Cloud 9 ERP Solutions Blog

For the product-based business, inventory is a significant investment, an important part of your operating strategy, and far too often, one of the riskiest cost centers of your business. Inventory control is one of the most challenging tasks for any manufacturer, distributor, ecommerce brand, or retailer; even field service firms like audio and visual companies have the visibility and control to maintain a healthy balance of inventory if they hope to serve customers without driving up costs.

When companies choose the cloud for their business management software, they see a lot of benefits. From straightforward pricing to anytime, anywhere access, one of the biggest benefits that exists is that companies who choose cloud get robust, timely, and automatic updates. These updates are announced in advance and rolled out on a specific date with minimal IT intervention.

When it comes to the enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation process, very little comes easy. While the right implementation partners can make it look easy, there are a lot of moving parts that make the process much harder than it looks. The infighting, the politicization and scrutiny over your decisions from end users and department heads, and the brushback from people clinging to the status quo make every step a challenge—and that’s before you even decide on a product.

When it comes to running a business, there are few things as stressful as a change to your enterprise resource management software. Why? Because it changes every facet of your business operations. Often this switch requires not only a change in software, but a change in culture as well, creating a very tense, politicized environment before you even decide on which product you want to use. Some people are apprehensive to change, others fear that the upgrade could result in pink slips. And with all the backfighting that happens before the project, you still have the hardest part—implementing the software, moving the data, and training the people.

Audio/visual companies that install and service A/V and related systems are unique because the product and service are equally important. Whether that’s wiring a phone system for an office building, designing an audio system for a church, playing the role of ‘unsung hero’ for the trade show world, or helping warehouses protect their assets with video security; everything about the planning, installation, and support needs to be accounted for and implemented with the customer in mind.

For many finance teams, Microsoft Excel is the comfort zone—a product that “gets the job done” for small and medium businesses, often used to handle the shortcomings of entry-level accounting software. However, as the company grows, the use of Excel loses its value as a helpful tool—no matter how tightly some users cling to using the software.

Running an ecommerce business is a challenge. From dealing with customers to dealing with suppliers, everything about your business requires timely, well-informed decision making, smart management of resources, and an eye on “what’s next” as you adapt to trends, plan for seasonality, and select technology that can move your business further. As you work to make these decisions, we would today like to share with you three key qualities of smarter ecommerce businesses, and how they can thrive with the right technology.

For distribution firms, your business is built on client satisfaction. However, in recent years, clients have come to expect more from their distributors and the complexity of the market has created an environment in which your company needs to act more quickly, operate with more efficiency, and see more clearly. With even more change on the horizon, the next few years will be even more disruptive, more tumultuous, and more complex—and it’s on you to adapt to client needs and competitive evolution.

At Cloud 9 ERP Solutions, we believe in the transformative power of Acumatica for businesses. It’s why we exclusively work with the software and are an Acumatica Gold Partner. While we are firm believers in the product’s functionality and power, you’d be right to say that we might be somewhat biased. That’s why we would like to share with you some exciting news—Acumatica has been recognized by three separate, unbiased entities for its ability to satisfy customers, design business-enhancing products, and plan for the future.

Everything about running a distribution firm specializing in food and beverage is a challenge. Expiration dates are short, the regulatory environment is strict, and quality assurance is a must. Worse yet, these pressures come from all sides. Whether a supplier recall leaves you scrambling to communicate with clients, a seasonality fluctuation results in too much or too little product, or a new trend in the food or beverage industry creates supply challenges, the fast-turn world of food and beverage distribution presents unique challenges that require timely decision-making, visibility, control, and collaboration.