While many ERP vendors are struggling to create new revenue streams, some vendors - particularly those that focus on solutions in the mid-market - are experiencing strong interest and sharp sales growth in value-added applications, particularly Web integration.
According to Ashley Ellington, divisional manager at Sage Enterprise Solutions South Africa, e-commerce is increasingly becoming an integral part of an ERP solution, or a business management system (BMS) as it is becoming commonly known.
"However, before companies look to implement business-to-business and business-to-consumer Web-based applications, it is critical that they have a reliable BMS foundation," he warns. "Thus, back-end systems have to be managed correctly and kept up-to-date to ensure optimal operation for additional functionality and new applications."
Sage was one of the first companies to predict the onslaught of e-business for BMS environments and brings to market a comprehensive Web technology solution that allows companies to take full advantage of cyber business. In fact, some of its products have been Web-enabled for nearly two years.
Ellington says that the company's Web Enterprise suite of products enable organisations to take advantage of the latest Web technologies and benefit from extending their businesses online.
"Web Enterprise is integrated with Microsoft and IBM e-business technologies and can enable a business to be online in weeks - this need not be an expensive project nor require huge investment.
"It allows real-time access and updates between the Web site and our mainstream products (Line 200, Enterprise or CS/3 business management systems) through a seamless integration. It enables remote online access to all system users, providing full access to business information at any time through an Internet browser," says Ellington.
Advantages of using the Sage Web Enterprise family of products include:
The ability to trade with customers 24 hours a day, from anywhere in the world.
Providing customers with unrivalled service with the latest product pricing, descriptions and stock information the moment it is updated.
Offering direct and easy remote access to business information from anywhere in the world.
Providing employees with a tailored desktop solution for easy access to business information, applications and resources.
The Web Enterprise suite is comprised of two categories of products. Those that relate to access and those that relate to process. Web Access products enable utilisation of the Sage Enterprise Solutions software via the Internet and include Web Client, Web Portal, Web Reporting and ASP.
Products in the Web Process category extend the business processes to utilise the Internet as the means of collaborating with customers and business partners, so being able to share information with them. Products include Web Sales, Web Planning, Web Supply Chain and Web Procurement.
Value-added resellers (VARs) also play a key role in the burgeoning world of e-commerce. "Our VARs are currently being accredited as Sage e-business centres. Their role will be to provide the local systems implementation, support and advice that businesses require as they set out to 'kick-start' their own Internet programs," says Ellington.
He also believes that the company's 'partner-centric' business model fits the local operations extremely well. "With the CS/3 product we have already developed strong and successful software implementation and support partnerships. With the extended Sage Web Enterprise suite, we intend to build on this partnership and considerably extend our partner base and market coverage."
As a major BMS vendor in the southern African region, the company's strong client base includes leading companies such as Vodac, MTN, Tellumat, Q Data Consulting, Lafarge Roofing, Manica and Kohler Flexible. Internationally, the company boasts Acer, BBC, Motorola, Glaxo Wellcome and Nestle as customers
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