™, to work to manage the business and streamline operations. The Linea Pro and Infinea Tab M, which both include a barcode scanner and magnetic stripe reader, attach to an iPod touch® and iPad® mini, respectively, and run on custom software to perform a variety of tasks.

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Previously, the warehouse used a manual, paper-based system, which not only was time-consuming but also subject to occasional human error. Knowing the power and capabilities of its own products, IPC chose to eliminate this system entirely in favor of electronically gathering and recording data via the iPod touch and Linea Pro or the iPad mini and Infinea Tab M.

To make this happen, IPC partnered with xkzero, a software developer who already was using IPC devices with ERP business management software for data collection for its own customers. The software group shadowed IPC warehouse employees to experience firsthand and understand the typical work process, business needs and potential snags. xkzero then built a software framework that included the Apple® devices and IPC peripherals, incorporating a step-by-step replacement of what IPC warehouse staff formerly was doing manually.

With the paper-based system, employees facing special cases communicated via written notes, which were shared back and forth to keep operations moving. xkzero had to determine a way to incorporate this communications tool within the software to facilitate efficient workflow. Now, the notes are electronic and stay with the product throughout the entire process so that they are easily and quickly found, read and managed.

Due to the intuitive, user-friendly nature of the iPod touch and the iPad, along with the step-by-step software, training on the new system was remarkably rapid, only taking about two hours to familiarize the six-person IPC team with the automated, electronic process.

 xkzero fully automates the Pick, Pack and Ship processes for Infinite Peripherals, and also completes small parcel shipping by passing along the shipment information, including dimensions and weights, to Starship by V-Technologies. 

From start to deployment, it took xkzero approximately seven months to build the software infrastructure to communicate with the iOS device; and once the framework was set, the implementation process only lasted about two months.

Win-Win
Today, IPC handles inventory receipt, organization and picking; labeling (using the company’s DPP-450 mobile printer) and shipping; serial number tracking; and quality control with its new mobile platform. Currently, five IPC devices are used in the warehouse, including a new IPC product that is undergoing testing prior to launch.

Upon eliminating paper in the warehouse, the company had to determine a new way to identify boxes and shipping containers before they were labeled. In the past, staff would attach a picking list to boxes so that they knew their location. The team now uses its own mobile printer to create labels with a barcode; these labels are affixed to the boxes and can be easily scanned to identify contents and order details.

Infinite Peripherals Sage 100 ERP system users don’t waste unnecessary time navigating menus or failing to find what they are looking for fast enough because they use GetX-Universal Search for Sage 100 ERP by xkzero.

The mobile solution in the IPC warehouse enables the company to ship between 2,000 to 5,000 devices each week. Currently, there are approximately 400,000 IPC devices on the market, primarily in the retail, restaurant and hospitality sectors.

Infinite-peripherals3Using its own devices, IPC has benefitted from a 25 percent increase in productivity in the warehouse, along with reduced employee errors and significant time and cost savings.

With the advancement in technology and the rapid pace of business, opportunities for mobility have never been greater. It’s important to prioritize projects like this and develop a smart system now to be best prepared to be competitive in the future.

Infinite Peripherals equips their sales reps with iSales 100, the native sales app xkzero built exclusively for Sage 100 ERP. When IPC’s sales team members meet with major retailer customers, they now have easy access to the answers to all the important questions about information housed in their ERP. And they are ready to take an order or leave a quote any time, anywhere.

Article written by Andrew Graham, President & Co-Founder, Infinite Peripherals, Inc.

Original Article:
Graham, Andrew. “Streamlining Warehouse Operations with Mobile Devices.” BarCode.com The BarCode News, Web. July 2014.

About Infinite Peripherals, Inc.
Since 1993, Infinite Peripherals, Inc. (IPC) has been fueling mobility with cutting-edge mobile peripheral devices, receipt printers, mechanisms and receipt printer-related components. Numerous major retailers in the United States are moving to mobile POS with IPC’s Linea Pro® and Infinea Tab®, helping to transform shopping, drive traffic and increase customer conversion rates. Anticipating trends and pre-empting solutions for a constantly evolving business landscape, IPC enhances operations in retail and other industries, including healthcare, hospitality, transportation, warehouse and logistics, entertainment and security. For more information, please visit www.ipcprint.com.

 

 

How to Transform an ERP System from Record Keeper to Business Driver

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Guest Blogger: Joanna Rotter is the Content Marketing Specialist for MSI Data, a leader in field force automation software and creator of the enterprise field service app, Service Pro. Connect with Joanna via email at joannar@msidata.com.

Enterprise technologies are becoming more and more integrated and connected. Turning software into an all-in-one system can move a business forward.

Mobile Measurement Tools

Mobile Measurement Tools

Historically, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems only served database storage and business accounting needs. While these are still essentials in an ERP, today’s business software demands extend to integrated technology, so the best providers now support companies beyond the accounting department. When customers research ERP systems worthy of investment, they also expect them to accommodate service, sales, CRM, and other functions.

Why Changing Business Software is Good for ERP Providers

The connection between industry operations and accounting management isn’t anything new. Production and financial management have always been inextricably linked in any business. Whether its core focus is manufacturing, distribution, contracting, telecommunications or services, company leaders typically recognize the need to address accounting and common operational function management within a single integrated system wherever possible.

This call for integrated systems, while a change and a challenge for typical ERP providers, opens up a range of opportunities for connections and partnerships with other software companies. ERP providers can take advantage of the call for greater connectivity by partnering with software developers focusing on various industries to offer customers all-in-one solutions that perform an array of integrated functions to meet specialized needs.

ERP and Business Operations Systems: Better Together

In an increasingly competitive market, forging customer loyalty and long-term customer relationships are growing concerns for companies in a variety of industries. This is why all departments in an organization need to work together to form a unified front.

For example, many service-focused organizations now recognize the service department itself as a ‘company within the company.’ This means extending leadership and decision-making autonomy to employees working in this area, so they may operate as a profit center and better set themselves apart with exceptional service delivery.

No longer only reactionary, in these cases, the service department can now be tasked with becoming a critical driver of new revenue and curator of existing customer accounts. That means taking on many new roles and responsibilities, including sales, estimating, and even public relations. With these additional demands, service departments need their own software system that can integrate with the ERP so the sales and revenue initiated in their department is immediately accessible to accounting personnel and vice versa.

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Service Pro Web Portals

What to Look for in a Mobile Partner

ERP systems function and exist within the confines of an office building. But many industries, like field service, are inherently mobile, thus require mobile software to integrate with their ERP system.

In order to give customers the best of both worlds, ERP providers can integrate with an industry-specific mobile application. When choosing the best mobile apps to connect with an ERP system, consider the following:

  • Is it cross-platform? Some customers are open to using the best device or mobile operating platform for the job. Others prefer not to be limited by a single option.
  • Does it run native? Mobile workers often work in areas without cell reception. You want to make sure the app still works when they’re offline.
  • Is it cloud-based? Cloud-based software allows companies to purchase software as a service, while easing the ability to share data and provide IT support.
  • Does it improve communication between in-office and mobile workers? You want the application to automatically connect back-office and field workers to save time and keep everyone in the loop.
  • Does it have data collection, storage, and analysis capabilities? Data-driven decisions are better than educated guesses, and real-time data is better than month-old data. Be sure your app provider delivers data that helps improve business decisions.
  • Can it schedule and send alerts to a mobile workforce? Employees who work off-site may need to be able to schedule appointments with specified instructions and receive changes on the fly.

Drive your business forward with the right software partners.
Businesses are learning that both administrative automation and software integration are necessary to compete in an increasingly connected workplace. Conduct a thorough and organized software selection and implementation process for targeted industries and realize the benefits of an integrated business strategy.

About MSI: MSI develops enterprise, scheduling and mobile software that helps companies improve the productivity of their field workforce and replace paper and disconnected spreadsheet-based business processes by automating field service, inspections, site surveys, audits, reporting and other critical field-driven business processes. Whether deployed in the cloud or on-premise, MSI field workforce software applications are easy to acquire, easy to deploy and deliver enterprises with rapid return on investment. To learn more, please visit www.msidata.com.

Are you looking for the right integrated, mobile ERP solution for you or your customers? Please contact xkzero at info@xkzero.com or 847-416-2009.
Also, to find more about our mobile offerings, visit our website at www.xkzero.com.

xkzero Mobile Commerce–Automated Sales and Direct Store Delivery

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) June 11, 2014

xkzero, a Chicago-based software developer, today released the general availability of its new mobile sales and delivery application, xkzero Mobile Commerce. Mobile Commerce is designed for companies with direct store delivery (DSD) type requirements, and automates vehicle loading and scheduling, route and driver/sales rep assignments, pre-sales, delivery, product exchanges, returns, truck transfers and payments.

Equip your drivers for success

Equip your drivers for success

Paul Ziliak, co-founder of xkzero made the announcement from the floor of the FMI Connect/Interbev 2014 tradeshow in Chicago, attended by approximately 15,000 food and beverage-related industry professionals, many of whom rely on the DSD that xkzero Mobile Commerce serves. DSD is especially relevant to manufacturers and distributors of bread and baked goods, fresh produce, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, milk, dairy and ice cream, salty snacks, beer, wine and spirits, and prepared foods.

“Other industries will need this technology, too. We expect to serve any company with a dispersed sales force—and especially those that deliver their own products. xkzero Mobile Commerce has the tools for best-in-class sales, delivery and customer service, and is instrumental to building brand loyalty. As a product that is already live with a large distribution and delivery company, we are already seeing the results–xkzero Mobile Commerce is a sales and profit generating machine,” said Ziliak.

xkzero Mobile Commerce is a native iOS (Apple iPhone and iPad) application which allows for offline processing. Technology highlights include signature capture, geo-coded transactions and the ability to print documents such as invoices and proof of delivery forms. Custom survey functionality is another standout feature built into xkzero Mobile Commerce. It enables companies to create their own forms to automate vehicle inspections, gather retail and competitive intelligence, and survey customers. Also, any survey question can include a photo with tags. Reports can then be run on survey data–including photo tags–to target any customer, competitor, or operational information desired.

xkzero Mobile Commerce was engineered to integrate with Sage ERP X3 and will support other Sage ERPs such as Sage 100 ERP and Sage 500 ERP. Ziliak said, “Everything about the design was built with the manufacturer and distributor in mind, including the ability to plug it in to any ERP or accounting system. Although xkzero is a certified Sage developer, our company can create solutions for other ERP markets, too.”

About xkzero
xkzero provides Mobile ERP leadership and supply chain optimization for small and mid-sized distribution and manufacturing companies. Specializing in Sage ERP X3, Sage 100 ERP and Sage 500 ERP, xkzero’s published apps include iSales 100, GetX Universal Search for Sage 100 ERP and now xkzero Mobile Commerce. http://www.xkzero.com/MobileCommerce

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Manufacturers & Distributors: A Checklist for Evaluating Mobile Sales Apps to Best Fit YOUR Needs

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By Paul Ziliak, co-founder, xkzero

Your company has decided take the lead this year in your industry and plans to modernize your sales team by equipping them with smart phones and tablets that do more than automate email, calendars and address books. Ownership has given the green light to you as the sales manager to find and acquire the best mobile apps for your business that actually integrate with your ERP system. Excited? You bet you are! Nervous? More than a little, because even though you have spelled out the goals and calculated the ROI, you don’t want to get this investment wrong. Frankly, if it doesn’t work you are going to have a lot of explaining to do.

Decision points abound, but the field of mobilized ERP for sales people is not rife with how-to guides and requirements checklists, so we hope you will find this useful. Can we guarantee that you will find the perfect fit for your distribution needs? No, but we do know that the more informed you are the more likely your project with succeed.

Mobile Snapshot
Here are some capabilities to consider when selecting a mobile app:

  • First, confirm that your ERP/CRM system can integrate with available mobile apps out-of-the-box. Remember that a mobile app designed to “integrate with any ERP” is not designed to integrate primarily with your ERP.
  • Integrate customer info
  • Integrate inventory info
  • Allow mobile selling
  • Enable B2B mobile self-service
  • Accept customer payments
  • Provide survey management
  • Allow photo tagging
  • Enable route management
  • Automate order delivery
  • Optimize trade show sales
  • Support bar code scanning
  • Provide credit card swipe support
  • Accommodate a pricing system that works for you (user-based, device-based, by company, etc.)

Goals for Mobile
Evaluate whether a mobile app can improve your business in these ways:

  • Increase/accelerate revenue
  • Provide employees flexible options
  • Enable customer self-service
  • Improve customer service
  • Speed up order-delivery-payment process
  • Streamline various processes
  • Eliminate redundant processes

Mobile Management
Determine which of these specifications that are right for your company:

  • Native ERP-based data management vs. Cloud-based data management
  • Ability to control features and data by User/Role
  • Multi-language support
  • Multi-company support
  • Inherent business intelligence/reporting

Intended Use
Think through these ways that your company may utilize the app:

  • Access at a customer or prospect’s location
  • Access at a trade show or conference
  • Access anywhere outside the office
  • Connect with sales or service counter from your office
  • Conduct retail point-of-sale transactions
  • Use for event selling

Mobile Customer / Contact Features
Decide which of these actions are important to your company:

  • Organize by customer or by contact
  • Add customers on-the-fly
  • Add contacts on-the-fly
  • Integrate with map
  • Integrate with email
  • Integrate with phone
  • Integrate with calendar
  • Display multiple ship-to locations
  • View customer/item last purchase/history
  • View open sales orders
  • View open accounts receivable
  • Control fields displayed by User

Mobile Inventory
Decide which of these items you need to view when tracking inventory:

  • Item warehouse quantities
  • Item images/drawings/diagrams
  • Miscellaneous non-inventory items
  • Price and cost information

Mobile Sales and Delivery
Select the processes you would like to handle for sales and delivery:

  • Manage by route
  • Manage by territory
  • Manage by vehicle
  • Manage by user/sales rep/driver
  • Create quotes
  • Create orders
  • Create invoices
  • Create credits/sales returns
  • Create inventory exchanges
  • Conduct inventory check-out/check-in with inventory reconciliation
  • Reconcile payments
  • Follow native ERP pricing rules
  • Capture signature
  • Print and email receipts/orders
  • Control price overrides

Mobile B2B
Decide which of these business-to-business-friendly features you need:

  • Provide select customers with self-service app
  • Support rules regarding data access

Mobile Payments
Determine which of these mobile payment methods and features you prefer:

  • Receive payments against open invoices
  • Accept payments against new orders/invoices
  • Check
  • Credit card
  • Cash
  • Supports payment reconciliation

xkzero creates technologies to further the success of companies with supply chain management and distribution needs. Our specialty is Sage ERP and our focus is creating functional and technological solutions that are simple to deploy and have a powerfully positive impact on your bottom line.

Our guiding force is the experience of the Sage user and their customer on the other end. Our featured applications include:

Accelerating sales, improving margins, your products delivered for less–and time savings for everyone. That is the xkzero experience.

If we can help you grow please contact us at info@xkzero.com

Keep In Touch With Customers Easily With Your Mobile ERP Sales App

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Have you ever attended a large trade show or conference that will also be attended by any number of your existing customers? How frustrating can it be to have no way of reaching a customer or client while at the exciting exhibition?

With iSales 100, the original native iPhone and iPad app for Sage 100 ERP, you have the ability to create unlimited groups of customers, contacts and items for easy access when you need it most. We call them “Hot Lists,” but you may think of them as “favorites.” Here is a quick little video to show you how you can set up your own Hot List:

Whether you’re interested in using mobile for sales, commerce, or transportation management, contact xkzero at info@xkzero.com or call 847-416-2009 for a fresh approach to your distribution business.

Developing mobile strategies to leverage your ERP system

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Evolving your business to match your mobile lifestyle is not going to happen overnight and will require vision, planning and real intention.

This is the first in a series of articles where we hope to layout some guidelines to help you consider when and how to mobilize your workforce. Our primary focus concerns manufacturers and distributors selling B2B, but our hope is you will find some common themes to consider whether your business is real estate, services, construction, hospitality, government or any other business.

Part of the attraction of modern mobile sales apps is that they are easy to deploy and easy to use. Mobile apps also lend themselves to subscription pricing further lowering the barriers and encouraging business owners and operators to look at their businesses operation in a new light.

ERP has been a notorious laggard when in comes to delving into new technologies. But that may be changing. The young people entering our workforce now expect to be always connected — and they are building electronic networks sometimes before they reach their teen years. They are beginning to stand in the doorway of business and today most would not be impressed by the lack of mobile accessibility to their jobs.

But now we have phenomenal mobile development platforms, internet and bandwidth access that improves seemingly on a daily basis, and we have developed habits of monitoring our smartphones and tablets morning, noon and night – blurring the lines between work and personal life.

Are mobile apps ready for primetime? To me that is a question with an obvious answer, but it is one still being asked a lot. I think the questions should be – what do you want to do – and when do you start planning.

Our series will provide a step-by-step guide, a thought process, designed to help you better understand your opportunities, some of your options, and some of you investment and ROI considerations.

Here is how we will break it down:

  1. Business goals (because its important to always start with the end in mind)
  2. Functional needs by end user role
  3. Integration and data management
  4. Hardware, device and platform selection
  5. Deployment, ease of use and pricing concerns

Other resources distributors may be interested in:

We’ll see you out there.

By Paul Ziliak, co-founder, xkzero

Ziliak

If you would like to learn more about xkzero Mobility, Sage Mobile Sales, or would like to share your mobile ideas with us, please contact us at info@xkzero.com.

Interested in attending an upcoming webinar to help you create a plan to mobilize your workforce?  Please join us!

(9/25) Mobile ERP Sales – How Do I Start 11:00am-12:00pm CST  https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/571903254

(10/23) Mobile ERP Sales – How Do I Start 1:00pm-2:00pm CST https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/266156734

 

 

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