Cloud based ERP is now become almost the preferred choice when an organization decides to implement an ERP. This was not the same, when I started advising companies about deploying Cloud based ERP around 15 years back. I choose to work with NetSuite as a partner as that was the only true cloud ERP which was available in the market and even today it is one of the leaders. Many ask me why I choose to become a NetSuite partner, and was recently interviewed on the same. Here are some of the questions which I answered based on my experience of being in the Netsuite ecosystem for 15+ years.
Why did you decide to become a NetSuite Alliance Partner?
We have been an Oracle NetSuite Solution partner in India and Canada for 3 Years. We embarked on our Middle Eastern journey in the UAE in 2018 , this gave us an opportunity to collaborate with the best of the breed products and teams in the region. Our strength is in consulting and digitally transforming organizations through solutions like NetSuite and the partnership model of alliance helps you just do that. This partnership with NetSuite is treated like an extended arm of the sales team, and we work very closely with each member of the regional NetSuite team to provide best in class implementation services. Given the market opportunity and our 15+ years in the NetSuite ecosystem, we felt that alliance is the right partnership model which complements our existing relationship and brings forth our unique value to clients in the region with strong product and implementation capabilities.
What would you say are the three most common challenges companies usually seek to solve with a new ERP-solution?
Most companies who move to an ERP solution start with basic standalone accounting products and rely heavily on excel to manage their operations and sometimes use multiple local software’s. It becomes difficult for a company to manage the disconnected pieces of data and make sense of it as they grow and expand. An ERP system connects the dots giving better business visibility so the decision makers can make well informed decisions while enforcing process standardization across the organization. disintegration between various solutions and lack of system availability as they expand to other geographies and disjointed business insights from finance, inventory, CRM etc. are some of the common challenges which organizations look to solve with a new ERP.
What are the benefits of choosing a True Cloud ERP-solution?
Many vendors offer cloud based softwares and ERP solution, but most businesses are unaware of the difference between ‘Fake Cloud’ providers and a ‘True Cloud’ solution. It is important to understand that just because you can access your system from the internet does not make it cloud. A true cloud has to be multi-tenant, scalable and expandable as you need and flexible where you can not only carry your customisations as you upgrade but also every client is always on the same version, that’s one of the reasons why Netsuite works so well from a startup to an enterprise. We have worked with so many startups who have now gone IPO, they have grown in terms of revenue, employees, locations but one thing which has remained constant is the true cloud ERP solution, NetSuite. The benefits are clear, something which has a clear stairway model of expansion, and flexible enough to start small and grow as the organization grows and finally pay only what you consume with an opex model than an upfront capex.
What differentiates NetSuite from other ERP-solutions in the GCC market?
The customisation flexibility you get with NetSuite gives it the upper hand compared to other vendors. With tools like workflow manager, Report writer, Saved search and Analytics it becomes easy for the customer to align NetSuite to their processes and get the data in the way they desire. The extensions available in the SuiteApp marketplace also gets NetSuite to an advantage as the features which are not directly available in the product are also catered to by the partner community developers. What stands out with Netsuite is whatever a Netsuite employee, Netsuite partner can implement, even the client can do it, there is no difference, the platform is there for everyone’s use , thats one of the core reasons NetSuite caters to so many verticals with the same solution, is its flexibility to adapt to business process with strong tools which come with the core ERP platform.
What advice would you give to companies that are looking to replace their current ERP or looking into purchasing their first one?
Success of any ERP implementation depends on how well the implementation partner has understood the requirements. Doing a detailed Business Requirement Documentation is the most important step to get the ERP deployed right. Companies who want to purchase a new ERP or the ones trying to replace should have team in place who can define their requirements and take the necessary decisions when it comes to changing their business process if needed. A top down approach with leadership buy-in is a must and with our 400+ implementations across 16 countries one thing which we have learnt is a strong client team which allocates dedicated time with the implementation team have a larger chances of success in enjoying the fruits of a successful ERP roll out.
Like I said, knowing & understanding a client’s requirements is the best way to move forward in implementing ERP solutions. By doing so I look forward to continue my journey in helping out business the best way possible.
Author:-
Amit Prabhu
General Manager Mena & India
Aarialife Technologies Fz.LLC.
Aarialife is a technology company based out of UAE, India and Canada with a strong team of 40+ consultants who have been in the NetSuite eco-system for more than 15 years.
