Kati Unplugged: Cloud-Based ERP is the Silver Bullet for Companies Outgrowing Entry-Level Accounting Solutions

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A Blog Series for Microsoft Dynamics Partners by Kati Hvidtfeldt, US Microsoft Dynamics ERP Cloud Lead.

Kati color 2004This year, pockets of small business are showing growth again—especially in sectors like Internet and technology, education, green business, health, and some segments of supply chain manufacturing. For many growing companies, entry-level accounting solutions and ad hoc business processes are not just frustrating: they are a deterrent.

For growing small businesses, change isn’t easy and cost is a top concern. In this week’s blog, Olivier Meynier, Managing Director of SaaSplaza, US, tells the story of how the North American subsidiary of a Japanese manufacturer got the benefits of an enterprise-class ERP system—without high infrastructure costs—by implementing Microsoft Dynamics NAV in the Cloud.

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At SaaSplaza, we provide cloud hosting solutions, working with other Microsoft Dynamics partners to help customers considering a Cloud implementation for economic and logistical feasibility. In this case, we partnered with Microsoft Certified Partner Bestborn Business Solutions to help out Kureha America, a growing subsidiary of a $1.7 billion Japanese specialty chemical and plastics manufacturing company.

Having just added two manufacturing facilities, Kureha’s Peachtree accounting system wasn’t cutting it. Their processes needed structured workflows. And with five operating units, outside trading partners, and a recent acquisition, intercompany transactions had grown five-fold. The manual process of entering orders, checking spreadsheets, creating shipping instructions, waiting for confirmations, generating invoices, and manually updating the accounting systems became even more cumbersome.

The company just couldn’t keep up with the volume.

Sold on the Cloud

The writing was on the wall. The company leaders knew they needed an enterprise-class ERP system. But they weren’t willing to assume the overhead and infrastructure of a major software deployment. Heavily investing in hardware, software, and IT staffing didn’t make sense for Kureha as it wasn’t part of their business strategy.

Additionally, the company decided to require that the new ERP solution be hosted and managed entirely in the cloud. After evaluating several competitive options, Kureha decided on a Microsoft Dynamics NAV solution in the cloud. SaaSplaza’s partnership with Bestborn offered the solution with a mature cloud offering and a demonstrated track record.

Kureha Today

By moving off its inefficient entry-level accounting system, Kureha has been able to flow processes more smoothly across all of its operations and get the information that both sales staff and execs need—without taking on the big investments and capital expenditures required by an on-premise ERP solution.

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Are Your Customers Outgrowing Their Entry-Level Accounting Solutions?

The Microsoft Dynamics ERP team is hosting a series of webinars to help small and mid-size businesses make informed decisions about their business solutions. We recommend the on-demand webinar “Outgrowing Your Entry-Level Accounting Solution? Microsoft Dynamics GP Can Help,” where customers can get:

  • Evaluation tools
  • Tips to determine whether a business is ready for an ERP system
  • A better understanding of top business considerations
  • A complete rundown of the potential benefits

 

A Microsoft Certified partner, SaaSplaza serves the Cloud platform needs of Microsoft Dynamics Partners. For more information on how your business can partner with SaaSplaza and its cloud platform to deliver reliable, scalable, and secure Microsoft Dynamics solutions, visit www.saasplaza.com.

To learn more about how to incorporate cloud-based solutions into your business plans visit the Microsoft Dynamics Countdown to the Cloud page on PartnerSource. Go to www.microsoft.com/dynamics/growyourbusiness for resources that demonstrate to customers how Microsoft Dynamics ERP cloud, hybrid and on-premise solutions can benefit their businesses.