Monday 31 July 2017
MEETING MOBILE DEMAND WITH ERP SOFTWARE
By Mike Cockfield, Founder & Managing Director of Khaos Control Solutions
In the battle to stay competitive and ahead of the curve, many small business leaders are turning to mobile strategies that aim to revolutionize their operational processes. From financing to order processing and stock control, the ability to have a handle on these facets on the go, is seen as integral to meeting growing consumer demands.
Couple this with a decline in traditional office spaces and many employees now working remotely, the important issue of access to vital business data, becomes increasingly more prominent.
With this in mind, an increasing number of independent SME leaders are looking to utilise ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software, which puts the inventory and power of a desktop PC into one handy, centralised system.
Turning to truly mobile ERP solutions can have many cost saving benefits, critical for those smaller businesses that may already have low margins. More crucially however, it is about SMEs being able to truly drive forward their business on the go.
Take, for example, procurement. Keeping up with demand while making the right calls on a new product is a complex balancing act, often requiring access to key metrics to decide when and what is the best product to invest in. With cloud ERP software, this information is available at the touch of a button, with business leaders able to drill into margins, costs, profitability and much more without ever having to open the office door.
What about customer service? Making a customer wait a day for a response to an order enquiry can be the difference between a sale made or lost, and more crucially, threaten profits. Having constant access to lines of communication with your customers can help build brand loyalty and trust, making them more likely to return to your company the next time an order decision is to be made. Consumer loyalty shouldn’t be scoffed at either – the cost of acquiring a new customer is thought to be seven times that of holding on to an existing one.
Vital consumer insights can also be used to create a truly integrated mobile CRM strategy, with every customer interaction recorded and stored instantly at the touch of a button. This can help an entire team ensure customer enquiries are handled as efficiently as possible moving forward, with previous lines of communication able to be drawn upon should they prove useful in the next line of enquiry.
While not every business can afford to spend vast sums of money on a mobile salesforce, they can invest in ERP software. Placing real-time data in business owner’s hands, SME’s are able to make critical operational decisions at the click of a button, affording them the chance to build a safe and profitable future.
The post MEETING MOBILE DEMAND WITH ERP SOFTWARE appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/meeting-mobile-demand-with-erp-software/
Sage acquires Intacct for $850 million
British ERP company Sage announces the acquisition of Intacct, a leading cloud-based financial software company
The Sage Group announces that it has agreed to acquire Intacct Corporation, a leading provider of cloud Financial Management Solutions in North America. The total consideration is $850m to be paid in cash and rolled over Sage options.
Intacct is headquartered in San Jose, California, and serves thousands of businesses in the North American scale-up and enterprise markets, both directly and through a network of partners. Intacct provides sophisticated and powerful cloud Financial Management Solutions targeted at growing businesses looking for rich financial and operational insight, process automation, seamless integration with their existing software, advanced features and a modern user experience.
The company has a three-year revenue CAGR in excess of 33%, with current annualised recurring revenues of $96m and revenues in the twelve months to June 2017 of $88m, over 90% of which is subscription based. Intacct was recently named a Visionary by Gartner in its inaugural Magic Quadrant for Cloud Financial Management Suites for Mid-Size, Large and Global Enterprises (June 2017).
Intacct’s CEO, Robert Reid, leads an experienced management team with a demonstrated track record of scaling at pace, who will remain to run the business, thereby ensuring continuity for customers, partners and employees.
Sage management reconfirms current guidance as detailed in Sage’s Q3 trading update for the full year of at least 6% organic revenue growth including the contribution from North American Payments through to completion of the disposal and an underlying operating margin of at least 27%. For the avoidance of doubt the underlying operating margin guidance includes any investments in Sage Intacct, Sage People and Compass.
The transaction is expected to complete within weeks, subject to customary completion conditions.
Strategic Rationale
The acquisition demonstrates Sage’s strong affirmation to winning in the cloud, winning in the US and accelerates the strategy underpinned by Sage’s five strategic pillars.
As customer demand moves to the cloud and away from traditional monolithic ERP suites, the acquisition strengthens Sage’s position as providing the first and last cloud Financial Management Solution a customer will ever need from start-up to global enterprise, whilst integrating seamlessly with their other enterprise applications. Sage partners will now be able to grow their own businesses fully in the cloud with Sage. In the short term it provides Sage further platform for growth, with medium term aspirations for geographical expansion.
Finally, the combination of Sage and Intacct’s existing product portfolio, brand, resources and partners, will put Sage in prime position to establish itself as the leading provider of cloud Financial Management Solutions in North America in our chosen segments.
Commenting on the acquisition, Stephen Kelly, CEO of Sage, said “Today we take another major step forward in delivering our strategy and we are thrilled to welcome Intacct into the Sage family. The acquisition of Intacct supports our ambitions for accelerating growth by winning new customers at scale and builds on our other cloud-first acquisitions, strengthening the Sage Business Cloud. Intacct opens up huge opportunities in the North American market, representing over half of our total addressable market.”
Robert Reid, CEO of Intacct, added: “We are excited to become part of Sage because we are relentlessly focussed on the same goal – to deliver the most innovative cloud solutions for our customers. Intacct is growing rapidly in our market and we are proud to be a recognised customer satisfaction leader across Midsize, Large and Global Enterprise businesses. By combining our strengths with those of Sage, we can jointly accelerate success for our customers.”
The post Sage acquires Intacct for $850 million appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/sage-acquires-intacct-for-850-million/
Sage Acquires Intacct For
British ERP company Sage announces the acquisition of Intacct, a leading cloud-based financial software company
The Sage Group announces that it has agreed to acquire Intacct Corporation, a leading provider of cloud Financial Management Solutions in North America. The total consideration is $850m to be paid in cash and rolled over Sage options.
Intacct is headquartered in San Jose, California, and serves thousands of businesses in the North American scale-up and enterprise markets, both directly and through a network of partners. Intacct provides sophisticated and powerful cloud Financial Management Solutions targeted at growing businesses looking for rich financial and operational insight, process automation, seamless integration with their existing software, advanced features and a modern user experience.
The company has a three-year revenue CAGR in excess of 33%, with current annualised recurring revenues of $96m and revenues in the twelve months to June 2017 of $88m, over 90% of which is subscription based. Intacct was recently named a Visionary by Gartner in its inaugural Magic Quadrant for Cloud Financial Management Suites for Mid-Size, Large and Global Enterprises (June 2017).
Intacct’s CEO, Robert Reid, leads an experienced management team with a demonstrated track record of scaling at pace, who will remain to run the business, thereby ensuring continuity for customers, partners and employees.
Sage management reconfirms current guidance as detailed in Sage’s Q3 trading update for the full year of at least 6% organic revenue growth including the contribution from North American Payments through to completion of the disposal and an underlying operating margin of at least 27%. For the avoidance of doubt the underlying operating margin guidance includes any investments in Sage Intacct, Sage People and Compass.
The transaction is expected to complete within weeks, subject to customary completion conditions.
Strategic Rationale
The acquisition demonstrates Sage’s strong affirmation to winning in the cloud, winning in the US and accelerates the strategy underpinned by Sage’s five strategic pillars.
As customer demand moves to the cloud and away from traditional monolithic ERP suites, the acquisition strengthens Sage’s position as providing the first and last cloud Financial Management Solution a customer will ever need from start-up to global enterprise, whilst integrating seamlessly with their other enterprise applications. Sage partners will now be able to grow their own businesses fully in the cloud with Sage. In the short term it provides Sage further platform for growth, with medium term aspirations for geographical expansion.
Finally, the combination of Sage and Intacct’s existing product portfolio, brand, resources and partners, will put Sage in prime position to establish itself as the leading provider of cloud Financial Management Solutions in North America in our chosen segments.
Commenting on the acquisition, Stephen Kelly, CEO of Sage, said “Today we take another major step forward in delivering our strategy and we are thrilled to welcome Intacct into the Sage family. The acquisition of Intacct supports our ambitions for accelerating growth by winning new customers at scale and builds on our other cloud-first acquisitions, strengthening the Sage Business Cloud. Intacct opens up huge opportunities in the North American market, representing over half of our total addressable market.”
Robert Reid, CEO of Intacct, added: “We are excited to become part of Sage because we are relentlessly focussed on the same goal – to deliver the most innovative cloud solutions for our customers. Intacct is growing rapidly in our market and we are proud to be a recognised customer satisfaction leader across Midsize, Large and Global Enterprise businesses. By combining our strengths with those of Sage, we can jointly accelerate success for our customers.”
The post Sage Acquires Intacct For appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/sage-acquires-intacct-for/
Saturday 29 July 2017
Telecom Brokerage Fuels Rapid Growth with NetSuite
Master agent nets triple-digit gains in sales productivity and commissionable revenue with move to cloud ERP.
SAN MATEO, Calif., July 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Oracle NetSuite Global Business Unit, one of the world’s leading providers of cloud-based financials / ERP, HR, Professional Services Automation (PSA) and omnichannel commerce software suites, announced today that TBI (Telecom Brokerage Inc.), the nation’s largest master agent and technology services distributor, has continued its rapid growth since graduating to NetSuite from QuickBooks and an industry-specific solution called RPM Telco. TBI relies on NetSuite to run end-to-end processes, spanning financials, quoting, order management, billing, customer relationship management (CRM) and project management. Additionally, NetSuite’s powerful and flexible SuiteCloud development platform has enabled TBI to embed the commissions it receives from carriers and share them with its IT service provider selling partners, all from within the NetSuite platform.
Since implementing NetSuite in July 2014, TBI sales productivity has soared 133 percent. Commissionable revenue has doubled, while the workforce has grown 80 percent to 180 employees. The company has improved efficiency and visibility across the business while strengthening its partnerships.
Founded in 1991, TBI offers enterprise IT solutions in voice, data, internet and cloud from more than 85 carriers, including Verizon, Comcast, AT&T, CenturyLink and Spectrum. As the company grew in a hot IT market, it needed to streamline complex operational processes and become more efficient for its selling partners. TBI evaluated Microsoft Dynamics, Sage, SugarCRM and Salesforce.com before selecting NetSuite as the optimal platform for its next phase of growth.
“Our business has seen explosive growth that’s a byproduct of the sector — but also our ability to adapt to market changes with real-time business intelligence in NetSuite,” said Jeff Newton, VP of Enterprise Sales and IT at TBI. “NetSuite has given us a level of visibility we never envisioned. We can better manage our customers’ experience based on how efficiently orders move through our system.”
TBI initially looked at NetSuite to replace QuickBooks and provide CRM capabilities. It soon realized, however, that it could also move its mission-critical commissioning functions from RPM Telco into a single NetSuite environment. Working with NetSuite Solution Provider Gurus Solutions and the NetSuite SuiteCloud development platform, TBI further customized unique processes within commissioning and its operational support departments. Visibility into commissioning and order tracking is now shared with its selling partners directly in NetSuite’s unified platform.
“It’s a very complex and mission-critical workflow to get commissions to agents. We were effectively putting our business on the line by moving commissioning into NetSuite,” Newton said. “I can say our migration from RPM Telco to NetSuite has made this the most successful technology move TBI has ever undertaken.”
With NetSuite, TBI is now able to continue its rapid growth trajectory. “As we look to grow our business in new sectors and verticals, NetSuite is not a limiting factor whatsoever,” Newton said. “It scales with the business.”
TBI has gained the following benefits since implementing NetSuite:
Strong partner relationships. With NetSuite Advanced Partner Center, TBI’s more than 3,000 partner users can track commissions, orders and financial data in NetSuite, as well as run reports, open tickets and troubleshoot issues.
Business efficiency. TBI has minimized the inefficient “swivel chair” syndrome of piecing together information across disparate applications, enabling its personnel to focus on customer service and driving sales.
Real-time visibility. Reporting and analytics on a single source of data in NetSuite give TBI real-time insights into key business metrics that are critical to continuously optimizing business models and processes.
Project management. TBI relies on the NetSuite Project Management module to help manage engagements with IT service provider partners, from planning and contract management through to implementation.
Agile and flexible development platform. TBI has taken advantage of the customization capabilities of the NetSuite SuiteCloud Development Platform and NetSuite partner solutions, including HubSpot for marketing automation and 8×8 and Five9 for enterprise contact center, to build an agile cloud ecosystem.
The post Telecom Brokerage Fuels Rapid Growth with NetSuite appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/telecom-brokerage-fuels-rapid-growth-with-netsuite/
Friday 28 July 2017
Thursday 27 July 2017
How ERP Can Help You Streamline Your Business
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a software driven solution to the age-old problem of company time being lost to daily administrative tasks. Increasingly capable and less complex, easier to use automation software has made ERP among the most innovative yet simple ways you can save your business both time and money. Read on to find out how ERP could help your business.
Information Integration
Information integration is particularly useful for reviewing financial performance. A large business will have financial information such as revenue numbers, salaries, sales etc., from a number of different departments and individuals. ERP allows you to synthesize this information into a report that gives a fuller and more accurate picture of your company’s overall performance.
Integrating information in real time also allows for some serious efficiency gains. Consider a business that has customer orders to fulfill, a furniture business for example. By keeping all the information relating to each customer order on a single standardized (more on that in a moment) system it becomes much easier to track the order and its progress. In turn, this also makes it much easier to plan stock levels and calculate expected sales figures. Being able to instantly check the availability of a specific item, for example, an overbed table with additional storage from https://www.integrantllc.com/product/additional-drawer.
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Standardization
For manufacturing companies, integrating information on to a single ERP system has several benefits. For example, ERP systems usually come with methods pre-installed for automating certain aspects of the manufacturing process. Standardizing as much of the manufacturing process as possible allows for significant savings in terms of both time and money.
For other types of business, standardizing information to particular formats makes it more accessible, particularly if it has to be shared with anyone either outside the company or working with them on a temporary basis. For industries where there is a good deal of work between competitors within the industry, standardizing information allows a common format to develop and thus encourages and simplifies cooperation between businesses.
Some companies that do not use ERP systems find that what should be simple tasks, such as sharing information between departments, are needlessly complex. This is often a result of each department using different software systems to one another and this has a bigger impact on day-to-day operations than one might initially think. Using a single, integrated, standardized ERP system means that different departments can access and edit the same databases and so automatically share information with one another.
Automation
Automation is at the heart of ERP and is its biggest selling point. Automating administrative and financial tasks, including what is usually referred to as ‘end-of-day’ tasks, saves a considerable amount of time and, after all, time is money! Other areas that make good targets for automation are payroll, ordering, and customer service tasks.
Enterprise resource planning allows businesses, large and small alike, to make considerable savings by standardizing software systems and data formats between various departments and for a variety of different tasks.
The post How ERP Can Help You Streamline Your Business appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/how-erp-can-help-you-streamline-your-business/
Four Tips on Choosing the Best Company Car for Your Business
If you own and run a start-up or small business, then chances are that getting a company car is something that you’re thinking of doing in the future. Whether you’re going to be using your vehicle for distributing products to your customers or need to drive to meet with potential and existing clients, there’s no denying that having a set of wheels for your business can improve your professional image and make many operations much more convenient. But, choosing a company car can prove tricky, with several makes, models, and options to pick from. We’ve put together some top tips to help you choose the perfect car for your business use.
Tip #1. Choose a Trustworthy and Reputable Manufacturer
When it comes to picking a company car, you’ll want to know that you’ve chosen one which will go the distance. Just like any products, when purchasing a new car, you’ll need to be sure that you are investing in an item that you can get the most use out of. The last thing that you want is to choose a car for your business that turns out to be unreliable and gives you trouble. Ford, for example, is a well-trusted car manufacturer that many business people choose for their company needs. For more information visit Bob Gillingham Ford, a Ford dealer Cleveland Ohio.
Tip #2. Consider Insurance Costs
Whether you’re considering purchasing a new or used car, or plan to pay for it outright or via a finance plan, don’t forget to weigh up all the additional costs that come with running a vehicle before you make the final decision on which car to choose. For example, certain car models will cost you a lot less to insure than others, making these better options to go for if you are trying to keep business costs as low as possible. This is particularly important if you plan to have more than one driver insured on your company vehicle.
Tip #3. Consider Investing in a Greener Car
Whilst electric and hybrid cars cost more initially, in the long term they are often much cheaper to run since they need less or even no gas to run. A greener vehicle will not only help your business to reduce its carbon footprint and become more environmentally friendly it will also help you to save money on your business costs.
Tip #4. Make Sure it’s the Right Size
Lastly, it’s important to carefully consider which size vehicle you will need when choosing a company car. For example, if you run a business that needs a vehicle for transporting tools and equipment to jobs, then a larger car or van will be preferable. On the other hand, if you’re going to be using the car to visit clients and attend meetings, then a smaller hatchback or smart car will probably suffice. Bear in mind that if different people from your company are going to be using the car for work, they may all require different things from it.
Did these tips help? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
The post Four Tips on Choosing the Best Company Car for Your Business appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/four-tips-on-choosing-the-best-company-car-for-your-business/
Wednesday 26 July 2017
OEMs critical as Digital Transformation disrupts across verticals
The report finds that many digital transformation-related technologies are still in their nascent stages but will have a profound impact across the following verticals in the next three years, and OEMs will be critical in helping VSPs take advantage of these advancements in line with the below findings:
Healthcare
The coming years in healthcare will focus on the adoption of disruptive technologies, with IDC predicting that:
- Payers will have saved $1 billion globally through implementation of robotic process automation (RPA) tools, skill sets and process reengineering by the end of 2018
- 60% of healthcare applications will collect real-time location data and clinical IoT device data by 2019
- There will be a 50% increase in the use of robots in medications, supplies, and food delivery in hospitals by 2019
Manufacturing
Digital transformation technologies are already present in the manufacturing sector and benchmarks of the future will quickly shift from pure productivity to innovation. IDC predicts that:
- 75% of large manufacturers will update their operations with IoT and analytics-based situational awareness by 2019
- 60% of plant workers at G2000 manufactures will work alongside robots, 3D printing, AI and AR/VR by 2020
- 50% of manufacturing supply chains will have an in-house or outsourced capability for direct-to-consumption shipments and home delivery by 2020
Telecommunications
The future of telecommunications will be based around virtualised and software-defined networking (SDN) with a huge impact across verticals, leading IDC to predict that:
- 90% of enterprises will leverage communications service provider ‘cloud connect’ services to access multiple public cloud capabilities by 2018
- More than 65% of enterprise UC&C implementations will be cloud-based UC as a Service by 2018
- Software-defined wide area networks will be adopted by 60% of enterprises by 2018
To stay competitive, VSPs should focus on constantly innovating around their key differentiators and shed as much of other aspects of their business as possible, such as manufacturing, shipping, and support. OEMs often offer customisation of their building blocks to fit VSPs’ needs and in some instances, OEMs not only supply solution components, but also manufacture, package, and ship the solution itself. As a result, IDC advises businesses to partner with a strong OEM with a digital transformation-ready portfolio in order to emerge as a market leader.
Dermot O’Connell, vice president, Dell EMC OEM and IOT Solutions, said: “Digital transformation is quickly becoming the banner term for organisations’ innovation strategy. But so many are still in the early stages of implementing the changes needed to bring their companies to the next level. This IDC research demonstrates how key it is that organisations understand that they are not alone in tackling this challenge – OEMs can be the answer to meeting the future head on.”
The post OEMs critical as Digital Transformation disrupts across verticals appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/oems-critical-as-digital-transformation-disrupts-across-verticals/
58% of business leaders prioritise trade for Brexit negotiations
MarketInvoice, the business finance company, conducted a wide ranging survey1 of UK businesses, seeking their views on Brexit, the role of Government and finance.
The top priority (58%) for UK business leaders as part of the Brexit negotiations is to have the right trade arrangements with the EU to ensure a stable trading environment. This is three times more important than having access to EU workers, with only 18% raising this as a priority. Meanwhile, only 7% prioritised the stability of sterling.
The current uncertain economic environment is what’s keeping more than half (53%) of UK business leaders awake at night. They are less worried about the stability of the Government (15%), foreign worker rights (8%) or a weak sterling (1%).
More business leaders (85%) now believe that the Government is tuned into the voice of business since March 2017, when Article 50 was triggered. However, they are not confident or convinced that the negotiating team will defend the interests of business. A quarter (27%) feel they’ve lost their way and will be in for a shock and a further quarter (27%) feel they lack preparedness for the negotiations. Only 5% feel that David Davis is doing a great job.
Anil Stocker, CEO and co-founder of MarketInvoice commented: “Business leaders are clearly focussed on ensuring they are prepared to do business before worrying about people issues. Anecdotal feedback from this survey is that businesses in the UK are getting on with it but are clearly unsettled which doesn’t make for a healthy business environment”
“The good news is that businesses, finally, feel that their voices are being heard by Government but are not inspired with confidence with the negotiating efforts. Could the adoption of the business council at Downing Street make a difference?”
The majority (54%) of businesses reported that their hiring plans have been largely unaffected this year and it is business as usual. Only 2% are now proactively reducing their exposure to EU-nationals in the coming months while more (6%) are now reluctant to hire EU nationals.
More than a third (38%) of businesses feel they will face a cash squeeze going into the next 6 months. The majority would turn to invoice finance (35%) then bank overdrafts (30%) for additional funding whilst only 6% would use a personal credit card.
Stocker added: “While hiring concerns are relatively stable for business, they need to be focussed on managing their working capital needs in H2 2017. The research shows that a third (34%) will forfeit expansion plans, a further third (33%) will forgo launching new products and a fifth (20%) will reduce marketing spend. These are things that will impact the wider economy and could make for tough decisions for business leaders”.
1 Results are from a MarketInvoice survey of 3,874 UK businesses during June and July 2017. Respondents were manager, director and C-level post holders. The survey was conducted online and by e-mail.
The post 58% of business leaders prioritise trade for Brexit negotiations appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/58-of-business-leaders-prioritise-trade-for-brexit-negotiations/
Four times that you should go the extra mile to get the best deal
If you are struggling to balance a busy schedule, one of the most important factors, in regards to whether you buy something, will be convenience. It is so tempting to fall into the habit of visiting the same stores or simply ordering everything online and having it delivered directly to your home. However, sometimes it is important to shake things up! Instead of being restricted by location, why not make the effort to branch out a little? Below is a list of four times that you should go the extra mile to get the best deal.
Duty free
The long hours spent at the airport are the perfect opportunity to find a great deal. If you are in a large airport, it is likely you will find a huge variety of stores. Make sure that you understand all of the dos and don’ts of shopping duty free. Don’t just assume that everything will be a better deal because there is no duty to pay. Do your research so that you know what prices to expect, and what will save you money.
Shopping on your vacation
When shopping on your vacation, you may be tempted to just buy the traditional snow globes, t-shirts or fridge magnets. Don’t be! Your vacation is the perfect opportunity to purchase items that you wouldn’t get anywhere else. A good tip for travelling is to leave a little extra room in your luggage and some flexibility regarding weight, this will ensure that you have plenty of space for all your finds and save you from nasty baggage charges at the airport. It is also a great way to save on the money you would have had to spend on shipping if you had simply ordered the items online.
Local stores
When buying your groceries it is very easy to get stuck in a rut. What is already a chore, just sounds even more complicated when you factor in the prospect of shopping around. However, shopping around might save you a lot of money in the long run. It could also mean that you find products you haven’t tried before, an important factor for families with allergies or picky eaters. If shopping elsewhere means going further out of your way, compare the extra money you’re spending on gas with the money you’re saving at the store. If it’s significantly less, going a little out of your way begins to make more sense.
Purchasing your car
Instead of relying on your local dealership, why not consider going the extra mile when purchasing your car. Although going round the corner is convenient, if you have an idea of what you want it can pay to go further afield Some dealerships will make this very easy for you. For instance, at the BMW Edinburgh dealership, they will fly their UK customers to Edinburgh free of charge and will even buy you lunch! There is also the option to pay a little extra and turn the whole process into a mini vacation, then you simply drive home in your new car.
The post Four times that you should go the extra mile to get the best deal appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/four-times-that-you-should-go-the-extra-mile-to-get-the-best-deal/
Boeing and Dassault Systèmes announce extended partnership
This decision follows a competitive process that included the rigorous analysis of technical and functional capabilities, cost and business benefits across the value chain. Boeing will deploy the 3DEXPERIENCE platform in phases and rely on Winning Program, Co-Design to Target, Ready for Rate, Build to Operate and License to Fly industry solution experiences for aerospace and defense to deepen its end to end digital collaboration, design, engineering, analysis, manufacturing planning and shop floor execution capabilities throughout the enterprise.
“Dassault Systèmes is proud to collaborate with Boeing as it embarks on another century of innovation with a partner it trusts. Boeing not only leads the way in its own industry, but influences the progress of all industries across modern society,” said Bernard Charlès, Vice Chairman and CEO, Dassault Systèmes. “We are at the turning point of the industrial era, where we are shattering another industry paradigm. The parallel exchange of data between virtual and real operations will transform the value-adding chain into a value creation chain. The entire ‘extended’ enterprise can continuously measure and control business processes for maximum efficiency and potential top line growth. This is ‘Business in the Age of Experience.'”
The 3DEXPERIENCE platform can reduce integration and support costs, improve productivity, foster new innovation, and aid in the introduction of best practice processes to deliver standard work across the value chain. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform can not only simulate products and processes, but also find and eliminate potential risks and quality issues before production. The platform’s single source of data across all applications will provide reliable and actionable real-time information and seamless communication throughout the entire enterprise and supply chain as well as across product generations. This digital continuity will improve data and analytics capabilities.
“The decision to adopt Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform is a key milestone in our digital transformation. This digital enabler provides global design and manufacturing capabilities that will fuel our second century,” said Ted Colbert, Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President of Information Technology & Data Analytics, Boeing. “The value of this extended strategic partnership is a mutual desire to transform how Boeing connects, protects, explores and inspires the world.”
The post Boeing and Dassault Systèmes announce extended partnership appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/boeing-and-dassault-systemes-announce-extended-partnership/
How to Choose Your Next Family Car
If your family car is starting to get a little tired, then you will be looking to get a new one. Depending on how long it has been since your last car, you might be a little surprised at the changes in family cars.
They are not always the big monster cars that they used to be; now they use space cleverly so that the outside isn’t that much bigger than a regular saloon. Whether you are going to buy from new, or take a look through the cars for sale, here are a few ideas that can help you.
Safety Features
One of the most important things about your new car is its safety features. You want to be sure that your family is safe and secure in a crash. There will be crash data on all recent car manufacturers that you can obtain through their websites. It is usually the higher the score, the safer the car.
You also need to look at reviews from other owners to see if they have been safe while driving or in a collision. Remember, safety first.
Front Passenger Air Bag
Many cars are now fitted with a key or a switch that can turn off the passenger airbags if you are using a child seat in the front passenger seat. It prevents the airbag from deploying in an accident and harming the child.
In most cases, they are housed in the glove box or beside the dashboard. It is a good safety feature and one you should look out for when buying.
Number of Airbags
Another important airbag detail is how many the car has and where they are deployed. Many cars now have side curtain airbags, along with the front airbags. You may find some cars with other additional airbags as well.
The more airbags the vehicle has, the better the safety for those in the car, so it is a good idea to get the best you can.
Lap and Shoulder Belts
It isn’t very common for cars not to have the fill seatbelt even for the middle seat in the rear. However, it is a good idea to check, particularly if the car is an older model. Using belts without shoulder straps is dangerous for children under 12 years of age.
It also means that if you need to carry more than two child seats, you will have the capacity to in the rear seats.
You should also check that the rear seatbelts are long enough to go around the child seat. Some older cars have a shorter seat belt in the rear so the car seat may not fit.
Cars are now safer than they have ever been and it is good that there are more stringent tests to evaluate their safety. However, you should always do your research with reviews and on the manufacturer website before committing to buy a car that might not be suitable for you and your family.
The post How to Choose Your Next Family Car appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/how-to-choose-your-next-family-car/
Tuesday 25 July 2017
Friday 21 July 2017
Wednesday 19 July 2017
Helium tackles the connectivity problem in IoT
Helium, a provider of simple, secure, scalable IoT connectivity, has announced the launch of its latest product suite, a comprehensive low-power, long-range solution for IoT devices.
The new offering streamlines the ability to prototype, deploy and scale a long-range wireless network that connects thousands of end devices, giving companies a simple way to intelligently and securely deliver data from device to the cloud and application layer.
Securely capturing and transmitting data from the hardware to the application layer is highly problematic for most organisations, who are faced with the challenges of configuring, securing and managing massive numbers of devices. “Connectivity is extraordinarily complicated when dealing with resource-constrained embedded devices,” said Amir Haleem, CEO of Helium. “Helium has taken a process that normally takes months of labour-intensive work from a large team and simplified it to a process that can be achieved in minutes with minimal staff, and provides the visibility and control needed to manage at scale going forward.”
Automating device management and updates through a central dashboard
As companies continue to build and scale their IoT deployments, it becomes especially crucial that they ensure full control and management of their operations. Helium allows companies to manage and update their systems from a central console, the Helium Dashboard, eliminating the need to visit every sensor in the field, which is a common challenge of remote field monitoring. Helium Dashboard also serves as a central point for Helium Channels, the setup and integration of the cloud applications and data stores used to assess and take action on these physical data.
“Although there has been great progress made in the areas of IoT hardware and cloud software, there are still major technical and economic challenges in getting connectivity to the edge point to gather and deliver data,” said Rob Bamforth, Principal Analyst at Quocirca. “Simplifying and lowering costs of connectivity deployment would remove a significant barrier to mass IoT adoption in several industries.”
A new economic model for deploying, managing and scaling IoT networks
Helium will simplify everything that goes into purchasing, deploying and managing a long-range, low-power IoT solution, up-ending the traditional carrier-based model, which often does not provide reliable coverage where it is needed. Its products will work out of the box with all existing sensor hardware and a wide range of IoT cloud applications with little-to-no configuration. With hardware as low as $19 per Helium Atom module, $29 per Element Access Point, and a simple $1.99 per month per installed Atom with no usage or data fees, Helium eliminates upcharges and most add-on costs. Helium’s open standards will ensure that it will support IoT hardware and software regardless of the IoT technology companies are using today or in the future.
Key features include:
- Zero configuration for simple installation and setup at scale
- Compatibility across hundreds of hardware providers
- Extremely long range connectivity, on the order of many city-blocks in dense urban applications and hundreds of square miles in sparse rural settings
- IEEE standards-based hardware provides maximum flexibility for changing business demands with no proprietary lock-in
- Hardware-based security to ensure data is encrypted and devices authenticated, end to end
- Over-the-air updating and bi-directional communication to provide future-proofing, up-to-date software and further protection from security risks
- Helium Channels provide interoperability with all major cloud solution providers such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS IoT, and Google Cloud Platform IoT Core
- Full visibility and management enabled by Helium Dashboard
The post Helium tackles the connectivity problem in IoT appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/helium-tackles-the-connectivity-problem-in-iot/
Friday 14 July 2017
Thursday 13 July 2017
Wednesday 12 July 2017
UK & Ireland SAP User Group announces merger with SuccessFactors User Group UK
The UK & Ireland SAP User Group (UKISUG) and the SuccessFactors User Group UK have announced a merger between the two organisations.
UKISUG will be the overall umbrella organisations for all SAP and SuccessFactors users in the UK and Ireland. The SuccessFactors User Group will operate as a standalone group within this structure with, its former chair Kara Nixon becoming SuccessFactors Special Interest Group (SIG) chair.
The SuccessFactors User Group has 80 member organisations which will now automatically become members of UKISUG. The SAP User Group currently has more than 4,000 individual members registered, from more than 500 organisations across the UK and Ireland. The integration of the SuccessFactors User Group is aimed at better supporting the needs of both SAP and SuccessFactors users, helping them extract as much value from their deployments as possible.
Paul Cooper, chairman of the UK & Ireland SAP User Group, said: “We are delighted to welcome the SuccessFactors User Group into the wider User Group family, as we look to expand our membership to include more people from line of business. With SuccessFactors being SAP’s main HCM platform going forward, it is important that we facilitate education and understanding around the product and its future roadmap. Bringing the SuccessFactors User Group into the fold means its members will have the opportunity to influence SAP through the Customer Connection Program and have access to our Jam Groups, where they can collaborate with peers. Our existing members will also benefit from being able to network and learn from more SuccessFactors users.”
Kara Nixon, SuccessFactors SIG chair, said: “The SuccessFactors User Group will continue to provide a forum for like-minded SuccessFactors users to connect and share their experiences and knowledge. Being part of the wider SAP User Group community will enable us to run more events and provide existing members with greater access to, and influence over SAP. We look forward to helping more organisations on their SuccessFactors journey.”
The next SuccessFactors SIG takes place on 21 September 2017 in Uxbridge. There will also be a dedicated HR stream, showcasing SuccessFactors customer stories at this year’s UKISUG CONNECT which is taking place 26-28 November 2017 in Birmingham.
The post UK & Ireland SAP User Group announces merger with SuccessFactors User Group UK appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/uk-ireland-sap-user-group-announces-merger-with-successfactors-user-group-uk/
New release of WITNESS Horizon help businesses tackle digital disruption
Lanner, a provider of predictive simulation software which delivers the certainty to empower smart business, has announced details of the latest release of WITNESS Horizon version 21.0.
The new release of Lanner’s flagship desktop simulation development environment features new data objects and business intelligence capabilities that together with Lanner’s cloud products offer a feature rich simulation platform that future proofs businesses undergoing digital transformation.
WITNESS Horizon version 21.0 focuses on data management and visualisation through a new data modelling element and improved data charting features. New data modelling elements within WITNESS allow data of various types to be persisted and easily presented across multiple charts. In addition, new flexible, attractive charting and data visualisation capabilities enhance how simulated outcome data can be presented. Modellers can view data dynamically and perform analysis directly on the modelling surface while simulations are underway.
WITNESS Horizon version 21.0 also includes new designer element packs, providing modellers with prefabricated components for quickly building compelling 2D and 3D simulations of manufacturing facilities and back office/service processes that are undergoing digital transformation.
“We recognise that many businesses are facing a wave of change as new technologies, go-to-market models and political factors all take effect. Predictive simulation is a must have for businesses of all shapes and sizes that are charting their course ahead, trying to avoid risk and future proofing their investments. The data modelling and visualisation features we have provided in this new WITNESS Horizon release, version 21.0, represent a key step in Lanner’s strategy to provide our customers with more powerful predictive digital twins of their business processes that can be used to test and optimise change before implementation in the real world,” comments David Jones, CEO, Lanner.
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source http://news.statii.co.uk/new-release-of-witness-horizon-help-businesses-tackle-digital-disruption/
Tuesday 11 July 2017
Monday 10 July 2017
Thursday 6 July 2017
Wednesday 5 July 2017
EEF outperforms UK customer satisfaction index five years running
EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, the body that represents and provides essential services to industry across the UK has received a top accolade for its customer service for the fifth consecutive year.
According to the UK Institute for Customer Service Satisfaction Index (UKCSI), EEF achieved a score of 88.2 (out of 100) in the Institute’s independent survey of over 10,000 customers.
The score which provides a national measure of UK customer satisfaction at a national, sector and organisational level across 13 sectors and against twenty key customer priorities is a full 10.4 points higher than the 77.8 points achieved across the overall UKCSI benchmark.
Customers rated EEF very highly for its work across a number of dimensions in the benchmark including reputation of the organisation, service quality and reliability, speed of service delivery, competence and helpfulness and friendliness of staff.
Caroline Gumble, Chief Operating Officer at EEF, said:
“In a post-Brexit economy, service standards are more crucial than ever to the long-term productivity and sustainable performance of our business and our sector. That’s why EEF has a clear focus on the purpose of our organisation – championing UK manufacturers and manufacturing.
“Our teams around the UK work with passion and commitment to ensure they put UK manufacturing and our customers at the heart of everything they do. We are very proud of this achievement which is set against a backdrop of increasing customer service expectations.”
EEF campaigns to government for manufacturing-friendly policies, ensuring the UK is a destination of choice for engineering and manufacturing industry growth and development.
In addition, EEF also helps manufacturers in the UK to compete and grow through the delivery of a unique combination of support services in the areas of productivity improvement, health and safety, HR and employment law, management and professional development and apprentice training.
The organisation also provides meeting spaces for industry at its award winning group of venues, Broadway House, London, Engineers’ House, Bristol and Woodland Grange, Leamington Spa.
The post EEF outperforms UK customer satisfaction index five years running appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/eef-outperforms-uk-customer-satisfaction-index-five-years-running/