New Survey Data Transcends Product Impact to Measure SYSPRO Service/Culture; Analyst Firm Also Reports on SYSPRO Market-Differentiating ‘Customer Experience’ Focus

SYSPRO, a provider of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, released today new customer survey statistics showing a clear relationship between the company’s exemplary customer focus and the positive impact it is having on its manufacturing clients. The survey measured the independent impact of SYSPRO’s market-differentiating customer focus as an additional variable to the company’s award-winning technology for small and mid-sized manufacturers and distributors. Results were released to 25 of the world’s top technology analysts this week in Boston at the JRocket Marketing Grape Escape ® 2013.

SYSPRO has long been identified by independent ERP and manufacturing industry sources as being more conscious of and invested in the success and well-being of its 15,000 worldwide customers. This symbiotic cultural factor, called “the customer experience” by market research firm IDC, led more than 85 percent of polled SYSPRO customers to report that this factor alone has led to “do more with less” resources. Additionally 90% state SYSPRO culture and customer focus has led to improved go-to-market strategies, and 85% cite better business processes. The survey is an ongoing measurement tool that SYSPRO distributes to its customer base under the heading “SNAP!” – SYSPRO Needs Answers Please!

Both the survey data and a new correlating IDC Buyer Case History entitled, “SYSPRO: Differentiation Through Customer Experience Go-to-Market Strategy,” can be downloaded here.

“SYSPRO is a living textbook that customer centricity is not a soft concept, but a tangible business differentiator with a three decades’ proof statement on how to thrive in a competitively challenging market,” states Mary Wardley, IDC Vice President of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Applications.

The report states, “For organizations wanting to create customer experience leadership excellence, four key insights can be gleaned from the SYSPRO ERP example:

• Establish and communicate bottom up and top down the customer experience priorities;
• Create highly integrated programs and business processes that are repeatable and sustainable;
• Leverage technology resources (i.e., social/mobile/business intelligence) to streamline and optimize customer experience programs; and
• Measure on multiple levels — customer expectations, motivations, feelings, concerns and address any barriers to achieving customer satisfaction.”

SYSPRO Customer Focus – Far Beyond Problem Resolution and Satisfaction Surveys
SYSPRO stands out among ERP providers for redefining the realm of customer experience to transcend beyond typical vendor measurement aimed at simply measuring for happy customers based on factors like problem resolution. More specifically, SYSPRO believes and has statistically proven that its closer/better relationship with its small-and mid-sized manufacturing and distribution customers has improved its customers’ ability to compete against much larger competitors.

“While SYSPRO ERP technology is world class, let’s face it, this is a mature industry: there are a lot of proven ERP products in the market, some with hundreds of thousands of customers,” said SYSPRO President Joey Benadretti. “What has consistently made SYSPRO different from the rest of the ERP vendor market is our focus on a better customer experience – one that impacts their business positively and measurably, as this survey data we are releasing today shows. SYSPRO customers feel this customer centricity in our culture when they are part of the SYSPRO community. Customers never want to leave – and our retention is the industry’s best at 99% plus. In fact, the only time I’m aware that a SYSPRO customer ever leaves is due to mandated ERP consolidation related to a merger. We have successfully transitioned long-time SYSPRO customers through many technology platforms and evolutions.”

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. For more information on SYSPRO, or to schedule a consultation on how we can better serve you, please visit here.

SYSPRO Invites Attendees to View Ways SYSPRO Food & Beverage ERP Software Enhances Operational Efficiencies, Facilitates Legal Compliance and Enables Speedy Ingredient Traceability

SYSPRO, the leading global supplier of on-premise, cloud and mobile business ERP Software for Food & Beverage manufacturers and distributors, announced today that the company will demonstrate SYSPRO ERP at the Summer Fancy Food Show, June 30 – July 2, 2013. Visitors to the SYSPRO exhibit in booth #4411 at New York’s Jacob Javits Convention Center will have the opportunity to learn why award-winning SYSPRO Food & Beverage ERP software is increasingly the choice of food manufacturers and distributors. In addition to the ability of SYSPRO ERP to promote company-wide lean practices, ease legal compliance and facilitate total ingredient traceability, the SYSPRO solution ranks high in six major areas –

• Feature set
• Ease of Use
• Technology
• Implementation
• Tailorability
• Partnership

Mary Ann Yerage, Purchasing Manager, Gorant Chocolatier, noting that Gorant’s choice of SYSPRO ERP was based on the software’s excellent reputation in the food industry, outlined the efficiencies SYSPRO ERP has produced at the Boardman, Ohio-based company. Referencing costing accuracy and labor tracking, she noted that the company is now aware of actual costs. “We [now] have better visibility of inventory, know the location of all raw materials and the ability to see manufacturing and retail quantities in one system,” she said.

She also stated that SYSPRO ERP has enabled the company to efficiently boost production and facilitate demand planning and forecasting. Referencing FDA traceability requirements, Yerage said that in the most recent 3rd party QA audit, SYSPRO Lot Traceability enabled Gorant to trace product and code in less than 45 minutes.

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. For more information on SYSPRO, or to schedule a consultation on how we can better serve you, please visit here.

Just Released Matrix Reflects SYSPRO Performance Among ERP Vendors’ ‘Usability, Functionality’ for First Half 2013

SYSPRO, a provider of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, announced today that the company has been placed in the “Leader” quadrant in the just-released ERP Value Matrix 1H2013 from Nucleus Research.

The Matrix copy notes that “many companies are considering consolidating or replacing their maturing ERP applications today to take advantage of emerging solutions with more intuitive user interfaces, in-application analytics and mobile access.”

About SYSPRO ERP Nucleus Research states: “. . . Developed from a single source, the software can be configured and tailored to fit a customer’s needs . . . the modular approach enables companies to deploy only the modules they need and expand over time if required without complex integration efforts.”
During the first half of 2013, SYSPRO announced a major, new ERP software release, SYSPRO 7, and SYSPRO’s mobile access solution, SYSPRO Espresso.

SYSPRO 7 features numerous enhancements and expands the already powerful SYSPRO user interface (UI) capabilities. Styled along the lines of Windows 8, SYSPRO 7 brings active tiles and touch capabilities to its enterprise UI, enabling manufacturers and distributors to easily create tailor-fit and social-ready environments for their SYSPRO solutions – ones that feel and operate with all the advantages of a home-built solution with the familiarity of the mobile, touch and social ready software tools now used on a daily basis.
To support large-scale customization for businesses, the new UI also enables enterprise-wide modifications and themes. The new industry layouts can be particularly helpful for corporate alignment within specific vertical industries, including food, medical devices, machinery/equipment, electronics and pharmaceuticals/chemicals markets.

The SYSPRO Espresso mobile solution is purpose built and leverages leading edge HTML 5, Microsoft technology and tools. The SYSPRO Espresso architecture is one of the first platforms of its kind to use a single source codebase (for the business logic) to create native applications for any mobile device, with built-in powerful customization capabilities both for the end-user and for developers to engage.

About Nucleus Research
Nucleus Research is a global provider of investigative, case-based technology research and advisory services that provide real-world insight into maximizing technology value. For more information, visit NucleusResearch.com

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. For more information on SYSPRO, or to schedule a consultation on how we can better serve you, please visit here.

SYSPRO ERP for Food Facilitates Regulatory Compliance, Quality, Perishability, Faster Inventory Turns, Safety

SYSPRO, a provider of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, announced today that SYSPRO is exhibiting at the IFT Food Expo in Booth 4454, July 14 – 16, 2013, at McCormick Place South, Chicago. The SYSPRO exhibit will cover the myriad ways that SYSPRO ERP for Food handles the complexities of the food and beverage industry where the challenges of regulatory compliance, quality, perishability, the demand for faster inventory turns and deliveries and safety issues and time-to-market are all critical.

The SYSPRO display will detail how SYSPRO ERP for Food improves procurement efficiency, transaction speeds and responsiveness to customer demand. No matter the recipe, SYSPRO traceability monitors the food or beverage life cycle from initial ingredients purchases, through manufacture to finished goods, shipment and final delivery. In addition, SYSPRO solution engineers will explain how SYSPRO inventory management promotes the maintenance of low inventory levels and high service levels, while incorporating multiple units of measure and catch weights that enable accurate product costing and pricing.

The solution engineers will also detail the ways SYSPRO ERP for Food can help food and beverage manufacturers and distributors:
• Comply with Food Safety Regulations
• Manage Product and Raw Material Traceability
• Monitor Entire Supply Chain
• Optimize Management and Planning with Improved Visibility
• Control Costs to Increase Profitability

Mary Ann Yerage, Purchasing Manager, Gorant Chocolatier, indicating that Gorant’s choice of SYSPRO ERP was based on the software’s excellent reputation in the food industry, has outlined the efficiencies SYSPRO ERP has produced at the Boardman, Ohio-based company. Referencing costing accuracy and labor tracking, she noted that the company is now aware of actual costs. “We [now] have better visibility of inventory, know the location of all raw materials and the ability to see manufacturing and retail quantities in one system,” she said.

She also states that SYSPRO ERP has enabled the company to efficiently boost production and facilitate demand planning and forecasting. Referencing FDA traceability requirements, Yerage said that in the most recent 3rd party QA audit, SYSPRO Lot Traceability enabled Gorant to trace product and code in less than 45 minutes.

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. For more information on SYSPRO, or to schedule a consultation on how we can better serve you, please visit here.

SYSPRO, a developer of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, today announced that the company’s mobile solution, SYSPRO Espresso, a finalist for a 2013 American Business Award for “New Product of the Year, Software,” is also a candidate for a People’s Choice Award. This is the latest honor for the revolutionary, new software product.

Votes for SYSPRO can be logged by clicking on the following link and entering the short code: P897Q – http://www.stevieawards.com/FavoriteNewProducts

SYSPRO Espresso addresses the latest mobile requirements for businesses and is targeted at both executives who require immediate access to c-level information as well as all users who are not office/desk bound and who require secure access to real-time data. The SYSPRO Espresso architecture is one of the first platforms of its kind to use a single source codebase (for the business logic) to create device agnostic applications for Windows, IOS, Android and Blackberry mobile devices. The built-in powerful customization capabilities deliver bottom line value for the end-user and provide a secure and rapid environment for mobile developers, extending the already feature rich SYSPRO solution.

According to SYSPRO USA President Joey Benadretti, “SYSPRO’s new mobile solution incorporates one of SYSPRO software’s most acclaimed advantages — easy customization. SYSPRO Espresso users will be able to access and tailor SYSPRO applications that can work on-line and off-line on any mobile device, platform agnostic. The native look and feel of these devices, as well as the look and feel of their personalized interface to SYSPRO, are retained creating a fluid customer experice. SYSPRO solutions feel like ‘home grown’ software solutions – as if they were built by their own technology development team.”

“SYSPRO’s mission is to build on its strong reputation as the ERP market’s most robust, best-value solution set for global mid-market manufactures/distributors,” said Brian Stein, CEO of SYSPRO U.S.A. “The large ERP companies are simply not delivering the same level of value received by SYSPRO customers. Our attention to detail — whether product or service-related — wins us awards by both our customers, leading analysts and technology associations around the globe.” (See recent IDC report by leading Analyst Mary Wardley)

Individuals can vote for SYSPRO Espresso for a “People’s Choice Award” simply by clicking on the following link and entering the short code: P897Q http://www.stevieawards.com/FavoriteNewProducts

About The American Business Awards “The Stevie Awards”
The Stevie Awards were created to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and business people worldwide. Beginning with The American Business Awards in 2002, The International Business Awards in 2003, The Stevie Awards for Women in Business in 2004, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service in 2006, the mission is to raise the profile of exemplary organizations and individuals among the press, the business community, and the general public. In short order the Stevie has become one of the world’s most coveted awards.

The American Business Awards are ¬judged each year by more than 200 executives nationwide. Award sponsors include several of the top business publishers and marketers.

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. For more information on SYSPRO, or to schedule a consultation on how we can better serve you, please visit here.

Clysar Selects SYSPRO ERP Over IQMS, Epicor, Microsoft, SAP and Others to “Create a Unifying Business Platform for Aggressive Growth Both in Revenue and ERP-Driven Profit Improvements”

SYSPRO, a provider of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, announced today that Clysar, a leader in the niche polyolefin display shrink packaging film industry, has selected SYSPRO ERP based on the software’s “robust functionality, flexible Microsoft .NET architecture that enables the ready design of a system that superbly meets the requirements of a fairly specialized industry. The customer intimacy of SYSPRO is far superior to the many otherwise reputable ERP companies we both long and short listed.”

According to Wayne Carlson, Clysar CIO, the company’s requirements in selecting new software were: ease of use and form/feel; functionality specific to continuous batch plastics extrusion manufacturing; ease of implementation; software and architectural flexibility and trust in the chosen ERP company both in terms of business integrity and commitment to us, a customer.

Adds Carlson, “Due to the complexity of business requirements of Clysar and its fragmented application landscape, we privately assumed we would have to pick SAP in spite of its cost or a plastics industry specific package, such as IQMS, to reduce implementation risk. We were pleasantly surprised that SYSPRO demonstrated a highly elegant and cost-efficient solution to meet the industry specific requirements of plastics manufacturing without customizations and third party bolt-ons – and with far less complexity and cost than SAP.”

Explaining the importance of flexibility, Carlson notes: “Software and architectural flexibility facilitate software changes [‘tailoring’] which are vital to the many plastics manufacturing industry specific business processes at Clysar. We are able to retain operating control with the ability to integrate seamlessly into various unique business specific solutions, both now and in future phases of our overarching implementation approach.”

In addition to “excelling at each of the aforementioned criteria,” Carlson indicates that the following were also major considerations in the selection of SYSPRO over other ERP software solutions, including those from SAP, IQMS, Microsoft, Epicor, Made2Manage, QAD, and INFOR:
o SYSPRO’s entrepreneurial spirit and creative deal structure;
o SYSPRO’s palpable, unusual and credible will to win on our behalf and care for Clysar as a customer
o SYSPRO’s flexible corporate culture and true commitment to customers; and
o Confidence that SYSPRO would be a trusted business partner for the long term.

The above mirrors what was said in a recent research paper on the Customer CX (Customer Experience) by leading IDC analyst Mary Wardley. She cites SYSPRO as the example of an enterprise software company that holds the customer experience at the heart of its market strategy.

Clysar is looking to SYSPRO to unify the company’s fragmented software and process landscape under one IT enabled business platform as a result of being recently carved out from the Fortune 500 packaging giant, Bemis Company, in a privatization M&A deal. Moreover, the privatization inspires aggressive growth and profit improvement targets as part of a revitalized business strategy wherein Carlson believes that SYSPRO is better poised to deliver ERP enabled profit improvements from operating efficiencies than all of the other packages considered.

About Clysar
Established in 1963, Clysar, headquartered in Clinton, Iowa, is an investor-owned leading manufacturer and iconic brand of polyolefin display packaging shrink film. The Company was recently privatized in a carve-out M&A transaction from the Bemis Company on May 29, 2013. The Company’s product line includes a complete portfolio of superb quality and innovative films for both food and non-food packaging applications distributed to Fortune 500 end customers. Clysar has over 300 employees at manufacturing facilities and a newly relocated corporate headquarters in Clinton, Iowa. Made in the USA—Clysar® shrink wrap is made with pride and is a domestic product not vulnerable to shortages, delays or other supply reliability challenges. For more information on Clysar, please visit here.

Orange County Technology Alliance Annual High-Tech, Innovation Awards To Be Presented October 15, 2013

SYSPRO, a provider of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, announced today that the company is a finalist for an Orange County Technology Award from the Orange County Technology Alliance in the category, “Outstanding Technology Company.” The annual, premier awards program celebrates innovation and achievement in the Orange County, Southern California region, which is the 15th largest economy in the world and the second biggest technology economy in the USA.

SYSPRO was chosen based on the company’s history of success and contributions to the technology industry as well as advances that enable SYSPRO customers to leverage the technology and maximize utilization of SYSPRO Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. With a go-to-market strategy built around an exemplary focus on the Customer Experience (CX), SYSPRO software simplifies success and besting the bottom line expectations of customers.

Joey Benadretti, president, SYSPRO USA, in a recent interview with over 30 of the leading tech analysts from around the world, elaborated: “The role of executive management is to create vision and build trust. SYSPRO has always concentrated on surpassing customer expectations and building trust throughout the entire SYSPRO ecosystem, which includes customers, partners and employees.”

In a recent blog by leading IDC analyst, Michael Fauscette (http://www.mfauscette.com) the subject was the exceptional SYSPRO Customer Experience focus. “Recently,” wrote Fauscette, “one of the analysts in my IDC group, Mary Wardley [VP Enterprise Apps, CRM and Customer Experience] published a case study on mid-market ERP vendor SYSPRO and SYSPRO’s laser focus on customers. ‘….It’s still rare to find companies that have fully embraced the concept and maximize customer centricity throughout its entire employee community. I’ve known the US management team at SYSPRO for quite a while and have always been impressed with their ability to make a software company feel more like a family than a company.’” Fauscette went on to say, “I’m not sure I realized just how much of a CX driven culture SYSPRO had built. Executing a CX strategy is not an easy, short term program. It’s a fundamental shift in a company that manifests itself in the way all employees think and act…… CX is a strategy, supported by a company culture that is reflected in employee behavior and in the design of business processes…..the technology is the means to execute the processes at scale.”
Most recently, SYSPRO introduced a new release of SYSPRO ERP software – SYSPRO 7, which adheres to the company’s policy of advancing the software based on feedback from customers and surveys on the needs of the marketplace served by SYSPRO.

The release of SYSPRO 7 is the next evolution of the company’s ongoing commitment to helping SYSPRO clients make their businesses more agile. SYSPRO 7 further enhances and expands the already powerful SYSPRO user interface (UI) capabilities, includes powerful enterprise processing enhancements for higher transactional throughput and debuts SYSPRO Espresso, the company’s unique, trend setting mobility platform.
Benadretti says of the High-Tech Innovation Awards finalist honor, “Being recognized by the OC Tech Alliance as an innovative company is certainly a validation of our efforts to offer small and medium size manufacturers and distributors the best customer experience available as well as a software solution that enables them to compete with the largest companies in their respective markets and realize bottom line results.”

Peter M. Craig, chairman, Valicore Technologies and OC Tech Alliance, notes: “We received nominations from all of Orange County’s most important technology companies. We congratulate SYSPRO for ascending to the finalist ranks. This region boasts many noteworthy companies that continue to influence technology development throughout the rest of the world, and we’re excited to help highlight them.”

Let’s face it, no matter what size manufacturer or distributor you are, every business needs a method of organization in order for it to be profitable and effective. But, even knowing this, many small- and medium-size businesses aren’t quite sure what they need or even where to start looking. At a recent event, I was surprised at how many mid-market manufacturers and distributors didn’t know ERP even existed, or that there was a more efficient method available to them beyond Excel Spreadsheets.

So, what IS ERP?

ERP, or Enterprise Resource Planning Software, is business software that integrates and runs all aspects of your business – everything from traceability of raw materials, management and optimization of inventory, production planning and scheduling, to financial controls and even customer relationship management. An ERP system, like SYSPRO, enables businesses to identify waste, eliminate inefficiencies, improve customer relations and facilitate real-time collaboration.

How does it help my business?

ERP systems enable businesses to have greater insight and visibility into their supply chain operations. Access to this key information allows them to make critical business decisions and to maintain a competitive edge in their industry, no matter how big or small the competition may be. An ERP system 360° visibility into operations, so problems are more easily identified and employees can make informed decisions. Financial data is always current thanks to real-time integration between financial, distribution and manufacturing solutions.
ERP systems can help businesses become more time efficient and improve productivity by eliminating duplication and manual entry. One SYSPRO customer, Annabelle Candy, migrated their business from Excel Spreadsheets to SYSPRO software and saw immediate results. “We were expanding, adding more locations and were keeping track of our entire business by hand on spreadsheets, which was working against us. We needed to computerize and get something more in line of organized accounting and integrated business control. We found SYSPRO, which was user friendly for beginners, and brought everything Annabelle needed into one package,” remembers Shelley Craft, Annabelle’s Vice President of Finance.

A less obvious, although critical benefit for ERP customers is that ERP vendors can maintain close ties to the industries they serve, and respond quickly to the emerging needs of their customers. This provides the customer with the long-term assurance that as their mid-market businesses continue to grow, their ERP systems will grow with them to in response to future needs.

A mobile solution, like SYSPRO Espresso can be leveraged by employees who need access to real-time data while out of the office. SYSPRO Espresso is device agnostic and gives executives the ability to access SYSPRO ERP and still effectively run their business even though they’re away from their desk.

Knowing the full benefits that an ERP system can have for your business is the first step to cutting costs and improving ROI. Narrowing down vendors, selecting the right software and properly implementing it are the next steps.

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. If you’d like an ERP expert to contact you and further discuss how SYSPRO ERP can streamline your business processes, please contact us here.

-Erin Blake

Recent Analyst Reports Cite SYSPRO Customer Focus, High Levels of Customer Service, Reliance on Customer Feedback When Designing New Software Releases

SYSPRO, a provider of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, today announced that the company’s customer focus has been recognized in new reports by leading industry analysts.

Cindy Jutras of Mint Jutras in her report, “SYSPRO for SMB – Combining New Functionality and Customer Experience,” notes: “Many companies talk about customer satisfaction and listening to the voice of the customer, but for SYSPRO, this is deeply embedded in its corporate culture. As a result, the customers have a profound influence over what SYSPRO then delivers by way of the user experience with the product.”

Analyst Ann Grackin of Chain-Link Research also emphasizes SYSPRO’s strong customer focus in her write up following the summer JRocket Marketing Grape Escape ® analyst event. “SYSPRO maintains lots of touch points . . . each emphasizes customer care and respect,” says Grackin, in her article, “Customer Experience is Not a Technology – Updates on SYSPRO.” To emphasize the point Grackin quotes SYSPRO USA President Joey Benadretti, “Creating an unbreakable relationship with our customers has been the SYSPRO mission.” Grackin adds: “The company must be doing it right as SYSPRO added 900 new enterprise customers last year—worldwide—to their customer base.

“SYSPRO insists on being more than a group of tech jocks and plays an active and engaging role in their customers’ businesses and professional success,” says Grackin, adding, “ . . . Most software-in-a-box providers do not even attempt this . . . SYSPRO is different. They maintain lots of touch points and ensure that each and every touch point emphasizes customer care and respect. SYSPRO also makes the effort to know their customers’ businesses and know them as people. The customer care reps are not just nice people on a hot line.”

According to Benadretti, customer focus is also instrumental in directing the design of new SYSPRO software releases. A recent IDC Manufacturing Insights Perspective, titled: “SYSPRO for SMB – Combining New Functionality and Customer Experience” highlights the results of a SYSPRO community study on the soon-to-be-released version of SYSPRO ERP software, SYSPRO 7.

Benadretti points out that the study was instrumental in the design of the user-friendly functionalities contained in the new release. He indicates that past studies have greatly influenced SYSPRO customer-oriented software design and the reason SYSPRO ERP has often been selected over competitive offerings, noting that Vanns Spices, Precision Fluorocarbon and Clysar have all praised SYSPRO ERP for the software’s inherent “user friendliness and tailor-ability.”

The IDC Manufacturing Insights Perspective concludes: “Looking forward, SYSPRO’s ability to serve and support its customers will provide a means of winning even more new customers among SMB manufacturers.”

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. If you’d like an ERP expert to contact you and further discuss how SYSPRO ERP can streamline your business processes, please contact us here.

Golden Bridge Awards Names SYSPRO Finalist in “Information Technology (Software) Innovation” for SYSPRO 7, SYSPRO Mobile Solution. Winners To Be Honored at the Golden Bridge Awards Banquet in San Francisco, September 30, 2013

SYSPRO, a provider of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, today announced that SYSPRO has been named a finalist for a Golden Bridge Award. SYSPRO is recognized in the category, “Information Technology (Software) – Innovations,” for the company’s new SYSPRO ERP solution, SYSPRO 7 and SYSPRO Espresso Mobile Solution.

The release of SYSPRO 7 is the next evolution of the company’s ongoing commitment to helping SYSPRO clients make their businesses more agile. SYSPRO 7 further enhances and expands the already powerful SYSPRO user interface (UI) capabilities.

Styled along the lines of Windows 8, SYSPRO 7 brings active tiles and touch capabilities to its enterprise UI, enabling manufacturers and distributors to easily create tailor-fit and social-ready environments for their SYSPRO solutions – ones that feel and operate with all the advantages of a home-built solution with the familiarity of the mobile, touch and social ready software tools used on a daily basis.

SYSPRO 7′s mobile platform, SYSPRO Espresso, also enables easy, anywhere, enhanced access to information on the go as well as effectively delivering SYSPRO anywhere and anytime.

According to SYSPRO USA President Joey Benadretti, “SYSPRO 7 is again evidence that the company is continually seeking ways to enable its customers achieve the very best bottom line results.”

About the Golden Bridge Awards
The Golden Bridge Awards are an annual industry and peers recognition program honoring the Best Companies of all types and sizes in North America, Europe, Middle-East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. If you’d like an ERP expert to contact you and further discuss how SYSPRO ERP can streamline your business processes, please contact us here.

SYSPRO Among Eight Recognized in Category “Solutions for USA” – Winners To Be Honored at the Golden Bridge Awards Dinner and Presentation in San Francisco on September 30, 2013

SYSPRO, a provider of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, today announced that SYSPRO has been named a finalist for Golden Bridge Awards.

SYSPRO is recognized in the category “Solutions for USA,” based on the numerous achievements realized by Columbia Manufacturing via the utilization of SYSPRO ERP software.

SYSPRO ERP has enabled Columbia Manufacturing to lean operations and adopt green sustainability practices.

Ali Salehi, Sr. Vice President, Columbia Manufacturing, notes: “SYSPRO functionality…expedites material resource planning and purchasing, while SYSPRO forecasting, enables, as it were, our ability to ‘see the future’ so we can regulate our purchase of chemicals, water usage, electricity and all the items related to our manufacturing of school furniture.

“For example,” he says, “SYSPRO data contributed to our plating operation’s water usage reduction — from 150,000 gallons per day to 3,000 gallons per day — also reducing chrome usage by 93% and nickel purchases by 75%.” Columbia’s environmental safeguards also include the recycling of all waste steel, corrugation, wood and trash.”

Columbia has been utilizing SYSPRO ERP software since 2004, selected on the recommendation of a search committee tasked with seeking a replacement to the company’s incumbent, outdated ERP system. SYSPRO was the choice from a field of 15 candidates. “We found SYSPRO to be the most adaptive to the nature of our business and unsurpassed for flexibility, ease of use and training,” says Salehi.
Joey Benadretti, President, SYSPRO USA, notes: “Columbia Manufacturing is exemplary of the savings users of SYSPRO ERP realize. “Columbia has won numerous awards for the ways in which it is utilizing SYSPRO ERP to enhance customer service while focusing on ergonomics that benefit the communities in which the company operates.”

About Columbia Manufacturing
Columbia Manufacturing, Inc., is a privately owned company located at One Cycle Street, Westfield, Massachusetts. Columbia, originally founded in 1877 by Colonel Albert Pope, established itself as the premier bicycle manufacturer of America’s First Bicycle. As a way to diversify its product line and to help keep the factory busy in the slow periods, Columbia started manufacturing school furniture in 1952 and today is considered to be the manufacturer of the finest school furniture in America.

Columbia’s facility sits on 36 acres with the original factory as its core. Over the years it has expanded and currently has approximately 300,000 square feet of usable manufacturing space.

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. If you’d like an ERP expert to contact you and further discuss how SYSPRO ERP can streamline your business processes, please contact us here.

Helps Manufacturers, Distributors Automate Functions with New SYSPRO 7 Release

SYSPRO, a provider of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, has announced that leading global analyst Albert Pang, CEO and founder of Apps Run the World, has posted a new article on SYSPRO Release 7. Titled, “SYSPRO Stays Fresh and Relevant,” Pang comments on the ways in which the new release, “underscores SYSPRO’s key differentiator – its relentless drive toward helping its more than 15,000 customers, primarily small and midsized distribution and manufacturing companies, succeed.”

Referencing SYSPRO’s facilitation of cost reduction strategies, Pang notes that SYSPRO “…has been developing ERP applications for 35 years, (and) is one of those software companies that have endured and withstood the challenge by focusing on their core strengths with continuous innovation.” He continues: “Recently SYSPRO announced a host of enhancements as part of its new Release 7, which combines personalized user interface, mobile capabilities, Big Data, vertical templates, server side reporting, as well as improvements in such areas as sales order entry, product configurator and optimized scalability for better transaction throughput.

SYSPRO’s global footprint now represents over $300 million in product in more than 60 countries worldwide, as referenced in the report on the Apps Run ERP supersite hosted by Pang’s company.
“What matters to these customers,” he says, “ is not a vendor’s expensive acquisitions or market caps, but rather simple-to-use ERP applications that free them up from the onerous tasks of data collection, while making it easy for them to comply with industry regulations and ultimately leverage massive amounts of sales, production and customer information in order to generate more revenues.”

The complete Pang assessment of SYSPRO’s ongoing strengths can be accessed at:
http://www.appsrunerp.com/opinions/index/103/page:1

SYSPRO Mobile Solution, SYSPRO Espresso, Winner in Category “Best New Product or Service of the Year – Software – Mobile Operations Management Solution”

SYSPRO, a provider of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, announced today that the company has won a bronze Stevie® Award in the category, “Best New Product or Service of the Year – Software – Mobile Operations Management Solutions,” at the American Business Technology Awards presented September 16, 2013, in San Francisco. SYSPRO was honored for the SYSPRO mobile platform, SYSPRO Espresso.

SYSPRO Espresso enables easy, enhanced access to information on the go, anywhere and anytime. SYSPRO Espresso is targeted at manufacturing and distribution executives who require immediate access to decision-making information, as well as employees who are not office bound and who require secure access to real time data.
The SYSPRO Espresso architecture is one of the first platforms of its kind to use a single source codebase (for the business logic) to create native applications for any mobile device, with built-in powerful customization capabilities both for the end-user and for developers to engage. SYSPRO Espresso is purpose built and leverages leading edge HTML 5, Microsoft technology and tools. According to SYSPRO USA President Joey Benadretti, “The SYSPRO win is again evidence that the company is continually enhancing SYSPRO ERP to enable SYSPRO customers to enhance operational efficiencies, lean their operations and achieve the very best bottom line results.”

The American Business Awards are the nation’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. More than 3,200 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word for “crowned,” the trophies were presented to honorees during a gala banquet on Monday, September 16, 2013.

“This year’s American Business Awards was outsized in every way,” said Michael Gallagher, Stevie Awards founder and president. “More entries and more judges than ever before, and I’d have to say the most impressive collection of nominations we’ve ever received. We congratulate all of this year’s Stevie winners for their outstanding work.”

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. If you’d like an ERP expert to contact you and further discuss how SYSPRO ERP can streamline your business processes, please contact us here.

Win in “Best Deployment and Case Studies” Category Highlights Columbia Manufacturing Achievements via Utilization of SYSPRO ERP

SYSPRO, a provider of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, announced today that the company was presented a bronze Golden Bridge Award in the category “Best Deployment and Case Studies.” The case study describes the significant costs savings and environmental impact reductions that Columbia Manufacturing continues to realize from the deployment of SYSPRO ERP.

Ali Salehi, Sr. Vice President at the Westfield, Massachusetts–based Columbia Manufacturing, a leading manufacturer of furniture for schools, notes that the company has been utilizing SYSPRO ERP software since 2004, based upon the recommendation of a search committee tasked with seeking a replacement to the company’s incumbent, outdated ERP system. “We found SYSPRO to be the most adaptive to the nature of our business and unsurpassed for flexibility, ease of use and training,” he says, noting the ways in which SYSPRO ERP has enabled the company to cut waste while reducing impact on the environment:

“SYSPRO data contributed to our plating operation’s water usage reduction — from 150,000 gallons per day to 3,000 gallons per day — also reducing chrome usage by 93% and nickel purchases by 75%.” Columbia’s environmental safeguards, he notes, also include the recycling of all waste steel, corrugation, wood and trash.
The following is a list of Columbia’s environmental achievements, many of which were facilitated utilizing SYSPRO ERP software:

• Elimination of 100% of all V.O.C.’s with a painting operation that is 100% powder coating.
• Reduction of water usage from 150,000 gallons/day to 3,000 gallons/day.
• Using 100% recycled wood flour in hard plastic seats, backs and tops.
• Using up to 25% recycled post industrial products in soft plastic components.
• Recycling 100% of excess wood products and pallets.
• Recycling 100% cardboard and paper products.
• Recycling 100% of scrap steel.
• Recycled wood and paper products are converted to fuel cell cubes replacing coal in power generator plants.

About Columbia Manufacturing
Columbia Manufacturing, Inc., is a privately owned company located at One Cycle Street, Westfield, Massachusetts. Columbia, originally founded in 1877 by Colonel Albert Pope, established itself as the premier bicycle manufacturer of America’s First Bicycle. As a way to diversify its product line and to help keep the factory busy in the slow periods, Columbia started manufacturing school furniture in 1952 and today is considered to be the manufacturer of the finest school furniture in America.

Columbia’s facility sits on 36 acres with the original factory as its core. Over the years it has expanded and currently has approximately 300,000 square feet of usable manufacturing space. For more information: call: (413) 562-3664 or go to: www.columbiamfginc.com

About the Golden Bridge Awards
The Golden Bridge Awards are an annual industry and peers recognition program honoring the Best Companies of all types and sizes in North America, Europe, Middle-East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. If you’d like an ERP expert to contact you and further discuss how SYSPRO ERP can streamline your business processes, please contact us here.

SYSPRO CITED FOR DELIVERING ON PROMISE TO PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

SYSPRO, a provider of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, announced today that the company has been named a finalist for a KMWorld Promise Award. SYSPRO was cited for “fulfilling” its promise to provide customers with innovative technology solutions. An evidence of this fulfillment is SYSPRO 7, the latest version of the SYSPRO ERP software solution.
SYSPRO 7, also the recent winner of a Golden Bridge Gold Award, contains numerous enhancements, including mobile capabilities, Big Data/Hidden Data accessibility, vertical templates, server side reporting and other significant improvements in such areas as sales order entry, product configurator and optimized scalability for better transaction throughput.

SYSPRO 7 further enhances and expands the already powerful SYSPRO user interface (UI). Styled along the lines of Windows 8, SYSPRO 7 brings active tiles and touch capabilities to its enterprise UI, enabling manufacturers and distributors to easily create tailor-fit and social-ready environments for their SYSPRO solutions – ones that feel and operate with all the advantages of a home-built solution with the familiarity of the mobile, touch and social ready software tools used on a daily basis.

SYSPRO 7′s mobile platform, SYSPRO Espresso, also enables easy, anywhere, enhanced access to information on the go as well as effectively delivering SYSPRO anywhere and anytime.

States KMWorld of the Promise Awards, “Many companies promise that their technology is the best knowledge management solution. One of the greatest challenges for organizations purchasing these technologies is to determine which of these companies will deliver on this promise. This award is given to the organization that is delivering this promise to its customers by providing innovative technology solutions for implementing and integrating knowledge management practices into their business processes.”

The Promise Award winners will be named at the KMWorld Conference, November 6 – 8, at the Renaissance Downtown Hotel in Washington, D.C.

About KMWorld
KMWorld is the leading publisher, conference organizer, and information provider serving the knowledge management, content management, and document management markets. KMWORLD informs its more than 50,000 subscribers about the components and processes — and related success stories — that together offer solutions for improving business performance. With access to many of the most knowledgeable writers and analysts in the industry, KMWorld also offers a number of special publications, including: the KMWorld Best Practices White Papers series — delivering high-value, educational content from industry-leading solutions providers, free from marketing hype and distraction; the KMWorld Buyer’s Guide — a print and electronic resource that will shorten your search for a vendor or simply help identify sources for KM tools.

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. If you’d like an ERP expert to contact you and further discuss how SYSPRO ERP can streamline your business processes, please contact us here.

Last week at the OC Business Alliance CEO Roundtable, we were treated to a very interesting discussion with Chris Harrington, V.P. of Strategy and Business Development: Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer at Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. Quite honestly, I was rather surprised that such a title actually existed. What Chris highlighted throughout his discussion was the essence of corporate responsibility as part of his company strategy. This discussion led me to think about the overall role of corporate responsibility and the two different schools of thought Chris had pointed out: Milton Friedman (“The Social Responsibility of a Business is to Increase its Profits”) and Michael Porter/Mark Kramer (“Shared Values”).

Porter and Kramer reflect a common view that a corporation must invest in the principle of shared value, which involves creating economic value in a way that also creates value for society by addressing its needs and challenges. Friedman’s view is very different, advocating that a corporation’s social responsibility is purely to increase returns for its shareholders. In essence, both schools of thought have a level of legitimacy and pose interesting arguments.

So what is corporate social responsibility when we consider it from an illuminating American perspective? We know corporate social responsibility is not a new concept but as of recent, it is gaining momentum- particularly in the United States. The focus on social responsibility has been reinforced by human causes, politics, environmental and green initiatives, social media and the overall move towards transparency and greater visibility demanded upon businesses, especially for very large public corporations.

In my personal view, I take possibly an over-riding position, which is closer to the views of Porter and Kramer since I believe that responsibility lies on both companies and individuals to be good citizens. Being part of a community poses a responsibility on a corporation to be a “big brother” and assist within the community. However, it’s important to remember, at the same time, that a corporation’s primary purpose is to deliver bottom-line results. Given this, it would be fair to assume that expenditure on non-business projects is diametrically opposed to safeguarding the profits of the company. I do not agree in this being an absolute. I believe that a corporation, by having some involvement in its community however that may be, actually interfaces with the people that work at, distribute, manufacture, and/or consume their products. Involvement is a form of giving back and this certainly highlights the persona of the corporation. This in itself attracts buyers as well as people that either would like to work there, or who are already employed and ultimately contributes to the corporation’s well-being over time.

If profits are the only motive, then it is easier to understand Friedman’s position (written in 1970) that opposes any waste of corporate resources – this then places the onus on individuals, should they desire to be part of giving. Some of these same individuals gain from corporate profits and benefit accordingly. It allows eager individuals in their personal capacities to get involved in community projects or specific causes, and are willing to do this primarily in their own time for charitable reasons. This certainly reflects well on the many people who have the passion and the heart to make a difference individually in our society.

In some ways, the above argument is very similar to what we see from a political sense in the “separation of Church and State.” Should there be an involvement? Should one group be able to influence the other, etc? There is little doubt in my mind that every corporation or business has a personality and in many cases a very unique one. The significance of this is seen often on the way that corporate culture assimilates into the internal thought processes of those employed.

In my perspective I see that blend. I strongly consider that every company has an absolute requirement to be part of their own community and give back in a manner that is not for financial gain. The importance of this is seen in the adherence to balancing out a fundamental thirst for profits with the concept of giving. At the same time, it is very difficult for any business to give beyond a reasonable point. A good example of this is giving up both time and financial donations to satisfy the abundance of charities and causes that are supported by employees and families of these employees. The requests for resources and donations include a wide variety of areas such as environmental, educational, religious, cultural and even social. There is a saturation point that can be quickly reached where it is not viable for any business to continue to partake without it impairing the bottom line that must so closely be guarded.

This does not mean that the individuals within a company cannot balance this by also donating to the causes of others. These are the causes that are so often raised in the workplace, and whether they be to help a child sell their Girl Scout cookies, or to help fund a special school play, these can be addressed by individuals who hold a pennant for giving or have an immediate involvement in these causes.

Corporate social responsibility is necessary for us as a society since it is a mass of people who make up these larger conglomerates. There has to be some form of balance between what a corporation can do by giving and sponsoring, with that of its employees who can participate and/or give to these special causes. I know that in my own company, SYSPRO USA, we promote the need to be part of our own community, as well as encouraging individuals to partake as their own initiatives. SYSPRO USA reflects a long history of involvement and achievement and has an open approach both for itself and its staff to be a part of a sustaining ecosystem. It is this understanding of corporate social responsibility that differentiates and gives a “heart” to this business.

In many ways the role of corporate giving gains greater clarity when focused on building infrastructure and doing what is necessary for teaching those in need to be self-sustainable. Obviously there is also a differential between the role of large corporations and small business but the onus for involvement persists.

Business has to always be about focus and profitability but this is not isolated from the ecosystem that is shared with its customers, channels and partners on either a local, regional, or global basis. At the end of the day, people and business interact and the separation is not always clear. Whatever your view, just imagine how sad our world would be without the efforts of others in making our world a better place.

-Joey Benadretti
President, SYSPRO USA

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. If you’d like an ERP expert to contact you and further discuss how SYSPRO ERP can streamline your business processes, please contact us here.

“SYSPRO Continues to Bring Strategic Value to Its Customers,” says TEC

SYSPRO, a provider of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, announced today that Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC) has certified SYSPRO 7, the newest release of SYSPRO ERP software.

Says TEC, “SYSPRO 7 is now certified in multiple TEC enterprise resource planning (ERP) software models: ERP for discrete manufacturing, ERP for process manufacturing, and ERP for mixed-mode manufacturing.”

TEC continues: “SYSPRO ERP software, SYSPRO 7, has been comprehensively tested and accepted by a large number of existing SYSPRO customers in multiple business areas. These customers have concluded that changes made to the software have been greatly anticipated and demanded by the user community. All improvements to the product can be divided into these major categories:

1. New customization and role-based optimization capabilities—with a tiles-based user interface similar to the Windows 8 concept, improved navigation using a new dashboard-based navigation menu, and new themes and flow graphs that simplify the interface for the end user.
2. Newly added functional features—rapid sales order entry, a new Web-based product configurator, and quotation versioning.
3. SYSPRO Espresso mobile solution—allows for personalization and customization for most popular mobile devices.
4. SYSPRO-developed industry-specific layout templates—to be used by companies operating in certain vertical markets: food and beverage, medical devices, electronics, and machinery and equipment. Organizations therefore use the same existing functionality but have precustomized screen layouts that meet their industry-specific needs.
5. Efficient implementation—SYSPRO’s Quantum Architecture is a model-based approach to implementation which makes implementing and maintaining the system much easier. You can model how your business works and then import that model into the software. The modeling can be done at any stage of the SYSPRO life cycle, and processes can be reviewed and updated as and when the business needs to change.
6. SYSPRO 7 provides with extended scalability—enabling not only mid-market businesses, but also larger companies to make use of the software. This extension has been accomplished through increased transactional speed, increased number of available transaction values, keys, and fields, as well as reduced installation and upgrades time.
7. SYSPRO Reporting Services (SRS) capability enhancements—are accomplished by optimized algorithms of server side processing, simplified external data inserting, and higher-quality reports and graphs. Interestingly enough, reports and graphs can be accessed via Microsoft Outlook on any device, and no SYSPRO Client installation and license consumption is required.”

TEC summarizes SYSPRO market pluses: “SYSPRO is a well-known ERP brand nowadays. The fast facts are as follows:
• The company has 35 years of experience in the ERP software industry.
• SYSPRO has more than 15,000 customers overall operating in 62 countries.
• SYSPRO ERP is delivered, implemented, and supported through a network of more than 1,600 Channel & Support Partners.
• SYSPRO’s customer retention rate is very high—about 98%; similar numbers also reflect the SYSPRO staff retention rate.”

Concludes TEC: “SYSPRO’s core customer relations principles remain the same: make the customer happy, a happy customer builds a good reputation, and a good reputation brings margins. And this is a very positive quality for a business software vendor. As SYSPRO is a private company and is not rigidly tied with quarterly profit responsibilities, it has a long-term perspective of bringing strategic value to its customers through deep knowledge of the client’s business and customer-centric development and support.

TEC Research Analyst Aleksey Osintsev says, “I have confidence that the SYSPRO 7 solution has great potential for, and is worthy of, being in a selection shortlist of various manufacturing or distribution companies worldwide.” Read the full TEC Blog post here.

About Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC)
Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC) helps private- and public-sector organizations choose the best enterprise software solutions for their unique business needs—quickly, impartially, and cost-effectively.

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. If you’d like an ERP expert to contact you and further discuss how SYSPRO ERP can streamline your business processes, please contact us here.

Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine Honors Green/Sustainable Practitioners in Supply Chain Industry

SYSPRO, a provider of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, announced today that SYSPRO has been named a recipient of the 2013 “Supply & Demand Chain Executive Green Supply Chain Awards.”

The 2013 Green Supply Chain Awards recognize companies making green or sustainability a core part of their supply chain strategy and are working to achieve measurable sustainability goals within their own operations and/or supply chains in the areas of Sourcing/Procurement, Fulfillment/Logistics, Operations, Product Lifecycle Management, and other areas of the supply chain.

The awards also recognize providers of supply chain solutions and services assisting their customers in achieving measurable sustainability goals. Submissions were judged based on the clarity and content of the goals and strategy (30 percent), the extent of the steps being taken (30 percent), the impact of the results to date and projected results (30 percent), and the form and presentation of the information submitted (10 percent).

“Leading companies recognize that initiating sustainable practices in their supply chain processes is key towards driving their competitive edge in today’s recovering economy,” said Barry Hochfelder, Editor, Supply & Demand Chain Executive. “This has been increasingly evident over the past few years and is relatively clear with the increased number of entries we received this year for our annual green awards. The increased adoption of green best practices and strategies will only continue to grow.”

SYSPRO was recognized for the ways SYSPRO ERP software enables mid-market manufacturing and distribution entities to cut costs, save time, drive revenues and improve their carbon footprint in the areas of product lifecycle management (PLM), order demand capture , sourcing, technology and integration infrastructure , procurement and other areas of the supply chain.

Ali Salehi, Columbia Manufacturing Sr. Vice President, references the ways SYSPRO software functionality has been instrumental to the establishment of Columbia’s green practices, noting, “We could not operate without SYSPRO . . . SYSPRO functionality . . . expedites material resource planning and purchasing while SYSPRO inventory forecasting, enables, as it were, our ability to ‘see the future’ so we can regulate our purchase of chemicals, water usage, electricity and all the items related to our manufacturing of school furniture.

“For example,” he says, “SYSPRO data contributed to our plating operation’s water usage reduction — from 150,000 gallons per day to 3,000 gallons per day — also reducing chrome usage by 93% and nickel purchases by 75%.” Columbia’s environmental safeguards also include the recycling of all waste steel, corrugation, wood and trash. The latter goes to a plant, where it’s converted into fuel cells for power plants.

Salehi points out that Columbia has been utilizing SYSPRO ERP software since 2004, selected on the recommendation of a search committee tasked with seeking a replacement to the company’s incumbent, outdated ERP system. SYSPRO was the choice from a field of 15 candidates. “We found SYSPRO to be the most adaptive to the nature of our business and unsurpassed for flexibility, ease of use and training,” says Salehi.

The following is a list of Columbia’s environmental achievements, many of which were facilitated utilizing SYSPRO ERP software:
• Elimination of 100% of all V.O.C.’s with a painting operation that is 100% powder coating.
• Reduction of water usage from 150,000 gallons/day to 3,000 gallons/day.
• Using 100% recycled wood flour in hard plastic seats, backs and tops.
• Using up to 25% recycled post industrial products in soft plastic components.
• Recycling 100% of excess wood products and pallets.
• Recycling 100% cardboard and paper products.
• Recycling 100% of scrap steel.
• Recycled wood and paper products are converted to fuel cell cubes replacing coal in power generator plants.

About Columbia Manufacturing
Columbia Manufacturing, Inc., is a privately owned company located at One Cycle Street, Westfield, Massachusetts. Columbia, originally founded in 1877 by Colonel Albert Pope, established itself as the premier bicycle manufacturer of America’s First Bicycle. As a way to diversify its product line and to help keep the factory busy in the slow periods, Columbia started manufacturing school furniture in 1952 and today is considered to be the manufacturer of the finest school furniture in America.

Columbia’s facility sits on 36 acres with the original factory as its core. Over the years it has expanded and currently has approximately 300,000 square feet of usable manufacturing space. For more information: call: (413) 562-3664 or go to: www.columbiamfginc.com

About Supply & Demand Chain Executive
Supply & Demand Chain Executive is the executive’s user manual for successful supply and demand chain transformation, utilizing hard-hitting analysis, viewpoints and unbiased case studies to steer executives and supply management professionals through the complicated, yet critical, world of supply and demand chain enablement to gain competitive advantage. Supply & Demand Chain Executive is a publication of Cygnus Business Media. Visit us on the Web at www.SDCExec.com and on smartphones and tablets at www.SDCExec.com/mobile.

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. If you’d like an ERP expert to contact you and further discuss how SYSPRO ERP can streamline your business processes, please contact us here.

SYSPRO Exclusive ERP Provider Honored in Category “Most Customer Friendly Company of the Year”

SYSPRO, a provider of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, announced today that SYSPRO has been named a Silver winner in the “Most Customer Friendly Company of the Year” category in the Best in Biz Awards, the only independent business awards program judged by members of the press and industry analysts.

SYSPRO, which enjoys one of the highest customer retention rates in the industry, was selected for outstanding customer service. The company’s fully staffed Customer Relations Department reports directly to the company president and follows an exacting program jointly developed by the company president, an advisory board comprised of company managers and the Customer Service Manager. While elevating customer satisfaction is the responsibility of the SYSPRO Customer Service staff, customer relations and retention are also the responsibilities of every SYSPRO employee, notes Joey Benadretti, President, SYSPRO USA.

The SYSPRO Customer Service Program and high customer retention rates have also been the subject of advisories by software industry analysts, the most recent being an opinion write up by IDC Analyst Mary Wardley, who notes in her paper “SYSPRO: Differentiation Through a Customer Experience Go-to-Market Strategy”, June 13, 2013, “The ‘century of the customer’ has centered on increasing customer experience and, powered by social media, is motivating organizations to invest in their customer-handling infrastructure. . .” She concludes: “SYSPRO is exemplary of a company that exemplifies the ‘culture, strategy, and processes’ component of IDC’s CX taxonomy. . . ”

The third annual Best in Biz Awards program, focusing on companies based or operating in North America, was the most competitive in its history, with the highest number of awards submissions to date and the most distinguished judging panel yet assembled. More than 500 entries were received this year, from a wide array of public and private companies of all sizes and from a variety of industries and geographic regions in the U.S. and Canada.

Best in Biz Awards 2013 honors were presented in more than 50 categories, including Company of the Year, Fastest-Growing Company of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, Best Place to Work, Technology Department of the Year, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Product of the Year, Best New Product of the Year, PR Campaign of the Year and Website of the Year.

Winners of Best in Biz Awards 2013 were determined by an independent panel of 51 judges from top-tier news, business and technology publications, as well as broadcast outlets and analyst firms, such as Accounting Today, Arizona Daily Star, Atlanta Tribune, Bloomberg Businessweek, Cascade Business News, Chicago Tribune, Chip Design Magazine, Computerworld, Crain’s New York Business, CRN, Dallas Morning News, Dayton Business Journal, Detroit Free Press, ECT News Network, Entrepreneur, eWeek Channel Insider, Executive Travel Magazine, Fast Company, Financial Times, Fortune, Hartford Business Journal, Hartford Courant, Inc. Magazine, King Features Syndicate, Lab Reviews, Law Technology News, Miami Herald, Memphis Business Journal, Network World, NorthBay Biz, Orange County Register, PC Magazine, Phoenix Business Journal, Pittsburgh Business Times, Prairie Business Magazine, Quad-City Times, Reuters, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Savannah Morning News, Small Business Digest, South Florida Business Journal, Tech.Blorge, Tech-Gaming, Times (Munster, Indiana), Upstart Business Journal and USA Today.

About Best in Biz Awards
Best in Biz Awards recognizes top companies, teams, executives and products for their business success as judged by established members of the press and industry analysts. Best in Biz Awards honors are conferred in three separate programs annually: North America, EMEA, and International. Entries are currently being accepted in the third annual Best in Biz Awards 2013 EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) program, until the final entry deadline on January 24, 2014. Any organization from any industry operating in EMEA may enter any of the more than 50 company, department or team, executive and product categories.

SYSPRO is the leading supplier of ERP software to mid-market manufacturers and distributors. SYSPRO has more than 14,500 licensed customers in over 60 countries around the globe. If you’d like an ERP expert to contact you and further discuss how SYSPRO ERP can streamline your business processes, please contact us here.

Last week, I ordered a birthday present online for a dear friend from my favorite chocolate store. The shop’s unique and quality products have quickly made them my go-to-store for gifts over the past few years. However, over the past six months or so, they’ve become quite popular and I’ve found that the once easy ordering process I used to experience with them has now disappeared. I received a follow-up email from my last order apologizing that they didn’t realize the product wasn’t in stock, so therefore couldn’t fulfill my order, and unfortunately didn’t have a time frame for when they’d have more stock. I was instantly annoyed, asked for a refund, and ordered a different gift from another store.

After my experience, I got to thinking about how companies can avoid situations like this. I brainstormed with the SYSPRO team to pinpoint the signs that mid-market manufacturers and distributors should look for when trying to figure out if their business is ready for an ERP system; and most importantly, how an ERP system can solve these issues.

1. You don’t have full visibility into your inventory
Without access to current, real-time information, businesses don’t really have the ability to accurately know what’s happening in their inventory on a daily basis. Where is waste occurring? Are those products expired? Do we need to order more of a certain product in anticipation of an upcoming holiday or event? An inventory management system can give businesses effective control of supply and demand, the ability to forecast, and accurately cost a product, among others. Mick Whitlock of Vanns Spices says, “SYSPRO has abled us to identify the products that are profitable and those that are not because we can look and see what is going on in the factory, and what we need to do to streamline production.”

2. Customer Service and Responsiveness is Declining
Without customers, businesses wouldn’t exist; therefore, keeping them happy is a priority. But, not having easy access to information about your business can result in a poor customer experience, subsequently causing a reputation of poor reliability and service and the potential for losing customers (just like my above experience). ERP systems help improve customer service by keeping customer, product and inventory information up-to date. David Hintzman, President of Bodypoint Inc. can attest to this: “SYSPRO allows us to better serve our customers at a higher level of quality and accuracy. At the Order Entry screen, we are able to confirm their order with them and tell them when it can ship which is hugely important to us.”

3. Disparate Systems and/or Spreadsheets Run your Business
It’s hard to believe that multi-million dollar businesses still run on spreadsheets or disparate, unlinked systems. Managing daily operations through the use of Excel Spreadsheets often results in errors, duplication of work and inefficient communication across the board- not to mention that manually entering data into spreadsheets can be incredibly time consuming for employees. Additionally, disparate systems and Excel spreadsheets don’t integrate different departments across the business. Bodypoint Inc. found that prior to implementing SYSPRO ERP, “Our financing system didn’t speak to our invoicing system, which didn’t speak to our manufacturing system and it caused us to do a lot of ‘work arounds’ and a lot of extra work.” Fully-integrated ERP systems, like SYSPRO, can help avoid this by offering a 360 degree view into operations with access to real-time data, so that problems are more easily identified and staff can make more effective business decisions. Financial data is always current thanks to real-time integration between financial, distribution and manufacturing solutions.

The cost of holding onto a disparate system, or not having a system at all, can cripple some of the best companies, and in some cases, even put them out of business. Identifying the signs that your business is ready for ERP system is the first step to cutting costs, improving ROI, becoming more efficient and raising customer service levels.

If you have experienced any of the above scenarios, it’s time to consider a fully-integrated ERP solution. For more information on SYSPRO ERP, please contact us here.

-Erin Blake