Cloud 9 ERP Solutions Blog

Everest Software (also known as iCode) had its time in the sun. Once considered an innovator in the early 2000s, the company reached its peak in 2004 before it began its decline, culminating in a 2007 acquisition by a “revitalization” firm who specializes in gutting companies and doing just enough support to keep clients paying a maintenance contract. Today, the platform is held together by rubber bands, custom code, and a small network of companies who do what they can to keep it together.

February is upon us, and for many retailers both online and in-store, this time of year represents the “slow season,” a time when your customers are repaying credit cards from the holidays, saving up for vacations, or working on New Year’s resolutions. For organizations like yours, this is the time to start planning for the times in the coming year when it will be “all hands on deck.”

Deploying a business management solution is a challenge for many businesses—especially those who can’t afford a day away from their software. For growing field services businesses, finding the right solution is even harder due to the unique needs that present themselves. As a company with a storied history delivering ERP for field services businesses, we would today like to explore an overview of some of the things you should look for.

The reality is clear, the cloud has won and organizations are moving to SaaS ERP in increasing numbers. As with any ERP implementation, however, the path to making a change is by no means an easy excursion. Regardless of whether cloud ERP is easier to implement than an on-premises ERP, the process still presents risks that an organization may not receive the expected value or the culture may not embrace the change. Failure is still very much a possibility, but there are still some best practices to deliver a successful implementation with minimal risk.

What used to be a popular destination for ecommerce companies, distribution firms, and retail companies, Everest Software is an ERP platform for small and medium businesses. Founded in 1994, the company has sold its product using a wide variety of names including Accware and iCode.

The ERP decision making process is rarely an easy one. Vendors can make wide ranging promises, different departments have different needs, pricing models can vary, and the discussions that go on in the months leading up to the final decision are tense and politicized. There are many reasons these projects only happen once every five to eight years (if successful), most notably because the path from decision to action in ERP is so strenuous on the people in the organization.

If you’ve been online in the last 15 years, you’ve heard about the cloud, the idea of as-a-service deployment, and the benefits it could provide your business. Knowing this, while you may know about how a cloud deployment differs from an on-premises one, there is still a lot more to learn.

A product is only as good as the customers it serves. However, there are times when your current solution can’t manage its output with the products it has. Often a key driver behind an ERP upgrade, customers need specific software that can handle their needs, and often realize their current solution can’t match it.

The holidays are upon us, and this means ecommerce companies are in scramble mode. Do you have enough product to fill each order? Did you send the right product? Is it time to reorder? How long will it take to restock? For many companies like yours, you are the most important part of your customers’ holidays: You deliver that one item that puts a smile on each recipient’s face.

Whether you have a legacy system, are looking to move past an entry-level accounting system, or just need to make a change from whichever solution you currently use, the path to new ERP is a winding road. From the decision on whether to stick with the status quo or not all the way to the process of narrowing down your list, any change is an investment that needs to prove itself.