Upgrading your business software is not just about the extra functionality you receive in the latest release.

Or is it?   Consider these points:

Many of us forget why we purchased our business software in the first place.

When first considering to purchasing new software, many of the following reasons would have been considered:

• Improve efficiencies of the business
• Free up staff time so they can perform other tasks which increase company revenue
• Communicate over new mediums to customers and suppliers (email)
• Manage project workflow and costs, ensure projects remain on-budget and on-time
• Keep track of business opportunities, and
• Manage business finances

We are sure these points are still true today. Yet they only represent a fraction of how much today’s organisations rely on computer applications. Imagine going back to only filing cabinets, handwritten notes stored in manila folders and communicating with clients via the postal service all the time.

Given enough time, by not upgrading your software, your business could be missing out on functionality which could represent the same sort of value to your business you first considered. In fact, by not upgrading your business software to the latest version, it can cost the organisation money. Long-term, organisations that do not upgrade to the latest version cost their business efficiencies, staff frustration and ultimately money.

• Thinking of hiring an extra person to manage increased workload?
• Are you 100% confident there weren’t efficiency savings in that release that would have allowed redirection of your financial resources into increasing revenue, instead of increasing costs?

Consider the following points, that don’t look at software functionality.

However, end users can only benefit from the latest security tools and if they keep their software up to date.

It’s far better to keep your software up-to-date and secure, than one day have to contact your customers and advise them that their personal data has been compromised.

Faster diagnosis

Consider software upgrades from another angle. Older software versions require more attention, support staff may not be as familiar with it, later operating systems may not provide as stable environment for the application as it was originally written for, which in itself can cause problems down the track.

Every minute that staff have to stop performing a task that increases the company’s revenue, simply costs the company money. Not to mention the staff time consumed putting workarounds in place, and trying to limp applications along.

Lost investment 

Most software applications charge an annual license fee. This fee is often put toward the ongoing advancement of the product, thus ensuring the application continually develops in functionality and capabilities. These continual enhancements ensure the investment you made yesterday is still dollars well spent, and you application is kept up with other applications in the marketplace. If your organisation pays an annual fee for software, and does not upgrade each year… you are throwing away that investment. That investment typically entitles you to access those new enhancements. It makes good sense to take advantage of the opportunity and access all of the latest functionality and features you have already paid for.

Every other year upgrades

One school of thought for many organisations is to upgrade their software applications every second or third year. Whilst this concept can make a lot of sense for ‘Common-off-the-Shelf’ software, such as you spreadsheet and word processing programs, it does not necessary make sense for applications that are configured specifically for your organisation. In fact, many people do not realise, by upgrading every second or third year in often cases is costing the organisation more than had they upgraded each year.

For example, if a version has been skipped and in that upgrade was an alteration to the database structure, upgrading two or three steps down the track is not as simple had the original upgrade step been made at time of release.

In fact the additional time required to accommodate checking and rechecking of database structures when versions are missed can often times substantially increase the number of hours IT staff are required to put in for a ‘simple’ upgrade.  Not to mention, the organisations misses out on all the new functionality and efficiencies spoken about previously.

Efficiency is the cornerstone of competitive advantage in today’s marketplace, and C-level business leaders are focused on the integration of legacy systems and applications in order to both extend the lifecycle return of their technology and financial investments, as well as ensure their MYOB EXO ERP platform remains at the very epicenter of data exchange and capture in an “always open for business” digital economy.

The MYOB EXO ERP platform is capable of integrating multiple native and third party applications and platforms to achieve holistic control over business ares of competency.

But what is MYOB EXO ERP Integration? How does it differ from customisation and add-on modules, and what are some of the key benefits delivered within the business?

Unlike customisation which is generally confined to the modification of a single ERP instance or initial configuration of a ‘greenfield’ ERP deployment, MYOB EXO ERP integration involves the complex and specialist task of dovetailing an organisations existing proprietary and multi-vendor applications such as CRM, Supply Chain, Logistics, Accounting, E-Commerce, etc. into the EXO ERP core.

The ultimate goal of ERP integration is to create a business environment where processes can be translated into highly efficient system-to-system data exchanges and interactions, and where the reliance to interact with; and manage multiple applications, data-sets and analytics may be removed to focus on operational improvement, holistic streamlining and performance benefits.

ERP customisation also differs from EXO ERP integration in that it is typically driven by a requirement to modify how information is captured or presented from a user experience (UI/UX). It (customisation) does not typically extend out from the core EXO ERP platform to exchange or consolidate information with existing 3^rd party applications.

For example, a travel agency may require the adaptation of a specific field or data set within their ERP system to capture information for a customer’s airline booking. This would be considered a customisation. But if we extend this fields ability to exchange and interrogate information in real-time directly with an airlines proprietary ticketing platform located externally of the travel agency we require the ability for these two platforms to interact and communicate – thus be integrated.

As our needs become more sophisticated and expand away from the internal MYOB EXO ERP Core Platform we discover that we need a partner like Indivia capable of integrating external applications and systems.

MYOB EXO Modules vs Integration

MYOB EXO Modules sometimes called “add-ons”, are purpose built turnkey applications that provide a business with the ability to expand the capabilities of their MYOB EXO solution as well as enhance functionality. Although these modules are engineered to seamlessly integrate into MYOB EXO ERP they do not natively integrate with 3^rd party applications and in many instances themselves require customisation to achieve what the business ultimately desires.

What are the Key Benefits of MYOB EXO Integration?

In every ERP implementation, there comes a time where all systems need to communicate with other 3rd party and legacy applications.

Indivia’s ERP integration solutions allow data collection, warehouse management, and other 3^rd party systems to integrate more easily and reliably with your MYOB EXO ERP solution. As your business grows and your needs become more sophisticated and complex some of the compelling reasons to integrate your MYOB EXO solution may include:

• Extend capital and operating investments over existing systems and applications whilst decreasing overall total cost of ownership (TCO);
• Remove potential strains on IT and training resources through the use of one application to run an entire business;
• Provide a holistic end to end business performance environment with a “single source of truth” for data capture, reporting and analytics;
• Integrate both internal and external information and work flows used by the organisation within a single, comprehensive solution;
• Drive the flow of information between all internal business functions while managing connections to outside stakeholders such as suppliers, partners and service providers;
• Deliver tighter controls for financial and compliance reporting practices;
• Access valuable corporate data to drive continuous improvement and consolidation strategies;
• Support streamlined sourcing and procurement processes;
• Providing sales and operations planning with access to critical information that ensures the business can deliver to customer’s expectations.
• Automate business processes such as invoicing and sales and purchase orders;
• Use of a single base of information for billing and other customer interactions to improve service levels and customer retention.

Talk to us about your EXO application integration strategy

Since ERP solutions are the operational backbone of an organisation, it’s essential to partner with a company like Indivia that understands your business, can improve the quality and efficiency of your organisation, and unlike others deliver a truly integrated solution and not simply a bolt on or off the shelf solution.

For more information on how Indivia’s MYOB EXO ERP Integration solutions will ultimately save time and expense, or to have a confidential discussion about your application integration strategy, telephone us today on 1300 660 652 or use the details provided on our contact page.