Sage User NetworkSeptember 2009

Cherryl Holliday & Graham Hoyle

Focus Group Format

• How they work− Separate work stream (Financial/Commercial)− Open and Interactive

− Introductionso Who, company, role

− Ratify work in progress

• Theme for the first meeting− Ascertain whether modules/options are still relevant to you

First Focus Groups• Held at The Binding Site Ltd on June 25th

− Financials 10:00 – 12:00− Commercials 13:00 - 15:00

• Attended by 9 Customers for each work stream

• Agenda Items covered− Module Usage− Module Improvements− Review and Priorities

• Take Away− Agreed priorities− Objectives & requirements for the next Focus Groups− Venue – Sage User Network Conference – October

o UI & usability, Reporting

First Focus Groups

• Customers impression;− Ford Galaxy – Unsexy, Flexible, does the job− VW with Skoda badges - Reliable− Citroen – Reliable, versatile− 10 year old Saab - Reliable but can buy ‘Go Fast Stripes’− Late 80 early 90 Volvo - Reliable but outdated− Old Classic – No bells and whistles− Ford Focus – Ok, functional, nothing fancy− Ford Mondeo – Middle of the range − Austin Alegro - Engine goes forever but flaky around the edges− Cross between Ferrari (CRM) and 2CV (Fin & Ops)− Reliable but outdated – not in current century

• Ratifying UI & Usability

Finance Group Objectives

• General Ledger − Review reporting – basic management reports− Budgets− Archiving of reports (this, last and previous 2 years)− Tracing items from stock and nominal ledger − Excel integration

• Cash Management − Work through and get in-line with business usage− Cash forecasting to budget− Bank statement import and reconciliation − Reflect online banking requirements

Finance Group Objectives

• Accounts Payable − Ability to scan, route and authorise (as in VersionOne), payment

routines − Reporting− Scan and imports − Aged debt

• Usability – use-ability− Inconsistent interactions in modules / windows feel− Workflow

Commercials Group Objectives

• Sales Order Processing− Use-ability of SOP ESC/F9 (confusion) – program flow, too many

options− Sales reporting – despatch notes, acknowledgements, invoices− Reporting history – sales analysis/patterns, what, when, why− Find all related info easily− Daily order values in base currency− Integration – with export master (3rd party) e.g. no customs

invoice− Gross margins and carriage commission (customer and product)

Commercials Group Objectives

• Stock/Inventory Control− Movement of stock items; prices of products in different warehouses

− Setting up products cumbersome – lot of screens – mark the items in progress (workflow) – odbc link upload

− Batch control – extra fields for test results

− Lack of reporting

− User defined fields, field length

− No in built bar coding

• Intrastat / VAT reports− VAT return required to upload to HMRC

• Specific focus for Binding Site on Extended discounts & Telesales

Follow up

• Objective – to visit all participating customer sites− Binding Site− Nelsons

• Reporting− University Hospital Birmingham− Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust– next week

Follow up – The Binding Site

• Research, development and manufacture of innovative, high quality, immunodiagnostic assays

• INC &TBS• Multi-company system

− Multi-national with distributors

• Customisation of menus and forms• Number of 3rd Party add-ons• Document management

− Archive Orders/Invoices each montho Cannot reprint from archive

− Paperless

Follow up - Financials

• Cash Management− Re-wrote the Cash Management (Cash book) user guide− Recently moved from a totally manual system− ‘Love’ Cash Book− Work from Bank Statement

o Receipts & Payments monthly – now daily

− Sales & Purchases now integratedo Still use spreadsheets for reconciliation

− Banking software o Online bankingo Direct debits

− Still identified areas for improvement

Follow up – Commercials (OP)

• Sales process/Quotes outside Sage − Sales Reps/Quote

• Telesales module but not telesales?• Different depending on whether UK Sales or Export• Simple Orders ( few lines)

− Prices fixed – no negotiation

• Use-ability− Accuracy − Keyboard entry− Help

• Add-ons (many!)• Information outside sage

− Awareness of production schedules, and shipping limitations

Follow up - Nelsons

• UK’s largest manufacturer of natural healthcare products• Multi-company system

− Multi-national with distributors

• Customisation of menus/forms/messages• Number of 3rd Party add-ons• Document management

− VersionOne

• Reporting ‘Universe’− Management structure vs operational− Cognos and ‘Txt’

Follow up – Commercials (OP)

• Sales process/Quotes outside Sage − Sales Reps, ‘Merchandiser’

• EDI Accounts, Telesales, Retail, Web • Telesales module but not telesales?• Different depending on whether UK Sales or Export• Simple Orders ( few lines)

− Prices fixed – no negotiation

• Add-ons (e.g datalinx)• Information outside sage

− Awareness of ‘promotions’, stock, account packaging/pallet

• Opportunities identified

What’s next?

• More Customer Visits− Synergy - now looking at contrasting business sector− User requirements− Use cases− Business Scenarios

• Usability & Reporting workshop at Conference

Questions?