C. Return it and get what you need!

Buyer's remorse can be more than just a sense of regret.  Sometimes you bought the wrong product.  The question is this:  what are you going to do about it?

You have some choices:

a) Suffer through it.  A couple of years ago I got a great deal on running shoes out of the bargain box at a local sporting goods store.  They were a little tight - about a 1/2 size too small - but I thought they were okay.  The next day I entered a half marathon running race with my new shoes and at mile 4 I began to suffer.  I kept going.  At mile 10 the pain was so bad I had to stop.  In the next two weeks I lost the toe nails on four of my toes.  Bad idea.  

b)  Put it on the shelf but get the right product.  With a pair of shoes, especially ones from a bargain box, the investment is low enough so it is not too painful to just keep them and get the ones you need.  But would you do that with a car purchase?  Probably not.  Would you do that with a software purchase?  You might.  But it is a bad idea as well. 

c)  Return it and get what you need.  Good idea.  MISys created a money back guarantee, recognizing that customers sometimes buy the wrong software.  We work really, really hard to make sure that the software is the right fit and that it solves the pain points of the customer by giving numerous demos, free trial copies of the software before the purchase and a multitude of videos and a SureStart coach to help get started.  But sometimes it still doesn't meet the needs of the client.  We get it.  That is why we have the 60 day money back guarantee. 

Recently MISys launched a trade-in program for manufacturers who purchased Fishbowl Inventory software but found it missing some critical elements for manufacturing.  Don't get me wrong, we think that Fishbowl is a great software solution for distributors and wholesalers.  But we do believe that it is the wrong product for a manufacturer with more complex needs.  So...we are offering a trade in for the amount of funds paid for Fishbowl Inventory software towards the purchase of the right configuration of software modules and user licenses of MISys Manufacturing software.   Cool, huh?

The answer is C.  Return it and get what you need.  That is the right choice.

And don't enter a half marathon with shoes that are too small.  It is painful...

Charlie Kimbell
VP, Sales and Marketing

Expertech South Africa to Promote MISys Manufacturing in southern Africa

Bernard Ford, Expertech CEO, adds the manufacturing software to a portfolio of products that integrate with Sage 300 ERP Accounting software.

“We are very fortunate to be working with Bernard Ford at Expertech,” said Dave Brown, CEO and President of MISys. “He has extensive experience selling and servicing Sage accounting products in South Africa and the bordering countries. We are confident that he will be effective promoting MISys Manufacturing software to Value Added Resellers and end users. ”

“I have known MISys for more than 15 years,” said Ford, “and appreciate how the software gives Accpac, now Sage 300, users a very strong manufacturing system tied into their existing accounting system. I believe there are some real opportunities for MISys in the market and I hope to reach the largely small and medium sized businesses in the region requiring powerful yet simple-to-operate manufacturing software.”

About Manufacturing Information Systems:
MISys has been a leader in the manufacturing software industry for more than 25 years. MISys Manufacturing is the current version of its software, first released in 2006 as MISys SBM, version 6.0 was released in September of 2012. MISys is an Endorsed Development Partner with Sage Software, the developer of Sage 300 ERP (Accpac), Sage 50 US (fka Peachtree) and Sage 50 CA (formerly Simply Accounting). Intuit, the publisher of QuickBooks, has recognized MISys as a gold development partner. MISys software products have been sold and serviced in South Africa by Sage Softline. A privately held corporation headquartered in Woodstock, Vermont, MISys has more than 7,500+ customers worldwide. Visit MISys online at www.misysinc.com.

About Expertech Pty:
Expertech was founded by Bernard Ford in 2011 to promote third party software applications to channel partners for Sage software products in the South African region. Bernard has more than 20 years of experience in business applications, accounting and ERP software in the mid-tier market across all industry types. He previously worked for Sage software resellers in sales and marketing roles at Softline Lorge, Acctech Systems and Sage Softline. In addition to MISys Manufacturing, Expertech markets Orchid Systems, Systronics, Orion Digital Integration and others.

Learn more about MISys Manufacturing software. Visit misysinc.com.

accpac, Bernard Ford, Expertech Pty, misys, misys manufacturing, MISys SAE, MISys SBM, peachtree, Sage 300 ERP, Sage Softline, simply accounting, South Africa, Woodstock.

Practicality of Capacity Planning

Capacity Planning is technically a component of MRP II. It is a system that analyzes your capacity to produce a product (more likely a long list of products) and compares that to what it knows about your ability to produce the product.

A few low- to mid-range manufacturing control systems advertise capacity planning capabilities. Based on the comparison of production demand and supply, they can alert you to impending “bottlenecks.” We believe system such as this should more properly be called a Capacity Analysis system. While its output can be illuminating, it performs no actual planning, and the benefits achieved are far less than what is typically advertised.

A true planning system, know as Capacity Resource Planning (CRP for short) not only tells you where the production bottlenecks are bound to show up, but they tell you what to do about them to minimize the impact on other tasks.

For example, a CRP system knows that Bill and Fred and Sally are scheduled to work on Project A starting June 1st. It knows that Mike and Sally and Jim are scheduled to work on Project B starting June 15th. It knows that Fred is due for a week’s vacation starting June 12th. It knows that Mary isn’t scheduled to work on any project until July 1st. If Fred leaves on vacation as planned, but Project A isn’t yet complete, a CRP system would suggest someone who could jump in to help (that’s the planning part). It would know that Mary is available in the required timeframe, but that she works 75% as fast as Fred and takes every other Wednesday afternoon off as a community volunteer. If Mary does join Project A, but slows it down and the project isn’t complete until June 20th, a CRP system can plan the impact on Project B which Sally was supposed to start, along with Mike and Jim on June 15th.

Now, if just reading the paragraph makes your head hurt, you’re not alone. Some very complex and very expensive manufacturing control systems claim to do effective CRP.

We have had personal experience with one $20+ million MRP II system that created more bottlenecks than it resolved with each click of the “fix it” button. And the salesman said it was a bargain at $20million. We are not recommending it.

If we have convinced you to steer away from Capacity Planning, the question remains whether the “capacity lite” capability of the software you may be looking at is going to be of any value.

Bear in mind, that to do any capacity analysis/planning, the software must know about every operation associated with the production your client performs. This means that a simple bill of material, even a multi-level bill of material, is insufficient if you intend to perform capacity analysis/planning. The bill of material must include what are termed “routings” or “routing operations” – a step by step list of the processes that must be performed, in sequence, in order to produce a given product. For anyone with rudimentary (or non-existent) bills of material, collecting and entering that level of detail is a big, big task.

Coupled to the bill of material routings, the software must have a detailed description of every work center – area of the plant where some specific task is performed: when the work center is open for business, how fast it can operate, and what additional resources (material, labor, and overhead) it requires.

To perform capacity analysis, the manufacturing software computes the “capacity demand” (derived from the BOM routings) and the “capacity supply” (derived from the work center descriptions). From this, it can highlight any impending “capacity bottlenecks.” It is unlikely that any software can tell you what to do about these bottlenecks.

From our experience, true capacity planning is out of the reach of all but the most sophisticated manufacturers. Capacity analysis is nice to have if you are willing to invest in creating – and maintaining – all the supporting data for routings and work centers.

Since its release in 2009, the Shop Floor Control module of the MISys Manufacturing system (a $1750 add-on to MISys Basic Manufacturing) has proven to be a reasonable and effective alternative to complex and mind-numbing capacity planning systems. For users who need a high degree of production control and costing, MISys Shop Floor Control does the job.

Invest the next ten minutes of your time and take the 6-step tour. Download the MISys Manufacturing brochure, fact sheets, watch the demo videos, get a price estimate and more.

Visit www.misysinc.com

Best-In-Breed works for Ski Racing Equipment and for Software Solutions

As a former alpine ski racer, I used to mix and match my equipment depending upon the best skis, best bindings, and best boots. Rarely were they the same brand. It worked pretty well. Now, the biggest ski manufacturers own boot and binding brands, so a ski racer will get one brand for all equipment – mostly because of price incentives. It certainly makes it easier as a buyer, but the components are rarely the best in their class. Going with one brand might be a compromise.

The same holds true for software. I often hear about customers wanting “all-in-one,” “end-to-end” ERP systems because they are easier to manage than a group of best-in-breed applications. In theory that is true. But in reality is is not. And, those complete ERP systems rarely perform the best in all areas.

Here are some advantages of going with a “best-in-breed” approach for ski racing equipment and software:

1. Better performance: Just like alpine race equipment, you want the best solutions in the areas most important to you. And you don’t care if the equipment is good at something you will never use it for (like ballet skiing). Settling for one system that is bloated or weak in one area will only hurt your results.

2. Lower Start Up Costs. Best-in-breed solutions have small, bite-size pieces to get up and running rather than implementing a behemoth that reaches into every corner of the organization. In skiing, you can add equipment as you need it instead of buying it all at once.

3. More flexibility. Hey, if the boots aren’t working for you, find another pair that will. If you are locked into a specific brand, you are really limited in what you can choose. Same thing with software.

4. The solution fits you: Imagine that you purchased equipment that required you to change everything about the way you skied. You wouldn’t do that. There are some things you want to change in order to get better, but not everything. Many all-in-one systems require you to substantially change your behavior to fit the system. Yuck. Best-in-breed enables you to laser in on the things that you need to change, while leaving the rest alone. Yea.

What does this have to do with MISys Manufacturing? Everything. MISys leverages the “best-in-breed” approach, focusing on the things most important to a manufacturer: Better performance, lower start up costs, more flexibility and a solution that fits your organization.

See for yourself. Download the brochure, factsheets, watch more than 30 interactive videos, and get a price estimate based on your industry. Visit misysinc.com.

Create a Report: Stock Threshold Info

Previously we talked about getting Crystal Reports connected to your MISys Manufacturing (no longer SBM!) database. Once that’s done, what can you do? While there are limitations on what can be done with custom fields and some of our more complicated reports that required processes, the whole database is otherwise available to you. In this simple example, we will demonstrate getting stock threshold information so that you can display them.

While you could just go to the Item Location file (MIILOC) and display the items and their thresholds, you may want to include other pieces of information from the Item record (description, unit of measure, etc.) So, we’ll start with MIITEM.

Create a new report in Crystal. Select the Data Source you created previously (using the required credentials and select the appropriate database name). You need to drill down into | dbo | Tables to get the table listing. Control-Click on MIILOC & MIITEM and bring it into the report and click Finish.

Now you can bring in the desired fields you want. Next time we’ll discuss a little more on this report concept.

For MISys Manufacturing technical support, visit us online at www.misysinc.com/support

MISys Manufacturing v5.0 is LIVE!

Drum roll, please!

After months of development and testing, MISys today rolled out its newest version of MISys Manufacturing software to existing customers and business partners. "5.0" has many improvements. The ones I am most excited about are the ones that make the software easier to use and understand as well as get up and running. Manufacturing is complicated, with more moving parts than other industries. MISys Manufacturing has many layers that have been created to adress their complex needs - it is a big program. The new useability improvements make it easier to navigate the program so it isn't so overwhelming to new and existing users. Even a marketing guy like me can understand it! We can't wait to find out what customers think about the new improvements.

MISys Manufacturing v5.0 supports QuickBooks Advanced Inventory

In December of 2010, QuickBooks introduced its Advanced Inventory module for QB Enterprise, allowing customers to inventory goods in multiple locations (warehouses, service trucks, etc...) and to make transfers between those locations. This had been a shortcoming in their program which they adressed.

MISys Manufacturing v5.0 integrates with this new functionality, showing stock status in those locations and alloting transfers of finished goods to those locations. For more information about the QuickBooks Advanced Inventory functionality, watch their introductory video at http://enterprisesuite.intuit.com/contact/online-demo/advanced-inventory/.

Mary Brettman of Mobile CFO, a MISys Business Partner, focuses on the needs of manufacturers using QuickBooks. She discusses the integration between the Advanced Inventory module and MISys Manufacturing v5.0 on her blog at http://www.mobile-cfo.com/blog/misys-sbm-50-and-quickbooks-enterprise-advanced-inventory.

What's New In MISys Manufacturing v5.0

With the release of MISys Manufacturing version 5.0 imminent, I have posted a document describing the major changes to the software. Go to http://www.misysinc.com/5 for details.

Can You Hear MISys Manufacturing V5.0 Coming?

Judging from the distant rumble in the hallway outside of the MISys Development Department, you'd get the distinct impression that a new version of the MISys Manufacturing System is speeding down the track.

While we won't reveal the exact date out of respect for Murphy's Law (if something can go wrong, something will go wrong) an ambitious schedule for the release of MISys Manufacturing v5.0 was agreed to last year. Since then, the Development, Customer Service, Technical Support, Marketing, and Sales departments have been working in concert to make it happen on target and on schedule.

Many moons ago (well, probably about 300 moons ago) we used to just code and code and code until we decided the software was ready to ship. That was before we attracted the attention of Intuit and Sage. Now deciding when the software is ready to ship isn't as easy as it once was. Our strategic relationship with these companies requires that our software integrates seamlessly with half a dozen different accounting systems. Release promotions have to be designed months in advance, help systems developed, product documentation updated, business partners notified well before the product release, web pages updated, and "what's new" webinars planned.

So, once we get near the agreed to release date, there's a heavily loaded train steaming down the track behind us. At the same time, our reputation for developing great software, reliable software, earned over the past 25 years is put to the test, And test we do! Our Technical Services department is now in high gear trying to break the software every way they can.

Not that programmers don't test the software they write. They do! Its just that programmers test to make sure the software does what they intend it to do. Our Technical Services department is staffed with people who, it seems to me, have a mean streak when it comes to testing software. You see, these guys go out of their way to break the software, doing things the software was NEVER intended to do, and making sure that no really bad things happen, appropriate error messages appear, and graceful recovery paths are apparent.

While MISys, Inc. is far smaller than any of the software companies with which we partner, we take the development and delivery of world-class software just as seriously. When you see a message appear on your screen that a new version of MISys Manufacturing is available, pause for a moment to think of all the people who worked tirelessly for months on end to make this release possible.

MISys Manufacturing 5.0 Is Simpler Than Ever

When we surveyed MISys users last year, we heard from many that they'd like the program to be simpler and more user-friendly. "I work in Purchasing. All these things about Production and Accounting just confuse me," wrote one user.

Enough people made comments like this that we got right to work figuring out ways to simplify the product. As it turns out, there has been a way to simplify MISys Manufacturing (or at least to make it appear simpler) for quite some time. Problem was, the function called "Navigation Panel Options" was buried deep in the product menu where almost no one was likely to find it.

Starting in version 5.0 the Navigation Panel Options function moves up to the dashboard where you are certain to find it.

For example:

If your job doesn't have anything to do with production, click to uncheck the Production checkbox and presto! - the Production panel disappears.

If you don't even know an accountant, click to uncheck the Accounting checkbox and sha-zam! - the Accounting panel disappears. MISys is getting simpler already.

With just a few clicks like this, you can clear away any navigation panel that you don't find useful. Your settings will be saved so the next time you log in to MISys Manufacturing, you'll feel like the program was custom-tailored to your job function.

For more informantion about MISys Manufacturing, go to www.misysinc.com.

MISys Canada is Established

Today we announced the establishment of two distributors to sell and support MISys Manufacturing Software in Canada.

In Western Canada, Central Nervous Systems will be working with our Business Partners and End Users to help them integrate MISys Manufacturing Software with their accounting packages - Sage ERP Accpac, Sage Simply Accounting and QuickBooks. The folks at CNS are accounting agnostic as they are manufacturing experts first.

In Central and Eastern Canada, CA-Plus will now be the MISys distributor. A long-term business partner, CA-Plus will be providing sales, implementation and first level technical support to business partners and manufacturer end users.

We are optimistic that our new relationships will help us service the Canadian marketplace more effectively. Even though we are geographically close to Canada, there is enough of a difference in our cultural and national fabric to warrant a distribution strategy like the one we are piecing together.

The new website at www.misysinc.ca has more information on both Central Nervous Systems AND-CA Plus.

Something New, Something Old

When my local bank changed hands recently and I inherited a new online banking system, I didn’t think too much about it. After a half-hour online, I had learned where to find the current balance on my accounts, how to transfer funds between them, and how to make payments. Things had moved, things looked a bit different, but under the covers, all the same processes were there.

It’s a good thing that people have been using banking systems for a long, long time. Even the old-fashioned ones where you stand in line and wait for the teller to say “Next” before placing your passbook up on a marble counter, work pretty much the same as my new high-tech online banking system.

So what does this have to do with manufacturing software? Well, I got the idea to pull out my experience with my new bank during a conversation last week with Jim, a customer who has been using the MISys Manufacturing System for over 15 years. Jim likes MISys really well. So well that he stopped upgrading his software 6 years ago because “I liked it the way it was” he admits.

But now Jim is in a pickle. His accounting software is so old that, starting this year, technical support for it is no longer available. He’s going to be forced to upgrade his accounting and he realizes it’s high time to upgrade his MISys manufacturing software, too.

Jim’s been a loyal customer for lo these many years, so I agreed to give him a peek at the new version of MISys Manufacturing we’ve been working on for most of last year and plan to release in mid-May. MISys is a lot more complicated than my online banking system, so rather than showing Jim some of the really cool new functionality we’ve built into MISys v5.0, I concentrated on the parts of the program he might be familiar with.

I showed Jim the master files, the physical inventory functions, stock check, most of the stock transfers, and work orders (and just a little bit of what MISys can really do now). At the end of the hour, he exclaimed “Sure, the software looks a lot different, but I can see that, under the covers, you really haven’t changed MISys that much. I think I’ll be able to re-adjust quite readily.”

Truth be told, we have changed MISys a whole lot since the days of MISys/DOS when Jim came on board. I’m grateful that Jim recognized the basic building blocks that form the foundation of the MISys manufacturing software and they’re still firmly in place in MISys v5.0. I’m hoping that other users of legacy versions of MISys will agree with Jim and decide to upgrade with confidence. I can’t wait until they discover some of the really cool stuff they get in the bargain.

What Makes MISys Manufacturing Different

One of the questions I almost always get asked when I am speaking about the MISys Manufacturing System is “What makes MISys different from other inventory control programs?”

I hope no one notices but this question always causes me to pause for a few seconds and contemplate the 20+ years that MISys has been in development. Not that it took us 20+ years to write the program, but that it has taken us that long to refine the program into the tool that today’s manufacturers find useful and valuable.

Way back when (I think that was sometime in the late ‘80s), MISys was an inventory control program – one specifically geared to the needs of manufacturing companies – and a pretty good one if I do say so.

Somewhere along the line, our development of MISys began to focus less on the software as an inventory control program, and more as a manufacturing planning tool. We began to understand that, absent an effective manufacturing business management system, manufacturers are inclined to load up on raw materials, just in case. (Hey, if you keep your pantry stocked to the gills with food, you’ll never go hungry.) But is that a good management practice? No!

Because excess inventory (milk and bread, or nuts and bolts) is a waste of a valuable resource ($money) we began to think that the focus of the MISys software should be on helping manufacturers maintain less inventory, not more.

Today, MISys can be used as an effective manufacturing inventory management system. But there is so much more to the software. Which takes me back to the question “What makes MISys different from other inventory control programs?”

Well, I’d have to say “Those other systems help you maintain an inventory. MISys helps you maintain no inventory.”

Not that it is possible to operate with zero inventory (at least not in my experience). But reducing the inventory by 30-50% or more is certainly a worthwhile endeavor.

MISys Manufacturing Cost Roll-up

Whenever I speak with people about the MISys Manufacturing System, I’m often asked what my “favorite” part of the system is. Ha! There are so many terrific parts of MISys Manufacturing that I am really hard-pressed to single out my one favorite.

But certainly the Cost Roll-up function of MISys has to rank high in a hypothetical “Top 10” of great things I know about MISys. Here’s why.

I think about the things people do with MISys: keeping track of stock, dispensing, receiving. Creating purchase orders and production orders, and generating all the debits and credits the accounting people want to see at the end of the month. These are all terrific things that could be done manually, if you really needed to. For sure, it wouldn’t be fun or easy, but it could be done.

On the other hand, cost roll-up is something that you just can’t do yourself. And if you don’t do it, you’re likely to go out of business.

I’ve met a lot of manufacturers who make a widget consisting of $10 worth of parts and who sell it for $8? “Why would anyone in their right mind do that,” you ask? The fact is that, when the hypothetical widget was invented, it consisted of $6 worth of parts, so selling it for $8 made sense. Over the years, raw material prices have ratcheted up. First to $6.50, then to $7.20, then to $8.40, then to 9.10 and beyond. Without any means for tracking these incremental changes, a manufacturing company is helpless when trying to re-evaluate production variance (the difference between the value of an assembled item and its component parts) and to adjust the selling price accordingly. When a manufacturer’s bill of material has multiple levels (as most do) then a difficult job becomes virtually impossible.

The MISys Manufacturing System has the ability to roll raw materials up from the lowest BOM level, up through the entire product structure, so that the cost of every top-level assembled item is always known. Performing a cost roll-up for one raw material item might, in theory, require the re-evaluation of every other item in stock. If any raw material item is used in multiple assemblies (as savvy manufacturers always strive to do) then this computation must be done not once, but multiple times.

This is a task you would never want to tackle with a calculator, pad of paper, and a pencil. The good news is that MISys Manufacturing can completely re-cost the inventory with just the click of a mouse. In a big manufacturing database with a complex BOM structure, this could take a while to run, but remember -- MISys doesn’t complain and it doesn’t make mistakes.

So that’s my vote for the “best thing that MISys Manufacturing can do.”

Wait…I just thought of another, even better one. I’d better save that for another blog post.

Are you User Friendly?

Our survey of existing users of our MISys Manufacturing software earlier this year provided us with some valuable insights into how people are using the software and how they feel about the experience.

When asked what MISys should do, a significant number of respondents commented that making the software more "user friendly" would be a worthwhile endeavor.

I was contemplating this sentiment last night as I worked on a press release using my favorite word processor, Microsoft Word. I've recently converted to Word version 2010 -- the one with the "new and improved" ribbon menu.

Now I'm sure a lot of really smart software designers out in Redmond, Washington worked long and hard in an effort to make MS Word 2010 more "user friendly" than previous versions. To be fair, Word is a complex product (but not as complex as MISys Manufacturing) and I'm not sure whether anyone will ever consider Word to be "user friendly."

I don't know about you, but I've written thousands of documents in my career, and I've learned just enough about Word to do what I need to get done. There's probably much more in Word that I don't know how to use than what I do know. But that's OK. Word is a fine tool, a tool I use every day, and a tool I just couldn't do without. User fiendly? No, sorry.

I had the priviledge of working with the next version of MISys Manufacturing recently and I know the guys out in the labs have been working overtime to make MISys Manufacturing v5.0 more user friendly in response to last January's user survey. While I don't think MISys will ever become a "user friendly" product (like Word, it does lots of really complex stuff), I can tell you that the guys have made some significant improvements.

Going back to MS Word for a moment, one of the things that allowed me to become successful using the software was just learning how it was laid out -- where I should look for the functions I needed.

I think MISys v5.0 goes a long way in helping people understand what's inside the product and how to get to where you want to go. I can't wait until you see it!

Welcome to TPAC in Vancouver BC.

I’m here in Vancouver BC with a couple of other MISys guys attending the annual TPAC (Third Party Access Conference) which, as its name implies, spotlights third-party application software designed to work with Sage ERP Accpac. Each year, software developers and Accpac business partners converge here for several days of sharing information related to extending Accpac into markets beyond core accounting.

Although MISys will be attending and promoting our manufacturing solution for a range of Sage accounting products (notably Peachtree accounting, Simply accounting, and Accpac) at the annual Sage Insights Conference scheduled for the Washington DC area on July 10-15, 2011, this TPAC conference affords us the ability to be in closer contact with the Accpac partners with whom we work all year.

Last summer, Sage announced its intention to reposition Accpac as a more horizontally oriented accounting system, while focusing on the newly-acquired Sage ERP X3 as the vertical solution of choice. Apparently X3 has a strong manufacturing component, but the fact remains that across most of the Accpac consulting world, “manufacturing” and “accpac” are spelled “MISys.” We’ve worked hard over the past 25 years to create and maintain this close relationship with Sage and Accpac partners and to be regarded as the manufacturing system of choice for Sage Accpac ERP (now Sage ERP Accpac).

Even though Sage’s reorganization has removed MISys from their corporate pricelist, sales of our Accpac-based manufacturing solution have actually spiked in recent months. There seems to be an enthusiastic group of Accpac consultants and VARs who understand and value MISys Manufacturing as the solution of choice for manufacturing companies seeking an integrated business management system. Today MISys enjoys its position as a Gold-level Development Partner.

Last week MISys completed a 4-part webinar series that explore the various points of integration between MISys Manufacturing and Sage ERP Accpac. If you missed attending these webinars, you will find streaming videos covering the same material on the MISys website at www.misysinc.com/accpac/.

Whether you are an Accpac partner or a manufacturing company looking over Sage Accpac ERP as a possible solution, we hope you’ll take advantage of this valuable resource.

Again, go to www.misysinc.com/accpac/ for complete information about the Accpac manufacturing solution.

What is an ERP system?

Since Sage started branding their mid-market accounting software as an ERP system some years back, Accpac business partners have been asking me these questions:

Is an MRP system a kind of ERP system?

Is an ERP system a kind of MRP system?

Is an ERP system an ERP system if it doesn't have an MRP component?

What does an MRP system need to make it an ERP system?

I've often wondered whether there is some universal definition of an ERP system that I would use to bolster my answer to the questions.

According to Wikipedia, "an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is an integrated computer-based system used to manage internal and external resources including tangible assets, financial resources, materials, and human resources."

So it sounds like one of the tasks of an ERP system is to manage material assets (possibly manufacturing inventory?). This is what a Material Requirements Planning (MRP) system does, right?

Digging further, I found the following definition in webopedia's glossary:

"Short for enterprise resource planning, a business management system that integrates all facets of the business, including planning, manufacturing, sales, and marketing. As the ERP methodology has become more popular, software applications have emerged to help business managers implement ERP in business activities such as inventory control, order tracking, customer service, finance and human resources."

This makes it clear that an ERP system binds several business management tasks together, including manufacturing (MRP).

The next time I'm asked "Is an ERP system a kind of MRP system?" I'll know to answer "No, but an MRP system is a component of an ERP system."

I'll have to mull over the answer to the question "Is an ERP system an ERP system if it doesn't have an MRP component?"

Hmmmm.... What do you think?

Webinar Series: Essentials of Integration With Accpac version 6.0

We have just finished a series of four 1-hour webinars focusing on the integration between MISys Manufacturing SBM and Sage ERP Accpac version 6.0. The topics were:

Integration with Accpac General Ledger 6.0

After creating a chart of accounts for MISys Manufacturing to use and exporting those accounts to Accpac General Ledger, we created a number of stock transfers and examined the journal entries resulting to better understand the function of the manufacturing subledger. We performed a MISys Period End and tracked the manufacturing subledger entries into a corresponding Accpac GL Batch.

Integration with Accpac Accounts Payable 6.0

We enabled the PO Invoicing function in MISys and received some material on a purchase order in the sample data. Pretending we had just received an invoice for this material, we invoiced the PO in MISys and followed the transaction all the way to an Invoice Batch in Accpac Accounts Payable 6.0.

Integration with Accpac Inventory Control 6.0

Following a discussion of the reasons why manufacturers should segregate their finished goods inventory (managed by Accpac Inventory Control) from their raw materials inventory (managed by MISys), we experimented by performing a number of Sales Transfers that moved inventory back and forth between manufacturing and sales. We finished up by completing a work order and transferring the resulting material to sales.

Integration with Accpac Order Entry 6.0

We wrapped up the series by exploring three different ways MISys Manufacturing responds to sales orders created in Accpac Order Entry version 6.0. Highlighting the session with a look at the Material Requirements Planning module, we created a sales order for 5,000 desk lamps due to ship next Christmas and with just a few clicks, we planned the required purchasing and production activities.

Streaming Videos Coming…

Because a number of Accpac users and business partners were not able to attend every session of this series, we have agreed to publish four streaming videos for the covered material. Keep an eye on the MISys website at www.misysinc.com/accpac for links to these instructive videos.

Appropriately Serve

In my last post I used the term “appropriately serve” in reference to MISys’ objective relative to its end users. In this context, the term “appropriately” can have a variety of definitions. Each would necessarily reflect the perspective of either the end user or the software provider.

Having much experience as an end user of integrated software, primarily in a manufacturing environment, I can relate to all approaches. Also representing the software provider makes for interesting deliberations when an end user has an extraordinary request.

Searching for the right solution for all considered can go beyond the Customer Service team to Technical Support and Sales. Every effort is made to get sufficient input to meet the end user’s need as efficiently and satisfactorily as possible.

We do attempt to place ourselves in the user’s shoes with each interaction. If we were calling regarding the integrated system that we use, what interchange would we appreciate?

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Is customer service an archaic concept?

It would seem so in many situations. I’m sure that most of us get to experience some sort of “customer service” daily. Usually, we think of the term in the positive. As in, being served is a positive experience. However, in recent years, I’ve heard much discussion about the concept being dead since it’s not often that our interactions as a customer are especially positive events.

Some companies are making an effort at providing favorable service. These transactions stand out in my memory. …which suggests a lack of frequency. I hope that the recognition that the customers pay the bills becomes widespread.

Returns, sequels and reruns are not always appreciated. However, a return to making business transactions positive experiences for the most part would be most welcomed. At MISys, this is a return that we’re committed to help bring about.

Being responsible for Customer Service here, I’m very sensitive to how I’m treated in all of my transactions. MISys will be one of the forerunner companies of what I hope will be a trend.

To facilitate that, I am on a continual search for best practices. Exploring my findings and the actions we’re taking to appropriately serve those who have transactions with us will be reviewed in future posts.

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