Businesses across industries need the answer to two critical questions before they start building for the long run. “What does the market need?” and “How much does the market need?”. Using tools like Power BI and Tableau combined with Python/R, one can provide reasons why demand works the way it does.
Predicting how your business is heading is always a game of probabilities, but with time, our product, RubiCube, only gets better at giving the right direction. We provide 75-80% accurate predictions based on historical data and current scenarios. We visualize the order for you to make the pivots needed.
But how does it all tie up with understanding the demand for your offering? Read this case study to know more.
What is demand forecasting?
Demand forecasting is estimating the future demand for a product or service based on historical data, market trends, and other relevant factors. It is vital in supply chain management, production planning, inventory management, and sales forecasting.
Production planning: Adjust and plan your production schedules effectively by anticipating demand and planning accordingly.
Inventory management: Manage inventories more effectively by ensuring you have enough stock.
Supply chain management: Procure all the raw materials necessary to execute logistics operations by meeting customer demand.
ERP Data: What data does it gather, and how does it collect them?
An ERP system is one of the mainstream implementations that businesses have. It brings different data sets to bring information such as sales, inventory, production, and employee data to one platform.
Sales Data: Customer orders, sales invoices, and customer payments.
Inventory Data: Product stocks, locations, and stock movement.
Production Costs: Production process, labor cost, and production times.
Financial Data: Information about expenses, revenue, and profits.
Employee Data: Employee performance, attendance, and payroll.
Limitations of prescriptive analytics
Prescriptive analytics display a version of the future based on the past and doesn’t consider many factors. In this section, we uncover the limitations of prescriptive analytics and how it affects business.
Data quality: The accuracy and reliability of prescriptive analytics depend on the data quality used.
Limited Scope: It is designed to provide recommendations based on specific data and parameters.
Factor identification: It is limited by how the logic runs from past to future without the context of the present factors.
Implementing demand forecasting
Now that business leader knows why they need to step beyond the past and get analytics based on the current situation, let’s understand how accurately demand forecasting is implemented and its benefits.
Steps to implement demand forecasting
Define the need for forecasting- Select the right KPIs
Collect and analyze historical data
Provide the current variables that affect the metrics
Integrate the forecasting model into the ERP
Monitor and refine the forecasting model
Methods of demand forecasting
The tools and techniques you need for forecasting can vary on the methodology you choose and the way you want to proceed.
Time Series Analysis
Analyzes data like sales, revenue, and consumer behavior collected over time using moving averages, exponential smoothing, and trend analysis.
Regression Analysis
Analyzes the relationship between two or more variables, like demand vs. price, promotion, weather, and economic indicators.
Market Research
Gathers present market information about customers, competitors, and market trends.
Customer Feedback
Details and informs about product/service satisfaction and KRAs to anticipate future demand.
What role does AI play?
A statistical model can be trained to do what it needs to do, but when it’s given the capacity to learn what it’s doing, it can keep iterating to predict and get to the root of the cause accurately. AI algorithms can:
Identify patterns across large datasets.
Process data with the needed context.
Optimize various relevant metric levels.
Conglomerates like Amazon, Walmart, and Coca-Cola use AI-led algorithms to understand their consumers and find the ideal position within the market for boosting sales and RoI.
Real-life problems, tech-led solutions
Technology and consumer lives are invariably overlapping over the last few years. But what happens when the approach misses one crucial KPI that connects the statistics to the present?
In this section, we discuss how a different strategy for analysis would have served as a warning system for the complete power grid failure in Texas.
Due to an unforeseen winter storm in Texas on February 2021, the temperatures dropped to -39 degrees Celsius, causing a massive upsurge in power demand. It took about 12 days for the power grid to be fully functional again; this lack of power led to an infrastructure failure that directly/indirectly caused more than 200 deaths.
Could this have been predicted?
Using data available from the Department of Energy of the USA, we built a data lake. We simulated and built a model using R and Python with an advanced regression testing model on the data lake. We did econometric modeling to refine the statistical system. Econometric modeling solves situations where prescriptive demand forecasting fails, because
The linear model is built on accurate datasets based on the past record of experiences,
Regression analysis uses time series data to understand and predict trends.
Econometric model quantifies the relationship between KPIs and the factors that affect them.
What are the advantages of demand forecasting?
There is a wide range of reasons why you need ERP demand forecasting, and utilizing the power of AI is crucial when attempting to build functionality.
Revitalizes stock and workforce management depending on business needs.
Enhances customer satisfaction and provides personal insights.
Reduces resource wastage and gives a competitive advantage.
How can a software product company push forward with demand forecasting?
Predicting demand based on the likelihood of outcomes is always an iterative process. It uses a combination of data analysis, statistical algorithms, and demand forecasting with machine learning to pinpoint the most likely results from particular choices.
The following are the reasons why a software product company can help you:
Machine Learning – Connect historical data to current market trends.
Data visualization – Make data easy to read through charts and graphs.
Supply Chain Optimization – Tailor-made solutions to specific challenges in transit.
A predictive model can run on any organized data arrangement and does not always need to be on ERP Data alone. This means you can estimate and build the scope of your business depending on the market instead of going on personal intuition.
CI Global: Predicting business growth with RubiCube
With ERP expertise, we built RubiCube with problem statements we discovered across our 25 years of experience. Understanding the demand for what you offer is vital in any market and business, but more than a linear graph of what already exists is needed. RubiCube doesn’t just predict market behavior with your business projections but also represents them through visualizations that point to connecting the dots.
The tool has more than 25-pre built dashboards and analytically boosts operational efficiency by 30%. Want to know how your business can benefit from it? Reach out today.
Relation between KPIs, Actionable Insights, and ERPs
Any information essential to the business becomes valuable data. With over 120 zettabytes of data generated daily, the world has a data overload across channels. It’s critical to take a step further from data-based decisions to insight-guided decisions. For that, data needs to transform into ideas and actions for decision-makers to understand when using the correct method so that you can visualize the impact.
In this blog, we uncover what data is and follow it through its journey to becoming insights through well-established KPIs. These indicators are vital in keeping track of progress and help the decision-makers take the correct route to the solution.
Analyzing the numbers that matter
Predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms are helping businesses make reliable decisions by leveraging accurate predictions. They can repeatedly simulate scenarios based on existing data to forecast the business’s future direction and potential standstills. Business intelligence uses these algorithms to teach itself to predict through a KPI.
What turns data into insights?
Data can be processed using statistical and analytical methods to identify patterns and trends. This analysis can involve looking for correlations between variables, identifying outliers, and using machine learning algorithms to uncover hidden insights.
Statistics: Create patterns that show and identify clear actions and reactions.
Patterns: Show the reason for a drop or a spike and how to manage it.
Trends: Contribute and affect your businesses due to the market dynamics.
Data visualization can take many forms, such as charts, graphs, and ERP KPI dashboards, and can be used to share insights in an easily understandable and interactive way.
How to create ML projections?
Securing and creating the proper dataset is a task half complete; it has to follow a suitable ML model that can be trained and developed in the required direction. This can be done on a few statistical concepts like linear regression, decision trees, and neural networks.
A process to create an ML model follows:
Training an ML model is the first step in the process; expect the error to pop up frequently initially, but as you continue to train the model, you can see a substantial improvement.
As the model’s training continues, it can create projections by getting present in-market data and allowing it to make predictions based on the learned patterns. The projections’ accuracy can evaluate performance metrics such as mean squared error or accuracy.
Ultimately, the projections must be visualized and communicated to stakeholders using charts, graphs, and other visualization tools. This allows decision-makers to use the insights gained from the predictions to inform their actions and strategy.
Why are well-established KPIs important?
An indicator becomes a KPI when it gives a company the upper hand in three key areas when it affects cost, revenue or it gives strategic advantage. Through measuring specific KPIs, organizations can ensure that their activities achieve their goals and align with their overall growth plan.
KPIs are vital because they:
Measure performance and identify areas for improvement.
Ensure accountability and transparency within an organization.
Provide a common understanding for stakeholders within an organization.
How to measure a KPI?
From selecting the correct methodology to measure the KPI to the data source from the ERP and constant analysis techniques, there are many things to understand before getting to the root of KPI measurement.
After creating the KPI, you need to:
Understand your goals from the KPI and break down the statistical method.
Set the targets you want to hit when establishing a KPI to benchmark your process.
Represent data how your stakeholders need it and create an automated report.
How to accelerate business capacity?
An ERP system can integrate different departments and functions into a single data system to better utilize resources and make informed decisions based on real-time data. Analyzing data is at the heart of growing a business of any size, whether micro-enterprises, SMBs, or from the ground up. Identifying the difference between the to-do list and the wish list is the primary step in accelerating a business; let’s see how that happens.
How to make decisions based on what your company needs vs. wants?
When you can identify patterns, trends, and opportunities that might not be immediately apparent through intuition or experience alone, you make more informed and better decisions backed with insights rather than assumptions or opinions.
Sales data analysis determines whether there is an actual demand for a new product, the fit into their product line, and what potential impact on profitability. A detailed study can help you prioritize the right features to focus on.
Financial data analysis is critical to identify inefficiencies in their processes, pinpoint areas where they can cut costs, and optimize their spending. An internal cost report can give you a view of your cash quadrants.
Manufacturing data analysis is crucial for companies to understand their supply chain and metrics such as throughput, attainment, and utilization. With numbers on your side, you can understand which part of your supply chain needs an upgrade.
What is an actionable insight?
An actionable insight is a suggestion that you can implement in the present to directly impact your business in the future. Let’s take an example of a power grid; sorting and analyzing data in a dataset as vast as running a power grid requires understanding specific organizational metrics.
The power connection can be from a rural area, a remote area, or an urban area; while the consumption might look the same on a total level, the patterns can vastly differ.
Average power consumption and the number of homes per household are KPIs that can lead to insights into the distribution industry.
This can follow proper processing until you reach a point where you end up with a to-do list of things you can do today. Likewise, when the concept is applied to the wine and beverage industry, the meaning of an insight changes depending on the KPI.
These metrics are dependent on different depletions based on the sales and on-hand signals towards the store’s inventory.
The metrics can depend on RAD, Retail Account Data, which shows whether the store is a chain or a single store.
The IRR, Inventory Run Rate, can be useful as it checks the details of stock volume at each particular store.
Module development at CI Global: Visualizing data for you
At CI Global, we understand business data can be overwhelming when displaying all numbers without visualization. We build software modules that can extend your ERP’s functionality, create a vision for the future and automate the report with the idea to you as a notification wherever you are.
Now that you know why insights matter, don’t you want to know what we can do for you? Click here.
Extending ERP functionalities through Add-Ons
Building software is about understanding the manner and direction of designing a solution; some solutions have strengths in a few particular aspects, while some build all-around features applicable across industries. ERPs are feature-directed software; they ease operational overhead for businesses and enterprises. If one needs an accounting feature -that Sage Intacct is most optimized for- into their integrated Sage 300 system, they need to build the add-on that can support the currently installed system that addresses the gap that needs to be filled.
This blog explains why building purpose-driven add-ons that extend functionality is essential for business and how it solves specific use cases.
Why does software need an add-on?
Add-ons help businesses optimize the ERP by giving it specific accounting, manufacturing and distribution features. Depending on the needs, one can develop a purpose-driven add-on that gives functionality beyond the norm. While the off-the-shelf software is built for a macro-view of the business, one can use an add-on to make it specifically for the purpose.
Sage 300
It was previously known as Accpac and is the most well-rounded ERP in the market. It is the perfect business accounting system for small and medium-sized businesses(SME/SMB).
Sage 100
It is the mid-point between a comprehensive ERP like Sage 300 and an accounting-specific ERP software like Intacct. Its strengths lie in process management across accounting and manufacturing.
Sage Intacct
Sage Intacct is an ERP software specific for accounting but needs adjustments and utility extensions to suit the business needs and the problem at hand.
How does expertise matter in building purpose-driven software in the ERP ecosystem?
The process of building an add-on is like product development. Like every software product, you need clarity on simple points and follow a wireframe, for example:
The purpose of building it and the use case it solves.
The method and roadmap for making the solution.
The execution of the solution and testing the efficiency.
The removal of any data pitfalls within the system.
An add-on complements and enhances the ERP by implementing business processes not addressed in the ERP. For building one, the business needs a software development team that functions from a business perspective, can optimize ideas, and has software expertise that implements the promises.
Add-ons: The value proposition in extending utility
ERPs are a platform that can give a view of what’s happening in the organization. Let’s take the example from a logistics perspective; the add-on extends the business point of view from just the rudimentary numbers on sales or purchases to a complete control system on sales, purchases and inventory.
With the ERPs and add-ons, the idea is cohesion between operations and the needed results. Automate with the add-on and observe with the ERP through perfect implementation for cohesion. The following are a few examples of add-ons we’ve worked on for the logistics industry:
Digitizing operations with bar-code scanning- Add-on for Sage 300
View data and understand the sales better when delivering products to customers’ needs faster.
Get a complete view of daily, weekly and monthly stock transfers, along with the feature for stock shipment.
Order entry module in Sage Intacct- Automating invoices and receipts
When a salesperson generates an invoice for sale, the order entry helps develop an invoice specific to the deal they made.
In logistics, the commission is measured through different permutations and combinations of the same metric, depending on the demand and sale probability; a PO/OE/AR module helps in dispersing the money.
Multi-bin module for Sage 100- Strategizing the solution
The multi-bin gives a dynamic view of the inventory and the position of each product in the warehouse.
The view helps track, organize and establish control for date-tracking products that can be arranged according to dates.
CI Global: Finding problems, building solutions
From identifying the need, understanding the cause and breaking down the solutions, CI Global has led several projects with expertise that only grew with experience. With over 25 years of experience across industries as a software development team, we’ve worked on critical projects that later became features recognized by the ERP provider.
Want to know more about what we offer? Click here.
Predictive analytics in ERP ecosystem: A study into utility
With the latest trends suggesting that there’s a need for AI at every point that data flows through, it’s elementary to understand how AI can transform business and operability. Probability and predictability are all about the chances of success of actions meeting the most-likely results.
In this case study, we go over why predictive analytics is the future of business operations and how CI’s product RubiCube fits business needs.
Why do we need to go beyond off-the-shelf functionality?
CRMs and ERPs are a norm across scaling businesses, from micro to macro. From an integrated suite of software applications to a set of databases, ERPs give a view of what’s happening within operations and business departments.
The idea behind a primary software implementation is to get everything into computers that can show the numbers and provide decision-makers with a digital view of operations.
Empower the present with a predictive view of the future so that the business direction is not limited to descriptive statistics on where it stands but can map the future to where its headed.
AI constantly learns from data patterns within the company and can compare them to industry patterns from the market. The business data considers and displays what’s happening within the organization but when the scope is extended towards what the market wants, the decision-makers get closer to where they want the organization to be.
Draw insights into what is happening and why there’s a gap, and understand what changes can get the profits instead of taking decisions in retrospect.
In a hyper-competitive market, integrate a vital metric that considers the market’s direction to help make crucial decisions.
Using AI to make the descriptive data work
In the short to medium term, the company’s growth direction depends on the actions taken today. A tech-first solution like RubiCube can underline the future trajectory of the business. The following are the use cases for a predictive tool that allows taking actions that matter:
Predictive analytics for MSMEs
Building a business from scratch starts at the idea and the smallest action in starting operations, a micro-enterprise. At this stage, there’s a need to make decisions over just maintaining something there is. With the help of PA(predictive analytics), businesses can:
Analyze self-generated data in real-time dashboards.
Evaluate and organize frequent business evaluations.
Monitor risk and business association comprehensively.
Data analytics and business intelligence: Transform ERP powerhouses
When a functional ERP can generate data on what’s happening, it reports it in numbers. AI powers the journey from numbers and data to visualizations and dashboards. With the help of PA, statistical data can:
Assess performance to become business decisions.
Analyze data to turn it into actionable steps to execute.
Summarize, systemize and organize data for who uses them.
Streamlining financial management processes
Money matters matter the most. Empower the business strategy and financial planning with AI that does the heavy lifting. With the help of predictive analytics, the in-house finance team can:
Forecast the revenue and cash flow
Make better predictions on payments
Manage credit risks associated with specific deals.
How predictive analytics software helps decision-makers?
Viewing how businesses perform and the future direction can have different implications for decision-makers in different positions. Predictive analytics is not the magic pill that solves all the problems in business strategies but it can become a contributor to each decision in the following ways:
For the CEO: Understand the efficiency of several departments and the expected results for an upcoming duration—an in-depth analysis of the ceiling, sales and demand generated.
For the CTO: Keep up with the latest tech that makes a difference for the company. Update the tech stack to cutting-edge innovations that can provide value to operations and other departments.
For the CFO: Learn the financial aspects and health of a company and the way it contributes to its growth curve. Get an in-depth view of the cost quadrant and analyze areas of improvement.
Implementing RubiCube in a Sage solution
The supply chain industry works around multiple variables functioning simultaneously with seamless integration. But what happens when the business powers it with AI? While the science isn’t new, neither is the field, latest advancements have led large datasets to be analyzed and statistical models to be built on historical data to formulate future trends.
With the power of AI in the form of predictive analytics, businesses can:
Forecast future demand
The hardest metric to understand without AI is product-oriented demand. Improve predictability in forecasting rates with trained data systems. Analyze past and current trends with market intel and industry-level economic forecasts.
Manage supply inventory
Optimal inventory management comes from a supply chain that satisfies demand while minimizing stock. With a detailed view of demand across locations and usage, stock inventory optimally instead of losing out on potential demand or overstocking.
Plan and coordinate logistics
Transportation and shipment costs can significantly affect a product’s price. With a data-driven strategy, businesses can avoid downtime and account for optimal shipping frequency that saves money from spending in spaces without RoI.
Detect the outliers
When AI can predict the path the business should expect it can also immediately raise a flag when there’s a sale or a lack of it when it’s least likely to happen. This can help the organization identify fraud or check for sensor failures at the earliest.
CI Global: Empowering business leaders the AI way
RubiCube is the direct result of understanding the market gap and building a solution that solves it. With ERP expertise and the contextual knowledge of working across industries for over 25 years, we understood the value of providing a view into the future of business functionality.
RubiCube doesn’t just predict business stories but also supports them in a way that the decision-makers would understand. Through more than 25 pre-built dashboards that support more than 5 languages, we built RubiCube as a solution that can analytically boost operational efficiency by 30%. With RubiCube, we’ve automated reporting to where the decision makers are for transparency that matters instead of having them open the ERP and check for the status.
Want to know more about how we can transform your future? Reach out to us.
Product Integration: Whys and hows
Imagine a black pen with a blue refill and a red cap; it gets confusing a little too quickly. Having multiple products that do not have a seamless feel is like having a messy desk; at one point or another, you need to sort them from scratch again. Product integration in the software world is all about coordinating different products to make your life easier. For example, an e-learning app needs to integrate video-calling software into its interface and organize and support documents for each class conducted. Proper integration is critical for improving productivity and channelling your operations across industries.
In this blog, we discuss CI’s experience in the product integration journey of connecting 10+ ERPs using 15+ custom and standard connectors, connecting more than a thousand metadata. So how does integration work? What are the challenges in the industry?
How to integrate software products?
A complete understanding of your need lets you know what you can ask. Let’s break down the different points of product integration.
Defining your integration goals gives you a plan to work towards.
Choosing the proper method for products that have different kinds of syntaxes.
Implement and test ideas across APIs, database flows, and SDKs.
APIs, SDKs, and databases are integrated differently. The correct option is chosen based on the needs and integration platforms offered.
What are the best practices in product integration?
Breaking down a complex process into steps and methods makes a process as daunting as software product integration. The following are a few practices we ensure at CI:
Data compatibility: The ability of different software systems to exchange data and work together. When this is ensured, products can interpret and process data as intended.
Security and data privacy: After ensuring that the data is compatible, the next step is ensuring there are no privacy concerns and that sensitive data is handled carefully.
Monitor and optimize integration: Monitoring the integration is vital in identifying vulnerabilities and executing security audits to ensure there are no opportunities for data leaks and staying on the right side of avoiding data penalties and privacy breaches.
What are the challenges in product integration?
From interoperability to seeing how the product can be scaled across different sizes and environments, there are multiple challenges in product integration as a field. Let’s go over a few common problems that CI solves for :
Technical challenges: The technical knowledge and know-how of compatibility across different products are vital for optimal integration.
Interoperability: Exchange data within different products to communicate and create a flow of information that cannot be disrupted.
Data management: Different products use different interpretations of data, so it’s essential to ensure that data is compatible with the integration architecture.
Scalability: A perfect solution similarly solves the issues of 1, 10, and 100. Plan for growth within the product integration as demands always increase.
RubiCube: Bridging integration gaps the CIG way
RubiCube is a data analytics product that integrates data from multiple sources, including but not limited to Sage 100/Sage 300/Sage Intacct/CRM/ HRMS, with any of your in-house products. RubiCube’s data lake has been developed using proprietary frameworks and custom connectors for significant ERPs.
Integrating RubiCube brings predictive analytics to your ERP, CRM, and in-house systems. RubiCube is implemented for your use case to either increase revenue, reduce operational costs, or gain strategic advantage. Never go back to an off-the-shelf solution to fit into your processes. Instead, integrate RubiCube as the solution that seamlessly integrates into your system and gives you the room to find the exact fit to move forward in your business. Want to know more about the use and utility? Click here.
How do custom connectors help product integration?
A functioning system will have multiple software working collaboratively to solve a use case. Custom connectors connect different software applications when there is no built-in integration. These connectors connect two or more applications and ease data transfer. Companies can develop these connectors in-house or outsource the task to a team like CI Global. CI has been working with more than 15+ ERPs on their product- Rubicube- working with thousands of metadata to get to the customized level that makes a difference.
Product integration integrates a company’s product with another system or platform. This can range from adding a simple plugin to an existing platform to integrating the company’s product directly into another software system. Seamless integration assists companies in creating comprehensive and efficient software systems by utilizing various applications and platforms.
Product integration aids in improving internal workflows and streamlining processes by automating tasks that would otherwise require manual intervention. While they can co-exist without one another, why are they important to each other? Why does having a custom connector help you streamline your business capabilities better? Read this case study to learn more.
What are the challenges in software product integration?
Understanding the worlds of data and KPIs is the first challenge in integrating different products. When integrating different systems, understanding the implementation of each product is a challenge to overcome. This arises because each product or system is implemented using different technologies, architectures, and design patterns, making it difficult to understand how they work and how they can be integrated with other systems.
When integrating a legacy system with a modern cloud-based system, the legacy system may have been implemented using an outdated technology stack and architecture, while the modern system may be using the latest technologies and cloud-based architecture.
Dealing with different data formats is another challenge in understanding the implementation of a product. Each system may use a unique data format and communication protocol, which can be incompatible with other systems. This can require extensive data transformation and translation to ensure data is correctly passed between systems.
Missing out on data factors that can significantly impact the data set and the insights you derive from them. When critical data factors are missing, the resulting integration may not be comprehensive or incomplete, resulting in errors.
The missing data causes the performance of the integrated software product to drop and risks data breaches, leading to slower performance, reduced efficiency, or unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Data redundancy when integrating different software products can create inconsistencies or conflicts in the data. This can lead to incorrect or incomplete information being presented to users, severely impacting decision-making and productivity.
Security concerns impact data integrity in software product integration. Data not properly secured during the integration process can be vulnerable to unauthorized access, modification, or deletion.
It is essential to clearly understand the data requirements for the integration process and identify any potential gaps or missing data factors. This involves thoroughly analyzing the data structures and formats used by the software products involved in the integration process and developing strategies to fill in any missing data factors. This may involve using data mapping and conversion tools or developing custom integrations to bridge data gaps or inconsistencies.
How do custom connectors help in solving your problem?
Custom connectors are key in making customization work for businesses looking to stay competitive. Standard connectors give you insights and smooth flow for standard business ERP, but a custom connector needs to be built to get the complete advantages of a custom ERP. Customization is the name of the game in today’s world; custom connectors ensure that your custom ERPs work in the way intended without any functionality flaws. The following are how custom connectors help:
Improved efficiency: By connecting different software systems and automating workflows, custom connectors help businesses save time and reduce manual labour. This can lead to increased efficiency and productivity and reduced errors and delays.
Enable the enhanced functionality: Custom connectors ensure that the new features and capabilities in customized software systems function as intended allowing for better utilization of tools. This can help improve user experiences and make products more competitive in the marketplace.
Increased data accuracy: When data transfer between different systems is done manually, there is a higher risk of errors and discrepancies. Custom connectors ensure that data is transferred accurately, securely, and consistently, reducing the likelihood of errors and improving the data quality.
Streamlined workflows: They can automate repetitive tasks and streamline workflows, reducing the need for manual intervention and making it easier for businesses to manage their operations.
Improved scalability: Custom connectors can help businesses scale their operations more easily by allowing them to connect new systems and applications as needed.
Why do you need a custom connector?
Defining the customisation before building the integration and the connector helps avoid reworks. Often the environment in the solution is theorized is not the same as the deployment phase environment; that’s one reason why there are challenges in the implementation of the connector. With custom connectors, you can foresee the upcoming changes and build for the future your team sees ahead.
Customization begins after breaking down the requirements into phases and approaching them with an open mind.
A custom connector would help your ERP customization work better by building data channels that provide deeper insights into business functions.
Customizations indicate the organization understands its operations and is taking the initiative to find opportunities to optimize.
A custom connector solves a critical problem that the organization faces. Custom-built features often become the most used features within the organization.
RubiCube- Easing through integration with custom connectors
Reaching a seamless integration point takes effort, understanding, and expertise. At CI, we build for zero data loss and construct our solution from the roots of your problem statement. Through custom integration, you can choose what you want to integrate through connectors that make the best happen. VIP BDN is an industry-standard tool used to create and report insights into your business; it follows a format, whereas your final reports might need a separate format. The way to take data from VIP BDN and automate the standard numbers to fall into the custom report that your business needs is done by custom connectors. CIG has performed product integration with such tools. It puts business-critical information in your hands, but even the most customisable tools need robust integration to work optimally.
RubiCube from our product lineup is a predictive data analytics solution tool. Beyond the standard implementation, customized tools need custom connectors built to integrate your systems in the best way possible.
RubiCube has more than 50 default and 10 custom connectors to work with over 1000 metadata connectors to synthesize metrics and visualize the direction in which your company is growing. CI Global ensures you get the right use out of the custom software through precise implementations.
For example: In the wine and beverage industry, regulation is often a mix of the two. The data from ERP systems, like Sage 100, VIP BDN formats, promotions, and commissions, need to be integrated to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Standard connectors exist for a few formats but lack the seamlessness across the system for which your businesses will require custom connectors. CI Global will build the custom connectors that are required to ensure integration is smooth and you get to see the whole picture from multiple sources of data.
With an implementation time of a week, RubiCube boosts your business by focusing on metrics that matter. Automating the reporting methodology improved operational efficiency by more than 30%.
Unload the worries of a faulty integration with the help of custom connectors that ease your data flow. Modernize your systems with technology that moves the needle for your business; contact us today!
Unlock the potential of automation testing
After building software, you’ll need to run across different edge cases to understand how it runs and iron out any chinks in the armor. Automation testing ensures that your software product is reliable, efficient, and user-friendly. It saves resources by automating redundant testing tasks and completing them much faster than manually. Investing in the process pays off for repetitive software projects with many test cases.
Automation testing minimizes human error and solves a significant problem in manual testing. Its thorough testing strategy runs multiple test cases simultaneously, in which automation is an integral part of software testing within a short duration. It helps in catching bugs that may go unnoticed. Automation tests help to ensure that the software is reliable and stable within a shorter duration of time when compared to manual testing.
Implementing automation testing in a software company is relatively straightforward:
Identify the test cases that can be automated. These test cases should be repeatable and cover as much depth as possible.
Choose an automation testing tool that best suits the software application that needs to be tested. Set up the automation testing environment and script the identified test cases.
Integrate automation testing into the software development process, considering every time you add new code to the software, the scripts need to be updated as well.
Automation will help ensure that any existing functionality is not broken and the software runs consistently. Automation testing saves time and resources and ensures thorough testing to minimize human error. By implementing automation testing and integrating it into the software development process, a software company can ensure that its products are reliable, efficient, and user-friendly.
Let’s understand how automation helps in automation works across different landscapes.
Desktop app automation – Beyond use and utility
Automation testing of desktop applications such as Point of Sale (POS) systems and on-premise Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems can significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of a business’s operations.
In the case of POS systems, automation testing can simulate transactions and ensure that the system can handle them correctly. It can include testing for proper calculation of prices, taxes, and discounts and ensuring that the system can handle multiple transactions simultaneously without crashing. Automation testing can ensure that the system can adequately address payment methods, such as credit cards and mobile payments.
Automation testing can test on-premise ERP systems by testing the system’s ability to handle different types of data, such as financial and inventory data, and ensuring that the system can handle multiple users accessing it simultaneously. Automation testing ensures the system can adequately control different business processes, such as ordering and invoicing.
Custom frameworks – Tailoring to your business needs
The standard frameworks may not necessarily work for all applications. Custom automation testing frameworks can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of automation testing, especially when tailored to the software’s specific technology and environment. A custom framework allows for a tailored approach that can be more effective in identifying and addressing the unique challenges of the software.
The benefits of having custom frameworks are as follows:
Writing and maintaining test scripts is more accessible when the software and the custom framework are in the same programming language.
Custom frameworks work with specific libraries or frameworks, such as Selenium for web applications, which can help streamline the automation testing process.
They can handle the specific requirements of the software. For example, if the software has a complex user interface, the custom framework can be designed to handle testing that interface more efficiently.
A custom framework handles data more efficiently. If the software has a lot of data to process, it will increase the maintainability and scalability of the automation tests.
Test scripts can save time and resources and make testing more efficient. Custom automation testing frameworks can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of automation testing by being tailored to the specific software. CI has built custom UI frameworks using Selenium that helped automate parts of the Multi-bin feature. They increase the automation tests’ maintainability and scalability and allow for better code reuse.
UI automation with WinAppDriver
UI automation refers to using software to control another application’s user interface, typically for testing or automating repetitive tasks. WinAppDriver is a Windows Application Driver for Windows applications; it allows for automating UI testing of Windows Applications. It uses the same APIs as Appium and Selenium to interact with Windows applications. With WinAppDriver, you can automate the UI of a Windows Application by scripting actions such as clicking buttons, inputting text, and navigating menus. CI Global’s expertise in writing automation scripts helped automate the UI’s repetitive tasks. From identifying parts of the UI to the IDs associated with the cursor position and the way the fields interact with one another, CI did and continues to do every bit of the process for you to go hands-off with any product you have.
CI Global: From testing to beyond
As a team that built the automation in several product lines across multiple environments like desktop, web and mobile, CI Global has enabled faster product releases, while still focusing on thorough end-to-end testing.
Want to know what we can do for you? Click here, and we’ll get in touch with you.
Product Engineering- Bringing ideas to reality
Product engineering is the code-powered bridge between forming an idea and executing the solution. The process has a range of standpoints, starting with a problem statement and gathering the resources needed to execute the roadmap built. You create a product that meets the market’s needs and demands by analyzing the competitors. At CI, we bring apps and software into reality based on the entrepreneur’s vision; we create a minimum viable product, test it for the market, and ensure it meets industry standards. Building analytical software takes precision, clarity, and vision to align with the tech capabilities. This case study touches upon what happens when building an analytical product from scratch for a startup from ground zero.
When a company hires or outsources work to an external firm to design, develop, and launch a new product or service, it includes a wide range of tasks, such as prototyping, testing, and quality assurance, as well as more specialized tasks like user experience (UX) design, software development, and hardware engineering. By outsourcing product engineering, a company can access external expertise and resources they may not have in-house and save time and money by not having to build and maintain an internal development team. Product engineering service providers like CI Global have experience working with various technologies and industries, which benefits companies looking to launch a new product or service in a foreign market. But how does product engineering start? Where does it lead? What are the points to keep in mind before you end at profits? Keep reading to know more.
How to find the problem statement?
Start with a clear understanding of the problem that the product addresses. It will be easier to create a product that meets the needs of its intended users and is viable from a business perspective. When defining the problem or opportunity, it’s essential to start with the user needs, understand your market’s size and how the product should address specific needs, and then design the solution with the user in mind.
Build a technically and economically viable product to build and maintain features further down the line.
In the competitive landscape, your product should differentiate itself from existing products in the market.
Research existing solutions and understand the problem or opportunity to create a product that meets user needs and aligns with the overall business objectives and strategy.
An in-depth understanding helps to increase the chances of product success and reduce development costs.
This step helps to validate if there is a real need and market for the product, avoiding the risk of building something that will not be used or adopted by the users.
Create the path for an idea to become action
Once you’ve identified the problem statement, the next step is the idea-to-action plan that takes an initial idea and charts a way to turn it into a functional product. The process emphasizes R&D, design, prototyping, testing, and roll-out. The goal is to create products that meet the needs of their intended users, are functional and reliable, and can be manufactured and sold at a profit. The path often includes lean methodology and agile development.
Competitor analysis and product creation
A gap analysis is critical in identifying areas where a competitor’s product is lacking and where your product can improve or differentiate itself. Stay updated on competitors’ products, including features, pricing, and user feedback, by conducting a thorough analysis. Look for areas where the competitor’s product lacks or cannot meet the user needs due to brand philosophical differences. The issues can include missing features, poor user experience, or high pricing. Like Twitter and the option to edit your tweet, they cannot develop this feature because it’s against twitter’s philosophy of taking a snap of your thoughts at that time.
The following are the pointers you need to know about when doing competitor analysis:
Identify opportunities by improving or differentiating your product from the market offers.
The competitor analysis includes adding new features, improving user experience, or matching the competitor’s pricing scale.
Develop a unique value proposition using the information gathered in the gap analysis to communicate how your product addresses the gaps identified.
Test and validate the gaps and opportunities for perfecting the product concept with potential users, improve product design for usability, and build features accordingly.
Build the process for progress
Creating a structured and repeatable method is essential for taking a product from idea to launch. After identifying the opportunity, thoughts for the product develop into a concept that is presentable to stakeholders. The initial stage is where ideas for new products are usually through brainstorming sessions or user research. Refine design and development by considering user experience, technical feasibility, and cost factors. The process helps create detailed specifications, test prototypes and build the final product.
Testing the product is key before launch to ensure that it meets user needs and functions as intended. After launching the final product, post-launch activities such as monitoring performance and gathering feedback can help it be tailored to the needs of the development and the organization and should be flexible enough to adapt to changing requirements and unforeseen obstacles.
Developing products for startups
Startups typically have fewer resources and a more limited budget, so they must be more strategic in allocating their resources. They also have to be more agile and able to pivot as they test and validate their business model. Startups often rely on a small team, meaning team members may need to wear multiple hats and take in a broader range of responsibilities. Startups have a more entrepreneurial and risk-taking culture, which is why they run on bigger ambitions than just remaining in the present. That’s why they focus on growth and are willing to invest more in product development to achieve that.
MVP and market research
Creating an MVP starts with a development plan for a prototype that validates the direction by outlining the steps required to build and launch the MVP, including timelines and milestones toward better usability and design for the product. Iterate and improve the MVP by gathering customer feedback, iterating, and improving it. Monitor the performance of the MVP and make decisions for the next phase. If there’s one place to be flexible and open to change, it’s in the MVP development process. It is iterative, and the final product may differ from the original concept. Following these steps, you can create an MVP that effectively solves customer problems and sets the foundation for future development and growth.
Prioritize features to plan
The only way to identify key features is by understanding what creates value for customers. Prioritize features based on their potential impact on the business, customer satisfaction, and feasibility, considering the available resources, budget, and technical constraints. At the next level, prioritize based on system dependencies and based on risk, ensuring that critical features rely on other features first based on risk, developing the least risky features first. At the last point, schedule and plan features based on the time to market, focusing on features that can be developed and launched quickly.
MobileSalesPerson- Creating scalable solutions
The sales job almost always involves going to different locations and pitching the company’s offerings to clients. The salespeople faced a visibility gap in updating each sale through the ERP interface, and needing to know how much to sell for severely impacted their sales pitches, leading to overselling or underselling. The visibility of the quantity at the warehouse and how fast you can get it to your customers solve the confusion at the enterprise and the sale level. CI’s vision identified, ideated, and created a feature that added that dynamic element to the ERP software. With the mobile salesperson, CI became a pioneer in creating solutions for the user through the mobile ordering system that updates sales taking place as they happen.
Scoping for the future with CI Global
At CI Global, we’re building MVPs that begin the journey of ideas toward action and to the market. With discussions and the future roadmaps set in motion, the products we create are becoming viable for pivots and building for the demand for which it’s constructed.
Build your dream products with the MVP solely on us; connect with us here to know more.
Keeping up with the tax updates in HRMS/Payroll systems
Human Resource Management System is a software tool that helps businesses manage their workforce’s records, payrolls, incentives, and benefits. HRMS prepares tax returns, complies with tax updates, and tracks employee incomes to deductions and allowances. Every transaction has an element of tax attached to it, and the HRMS assists in preventing mistakes that can result in tax underpayment or overpayment.
Direct tax compliance and complications
Any taxation bracket applied directly to your employees and business transactions, like income and goods tax, comes under direct taxes. Two strategies are used to process the data that falls in this bucket:
Data sensitization
Data sensitization is about protecting sensitive tax information from unauthorized users, access, or disclosure. Sensitization includes rolling out policies and cadences on how much your employees expose critical data to the public without intending it. Encryption, monitoring, and auditing are reliable measures for handling sensitive data. These measures help mitigate the risks of damaging your company’s reputation and directly impacting your finances.
Tax reforms
Ensure your calculation systems can match the proper taxes from paychecks around the tax reforms and updates rolled out in each iteration. New versions can have a fresh set of tax benefits, minor changes in the slab rates, or exemptions. The HRMS needs a collaborative approach from the HR, and IT teams to keep the system compliant and practical. New employees are recruited around the year, but the taxes are filled only at the end of the fiscal year. Provide the context of the employee’s payment history and track the amount allocated to avoid disparities between the two salaries withdrawn.
Payrolls and tax forms- W2, 1049, and F941
Configuring and updating your payrolls requires you to keep up with the latest updates in each tax form your employees are responsible for filling. A W2 Form is a tax form that reports an employee’s wages and taxes withheld in a fiscal year in the US Payroll. Likewise, the 1049 tax form in US Payroll reports interest income earned by a particular employee or a business. Employers use F941 or form 941 in the Canadian Payroll to report federal tax liabilities and taxes withheld from paychecks.
Any changes across the three forms will need a revamped calculation of tax algorithms, changes in employee information, and updating new information in the new fields introduced through the update. By providing US and Canadian expertise during ERP updates, CI Global helps you address concerns and provide the information the end user needs to understand and comply with the changes.
Effective tax rate and risk minimalization
Regularly reviewing the HRMS calculations helps keep a tab on tracking employee income and compliance with the relevant regulations. Implementing safety nets and safeguards against unauthorized access to tax-sensitive information is key to minimizing risks. Automate the process of preparing tax returns through an HRMS that helps you stay updated with the latest deadlines and other requirements. Work closely with people who can help you through their expertise in creating a seamless tax calculating portal in your ERP.
How can CIG help?
Looking at tax compliance against the race of time? Fret not; CIG brings more than 16 years of experience in the HRMS and Payroll domain within the software development field to your table. Boost your teams’ potential and get the support that helps you deliver your best. Ideate around concepts that will impress your clients with innovative solutions that make a difference. Want to know more? Click here.
Customizing ERPs: Learning from iterations
Business management and ERPs come in the same breath as an industry-standard in companies of all scales and sizes. An ERP makes it easy for the organization to automate and manage a significant chunk of its business processes, from accounting, project, and risk management to compliance and resource management. A custom ERP solves multiple issues simultaneously: reduces costs, improves efficiency, and helps you make better business decisions by providing a single system for managing operations.
The only way to know how you want to customize your ERP is by following a blueprint. Read along as we discover opportunities and learn more about how to customize your ERP system sustainably.
Formulate and set your expectations
Involving only the decision makers and the developers while integrating an ERP will solve issues that only they face. Involving the employees who will use the tool daily is integral in getting feedback on how they want it to be and helps you reach the objectives better.
Identifying the process to integrate: The ERP will support different parts of the process but creating a road plan for each operation will make your life easier.
Determine the goals and objectives: Create an expectation ROI plan on when the integration will show results and reduce the operational overhead.
Implement with intent: Outline the steps and timeline along with how your team adjusts to the system at hand, and identify the problem it solves.
Communicate for feedback: Learn from the first impressions on how your teams think of the product and take the feedback necessary to improve the usability.
Choose the suitable ERP to customize
Follow the three-word rule when selecting which ERP you want to develop for your business: Evaluate- Consider- Test. Research and compare different ERP systems against one another to find which will require minor customization and which is the most customizable to meet your specific needs.
Evaluate the ERP system and the vendor you choose: The vendor’s experience, expertise in handling edge cases, and track record of development and customization projects.
Consider a systematic approach to building customizations into your ERP. Understand the process that the vendors ensure you have a smooth and efficient integration with your business operations.
Test the ERP system and ensure it covers most of the organization’s needs and requirements. Engage in a pilot program or a trial version to test the system before deciding on the right fit.
When does an ERP fail?
Improper planning and hurried execution can cause many issues aligning expectations with the possible outcomes. This can quickly spiral out of control, cause delays, increase costs, and create a lack of user acceptance within your organization. The following are three reasons ERP integrations fail:
Insufficient inputs from the stakeholders: If employees and management are not on the same page while creating a requirement document for ERPs, the goals and objectives are easily missed. When adopting a new system, you should take all the information and feedback to build a product from the ground up.
Complex and inflexible system: Without making an ERP easy to use, you’ll complicate the user journey and make it hard for them to adapt. Meet their specific needs to solve a problem instead of creating one that doesn’t exist.
Lack of domain knowledge: When customizing an ERP, partner with a vendor that has a history of providing high-value solutions and understands the domain you’re coming from.
ERP Functionality: Why customizing ERP is important
Tailoring a system to the business’s unique needs is critical in supporting and automating the processes that can revitalize your teams to be more productive. A custom ERP can:
Improve the company’s overall performance through a single integrated system instead of a dispersed collection of tools to improve efficiency and make better decisions.
Increase customer satisfaction by providing employees with real-time information and accurate information on who the customers are and connecting the data points that enable them to respond to requests quickly.
Customization of an ERP for business needs
A custom ERP’s primary objective is to configure the system to meet the business’s specific needs and align the product towards the organization’s goals. It may involve orientation towards particular processes and functions and integrating other systems before adding custom features.
Finding the right balance of customization: ERPs, Context, and Growth
Integrating with other applications like CRM to provide users with a seamless experience comes with adding custom functionality like a reporting module or a commission management system. After understanding the industry where the system will be used and operated, break down the process of finding balance into three parts:
ERPs: Provide the ability to support critical processes and functions that contribute to the organization’s operations. The customization should be scalable, flexible, and customizable.
Context: Build a tool to support the broader context of the organization’s overall business strategy and goals and align with the organization’s mission and vision. Customization should support growth and promote competitive advantage.
Growth: Design and implement growth strategies within the ERP to ensure it can scale and adapt to meet evolving needs of the organization to provide necessary tools.
Customizations, design, and technicalities
Strike the right balance between the three aspects of the ERP by thoroughly understanding the needs and goals of the organizations:
Identify and research: The market has a lot of ERPs that can support you in your journey but selecting the correct one takes a bit of trial and error. Scalable systems must be flexible and customizable to serve the organization’s specific needs and requirements.
Consider the technical capabilities: Ensure compatibility with existing systems and infrastructure to evaluate technical expertise based on what a new system can bring to the table without disrupting the previous operations.
Test, review, and reiterate: Meeting the organization’s needs is a continuous process. Assess the performance on a timely basis to see how the tool is helping you build a cohesive workplace.
Wireframe for the future and visibility
When charting your goals, you should also plan how to achieve them. Through wireframing, create a visualization of how it can be helpful in planning and designing future visibility. Concise views of capabilities and potential come from understanding the structure into which the ERP is being implemented. The following is a process you can consider:
Outline the ERP’s overall structure, flow, and purposes. Determine the specific goals and objectives along with the user interface and main navigation elements.
Plan the functions for which you’re building the tool – Account management, inventory management, and project management all need a different approach in the system functionality and design with the future and visibility in mind.
Guide the development of the ERP by iterating and refining the wireframe based on stakeholder feedback and usability.
Sage 300 Commission Manager
Sage 300 CM is a software solution for managing and automating commission and incentive programs within the system. It provides various tools that help create, track and disperse commissions to all stakeholders. The seamless integration with CRMs and accounting software that CM allows for tracking payouts for employees, partners, and other stakeholders.
Incentives and collaboration
Automatically calculate commission from a definition of what the business considers a profitable transaction and then uses that to calculate the payouts. It helps reduce operational overhead and ensures that the payouts are accurate, reliable, and consistent.
Reporting and analysis
Commission Manager provides a range of reporting and analysis tools that help organizations understand and optimize their payouts to the performance of the individuals. The software can generate reports on individual performance, team performance, and sales channels that help the team identify opportunities for improvement.
Why CI Global?
As pioneers in the software development field and the architects of Sage 300 Commission Manager, CIG is always at the forefront of innovation and execution. As an auxiliary to your team, we bring experience and expertise that boosts productivity and shortens delivery timelines. Click here to learn more.
How is predictive analysis the future of Business Intelligence?
Business Intelligence and Data Analytics for ERP
In the age and time of data-dictated rules, business intelligence comprises procedures and infrastructure for collecting, storing, and analyzing the data produced by a company’s systems. It includes data mining, visualization, performance tracking, and descriptive analytics of the plans until that point in time. Predictive analytics is a branch of data analytics that estimates the scope of the future and utilizes data modeling and statistical algorithms to determine future outcomes.
Creating a structure for raw data
Data is scattered and unstructured when derived from the systems because it comes from different sources. By an ETL(Extract, Transform and Load) protocol, you can work on the part of the data that does not affect any part of the running operations. The extraction is when all the desired information is pulled from their respective tables and systems. The transformation includes preparing the collective data for a predictive AI model and generating the desired attributes to fit business needs. The loading step is when the data is ready to be analyzed, and you get insights into the running model of the business.
A journey from statistics to insights
Deriving insights from data is done through data visualization and a thorough analysis of the business situation. Numbers tell the stories that employees hesitate but to derive the pointers, you need to take one extra step. Data insights are achieved through AI/ML models analyzing a dataset. An ML model translates data and numbers into real business value, like targeted advertising efforts and accurate loan predictions. These insights allow users of all skill levels and teams to understand the model’s meaning and where its usefulness could be improved. Through data visualization, see the numbers turn into graphs and pie charts to categorize and visualize the growth of your business.
Predictive Analytics- Vision to the Future
Predictive analytics is the base built in the present for the company’s future. ERP channels the data into data sets that view the present from the perspective of past events. With ERP being used across the industry as the norm, beat your competitors by understanding key areas of improvement and establishing KPIs within your organization. This addition to your ERP structure helps you steer your business away from stagnation points and improve the following parameters:
Boost client retention and address churn
Improve core business capabilities
KYC- Understand your customers better
Spot opportunities and optimize for productivity
Cleansing Data and Forecasting
Avoid manual processing by investing in specialized software that simplifies the continuous data cleaning that reduces manual processes that are time-consuming and inaccurate. For unstructured and structured data, removing data anomalies and defects helps validate insights and improve the data quality. The broad categories for a forecasting process come under actual and forecast data. The extraction can be automated or through custom-built forecasting tools.
Automation and Machine Learning
ML algorithms are assisting in improving maintenance, repair, and overhaul performance through predictive accuracy broken down into components. Integrating ML intelligence into an ERP allows organizations to get insights into their processes, customers, and workforce simultaneously. In a data-led world, standard ERPs and only live dashboards help in monitoring but don’t give insights into planning. With the help of predictive analytics and ML, invest in the future. With increasing amounts of data, feed data through an AI engine that provides insights and patterns that affect the product life cycle. Automate report-making and essential tasks for rechanneling that time into problem-solving.
Analytical Models
Predictive analysis is not just about predicting; it involves strategizing a method depending on the requirements and where the perspective is coming from. Once you understand the business model you’re following, devising a way to integrate the models is that much easier. The following are some of the most sought-after models:
Forecast Models
A forecast analytical model is based on predictive analytics of how much the demand needs and which way is the right way to invest in a sales team. For example, a forecasting model can help predict consumption and usage with smart meters and give you an accurate forecast of how much power you’ll need to borrow from the powerhouse if you’re a power distributor.
Classification Models
Suppose the likelihood of a business opportunity reciprocating the intentions is high. In that case, it makes better sense to invest money and time in that direction instead of pushing for a broad campaign. A classification model helps categorize customers into yes or no batches; this will help target marketing campaigns well.
Outlier Models
Outlier models spot anomalies like a sudden surge of demand for a particular product in W&B and the need for power in an area or a sudden unexplained dip in receiving input from the power meter of a home. They alert users to data points that stand out from the expected predictions. The model helps track what doesn’t correspond and indicates where the decision-makers and leadership team need to concentrate.
Time Series Models
This analytical model gives insights into changes caused by holidays that come each year, and decoration manufacturers and many food manufacturers get the data on how their stocks need to be to sustain the demand. Turkey during Thanksgiving, plum cake during Christmas, or the market for a particular kind of wine and the expected demand in the future, is one of the best examples for getting data on what you need.
Clustering Models
Clustering is making smaller data groups so companies can categorize an experience unique to this subset. This is one of the patterns used in targeting and segmenting an outreach campaign into different groups. In this analytical model, the best example is identifying what your customer is likely interested in if they’re interested in one product.
Automation: Refining the ERP Ecosystem
ERP: Automation leading into the Future
Living in a time where the survival rate of a business over a decade is only 30%, there’s a need to optimize for leaner and less manual operations. The key is in the details; automating repetitive and redundant processes will save you time and costs in the long run. The only way ahead is to develop your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) as part of your business plan. An automated ERP system has the potential to become the one-stop solution for providing insights and visibility about your business and the workforce behind it.
Growing a business comes with multiple opportunities across domains. However, a cutthroat pace comes at the cost of constantly prioritizing with limitations on what you can do. With the amount of data flowing in and understanding its critical aspects, automating the reporting process is a crucial step in managing a business. Like Eric Kimberling once said, “The potential pitfalls are that the technology is not as mature and tested as other ERP functionality, and organizations don’t know how to integrate automation into their operations.” Awareness about the problem needs to be followed up with an understanding of the solution; let’s see how automation can revolutionize your business.
Automation: Why and how it affects operations
Process automation is helping businesses promote growth and profitability with the help of AI. When you can identify what is repetitive with a particular set of patterns, it is possible to automate the process for better manual efficiency. The same logic applies to ERP automation as well. ERP Automation aims to bring smoother operations, improve team member productivity and increase quality while reducing errors and wastage.
In the Mobile SalesPerson offering from Scanco, connecting the funnels has improved Sage 300 functionality. The add-on helped every salesperson know what to do and how much they should aim to sell when they meet their clients. By managing orders on the go, SalesPerson makes it possible to cut down on time spent on crucial order fulfillment areas whenever the salespeople need to use it by digitizing a significant bulk of the processes.
Reduced Manual Errors and Report Digitization
Manual errors can be minimized to a bare minimum as your employees can save time and eliminate the chances of unintentional errors while duplicating or entering data. From having the whole process set in the paper route, go completely paperless by digitizing reports, insights, and records into digestible and readable formats. Provide information with the structure it deserves on secure servers and streamlined, centralized databases.
Accuracy and transparency directly improve and boost customer satisfaction. Instead of asking your workforce to create reports on daily updates that negatively impact their efficiency, learn about your teams through automated reporting. From the Sage Mobile Salesperson’, the real-time numbers on the available inventory give the salesperson visibility on what he can promise to their client and approximate the time it will take to get the following stocks in order.
Improved Productivity
Integrate several business processes for error-free data and to-the-point insights into your business operations. A streamlined data flow makes information uniform across various departments and gives the decision-makers the necessary scope of operations.
With a tool that gives real-time data on what the salespeople need to do, Sage 300 Mobile Salesperson cuts down the time spent on administrative tasks and re-routes wasted time into sales calls for building a customer relationship.
Flexibility for Process Management
The goal of any organization while developing ERP is to reduce the manual processes and make their employees work on tasks that drive high value. From indexing to deriving information from a device, access business processes from anywhere to make a game-changing difference. The flexibility makes room for empowerment that makes a difference in the long run.
A tool becomes comprehensive when it can solve every problem a user faces. The Scanco sage 300 MSP product contains multiple uses for the salesperson: from the visibility on inventory and sales orders to purchase order converter, delivery tracker, and importers for sales, work orders, and accounts that can provide spreadsheets with all the relevant information.
Controlled Operational Costs
When the primary processes are automated and getting insights is a daily routine, you empower your organization to become agile and better at controlling expenses and boosting revenues.
Routing every dataset produced by the MSP product to a database gives you a collective view of the business through minimal user intervention. You can perform in-depth analysis and check data integrity by automating the data dump and load backups. The process helps you understand and plan the next step in your business journey. And with the help of a Commission Manager, you can focus on making the best out of your workforce by dividing each commission plan based on geography, the discount given, and auditing.
Finding the right balance: ERPs and keeping up with updates
The mobile salesperson product was ideated and built from scratch at CI Global. With innovative solutions for everyday problems, the tech became a go-to add-on in the market. When a product is made with cross-platform functionality, the responsibility boils down to the service provider to update the product whenever there’s an update on either platform. In the premium versions of the Sage 300 offers, this logic is used to provide extra functionality to the product. CIG has led the future of the product by making things easier, functional, and streamlined.
From providing the context for your business to your software to automating repetitive tasks, the need to automate is now more than ever. With the help of AI/ML algorithms, the future of technology looks more data-driven than ever before. Utilizing the expertise of over two decades in the ERP Ecosystem, let CIG optimize your time and boost your team’s productivity. With domain expertise and in-house frameworks that speed up product engineering processes, get the solution you need at a place for every need; click here to learn more.
Streamlining Businesses with ERP Development
Developing ERPs: Streamlining processes for optimizing businesses
An investment in ERPs comes from a business’s commitment to stabilizing its product and focusing on the processes. As more companies invest in integrating a solution that covers a broader range of functions that a business does. They can include internal team functions like HRM and a UI that brings multiple moving parts to a single database. The ERP makes managing workflows easier and day-to-day management easier for the business. It is a tool that suits various management cycles: product lifecycle, supply chain, supplier relation, and customer relationship.
Introduction to ERP Development
Developing an ERP is integral to filling the gap between what the ERP provides and what the business needs. For example, the ERPs are limited in providing ease of use when generating custom reports as a programmer is required to trigger the notification. Through a development process, you can take an approach that gives you organized structure and makes it deliver the reports with a matter of clicks.
ERPs provide only real-time analytics on what’s happening within the system. The lack of a database channel that stores the necessary information about what worked and provided the context for each design will be hugely detrimental to the business. Knowing what happened in the past in numbers will allow the decisions to be driven by a gut feeling instead of having a solid, proven thesis and numbers to back the theory proposed.
ERP Development- Why do you need it?
In ERPs today, product development and tailored solutions are the need of the hour. To meet the business’s specific requirements, it needs to be custom-made for your data flows. From the attributes of your organization to providing flexibility to all the stakeholders in the enterprise, a custom solution helps you avoid roadblocks.
Process standardization
When ERP vendors pre-configure industry-specific practices that standardize their business processes, the intention is to improve efficiency. The processes across departments can be standardized, covering offices in distant locations too. Depending on the business, there are unique ways in which transactions can be made. And that is where pushback comes from using a solution made right out of the box. Most businesses can benefit from standardization without negatively impacting their goals. Balancing the standardization of processes with effective change management helps transition employees to get the best out of the ERP system.
Cross-department communication
Management requires data about the other departments they are not involved in. While working independently, the need for seamless communication within each department is only rising. Without clarity and visibility, there is a high chance of miscommunication when data is pulled and submitted instead of automating this process. ERP serves as the core data’s central repository, allowing users to locate, retrieve and store the information they need. A well-customized ERP can pool information in real-time while giving access to the most relevant data and providing the context for each data point.
How to develop customization in an ERP?
Follow a phased approach and understand the business model to get the best out of an ERP system. The deeper the understanding of your intentions for an ERP development project, the better the result will be. A rough outline to follow when developing an ERP is as follows:
Define the end goal after the customization
Break down the basic functionality; understand the wireframes
Decide the design language and create the first wireframes
Choose the technology to develop with: Choose the suitable base ERP
Integrate purpose-based modules and plan for the next module
ERP: Success vs. Failure
A successful development project involves dedicated purpose-based models used by stakeholders across the organization, depending on who requires it. When companies are shooting in the dark to land on a successful project, they risk being too vague in defending what they want their end goal to be. The distance between the executive team’s vision and the project team’s alignment will prove detrimental to the success of the ERP.
Why an iterative approach beats a holistic solution in ERPs
The phased-out manner in developing the ERP and integrating parts in terms of layers instead of creating a forced fit situation. This approach helps prevent errors and missed requirements from either team involved in the preliminary discussion, as they may only be caught once the corrections prove too costly. ERP projects can involve a lot of detailing and planning even after the project’s first phase is done. With more time at hand, every team can build customizations that make it easier for them to operate on it.
Wireframing and Visualization
Wireframing is the incremental way of getting to the end instead of finding a quick fix that will work in changing your business. By planning the steps of the ERP development process, create a structured wireframe that involves all the key stakeholders and their inputs. Based on what the unique modules should have, you can plan how many resources you’ll need to match the time frame that the business needs.
Product Updates and Race Against Time
Key Takeaway
1.Prioritize ERP update readiness
Keep your ERP and add-ons aligned—delayed updates risk compliance gaps, operational disruptions, and data issues.
2.Build a proactive update strategy
Don’t wait for things to break. Set a release lifecycle, test ahead, and stay ready for ERP version changes.
3.Shorten your add-on compliance cycle
Your custom features should be ERP-ready within 14 days. Fast alignment avoids downtime and legal risk.
4. Use DevOps to streamline ERP releases
Apply DevOps to automate testing and rollouts—this reduces friction and accelerates safe deployment.
5. Partner with update experts
Get help when timelines are tight. A seasoned ERP partner like CI Global can ensure compliance without chaos.
Your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is the backbone of your operations, unifying everything from payroll and HR to finance and supply chain. However, technology never stands still. Regulations shift, and new security threats emerge. This makes managing product updates in your ERP not just an IT task, but a strategic business imperative.
What Does Updating an ERP System Really Involve?
At its core, a product update process in an ERP system is about keeping your entire digital ecosystem current. This isn’t limited to the main ERP software; it also includes all integrated add-ons, modules, and underlying components. Think of it as a comprehensive system health check and upgrade.
What are the key elements in an ERP update? They include:
Operating System (OS) Changes: These are fundamental updates to the software that your ERP runs on, impacting its stability and performance.
Platform-Level Updates: This refers to upgrades of the foundational technologies, such as .NET or Java, which are crucial for the compatibility and functionality of your ERP and its extensions.
Security Patches: These are critical fixes designed to close vulnerabilities, protecting your data and systems from cyber threats.
Functional Upgrades: These introduce new features, enhance existing capabilities, or deprecate outdated functions, ensuring your ERP remains efficient and relevant.
Mastering how to manage product updates in ERP systems is crucial for solving the challenges in rapid product releases.
Why is Managing Product Updates Critical for Your ERP System?
Neglecting to update your ERP system can expose your business to significant risks and costly consequences. When your ERP isn’t updated, things inevitably start to break down.
This is why.
Operational Breakdowns: Outdated ERP versions or incompatible add-ons can lead to system errors, workflow interruptions, and even complete operational halts. Imagine payroll modules failing due to a lack of updates – a nightmare for any business.
Compliance Issues: Regulatory landscapes are constantly evolving. Failing to implement updates that address new legal or security mandates can lead to non-compliance, hefty fines, and reputational damage.
Data Security Threats: Unpatched systems are highly vulnerable targets for cyberattacks. Each delay in applying security updates is an open invitation for malicious actors to exploit weaknesses and compromise sensitive data.
Missing Features & User Frustration: Without updates, your teams might lack access to new features that could boost productivity or streamline processes. This can lead to user complaints and decreased efficiency.
Effectively managing product updates helps you stay secure, compliant and aligned with your organizational goals.
What Actually Changes in an ERP Product Update?
An ERP product update process is far more intricate than simply installing a new version. It’s a multi-faceted evolution that can introduce:
New Features: Enhancements that improve usability, add new functionalities, or streamline existing processes, directly benefiting your users.
Software Patches: Crucial bug fixes that address glitches, improve performance, and enhance stability.
Data Flow Changes: Updates can alter how data is stored, processed, and moved within the system, potentially requiring remapping of existing data funnels.
Backend & OS Changes: Sometimes, the underlying operating system or core framework (like .NET infrastructure) receives an update. These changes, while not always visible to the end-user, fundamentally impact how the ERP functions and interacts with other components.
API & Database Reconfigurations: Updates might involve changes to Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) or require database reconfigurations, which are critical for integrated systems and custom add-ons to function correctly.
Every part of the ERP—from its core functionalities to the custom add-ons you’ve built—can be affected. These updates can also be triggered by external factors like policy changes (e.g., new tax regulations that impact financial modules), necessitating urgent adaptations.
Why Do Add-ons Need to Be Updated Too?
An ERP system typically offers standard features, but most businesses have unique operations that require tailored solutions. This is where add-ons come in. They are custom extensions built on top of your ERP’s existing functionality to bridge these specific business needs, providing:
Module Development: Add-ons allow for isolating features, making the ERP interface less cluttered and more relevant for different user groups (e.g., development teams don’t need HR features cluttering their view). This isolation also enhances data control and security.
Operational Ease: Custom add-ons are designed exclusively for your internal teams or customers, making it easier to address specific product gaps and fix bugs rapidly because you understand the exact problem source.
Flexibility & Tailored Solutions: While off-the-shelf ERPs offer choices, they often leave gaps between expectation and reality. Tailored add-ons are a one-time investment that ensures the system perfectly fits your unique processes, offering flexibility that a standard ERP cannot.
However, these add-ons are tightly coupled with the specific ERP version they are built on. When the ERP is updated:
Compatibility Breaks: Changes in the ERP’s base tech, database structure, or OS can directly impact an add-on’s functionality, making it incompatible or causing it to fail.
Remapping & Retesting: The add-ons must often be remapped, retested, and sometimes even re-architected to comply with the new ERP version.
New Compliance Requirements: Updates might introduce new compliance requirements that your add-ons must meet.
Neglecting timely software updates for these add-ons can lead to critical data loss, significant legal exposure, system crashes, and disruption of core business workflows. An up-to-date ERP add-on is a crucial step to make your operations safer and maintain technical and legal compliance against evolving threats.
What Happens if You Delay ERP Updates?
Delaying an ERP update doesn’t just mean falling behind technologically; it can have severe, snowballing consequences for your business:
Broken Processes & Errors: Outdated systems are prone to errors and can cause crucial business processes to malfunction or halt entirely.
Security Vulnerabilities: Each day an update is delayed, your system remains exposed to known security flaws that could be exploited, leading to data breaches or system compromise.
Compliance Headaches: Delays can lead to non-compliance with new regulations, potentially resulting in hefty fines, legal actions, and damage to your reputation. For example, if an HRMS update linked to payroll isn’t applied, your entire workforce’s salary processing could be affected, risking legal trouble.
Decreased Productivity: Teams might struggle with outdated tools, experience frequent glitches, or lack access to features that could boost their efficiency.
Increased Technical Debt: Postponing updates means accumulating “technical debt.” This makes future updates more complex, time-consuming, and expensive to implement, as more changes have piled up.
Small delays can quickly escalate, impacting everything from operational costs and trade flows to employee morale and customer satisfaction.
How Fast Do Updates Need to Happen for Add-on Compliance?
The pressure is often intense. In many cases, organizations are given a very narrow window—sometimes as short as two weeks—to ensure their custom add-ons are fully ERP-compliant after a major core system update rolls out.
This tight deadline places immense pressure on development teams. Their planned roadmaps for new features or business improvements often take a backseat as the immediate priority shifts to fixing compatibility issues, testing extensively, and deploying updates rapidly. This highlights the critical need for an efficient and agile application release lifecycle.
Benefits of fast update cycles include enhanced security, improved performance, access to new features, and greater business agility, ensuring you stay competitive and resilient.
What Makes Updating ERP Systems So Tricky?
The complexity of managing product updates in ERP systems stems from several factors:
Interconnectedness: ERPs are highly integrated. A seemingly minor change in one area, such as a database configuration or a subtle alteration in UI behavior, can trigger ripple effects across numerous business operations and modules.
Multiple Dependencies: Modern ERPs often rely on a stack of technologies—from operating systems to specific programming frameworks (like .NET)—and external APIs. Each of these can have its own update schedule, creating a complex web of dependencies to manage.
Customizations: The more custom add-ons and integrations you have, the more intricate the update process becomes. Each customization needs careful assessment, testing, and potential modification to ensure compatibility.
Security Patches & Platform Upgrades: These critical updates often come with urgent deadlines and can introduce significant changes, requiring meticulous planning and rapid execution.
Can DevOps Help with ERP Product Updates?
Absolutely. DevOps for product release is not just for generic application development; it’s incredibly powerful in ERP environments. DevOps principles and practices can significantly streamline the product update process by:
Automating Testing and Deployment: Reducing manual effort through automation, allowing for faster and more consistent deployments with fewer errors.
Accelerating Build Cycles: Automating the creation of new software builds, ensuring they are always up-to-date.
Minimizing Downtime: Implementing continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines to deploy updates with minimal disruption to ongoing operations.
Version Control: Using robust version control systems to track all changes, making it easier to identify issues, roll back if necessary, and manage multiple versions simultaneously.
This agile approach is ideal for managing product updates under tight deadlines and navigating complex system dependencies, turning your application release lifecycle into a smooth, controlled process.
How Can You Stay Ahead of Constant Updates?
Staying proactive rather than reactive is key to a successful ERP update strategy. This involves building a systematic approach around the product update process:
Know Your Dependencies: Have a clear understanding of how core ERP updates impact every custom add-on, integration, and third-party tool connected to your system.
Track Release Cycles: Stay informed about your ERP vendor’s release schedules and upcoming changes. This allows for proactive planning and resource allocation.
Maintain Version Control: Implement robust version control for all customizations and add-ons, ensuring you can track changes, revert if needed, and manage compatibility.
Keep Teams Ready: Ensure your development and testing teams are prepared to quickly assess, test, and deploy necessary adjustments. This might involve cross-training or dedicated update management teams.
Leverage Automation: Utilize DevOps for product release tools to automate testing, building, and deployment, making the application release lifecycle faster and more reliable.
A strong ERP update strategy ensures you are always prepared, minimizing disruption and maximizing the value of your ERP investment.
How CI Global Simplifies Your ERP Update Strategy
With over 25 years of extensive experience in ERP product engineering across diverse industries, CI Global is your trusted partner in managing product updates seamlessly. We understand the complexities and the race against time that organizations face.
Ready to upgrade your ERP without breaking the system?
Get in touch with CI Global today to streamline your product update process and achieve unparalleled business agility.
