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Softline Accpac, part of the Sage group, was proud to have the global launch of flagship product, Sage ERP Accpac version 6.0, take place at its Insights Africa partner conference recently.

Sage ERP Accpac version 6.0 is a major technology release as it marks the first step in the evolution of its new Web-deployable ERP framework, Sage ERP Accpac. An award-winning business management software, Sage ERP Accpac helps mid-sized businesses in countries around the world manage their accounting, operations and customer relationships.

Version 6.0 enables true browser-based access, providing businesses with the interactive collaboration tools required in today’s fast-paced business environment. It can be deployed on-premise or in the cloud through Sage ERP Accpac Online.

“Productivity, business visibility, and tools for growth are the key components to building a successful business,” says Jeremy Waterman, MD of Softline Accpac. “The adoption of Web applications by businesses is accelerating. Mid-market companies are changing the way they do business and are increasingly expecting their enterprise applications to support mobile access and Web integrations through connected services. Sage ERP Accpac’s superior thre- tiered architecture has enabled us to move rapidly and safely to the Web – something much of the competition will be challenged to accomplish.”

Version 6.0 elevates Sage ERP Accpac into a new level of ERP, with more benefits to keep business processes operating faster and easier, so users can spend less time focusing on daily mundane tasks and more time on planning for future success.

Businesses can improve productivity with:

• Sage ERP Accpac Portal - taking into account the increasing need for corporate mobility, the new Sage ERP Accpac 6.0 Web portal is built on the Google web toolkit platform - providing the first step towards releasing a full Web-based Sage ERP Accpac solution that can be accessed via iPhone, iPad and Android devices. This technology approach offers the most secure, flexible data management possible. Sage ERP Accpac portal users can find information faster through new role-based, workflow navigation, enabling expert and novice users to manage daily tasks in record time.
• Sage ERP Accpac Fiscal Period Management - a top requested feature, users can save time and reduce costs by locking fiscal periods by module for more accurate transaction processing.

Enhance business visibility with:

• Sage ERP Accpac Snapshots – the embedded BI snapshots allow easy access to ‘at-a-glance’ operational metrics for faster, better business decisions. The graphical presentation of information helps with quick identification of trends or issues for more proactive business decisions. Users can view key performance indicators (KPIs) with drilldown capabilities to underlying financial reports. User-configurable snapshots include balance sheet, income statement, and aged receivables.
• Sage ERP Accpac Inquiry – The highly intuitive interface of Sage ERP Accpac inquiry allows users to easily create personalised on-the-fly query lists in just a few minutes, even without the knowledge of databases or programming. Custom information is within easy reach for non-technical users, which means minimal training and IT support are needed. Quick and easy to sort, filter and export information, it is an alternative to creating expensive customised reports for individual users.

Accelerate growth with:

• Built-in CRM - SageCRM is included as part of the Sage ERP Accpac solution at no additional charge. With a seamless user experience across CRM and ERP, the new workflow further blurs the line between the front and back office to simplify the quote-to-order workflow and processing.
• Built-in Business Intelligence – Along with the new embedded BI tools, Sage ERP Accpac Intelligence – a new product within the Sage ERP Accpac – empowers users to quickly and easily obtain the information they need for operations and strategic planning from Sage ERP Accpac. Sage Accpac Intelligence lets users effortlessly create reports and analyse data within Microsoft Excel.

From the editor

Adapt or die. Harsh words, but true for just about anything in life and business is no different.

Over the past year, we have really begun to see just how the evolution of the Internet and technology continues to change the way we do business. Just because we’ve become accustomed to doing things digitally, it doesn’t mean that we’ve arrived at our e-business destination, though. It’s more than about just transacting online, connecting your laptop wirelessly and pushing mail on a BlackBerry. It might not feel like it to a lot of people, but that’s already yesterday’s news. Keeping up means more than just rolling out the technology; increasingly, it means understanding in a broader sense what it all means and using your imagination to apply it to your own growth as a business in a digital world.

Web 2.0 technology continues to push the envelope for the way we do business. It’s everything we imagined the Web could be when we first dialled-up, and it’s nowhere near finished. As you get to grips with the realities and possibilities of real-time collaboration, ad-hoc social networking and all that collective intelligence can offer (including the inverse lowest-common-denominator thinking that can choke you) the demands of not only providing and maintaining a solid infrastructure to support it but also the tools to make sure you’re making sense of all the information have never been higher.

Working more efficiently can bring a downside of greater expectations on the performance front. Your customers, used to streamlined service, now expect more of you. They’re using social networking sites like Facebook and Flickr to interact with others, trade virtually and share photographs; they want to know why they can or can’t do the same when they interact with you. Whether it’s e-procurement, facilitating employee collaboration or even cutting costs (and, while you’re at it, your carbon footprint) by communicating without having to get on a plane, e-business 2.0 is well and truly here and bringing as many challenges as it does possibilities. How will you be using it?

Janet Paterson

Publisher and Editor: ITWeb Informatica