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Benefits of Automated Test Platform (ATP)

In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits of incorporating the Sage X3 Automated Test Platform into your system.

As Sage X3 continues to deliver new functional and technical enhancements in V12 via biannual patch releases, keeping up to date with the latest patches is now more important than ever in ensuring your system remains secure, supported, and able to fully utilise the latest Sage X3 functionality.

Undertaking system patching requires comprehensive regression testing in order to ensure system continuity and stability. For a lot of businesses, at best this is often a time-consuming, costly and outright arduous manual process which drags key people and resources away from other value-added tasks. At worst, manual testing can often lead to inconsistent results and a reluctance to embrace further change, leading to outdated systems and increased cybersecurity risks.

The Sage X3 Automated Test Platform (ATP) offers a simple, scalable solution to minimise manual testing and bring the following benefits to your business:

Mitigate cyber vulnerabilities
Stay up to date with the latest patches and functionality
Low-cost compliance documentation
Standardised testing and reporting of SOP
Greatly reduced human intervention
Early detection of issues
Increased system confidence

The introduction of the Sage X3 Automated Test Platform into a Sage X3 environment can bring numerous benefits to your business; such as: increasing the speed and consistency of testing, visibility of reporting, maintenance of compliance and cost-savings.

Sage X3 Automated Test Platform (ATP) achieves this through a combination of the following features:

End-to-End Process Replication

Automated Test Platform (ATP) allows you to automate processes specific to your business whether that be within one function, such as creating a new product, or a complete end-to-end process such as order to cash.

It does this by allowing a complete replication of the user’s data entry – incorporating things such as selecting entry transactions, searching for values, using the left list selection, drilling through into different fields and navigating past various pop-ups and warning boxes.

Pre-Built & Easily Customisable Scenarios

Out of the box, the Automated Test Platform (ATP) features over 100 pre-built scenarios, from simple steps such as logging in, to advanced end-to-end end processes such as procure to pay. The platform features ready-made templates that can be quickly fine-tuned to suit your specific business processes.

In Application Script Assistant

The Automated Test Platform (ATP) also features a plugin to Sage X3 for creating your test scripts, allowing users to conduct their processes directly within a function in Sage X3. With just a few clicks, their actions can then be exported to form the basis of a new testing template which can be easily modified for further test scenarios.

User-friendly natural language for non-developers

Automated Test Platform (ATP) test scripts are written in Visual Studio, which will be an environment well-known to most developers. These scripts however are written in a natural, user-friendly language called Gherkin.

Unlike your stereotypical snippet of code, Gherkin is written in plain text sentences which describe what the line of code is doing, making it easy for non-programmers to be able to understand, modify and build scenarios themselves, ultimately allowing test scripts to reflect Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)’s and be written by those most familiar with the business process.

Easily run 100’s test cases with a click of a button

The Automated Test Platform (ATP) is installed along with Jenkins, an industry-leading automation server, on which you can build testing ‘pipelines’.

Specify which scripts are to run, when and in what order, allowing simultaneous and repeatable testing without diverting resources away from the business.

Easily modify, re-run and maintain test cases

The scripts also contain parameters, both system and user-created, which can easily be set either within Visual Studio or Jenkins. The use of parameters makes re-running and maintaining your scripts simple.

If you wish to test the same script across different sites, you can simply set the site as a variable, change that one parameter and you can instantly switch all of your test cases to run on that site.

The parameters can also be used for things such as users, so tests can be replicated under different function permissions, and to store the value of newly created information – such as a sales order number created on a previous test, to avoid the need for constant tweaking of scripts.

Holistic reporting

Through Allure, the Automated Test Platform (ATP) provides holistic reporting of your testing pipeline, every step of the way.

High-level reports of test timings and script failures can be set up and each script can be drilled into to provide detailed information on the test/failure or each testing step, accompanied with screenshots.

Test failures can be categorised to ensure standardization across the testing process, and previous information on previous tests can easily be stored and recalled, which is essential for high-compliance industries.

Minimise Repetitive Manual Testing & Maintenance

Easier Incorporation of the latest functionality, security and support enhancements

Maximise Efficiency & Effectiveness of Testing

Time / cost / resources savings

Summary

Using testing automation, as we have seen above, can provide a wide range of application and business benefits. For businesses looking to stay up to date, and those operating in high-compliance industries (such as food and beverage, pharmaceuticals & chemicals), adopting Automated Test Platform (ATP) is likely to provide extensive benefits and rapid ROI.

Mysoft x Digital Humani

As part of Mysoft’s TREE initiative, we want to explore ways of tackling climate change and planting trees was an obvious positive action we could undertake. Beyond helping to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere over their lifetime, trees have other environmental benefits, such as helping to restore biodiversity and ecosystems that have been damaged by humans, as well as reducing soil erosion & degradation.

As a Sage Business Partner, we wanted to do more than just commit to planting a limited number of trees in an ad hoc fashion. Instead, Mysoft wanted to integrate tree planting right into Sage X3, allowing our successes as a business to instantly translate into successes for the environment.

Selection of Tree Planting API Providers

Upon starting this project, our team was very aware that the tree-planting industry has been tainted with multiple examples of greenwashing. With that in mind, we started our evaluation of tree planting API providers with a set of criteria in mind. We discovered quickly that there are many options available, and through a narrowing process we ended up shortlisting three for comparison: More:Trees, Digital Humani and The Good API.

Additionally, they have some other benefits outside of our criteria such as being able to get certificates for trees planted if the project partner is OneTreePlanted, and they are a registered charity in Canada.

Development of the Tree Planting API with Sage X3

Having decided on the API provider we began to familiarise ourselves with their API, running tests of tree planting manually to ensure we understood the technology and process using the sandbox. Once we were satisfied that the API would be appropriate for our use case we began the process of creating the Sage X3 integration.

After discussions with the internal team at Mysoft, we decided it was best to calculate the number of trees to be planted based on what was invoiced, so when we succeed as a company the environment succeeds too. For invoices, we came up with three different options for the criteria – total invoice value, quantity of certain products, and value of certain products. We also decided to include formula fields to give us more flexibility on what triggers the tree planting. We already, at this stage, had it in mind that other Sage X3 users might be interested in this API; so we specified it with the flexibility for both Mysoft and the potential other businesses. Once this decision was taken, we set to work on the development tasks to make it happen.

The goal was to amend as little of standard X3 as possible to help keep the integration simple – making it easy to roll out and support.

The Complete Solution; From Sage X3 to Tree Planting

At the end of Phase 1, our solution has 4 new Sage X3 functions: Projects, Campaigns, Campaign Groups, and Process Tree Planting:

Projects is a simple table view that imports all the tree-planting projects currently available via Digital Humani from the list of providers; the projects are tied to a planting partner and a location round the globe – giving people the choice of where to plant and with whom.

The campaign screen includes all the criteria for planting 1 tree. We can set the sales-to-planting ratio here, for example, 0.1 of a quantity will plant 10 trees for every 1 unit.

Tree planting requests are generated when a new sales invoice has been created where the customer has a campaign group defined. The number of trees to plant gets updated if the invoice is modified up until the invoice is posted.

Finally, we have to plant the trees. For this, we use our Press Tree Planting function. This is a simple tick box with an ‘OK’ button to process all outstanding tree-planting requests.

Typically, this will run on the X3 Batch Server (Scheduler) and will not need to be run manually but is useful to have the option to run it manually from the menu. We created a Batch Task that processes all planting requests at the end of the day.

Digital Humani Dashboard

The dashboard created by Digital Humani is a great place to view all the planting done so far. In this example, you can see two days where we pushed a bulk set of manual plant requests.

Mysoft’s Future with Tree Planting

Having built the integration, and proven that it works, we have begun to appreciate the potential for this solution. There are approximately 7,000 Sage X3 sites around the world today; if one in ten sites installed this and set the API up, we would have added another 700 companies to the tree planting project. If each of these planted 1,000 trees per year, we could plant 700,000 trees per year via Sage X3! The potential for this solution to scale and affect meaningful change in the world is startling.

If you use a Sage X3 and are interested in using our Tree-API, please get in touch and we will gladly make it available to you.

Nowadays, it’s incumbent on us to look beyond our own personal financial responsibilities and consider the global imperatives that face us all.

We’re familiar with the idea of “Re-use, Reduce, Recycle”; we’re all becoming more careful about how we deal with packaging and recycling; sometimes we choose where we shop or who we bank with based on that company’s attitudes to global matters. Hardly a day goes by without some news story that shames organisations that pollute waterways or send waste to landfill, about countries that are facing uncertain futures as a result of environmental decisions taken decades ago, or about those who look to put pressure on governments and organisations to rectify the situation. Whichever way you look at it, in our personal lives we’re more aware of the world around us and our own ability to move mountains and shape opinions.

Negative implications of different companies environmental actions have already been exposed which has meant many are getting their houses in order, setting sustainability targets and restructuring their operations.

Within Mysoft, we’re talking about the Sage X3 community and how companies can use ERP systems like X3 to control, monitor and optimise the inputs and outputs of their operations on a daily basis. Thus achieving an efficient sustainable process.

How Sage X3 can achieve sustainability within industries

Product expiry and repurposing

In industries such as food & beverages, pharmaceuticals and other process manufacturing operations, monitoring product expiry is key. With Sage X3 you can set expiry rules and warnings by product, stock that is approaching expiry can be highlighted using workflows and reporting, so that it can be reclassified if it’s slow moving. Being able to identify batches of stock close to expiry, and planning for how to deal with that eventuality over and above mere disposal and writing it off, is just one way Sage X3 can help to keep costs down and warehouses adequately stocked while meeting sustainability objectives.

Packaging

The decision of how to classify packaging often varies from company to company: should it be treated as a cost of production or cost of sale or simply as an overhead? Monitoring volumes and weights of packaging can be crucial in ensuring that a company keeps its costs down and its waste to a minimum., How many times have you ordered something that has arrived in grossly oversized packaging? If you’re selling samples of wallpaper, it makes sense to ensure that you’re using the right sized envelopes., This is where Sage X3 comes in, recommended packaging for a product can be defined, so that the right type of packaging is used for products of different sizes. This can, in turn, prevent companies being overtaxed for plastic bags and ensuring the exact amount is used and invoiced for.

Waste tracking

In many manufacturing environments, there will always be an element of scrappage, which is generally anticipated as a by-product of production. You can define expected percentages of scrap as part of a Bill of Materials, or cater for these when making purchasing decisions, so why can’t this scrap material be put to good use? One of Mysoft’s customers, a manufacturer of personal protective equipment, recycles the left over plastic from their production of hard hats. When volumes of waste material can be anticipated, companies can plan what to do with that material.

Reporting on waste is critical, in certain countries it’s a legal requirement to provide a European Waste Code declaration. The data for this appears in the ERP, both from a forecast and actuals perspective, therefore making it possible to automate this and circulate the result. This allows relevant stakeholders to be kept informed about how their company is performing against its targets.

Purchasing and stock management

For a business involved in distribution or manufacturing, maintaining optimum stock levels is a critical element in keeping costs down. Optimising the supply chain can have multiple environmental benefits around minimising wastage (as discussed above) and facilitating stock availability through efficient order management (optimal order quantities) thus reducing multiple shipments. To that end, solutions that offer multi-site inventory forecasting models, or that minimise transportation costs by enabling consolidation of purchasing to reduce shipping and haulage costs (and their associated emissions), must be seriously considered.

Supplier Management

Sage X3 has the ability to rank suppliers based on criteria such as performance against lead times, product quality and delivered quantities – this information can be used to inform purchasing decisions. One metric that could be added to these along with many others is a supplier’s ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) rating, which is increasingly being used by investors and can also be used by companies as another decision factor.

Reducing Paper Waste

The easiest way for companies to improve their sustainability, almost overnight, is to reduce the flows of paper circulating between departments. Digital copies of paperwork are now becoming the sustainable norm, therefore, functionality that allows for documents to be stored digitally direct from emails, is becoming a necessity. One Mysoft customer is taking the sustainable step of discarding mountains of paperwork (mostly historical) in favour of a solution which enables sales documentation to be stored electronically, including email correspondence which would previously have been printed out and stored in a physical archive!

Our insights from X3CloudDocs tells us that over 90% of suppliers invoices are being sent to customers electronically, so why print these out when electronic approvals are available at your fingertips? This is just one of many examples of how paper waste can be minimised and switched out for the digital way, improving efficiency as well as increasing sustainable actions!

Why choose Sage X3 as your ERP?

As the world embraces a greater focus on creating a more sustainable future, businesses must also play their part in driving sustainability. The use of an ERP system like Sage X3 offers significant opportunities for companies to control, monitor, and optimise their environmental impact in various areas. By leveraging X3’s functionalities, businesses can efficiently manage product expiry and repurposing, monitor and reduce packaging waste, track and utilise scrap materials, automate waste reporting, optimise purchasing and stock management, and even minimise paper usage through digital documentation and streamlined processes.

Download the Mysoft guide to Upgrading to Sage X3 Version 12

Download the Mysoft guide to ‘Upgrading to Sage X3 Version 12’ to explore some of the primary reasons that businesses upgrade their Sage X3 environments.

Why upgrade Sage X3?
What’s new in Version 12?
What’s the release cadence of Version 12?
What does an upgrade look like?

So you’ve got Sage X3, but are not sure you’re making the most of it? Here’s a simple checklist we have put together to ensure your business capabilities are working with maximum efficiency across every department.

A system “health check” is a great way to assess both your ERP system and your business, this will help you evaluate the gaps and ensure you are getting the most out of Sage X3. ERPs are really just the digitisation and systematisation of real-world business processes, so when looking at the “health” of an ERP it needs to be reviewed in context of the business as a whole. A common challenge with systems is that they are implemented and then left largely unchanged for long periods of time, while the world changes around them. When this happens it means processes and ways of working become out of date, or new functionality isn’t adopted. Undertaking a system health check will allow your business to evaluate what still works, what needs updating, and what needs a total change.

A great ERP system health check will cover the following areas:

a) Consider each functional element of the current solution – what’s working well, or, conversely, what needs attention in order to optimise the benefits being delivered?

b) How well is the system performing? Has the system and its environment been correctly configured and sufficiently updated to address your critical business, legal and regulatory requirements.

c) Do users need additional training in order to achieve the anticipated benefits of the solution?

d) Has the system been adequately documented? Do users know what to do and where to look if they need help.

e) Are appropriate internal and external support arrangements in place? Not just for the business in its current state, but with the future desired state in mind.

f) What additional development work or configuration might be required to enable the business to improve and grow? You might need to circle back to this point once you’ve been through the rest of the checklist, below…

2. Review business processes to find efficiencies

Once a health check has been performed and the areas for change have been identified, then it’s time to get into the details – analysing what’s going on and how can it be improved is another way of ensuring you are getting the most out of Sage X3.

A logical way to approach this is by breaking this down into the different business areas. Looking at the activity within each department is great to see what does and doesn’t work well and then speaking to other businesses, or a business consultant, about what best practice looks like for businesses of your type. Be careful, though, as this can risk the process becoming a bit siloed, so make sure that this is viewed in context of the whole business. End-to-End business process scenarios (“day in the life”) are an excellent way to adopt a holistic vision of a business process.

Then it’s all about efficiency – can the current process be simplified or further systematised in order to obtain the same results (while adopting best practices where possible) or can certain tasks be automated in order to expedite them or generally save time when dealing with large volume activities?

Automation can have the knock-on effect of making your staff more productive as they then get involved in more valuable activities. Barcode scanning, rather than manual entry, can speed up the process of booking in stock and then picking and delivering orders. Batch processing your invoicing can help your credit control team spend more time chasing payments, or developing their customer relationships in general. Finally, using business intelligence tools to produce reporting packs can help to slash days off the time it takes to produce those packs at month end. Indeed, maybe people around the business simply need to be better informed about significant business activity, such as a major new order, customers hitting their credit limits, and so on, using workflow emails.

3. Identify core functionality that might fit your needs

It might be that in some cases, as identified above, it’s not a matter of fixing an existing process but instead putting a new one in place. As with all things ERP, we want to start with “standard” – assessing the core, standard, functionality of the system is always the first place to start. This is usually the most cost-efficient and lowest-risk approach and makes sense to be the starting point. Take time to explore areas of the system that you’re not currently using – you might want to engage with a consultant, or be able to share their own experiences in that area, or who should be able to help you to determine if certain functionality might be available for internal evaluation.

Some easy examples for system improvement that are really common in Sage X3 sites tend to be around digitisation and automation – we’ve broken the list down below by business area to ensure each department utilises Sage X3 to full capacity and gets the most out of it:

a) Finance – bank integration, reconciliation, group consolidation, intercompany recharges

b) Supply chain – order to invoice processing and despatch, automating the procurement process, barcode scanning in the warehouse

c) Manufacturing – new product implementation, implementing MRP, production scheduling, shop floor data capture

d) General – introducing workflows and notifications, audit trail reporting, and landing pages to enhance user navigation and experience.

If you then come to the conclusion that you have key requirements not fulfilled by standard system behaviour, then there are a couple of avenues we can explore, such as incorporating other software to fulfil your needs or developing modifications around the existing system.

4. Still gaps? Look at Independent Software Vendors

Sage X3 has been designed to be flexible and suited to the requirements of most product-centric businesses, with a vast array of configurable parameters and other settings. However, every business is different, and so there may be functionality that doesn’t quite fit the bill as far as you’re concerned. X3 has therefore also been designed with integrations in mind, and a growing community of independent software vendors, or ISVs, are now endorsed by Sage as providing value-add solutions that can integrate seamlessly with your X3 solution.

Here’s a list of just some of the ISV solutions that Mysoft has previously worked with (although please note that others are available):

5. Let’s look outside the box for options “off the shelf”

A number of our customers have engaged with us to develop integrations with third-party solutions in areas such as CRM, warehouse management, financial databases, PLM and manufacturing solutions and others. Talk to us about what other customers have done and we’ll see if we can help.

Mysoft is also the author of X3CloudDocs, a cloud-based solution for your AP automation, document management and workflow needs. Alternatively, a number of other complementary solutions to Sage X3 are available on Sage’s Marketplace.

a) What can Mysoft develop/bespoke for you?

If you still need help with some specific functionality, then you can rely on Mysoft’s experienced team of consultants, backed by our unrivalled team of X3 developers, to provide you with efficient, cost-effective solutions to cater for your needs.

We have also developed a range of plugins for Sage X3 covering areas such as exchange rate management, credit card integrations, credit control diary notes, interfaces with carrier solutions and much more.

6. Technology check

a) On-premise? Then consider if the cloud is right for you

Increasingly, Mysoft’s customers are considering “cloud” as their hosting option of choice. With Sage offering Amazon Web Services and Azure hosting, and external providers also available, then, depending on your budget and level of solution complexity, Mysoft can help you to make the right choice.

b) Worried about falling behind? Look at a patching service

Always stay up to date with a patching service from Mysoft. We can help you to ensure that you’re always on the latest recommended version of Sage X3, plus any ISV solutions that you choose to employ. Contact your Mysoft Account Manager for details.

c) Tired of testing? Check out the ATP solution from Sage

Speed up the time it takes to test new patches with Sage’s Automated Test Platform (ATP). With ATP you design tests that can be easily repeated from one patch to the next, saving you man hours in set up and testing. You can also add further tests to take account of your own bespoke developments and ISV products.

d) Are you secure? Explore MFA options

With each new patch of X3, Sage also provides updated technical specifications, keeping up to date with essential third party software designed to keep your data, systems and environments safe. Our team of technical experts can review your environment against the Sage recommended standards and let you know where you might be falling behind.

If you’d like to know more or explore any of these options, check out our quote calculator or get in touch with us.

With the benefits of a standardised delivery model in mind, Mysoft has adopted a two-stream delivery approach to ERP projects: Kickstart & Toolkit. Both of these follow a standardised process at their core, with Toolkit building on this standardised framework to deliver more sophisticated, and bespoke, solutions.

Kickstart

Kickstart is a framework methodology: A method of delivering ERP using an existing project template as a framework to provide structure and control to a project, but allowing for a degree of variation, based on business needs.

This is an “off the shelf” solution, pre-configured with industry best practice settings and ready to get going quickly. This approach works fantastically for businesses which may not have established formal business processes, are looking for a more efficient and streamlined approach to business, or simply a return to a more refined business management solution.

Toolkit

ToolKit is a more traditional methodology to implementing ERP, building on tried and tested processes and standards to navigate a more “bespoke” form of implementation. Taking the starting point of Kickstart and reviewing each key business process, amending the process or reproducing it in Sage X3, and adding layers of automation and auditability.

This takes the “off the shelf” solution as a starting point and allows you to dive into the details in every area, allowing for more extensive configuration and a solution which more closely matches what your business looks like today.

What does a typical Toolkit project look like?

Toolkit projects are typically longer-running than a simple, totally standard, Kickstart project; this is due to the more detailed scoping, the likelihood for modifications and non-standard processes (and therefore increased testing) and the generally broader scope of the delivery.

The core activities are similar to Kickstart; however, there is an increased volume of scoping and workshops early on, in addition to the parallel track of development and integrations likely to be underway. An increase in data migration and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is also to be anticipated with a deliverable which is further away from the standard.

Implementation Phases

Initiate: This is the project launch phase characterised by establishing governance & alignment for the project, commencing technical pre-work (installations, etc.) and the formation of a unified project team from both businesses. A high level project plan and stakeholder map is one of the key deliverables from this phase. Key user training also typically takes place here.

Design: As the name would suggest, this is a key block of activity for the project in terms of definition of the target system and allowing all parties to fully understand key business requirements and process flows. If it is needed, bespoke development is likely to surface here as core processes are reviewed and challenged. Change control from this point on requires a clearly stately objective for the system and set of mutually understood project deliverables.

Build: Herein the core configuration us underway. Typically this phase is less of a draw on the customer, and therefore often data migration can commence on the customer side while configuration is underway. Workstream leads and subject matter experts (SMEs) will continue to be actively involved in reviewing and validating system set up as it is deployed. Extended training will commence here, alongside customer documentation of workflows and SOPs. Test plans will be established in preparation for validation.

Validate: This is the phase in which the team begin to appreciate the fruits of their labours, migrating test data into the system and running end to end testing (including that of any bespoke modifications. This phase allows for an entrenchment of training and the execution of real-world scenarios in the new environment.

Deploy: This is the final “core” phase of the project; go-live. With suitable training, clean data, pre-go-live activities and hypercare after the event, this should be a smooth transition from one system to another. Mysoft dedicate consultant and support resources around all project go-lives in order to ensure the confidence and success of the project team.

Adopt: The project doesn’t really stop after go-live however; first month-end, first quarter-end, and first year-end activities all go more smoothly with some assistance and collaboration with the partner; as a result Mysoft offer services around these as part of our standard delivery. Hereafter we are into the realms of continuous process improvement and the “forever project” of improving business efficiency, with phase two projects and beyond.

How long can a project take to deliver?

One can adopt, as a rough rule of thumb, a reasonable metric to estimate project timelines, using some of the following guidelines for both Kickstart and Toolkit:

Project management, which typically accounts for between 15% and 25% of a System Integrator’s time spent on an ERP project, is a concurrent activity. It continues throughout the project and takes place alongside other services.

Applications Consultancy (scoping, workshops, design, build, etc.) is typically delivered in a sequential fashion; with the component activities forming a ‘natural flow’ within a single subject (e.g. Finance, distribution, manufacturing, etc.) taking place from end to end. This may run in an interspersed fashion with the other subjects, in order to ensure a holistic vision is appreciated of the operation, however typically each sub-phase will be completed before commencing the next (i.e. build is complete before testing can commence). Therefore it is prudent to plan this as a sequential volume of days. Applications consultancy makes up the bulk of any ERP project.

Development typically takes place parallel to the project, running in its own stream; but will be contingent upon core system build for implementation to be completed. Therefore must be viewed as a “complexity factor”. There is no metric for this, as is is based on a case-by-case requirement.

Training typically takes place in waves throughout a project, and while other activities can theoretically take place at the same time it is traditional that training takes place at phases of the project which are lighter on other service provider activity (early days and pre-UAT) – therefore this is best planned sequentially. Training volumes range from project to project, but let’s estimate ~10% of a project is training.

Most businesses are trying to actually continue to run a business around an ERP project, not just engage in a systems deployment; and in many cases, the project team is not purely dedicated to the deployment of the project, but rather taking the project on alongside their core role. As such, most businesses cannot absorb 20+ days of consultancy and training in any given month. One may expect a load of around 10-12 days per month may be reasonable for a business to accommodate.

c) What state is your data in? Who will migrate it? How much are you migrating?

Working on the basis that some data will need to be migrated over there will inevitably be a data cleansing exercise, which is always best performed by the business rather than the partner.

If you have adequate resource to clean and format the data for migration in parallel to the build phase of the project then there is no reason for this to extend or delay the project. However, high-quality data is required not only for go-live but also for UAT, therefore it is imperative that this is undertaken from as early a stage as possible in the project. If large volumes are being migrated, inevitably longer activity times will be associated with this and therefore this has the risk of elongating the project.

Therefore if a project is, say 220 days of core services + 80 days of development (+PM). We can apply the following logic:

Sequential: 180 days Consultancy and Training, Business performs UAT, Business performs data migration.

If the above estimates are correct, and using 12 days of PS absorption per month, then we would project a 15 month run of professional services.

Once we take into account User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and any contingency then an 18 month project for this volume of days would be a reasonable, and logical, supposition. However, working collaboratively and to a timeline, with adequate resourcing on both sides and a realistic change control process can accelerate this by up to 50% in some circumstances.

In conclusion, customers will naturally select the appropriate implementation method for them (with the guidance of their delivery partner); understanding whether the software meets their requirements “as standard” or requires modification is the starting point for this. Mysoft help our customers to identify whether modifications are required, or whether adopting best practice is sufficient, through a detailed and thorough discovery process; in this process a business analyst will review the business systems and process “as is”, and also the desired state, in order to determine the right approach – guided by timelines, budgets and internal resources.

Budgeting for an ERP project can be a daunting task, due to the various activities involved in the delivery of an ERP and its multiple moving parts, as discussed in a previous article ‘What is an ERP Project?’. In this article, we will delve into the process of scoping an ERP project. To start off with, it is important to know the scope and scale of the system – this can be very top-level or more detailed and refined.

Using broad brush strokes we can take a view of the estimated cost of a project by selecting modules of the software to cover functionality, selecting user numbers and the business geography that will be included along with the hosting options. As mentioned, this is a broad estimate but is useful for indicative figures.

It is important to consider whether the software will be required to manage the following areas: Finance, CRM, Sales, Purchasing, Inventory, Manufacturing, Quality, and eCommerce.

Each of these will add the additional cost of licence and configuration of the solution with varying degrees of influence. Controlling a wish list and implementing functionality in a phased manner is a way of controlling project costs.

A single-entity organisation is very different in its requirements to a multiple entity because of its additional ledgers, sites, processes, and reporting consolidations. These all add up to the complexity of a solution. Whether there will be operations in a single currency or multiple currencies will affect the inter-ledger activity and the overhead of reconciliation within the system.

Operating in the UK is a known quantity, with flexible account structures, simple tax rules and detailed reporting functions which most businesses are familiar with. When operating in multiple legislations a multitude of tax rules, reporting standards, fixed asset treatments, charts of accounts and other variables can come into play. Each additional legislative area can add intricacy to the project and overhead to the implementation.

Quite simply, some software is based on named users and some on concurrent licences. Named users are non-transferable licences which are assigned to an individual and concurrent licences are transferable licences operating in a ‘pool’ for use as required. This makes comparing 2 systems’ costs somewhat challenging as their licencing structures may vary and without a clear concurrency metric, it is difficult to ascertain which is providing better value. However, despite this, generally, a vendor can provide a licence cost of the software based on the number of users.

There are many choices available for ERP hosting and these each affect the solution available. Likewise, they each have associated cost implications, with on-premises being the most capital intensive and a traditional ownership model, while both the hosted and cloud options are revenue costs in the form of a subscription, typically annual.

The above information will provide an ERP implementation partner with enough data to provide a ballpark figure, but this will be highly speculative and will include a good bit of guess work. In order to provide more accurate proposals a partner will need to undertake significant investigations, usually referred to as a ‘deep dive’ or ‘discovery’ phase. These will involve investigations into the following:

Without the above information it is not reasonably possible to propose a solution, nor is it reasonably possible to qualify or disqualify the suitability of the solution for the prospective customer. The discovery phase of the purchasing cycle is vital to ensure that the project is scoped adequately, information is captured and all parties are aware of what is being proposed as included and excluded. A proposal for an ERP solution should be accompanied by a detailed document of specifications to which all parties agree.

To summarise, trying to estimate the costs for Sage X3 can be a bit of an art; however with an open, transparent line of communication between buyer and vendor, it is possible to reach “ballpark” figures relatively easily, and really hone down in terms of precision once more of the nuance is established.

Download the Mysoft guide on Buying ERP

Download the Mysoft guide on Buying ERP for insights and guidance on effectively selecting an ERP system, addressing the challenges of navigating choices, frameworks, stakeholder involvement and long-term impact. Topics covered:

• Where to start – external consultants or internal team?
• Shortlisting process
• The demo process
• Key requirements and wish lists
• Making financial decisions

Download the Sage E-Book: Discover The Full Power of Business Intelligence

Align and prioritise your company strategy with your tactical needs by discovering the full power of Business Intelligence.

According to an IDC report reviewing digital transformation and ERP systems within the Food & Beverage industry, only 10% of respondents stated that their ERP is used the way it was intended.

This leaves 90% of businesses with an ERP system either not being used correctly or not fit for purpose, leading to “work arounds”.

The key take-aways here are that the ERP systems being used today do not help Food & Beverages operations tackle their business challenges due to lack of “real time” intelligence, siloed activity or information, and functional misalignment.

Challenges for the Food & Beverages Industry Today

It is clear, on a superficial level, that the failures of legacy ERP systems are preventing the above objectives being achieved. We will look at how addressing these shortfalls can assist with the top five challenges.

Solutions Offered By Modern ERP

Firstly, “real time” information means different things to different businesses. Most operations do not require to-the-second latency of data for the majority of tasks, although in some cases it is relevant. For example, WIP (work in progress) costing doesn’t need to be accurate to the instant (2-3 times per day might be sufficient), whereas stock movements need to be immediate in order to ensure that sales are controlled and stock-outs are avoided or managed. There are operational challenges which preclude true real-time data, most typically those processes that require human intervention, and therefore, expectations must be tempered.

There is a combination of processes and reporting mechanisms that will come into play to enable “real-time” information and by virtue of this unlock many of the benefits of modern ERP:

The autonomous processing of operational activity to reduce the points of manual intervention (e.g. intercompany back to back purchase & sales orders, stock movements etc.). Sage X3, being a natively multi-site & multi-company system, can support automation of this nature. The removal of manual (human) intervention is a key step in maximising the efficiency of the ERP system and modern ERPs, such as Sage X3, making use of full system integration to automate as much as is viable; allowing for straight-through processing of key business processes, such as from sales order to shipping, with minimal human intervention.

Enabling the smooth hand-to-hand processing of tasks that must be undertaken manually. Workflows with email notifications can play a key role here in avoiding delays, which thereby enables closer to “real time” data and increased operational efficiency. Using the Sage X3 workflow engine, and Mysoft’s enhancements around this, can significantly accelerate activity turnarounds and increase process visibility.

In order to take advantage of this new “real-time” data, it must be accessed in “real-time” too, in an integrated and intuitive UI/UX. Interactive business intelligence (BI) and reporting solutions will assist with this at the level of reporting, and solutions such as Sage X3 have been developed (and undergo constant review and enhancement) to ensure that the end-to-end user experience is streamlined and as accessible as possible. In X3 we implement solutions such as Sage Enterprise Intelligence or Sage Data and Analytics to open up the possibilities of data management and “real-time” reporting, tailoring the ERP interface by each business role to maximize the efficiency of the system for end-users.

Aligned to the above point on access, there is a consideration for technology also. As the events of 2020 and 2021 have shown us, the working environment is no longer limited solely to the office, warehouse or factory. Being able to access business-critical systems remotely is not a “nice to have” but is now essential for ensuring business continuity – moving to a Cloud-native solution such as Sage X3 can provide business resilience to allow for seamless continuation of activity with a distributed workforce and market shocks.

For a Food and Beverage distributor or manufacturer, having “real-time” information in the system allows for more accurate FEFO (first expire first out) stock management and increased sales agility, which can contribute to resolving challenges around waste while enhancing compliance and traceability. When used in combination with integrated processes it will, as the IDC report notes, help with cost control, highlight inefficiencies and have an impact on consumer trust at a macro level. Access to “real-time” data and having a holistic view of a business allows for increased business agility; this enables an operation to pivot to new market opportunities and maximize growth potential.

The IDC report places modern, innovative, cloud-based ERPs at the heart of the business ecosystem; while not claiming that it is a panacea for all business requirements (there is still a case for some best-of-breed applications) the IDC report highlights ERP as a focal point for business systems and processes. Leveraging emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, cloud, etc. can transform the relationships businesses have with their ERP, from a point of contention to a source of operational intelligence.

To learn more about how the future of ERP could affect your business, please read the IDC Report and contact us about our (and our customer’s) experiences.

Download the Mysoft E-Book for Food and Beverage

As a food and drink manufacturer, your company must effectively tackle the challenge of managing industry-specific requirements and legal mandates imposed on your business.

Sage X3 is built to meet your specific industry requirements, providing the advanced functionality you need to remain competitive in the face of these difficult challenges.

The food and drink industry has a turnover of more than £105bn, accounting for 20% of total UK manufacturing as the biggest manufacturing sector in the country.

The importance of the industry goes beyond turnover.

According to the Food and Drink Federation, Food and drink manufacturing employs 430,000 people across every region of the UK and is a key part of the food and drink supply chain, which employs 4.3m people and is worth more than £120bn to the economy.

As a food and beverage manufacturer, you must efficiently manage industry-specific criteria and legislative restrictions that have been imposed on your organisation. Excellent coordination of all activities from ordering raw ingredients, to distributing your finished product is vital.

Focusing on operational excellence is critical as a manufacturer. When you have ERP, CRM, and supply chain processes working separately, it’s impossible to streamline your operation. Production errors, such as waste, spoilage, recalls, and safety issues as well as non-compliance with regulatory requirements, will have a negative impact on your organisation.

Using a solution like Sage X3, along with the expert support from Mysoft, gives your business the ability to consolidate systems, improve business processes, and reliably and easily access real-time data to take on the challenges head on. There are a number of key features in Sage X3 that make life for a food and beverage manufacturer a breeze, we’re going to briefly cover them in this article. You can download the full E-book here.

1. Streamline compliance to grow faster

Food and beverage companies face more regulatory pressure every day. Sage X3 will help you comply quickly so you can focus on growing your company. The software’s robust core functionality enables companies to easily streamline compliance and eliminate inefficiency, providing a significant advantage over legacy systems and other less powerful ERPs.

2. Accurately forecast supply and demand

Bad weather strikes, crops fail, a new food trend pops up and all of a sudden you have far too little product – or far too much. good business intelligence can help you predict seasonal changes in supply and demand so you can stock up or sell out accordingly. Sage X3 provides that intelligence in a customisable, easy-to-use interface.

3. Formula and recipe management

Predict and optimise the yields of multiple outputs of a production job by comparing planned inputs to planned outputs and plugging these values into a recipe or formula specification prior to initiating a production job.

4. Ensure quality management

Track and maintain quality specifications and test results for raw materials, intermediates and finished goods at various stages in their life cycle.

5. Improve efficiencies and assess demand

Compare loads on work centres imposed by existing and proposed work orders and manage the load capacity of each work centre, improving customer service and inventory levels.

6. Maximise inventory usage and reduce spoilage

Eliminate inefficiencies and streamline your inventory levels with end-to-end integration of your warehouse management as well as reduce inventory write-offs with expiration date, use-by-date, or re-control date management.

7. Take control of your production process

Based on the availability of your ingredients or resources, plan your production run and instantaneously rescale up or down to reflect constraints as well as maintain composition of each batch.

8. Proactively monitor your supply chain

Improve food safety with robust traceability and allergen tracking to ensure that you know the sources of your ingredients and what pressures might be affecting your suppliers during fluctuations in the food supply.

Sage X3’s allergens function allows tracking of manufactured products whose components have been identified with one of the food allergens.

There’s no doubt that Sage X3 has the power and flexibility to deal with most eventualities and scenarios that we might throw at it. But it’s true that no two businesses are the same, not even competing businesses within the same industry. There will always be differences in processes, regulatory requirements, or levels of competency among staff that mean you need more than even X3 can offer.

At Mysoft we have over 250 collective years of experience working with Sage X3 and since 2005 we have been developing both bespoke solutions and more generic Sage X3 Plugins for our customers to help enhance the overall solution, including enhanced stock enquiries, and carrier and WMS integrations.

If you want to find out more about how Sage X3 and Mysoft can support, optimise, and drive forward your business then get in touch today to book a Sage X3 demo!

The food and beverage industry is undergoing rapid and complicated period of change.

Consumers today are always connected, seek individuality and personalisation, and are impatient with complexity and latency.

A food and beverage industry’s worst nightmare — and greatest opportunity — is the continuously changing nature of what consumers desire. Successful food and beverage companies must be able to anticipate and accommodate these rapidly changing expectations, which include an increase in healthier, more personalised, and ecologically conscious options.

This article discusses 6 trends within the industry that consumers are driving and our Mysoft tips as to how you can create engaging new consumer experiences at scale.

“A product is easy to copy, but experiences are hard to replicate.” Clayton Christensen, former Harvard Business School academic

Digital marketing is evolving at a rapid pace. It’s almost as if it’s a living entity that continues to grow and evolve year after year. As a result, conventional frameworks for digital advertising like websites, social media, search engines like Google, and e-mail marketing are making way for new, more innovative frameworks such as marketing automation, omnichannel marketing and chatbots. It appears as though there is no generic formula for the success behind these frameworks, but getting stuck in and finding out what works for your business is the best place to start. With such a vast range of new tools to be trialled, there is so much to explore.

Mysoft tip:

Before the internet, manufacturers had few alternatives for reaching out to their customers, ranging from catalogues to mail-order purchases, it was frequently easier to sell products at wholesale prices to retail outlets that would do the job for you. With the rise of social media and online presence, today’s marketing landscape is so drastically different that direct-to-consumer marketing has become more of an attractive tool to manufactures. Direct-to-consumer marketing (or D2C) is a marketing technique in which businesses advertise and sell their products to a customer directly. The D2C market has been growing with double digit rates for several years already and is projected to maintain a further 19.2% growth throughout 2021 (Calafell 2020).

Mysoft tip:

In recent years, emerging technologies such as traceability, artificial intelligence, and blockchain have substantially improved food safety control, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and customers will all be affected by this development, which will improve the transparency and efficiency of the entire food chain.

You may gain control and boost responsibility at all phases of manufacturing and retail by digitising your processes. It provides the most practical and seamless means of maintaining compliance, allowing supply chain traceability to begin in the farmer’s field and continue all the way to the point of consumer purchase. Digitalisation of your processes not only ensures traceability, making your food supply chain more efficient and transparent, but it also improves customer loyalty, trust, and brand recognition by allowing your customers a greater insight into your business.

Mysoft tip:

Pressure from the governments and consumers driving the need for more information about ingredients, animal welfare and child labour is one of the main reasons for the push for a more transparent supply chain.

It’s been proven that consumers are willing to pay 2% to 10% more for products from companies that provide greater supply chain transparency (Bateman & Bonanni, 2019). After incidents such as the Horsemeat scandal around Europe in 2013, in which a large percentage of horse DNA and horsemeat was found in supermarket beefburgers and ready meals, consumers have started to demand greater transparency from large food companies.

Today, food manufacturers realise the need to integrate their existing ERP software with a single comprehensive tech-solution that presents a dashboard of complex issues like safety, security, transparency, compliance across the siloes of field, factory, suppliers, payments to farmers, distributor network, and retail to eventually provide field-to-fork data view of each and every product in their supply chain.

Mysoft tip:

It’s almost certain that at some point, even you have purchased an ‘own brand’ item from a supermarket. From Tesco’s Finest to Waitrose No 1, a private label is a standard addition to supermarkets nowadays. Private labels can offer benefits such as higher gross margin, customer loyalty and more control over cost and price management.

Consumer expectations have prompted retailers to ensure that their Private Label items are more creative, diversified, and hence more desirable than ever before. As a result of achieving a considerably better mix of quality and cost, Private Label goods have exploded in popularity, resulting in many more prospects for these products than ever before.

Due to issues such as post-Brexit uncertainty, customers in the UK are increasingly choosing Private Label items. In a recent survey done by Retail Economics, 48 percent of 2,000 customers asked, said that if their weekly food shopping prices increased, they would switch to cheaper own-label alternatives.

Mysoft tip:

Companies all around the world are committing to better environmental policies as a result of a drive for increased consumer transparency and a desire to make the world a better place. Eco-friendly packaging is a hot topic on social media and within the news, and finding innovative new ways to package products that are focused on repurposed, reusable and recycled materials can generate a lot of positive noise around your brand.

Mysoft tip:

It might be claimed that at the end of 2021, dubbed “the year of digital transformation,” there is still a great deal of ambiguity about what the sector will look like in the future. One thing is certain: the advantages of using a flexible ERP system like Sage X3, a solution which will provide you with complete control over how you customise the core system to operate your business more efficiently. From financial management to production management, and even supply chain management, Sage X3 is designed to help streamline processes and gain your business efficiencies, increasing margins and allowing you to meet the complex demands of your industry.

While Mysoft is better than most at fine-tuning Sage X3’s basic capabilities, we also recognise that there may be a best-of-breed solution out there that provides you exactly what you need, just the way you need it. In any case, we have a lot of experience in optimising solutions and helping clients to get even the most value out of their X3 investment, whether it’s through new capability development or seamless interfaces with other solutions.

Download the official Sage X3 brochure

Download the official Sage X3 brochure to discover how the solution helps businesses thrive and stay competitive in the face of growing complexity and competitive pressures.

As your organisation develops and expands, so does the need to respond quickly and efficiently to higher volumes of calls for your product.

When that all-important customer order comes through the door, whether that’s via email or EDI (electronic data interchange), from your website, or even just over the phone, you need to be sure that you have the resources at your disposal so that you can fulfil the order.

There are a number of strands that feed into this and in this article, we’ll take a look at how, by using Sage X3, you’ll be able to:

Get Your Orders On – Fast!

Starting with the manual option, entering orders into Sage X3 from scratch is quick and easy, with order screens configured to your own specific requirements, lots of ways of looking up customer details and easy item selection.

Alternatively, you can create imports, EDI documents and/or use APIs to communicate with a website.

Buying again? For repeat customers, you can either copy whole previous orders, or cherry pick previously ordered items to save you time.

Complementary or Alternative Products

When you’re processing your customer’s order, you have a number of tools at your disposal for generating some additional margin. Whether that’s, as we’ve mentioned above, reordering a product that they’ve bought before, building up a kit of complementary items (“Wireless mouse with that keyboard, sir?”), or, using a Mysoft Plugin, offering cross-sell and up-sell opportunities. You can also view current stock levels and offer alternatives if a particular item is currently out of stock.

What Stock You Have and Where It Is

In a previous article, we talked about how you can use Location Management in Sage X3 to define specific locations for all of your warehouse stock. Well, once you’ve got that organised, a number of enquiries allow you to view your products in real time. There are several prompts around the system such as while you’re raising orders, allocating stock for picking and delivery, and also when you’re reordering, for instance, that will provide you with snapshots of:

Your organisation has invested quite heavily in stock, so it makes sense to make the best use of it and minimise wastage. Sage X3 can help you to ensure that you’re using use the oldest stock, or perhaps the stock with the closest Best Before date, first. Allocation rules allow you to define how stock is going to be automatically assigned to orders, so that you can direct your pickers to the earliest dated products, or the items with the oldest batch or serial numbers, at the right time.

A Great Experience Through an Efficient Despatch Process

So, the customer has ordered and you have (or are getting) stock to cover the order. Now all you have to do is despatch it.

In Sage X3, Preparation Plans allow you to book in your picking slots in advance based on anticipated delivery dates. You could arrange things an order at a time, or by product, or by vehicle. Then you are picking the order lines, scanning barcodes as you go until the pick is complete before creating your Delivery Notes (automatically perhaps) for everything due to go out on any given day.

Another Mysoft Plugin allows you to book the delivery directly with your chosen carrier for the customer and then print out the carrier’s label to place on the package. The carrier knows where and when to deliver; when the customer’s site is closed for deliveries, for instance; and whether there are any special instructions.

If you’re organising your own deliveries then X3 can help you to optimise your delivery routes and, if the customer is overseas, print your supporting documents in the customer’s domestic language. There are all kinds of documentation that you can print from X3 to support the export process, like commercial invoices and forms specific to your own particular industry, which might be triggered by an order or delivery.

Your Essential Next Step

The Sales process is one of the most critical operational areas to get right and it’s important to remind ourselves that, in this context, no two organisations are the same. So there clearly shouldn’t necessarily be a “one size fits all” approach to systematisation.

Sage X3 provides complete flexibility in terms of how you configure the core system. But at Mysoft, as well as being able to fine-tune Sage X3’s standard functionality better than most, we also appreciate that there might be a particular best of breed solution out there that gives you precisely what you need, just the way you like it. Either way, we have a wealth of experience in optimising solutions and enabling customers to derive even greater benefits from their investment in X3, whether that’s through development of new functionality or through seamless integrations with external solutions.

Contact us today to find out more about how Sage X3 and Mysoft can help you to a more efficient sales process.

Sage X3 provides all the tools that you need to efficiently control and manage your stock in real time both for now, and moving forward as your business grows.

In this article, we’ll take a look at just some of these:

Where to Put It All – Location Set Up to Cater For Any Scenario

Whether you’re working out of one location or you have multiple sites, Sage X3 gives you the flexibility to arrange these to suit your internal requirements. Locations can be internal or external, linked to a customer or supplier, and generally set up according to how you arrange your own storage facilities (warehouses, aisles, racks, bins, etc). If you want to restrict certain locations to certain products, then you can do that too, as well as determining limits on quantities of each product that can be stored there. Allocation and picking rules can be configured based on the type of location, so that stock is always taken from the most appropriate places.

When it comes to consignment stock, we’ve seen a number of different situations amongst our own customers, some involving stock held on-site, some off-site and with myriad different reporting and processing requirements. So, it goes without saying that X3 is flexible enough to deal with most scenarios in this area.

Products, Goods, Items, Parts, SKUs – New Products Made Easy

Whatever you call them and whatever your industry, you can create categories, or templates, to make new product set up easy.

Do you need Lot and/or Serial Number management? Expiry Dates? Version management? Allergen tracking? Barcoding? Customer and Supplier Product Numbering? The list goes on and can, on the face of it, appear a bit daunting. But the ability to define Product Categories means that the whole process can be made easy for your staff.

If you’re involved in manufacturing or simple assembly you can also define a full multi-level bill of materials. Or, if you want to offer complementary products to your customers as part of their order you can use a sales kit – all fully costed using a variety of different methodologies.

Keeping Track of Everything – Stock Movements with Full Traceability Where You Need It

Once you’ve defined the structure, X3’s comprehensive solution then allows you to manage the full range of warehouse movements, from Goods In and Put Away (if needed), through to Transfers, Stock counts, Despatch, and Adjustments. These can either be recorded on screens, including tablets, or using hand held scanners all in real time. Plus, more functionality in this area is due from Sage over the next year or two.

If you prefer the idea of integrating with a state-of-the-art warehouse management system (WMS) however, then Sage X3 is designed to make real time integrations seamless.

In industries like Food and Beverage and Pharmaceuticals, it’s also critical to be able to trace the origin of a product and its ingredients back to the source as well as going the other way, to know where else a particular batch of an ingredient may have been used, in case you need to consider a recall. With Sage X3, this comes as standard and is flexible enough to provide you with the level of detail that you need, whether that’s at batch, serial, pallet, all three or simply product level across all of your sites.

What State Is Our Stock In? – Stock Statuses and Testing

If the condition of your stock is important and you need a rules-based approach to managing movements according to that condition, then you can define any number of stock statuses in Sage X3. At the simplest level, you can start off by defining a status in terms of whether an item is Available, in Quality Control or Rejected. But you can also have multiple variations on each of these three main headings, with rules and processes linked to each.

When a stock item is returned, spoiled or defective, or simply on receipt or after manufacture, then you may need to place it in quarantine, pending the result of testing. With Sage X3 you can record the results of a quality test in as much or as little detail as you need, with supporting results and documentation attached for future reference and analysis. You can also use Non-conformances to manage issues and assign responsibilities for staff involved in corrective or preventive actions.

Getting The Right Balance – Managing the Reorder Process

Optimising your stock usually only means one thing: ensuring that you have enough of the right kind of stock available when you need it without burning an unnecessarily large hole in your finances. With X3 you can define or calculate minimum stock levels, reorder points, and take account of existing demand and forecasts for your products when calculating what you need to reorder. Sage X3 can then provide you with suggestions based on how you order. So for some products you might need to raise POs, manufacturing or subcontracting work orders, or simply organise a transfer of stock between warehouses to fulfil the expected demand.

If you regularly need to plan ahead, then you may also need to build your own forecasts, based on historic activity, and a tool like Sage Inventory Advisor (also known as Netstock) can be used to dynamically forecast demand for each product and recalculate stock levels accordingly – all fully integrated with Sage X3 and all designed to optimise the stock that you hold in each location.

And That’s NOT All Folks – The Mysoft Difference

There’s no doubt that Sage X3 has the power and flexibility to deal with most eventualities and scenarios that we might throw at it. But it’s true that no two businesses are the same, not even competing businesses within the same industry. There will always be subtle (or maybe even not so subtle!) differences in process, regulatory requirements, or levels of competency among staff that mean you need more than even X3 can offer.

We also believe in a best of breed approach to both ERP (hence why we only work with Sage X3) and complementary solutions that exist in and around it, for example Sage Inventory Advisor which we talked about earlier in the article. As we’ve pointed out already, Sage X3 is a highly scalable solution built for companies just like yours. We’d be happy to talk to you about your own particular requirements, whether you’re looking at the short, medium or longer term.

In the modern-day office of Finance, the focus is increasingly moving toward process automation – and Accounts Payable (AP) is no exception.

Whether your objective is to reduce the risk of fraud, automate document approvals, or simply reduce paper there are many ways that you can streamline your payables process using Sage X3.

Tasks from the initial set up of a supplier right the way through to invoice processing, payment and bank reconciliation can be made more efficient, free up your staff to be more productive in other areas, and reduce the overall time it takes for documents to be processed.

Master Data Management

When setting up Business Partner records, such as Suppliers, Carriers and Staff for payables purposes, you can make use of Categories in Sage X3 which provide default settings and timesavers for various elements of a payables account: numbering sequences, currencies, payment terms, approval process, and so on. You can also decide whether setting up or amending a record should generate some form of notification email, such as if the supplier needs secondary approval before it can be used, or if you need to track changes in payment terms, bank accounts, and so on.

Workflows and Notifications

Workflows are also a great way to streamline the approval process for purchase requisitions and orders. You can base these on any number of criteria, such as to highlight variances against a supplier price list, invoke approvals based on overall order values and even making use of budget controls. It is also possible to use them to notify the person who raised the order when their goods have been received.

Scheduling ‘Batch’ Tasks

Automated, scheduled despatch of approved purchase requisitions, and particularly orders, is another way to ensure that precious time isn’t wasted through unnecessary admin.

Automated Solutions

Then, when the invoice comes in, AP automation solutions can allow for supplier emails to be processed and the invoice presented for review. Using either OCR technology or text recognition (depending on how the document was created and received), and with reference to its ever-growing global invoice library, X3CloudDocs can help you to code up your invoices quickly, accurately and efficiently, suggesting account codes to use or matching the invoice to the originating PO and receipt lines from Sage X3. After a while, you may find that invoices from certain suppliers only need a cursory glance (and maybe not even that!) before they move through to the approval or posting stage.

Hierarchical Approvals

Approvals can be based on a number of criteria and involve different steps depending on your different lines of business and the requirements of different entities and departments around the business. Supporting documentation can be attached and comments recorded, so that your staff have all the information that they need in order to approve their invoices and send them on for processing into Sage X3. Invoices can then be viewed in a number of places, so whether you need to view the associated accounting entries, approval comments, or the original email and its attachments, your documents are securely stored electronically and available precisely where your users need to see them.

Traceability and Auditing

Journal traceability in Sage X3 also means that you can track your invoice back to its originating PO and forward to its payment details, so you can quickly and easily deal with supplier queries and audit requests.

Using Sage X3 you can also set up a schedule of daily, weekly and/or monthly payment runs based on the relevant supplier groupings (external, intercompany, or staff for instance), invoice due dates and whether you’re paying them by BACS, SEPA, or any other payment method. Remittance advices can be automatically sent to suppliers and payment files routed securely to your banking or payment portal, from which you would also expect to be able to download payment responses and statements that you can then use to systematise your bank reconciliation process.

In Summary

So, from the setup of your suppliers and configuration of approvals, right the way through to the automated delivery of orders and processing of invoices and payments, Sage X3 has the Accounts Payable process covered. You’ll save your company time and money, ensure that documents aren’t lost as they travel around the business, ensure a high level of control and visibility, and even maintain positive supplier relationships, as they see the benefits to their business of an efficient, automated process in yours.

Automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Robotics

The use of automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and digital robotics in business has been accelerated in recent years, primarily due to Covid-19 and an increase in remote working, but also due to the recent progression of the Information Age that began in the 1970s. Advanced technology available today enables businesses to easily streamline processes through these methods to: improve efficiency and delivery of good or services; save time; reduce waste; and contain costs.

In a November 2018 article titled ‘New technology, new rules: Reimagining the modern finance workforce’, management consultants McKinsey highlighted the role of CFOs and their teams in advising operational units on the value of innovation to the overall health of the business.

Finance is expected to use sophisticated analytics to measure and manage organisational performance in operational business units. But in a McKinsey survey only 13% of CFOs said that their own Finance organisations had automation technologies at their disposal.

We are now 3 years on since that article was published and one suspects that the figures today would probably be nearer 1 in 6, or maybe 1 in 5 at best. Optimisation of available resources is a key element in improving efficiencies, but many companies in those lower to mid-market spaces are focusing on only marginal improvements in order to protect the bottom line. However, there are recent stats that indicate that the higher the level of investment in streamlining through automation within finance, the greater the likelihood of translation into increased revenues overall.

Contemporary solutions such as X3CloudDocs combine the best digital techniques along with machine learning. Automated Invoice Processing is an excellent fit for machine learning as specific invoice layouts proliferate and, once learned, the benefits of an already learned invoice layout can be shared with all users of the system.

What is X3CloudDocs?

Mysoft launched X3CloudDocs in 2020 with an aim to deliver immediate value to Finance departments globally through digital transformation and automation. X3CloudDocs is dedicated to saving both time and money, allowing Finance employees to focus on the things that matter most. And most importantly, let robots do robot work!

X3CloudDocs automates the accounts payable invoice process through a dedicated workflow. The financial record of the invoice is automatically created in Sage X3, with the original document being securely stored in the Cloud. Unlike a manual process, X3CloudDocs provides full control, auditability and traceability. This digital transformation for your finance department provides instant cost savings and incredibly quick ROI.

Mysoft has partnered with a world-class OCR engine to fully integrate Purchase Invoice automation into the Sage X3 workflow. Discover how your finance department can work smarter with X3CloudDocs:

The Benefits of Going Automated in Finance

According to research and analysis group, Gartner, the typical cost of processing an invoice in the UK averages between £4 and £25, and in some cases even up to £50, per individual invoice. Gartner also estimates that an AP clerk can enter on average around 5 invoices per hour. This represents a significant financial and opportunity cost to UK businesses.

Mysoft’s X3CloudDocs Automated Purchase Invoice Processing module can provide a range of key business benefits which extend beyond the simple reduction in manual data entry, from increased accuracy to reduced time to settlement (accessing early settlement discounts). Above all this is an efficiency solution which enables valuable finance professionals to focus on value added tasks rather than activities better suited to robots.

Don’t just take our word for it, hear what our customers have to say! The UK’s leading cycle part distributer, Madison, recently implemented X3CloudDocs and have already been experiencing the benefits in their finance team. Read the full story here.

Sage X3 and X3CloudDocs Integration

Using X3CloudDocs you can receive invoices either by email or in scanned form and then process them electronically through the OCR engine. Using a Mysoft-developed integration, it takes data that you maintain in Sage X3, such as suppliers, GL accounts and purchase orders, and uses this information in the coding of the invoice. If your invoice refers to a purchase order, for instance, then you can teach X3CloudDocs where to find details such as quantities, prices and amounts on the document, to enable automatic matching for this and future invoices from your supplier.

You can then send your invoices for approval, if required, before the integration piece automatically picks up processed invoices and creates the appropriate invoice documents in Sage X3, complete with an image of the invoice saved as an attachment, ready for you to continue the posting and payment process.

If you’re a business owner, then profitability is probably one of the main reasons you started your business.

“Sales is King”, an old boss of mine once told me.

As a one-man over-worked software delivery team, I often wished that our Sales team would slow down a bit, so that our developers and I could keep up with an ever-increasing list of orders! Of course, (and I appreciate this more now!) if you haven’t got a constant stream of revenue coming through the door, then that does somewhat limit your options for scaling the business going forward.

‘The Right Way’

The other side of that, naturally, is cost. But this does need to be balanced against the needs of your staff. While you aim to streamline operations and reduce the cost of doing business, your reputation counts for a lot here – everyone would prefer to do business with a company that does things ‘the right way’, with strong ethics and a strong focus on quality, agility and treating their staff well. This also applies internally, where employees would far rather identify with a business which is seen to be progressive and fair-minded.

One sure fire way of ensuring that your business progresses is via a focus on technology. It certainly pays to keep abreast of changes and advances, and there are plenty of forums out there promoting solutions in the name of automation / robotics / AI. It’s never been truer to say that if you’re standing still then you’re effectively going backwards, and by investing in technology in the short term, you’re protecting your bottom line in the longer term. What you don’t want, however, is to alienate your workforce in the process.

Your Employees

When sister company, X3CloudDocs, were researching industry statistics for the launch, they found one source that said that 25% of Finance staff were unhappy in their jobs, as they felt that they were spending too long on labour-intensive manual input. There’s frustration bubbling these days surrounding data imports and exports, OCR, spreadsheets, macros, etc. There should be a better solution than continual manual input, which may well have been acceptable practice twenty, ten or even five years ago, but is becoming an increasingly outdated concept today.

Finance professionals would prefer to spend more time analysing, interpreting and presenting results which, after all, is what they spent many years training to do, rather than inputting journals and invoices.

And, it’s not just Finance. To paraphrase a mantra from Sales, even in a B2B environment, it’s true to say that “People prefer to deal with people”. Your Sales and Warehouse teams, to name but two, can be your biggest asset when it comes to dealing with third parties. They provide common sense solutions to problems and encourage compromise where needed. Failure of a business to adapt to these types of attitudes can be costly when business partners become frustrated and key staff then go in search of more motivating opportunities elsewhere.

The Power of Automation

Focusing for a moment on how Mysoft’s customers can leverage the power of automation, Sage X3 contains a number of tools and plugins designed to automate and speed up daily processes. These include: batch tasks, imports and exports, barcode scanning, sending and inbound processing of documents such as orders and invoices, and interfacing with external websites and carriers. All are designed to promote efficiency and can help to free up time for your staff. The extra time can be used to perform tasks that will, for instance, improve internal reporting and relationships, both externally with suppliers and customers, and internally between departments and sites. This makes employees feel like more valuable members of the workforce who also then feel more fulfilled and appreciative of the potential career progression that comes with increased responsibility.

Empowering your employees to use their brains, not just their fingers, to make important business decisions while providing them with the technical and inter-personal tools they can use to enhance their own skillsets is a powerful way to improve motivation and, in turn, staff retention.

There’s an old saying that goes: “your organisation is only as secure as its weakest password”.

There’s also another one: “the only secure password is the one you can’t remember”.

If that’s true, then the passwords and authentication methods you use with your ERP system can determine how secure it is. That could be bad news. There is some good news, however. In fact, it is very good news. Sage X3 supports a vast plethora of authentication methods, many of which are on the cutting edge of security technology.

Sage X3 has built-in authentication where the user’s password is stored (as a hash) in MongoDB. This authentication method is known internally as ‘Basic’. This method does not let you control your password policy (password complexity, length or expiry). This is not recommended as an authentication method in a production environment. If you use this method, it is highly recommended that your use HTTPS and a certificate otherwise the credentials can be exchanged unencrypted over the network.

Sage X3 can also integrate with Active Directory by making use of LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol). With this authentication method your password policy is controlled by your internal AD password policy. The authentication itself is also passed to the domain controller or a Read-Only Domain Controller in the datacentre. Users can also then be managed from the Active Directory.

The cutting-edge stuff starts when you consider implementing OAUTH2 and SAML2 authentication methods. With these you can integrate with AzureAD (e.g. Office 365), Google, Okta and other major platforms in the authentication security space. With these you can implement 2FA (two factor authentication) and MFA (multi factor authentication) functionality where you login requests need to verified through an Authenticator app on a mobile device, an extra code texted to a mobile (SMS), extra security questions asked in another browser session, and various others.

The huge advantage with being able to integrate with these technologies means that Sage X3 can use enterprise level authentication services to grant users access to the ERP system. Organisations can then also use these authentication methods across multiple systems, not just the ERP platform.

So, if your organisation is still using basic authentication to grant end-users access to your ERP system consider upgrading to a more secure authentication method.

The UK’s HMRC has announced that the 1 April 2020 second phase of Making Tax Digital for VAT has been postponed by one year until 1 April 2021. Businesses now have until their first VAT return period starting on or after 1 April 2021 to put digital links in place.

The introduction of MTD (Making Tax Digital) in 2019 sent ripples of panic throughout the business community.

What would this mean for submitting your tax? How would it affect your Sage system set up?

Broadly speaking, we found that most businesses have handled the change without much difficulty. If you are using an up to date ERP solution, like Sage X3, then the new functionality that is MTD compliant will be built in. If not, then there is an array of third-party solutions on offer that are able to “plug the gap” and make your tax digital.

There were various caveats to the 2019 legislation that were relevant for many companies using Sage X3; for example, those based in multiple countries or those with complex processes would have a longer transition period. The government announced in March 2019 that the focus will be on supporting businesses to transition and will therefore not be mandating MTD for any new taxes or businesses in 2020.

More recently the government has announced that due to the transition period of Brexit the introduction of Making Tax Digital for Corporation Tax will be delayed until at least 2021 to allow for Brexit delivery.

The main purpose of MTD is to simplify how the British government processes tax so if you are already using a digital system to manage your accounts, which most users of Sage X3 will be doing, then it will be fairly simple to prepare for the changes to the legislation.

What Can You do Now to Prepare Your Sage X3 Solution?

If you are using an older version of Sage X3 then the best course of action is to speak with your Account Manager about patching to a suitable level or upgrading if required. Not only will this then equip you with the functionality to be MTD compliant but your business will also gain all the modern technological enhancements from the latest version of Sage X3, such as improved data insight and more user-friendly user interface.

If you are keeping this information in various disparate solutions, or separate spreadsheets, then it is worth considering the benefits of updating your software to one solution that can manage this entire volume of data. This not only helps with being MTD compliant but will provide you with a much clearer view of your organisations performance and minimise duplications of workloads.

Ultimately, as a result of the MTD legislation you will need to translate your spreadsheets into compatible software in order to be MTD compliant. There is a multitude of third-party solutions available which HMRC calls ‘bridging software’, which convert your records to the right format before you submit. Your digital records don’t all have to be in one place, but HMRC requires data to flow and be exchanged digitally between applications by 31 March 2020. In cases where the customer cannot upgrade, or complete the VAT process within X3, Mysoft have worked with VitalTax who can provide “bridging” solutions for companies using Sage X3 and other financial solutions in order to become MTD compliant.

There is limited and conflicting information available on when Making Tax Digital will come into play for Corporation Tax. HMRC are measuring the success of the VAT rollout first before making any further decisions. It is believed that the earliest possible that this would be introduced would be at a point during 2021.

Download the Mysoft guide on Moving from Sage 200 to Sage X3.

This guide will provide you with the knowledge and resources you need to make a successful move from Sage 200 to Sage X3, helping to streamline your processes, improve efficiencies, and grow your business. It will cover topics such as assessing the current system, the differences between Sage 200 and Sage X3, the key benefits of moving and a breakdown of the upgrade process.

As a growing business, it can be difficult to know when it’s time to upgrade your ERP system.

The ‘right time’ will differ from business to business, but there are important points that every organisation should consider when looking to upgrade your ERP system.

The benefits of upgrading your ERP system hugely outweigh having an outdated ERP system. Upgrading your system will allow your business to continue to perform at full capacity, allowing you to efficiently manage daily business activities. The latest versions of ERP software are capable of keeping up with today’s business and technological demands.

The following will explain the risks you might face by not upgrading and the benefits of having an up-to-date ERP system. .

Unsupported ERP System VS upgrading your ERP System

By using a legacy ERP system, you might find yourself on an unsupported version of the software. Software developers release new updates and, subsequently, stop supporting older versions.

Remaining unsupported could lead to running issues such as bugs and slow performance which may have a negative impact on your business’s efficiency. Legacy systems were not designed to keep up with today’s fast-paced developments.

Upgrading to a supported ERP system means that any issues that are encountered can be solved from the root of the problem by working together with your ERP vendor and ERP supplier. It also means that you can avoid the unnecessary costs of fixing patch issues and instead focus on the full efficiency capabilities of your upgraded ERP system.

Security for an ERP System

An outdated ERP system could leave your company’s data at risk. Storing data in a legacy software will leave it vulnerable to hackers and viruses. This is particularly prominent when a business is using an old on-premise server.

The benefit of upgrading your ERP today is that the majority of ERP systems operate using a secure cloud domain. This, partnered with the management of a reliable provider such as Mysoft, will keep your business safe from any external threats.

As well as being more secure, Cloud based ERP is perfect for growing companies who want to take advantage of the latest and most advanced business management technology. All new ERP updates are automatically installed, system maintenance and user support are managed by the ERP or Cloud vendor and the system will reflect regulatory changes. A Cloud based ERP is ideal for mobile employees working on-the-go as all data is stored in a remote database, accessible anywhere but safe from anyone external to the organisation.

Regulations for an ERP System

As mentioned previously, legacy software eventually becomes unsupported. This means if new regulations come in, for example the introduction of GDPR in 2018 or MTD in 2019, the older versions of the software risk not being compliant.

The fines incurred with failing to be GDPR compliant can be huge, for example you could be fined up to 20 million pounds. Therefore, ensuring that your ERP system is fit for purpose is not only important for the runnings of your business but could also reduce your costs.

Industry Competition

ERP is designed to maximise efficiency within your business so that it can grow and become more profitable. It would therefore be inefficient to continue using a solution that could land you behind your competitors. By going forward with upgrading your ERP system, you will be making the most of the functionality and business benefits the ERP software offers.

Using the latest ERP technology will allow your business to continue working at a high level of productivity, using automated processes will allow time to be saved and costs to be reduced as well as allowing your business to work and trade more freely with customers and suppliers.

ERP software that can keep up with your evolving business needs, integrates seamlessly with other software, and is in line with your growth strategy will make you stand out from your competitors.

Why Sage X3 for your ERP system upgrade?

By implementing Sage X3 your company will gain an advanced business management solution, streamlined business processes and detailed insights on company wide data. Sage X3 is a solution that can handle all of your company’s requirements in one. There is no need for any additional integrated software to manage separate areas of the business.

If you are using any add-ons alongside your ERP software you’re at a higher chance of experiencing risks. If one was to fail there is a risk that it can affect the whole suite which in turn may affect the running of the business. Upgrading to Sage X3 means the pressure of ensuring seamless integration is lifted. Upgrading to Sage X3 from a lower tier Sage product, such as Sage Line 50, Sage 200 or Sage 1000, means that your business can achieve complete visibility and control across the entire organisation including multi-site and multi-territory capabilities, and multi-language and multi-currency functionality.

Sage X3 is a solution that grows with your business. Once live, you will be able to use the solution thereon after, simply scaling up your business processes as required.

Multi-site and multi-territory businesses bring a range of extra intercompany complications that need managing efficiently.

Whatever your reason might be for setting up subsidiaries, you need a solution that can handle a complex business model.

Often in a multi-site business, each site operates as its own legal entity, perhaps specialising in a particular area of the business or local experts in a certain region/ country. Each site will run independently so rather than having to separately manage each site on a smaller Sage solution, Sage X3 will allow you to gain data analysis across your entire organisation from a single point of access. Sage X3 is multi-company, multi-location, multi-site, multi-currency and multi-language, all as standard. You can use the solution to create insightful intercompany reports as well as eliminating hours of number crunching through its intercompany transaction functionality, all of which will aid your company’s growth.

Intercompany Reports

Multi-company activity and reporting is a common requirement for companies looking at or using business management solutions. This is an area where Sage X3 excels. A truly global solution, Sage X3 not only features multi-company capabilities but it also handles multiple languages and legislations. All your data is held in one solution and can be reported on at multiple levels, so you not only gain an insight into how one business unit is performing, but insights into how your company as a whole could be working more efficiently.

The benefit of having complete visibility over your whole business is that you will be able to respond efficiently to changes from any part of the company and subsequently smooth out any arising problems.

Read more about how Sage X3 consolidates Intercompany accounts, and how it can produce company-wide reports in order to see where you could be working more productively here.

Intercompany Transactions

The term ‘intercompany’ in the context of transactions (and indeed Inter-Site, if referring to activity taking place within a single company) applies to a number of areas of Sage X3, including Sales, Purchasing, Inventory and Finance. In basic terms, Sage X3 will manage the process of an activity in one entity generating an activity in another.

You’ve got another company in your group that you need to transact with. The process of doing this means that the same numbers are entered and re-entered numerous times, with hours of unnecessary time wasted by keying and re-keying the same information in different systems to achieve the end result.

Sage X3 can manage this whole process in one place and eliminate the need for this duplication of workload as well as the inherent risk of human error when numbers are being repeatedly, manually entered into a system.

A key feature of Sage X3, in terms of intercompany accounting, is the flexibility and breadth of the general ledger set up. A single user has the ability to control financial processes throughout the entire business via one point of access, for example, you can set up a specific invoicing process at a global level and then apply it to all sites. The use of the general ledger in Sage X3 is particularly beneficial for multi-territory organisations due to X3’s capability to handle multi-currency environments.

This means that all of the data surrounding these processes can be analysed at a deeper level as it is all set up in the same way, controlled by the global entity. With Analytical Dimensions the user can drill down into the information and statistics from a global point of view or individually at each site, which allows full company visibility. As the dimensions on a journal can be checked and if necessary, amended before final posting, this does allow you to ensure that your postings have been accurately analysed before you run reports.

Security

As your business expands, the number of users expands and so does the range of internal roles. This is particularly true for companies with multiple sites. Different departments and/or subsidiaries need to use different parts of the solution. With Sage X3 it is possible to control access to information on the system for different users.

Set permissions or limit access to information for particular users to improve the security of data internally and tailor the experience. The fully configurable nature of the solution means that Sage X3 is a more sophisticated offering and has a higher level of control and accountability.

Sage X3 is a very strong solution when it comes to stock and inventory management.

Its inherent flexibility as a solution allows you to build your specific stock management processes within the technology, automating areas of the process and accelerating your ways of working.

However, setting up the stock and inventory management processes can be a challenging a task. Below are some common stock errors we have come across in Sage X3, and how to resolve them.

When any issues occur with Stock, they can often be fixed by running the following resynchronisation processes.

There is no selection on this resynchronisation and it will launch straight into the function.

In addition to generic error messages shown above, the following can appear when running the resynchronisations:

An anomaly in the site stock file is detected. The ITMMVT table is automatically updated according to the information recorded in the files concerned (STOCK, STOALL..)

An anomaly in the stock lot file. The update of STOLOT with respect to STOCK is automatic.

Record in STOQLYD has no corresponding record in STOQLYH and STOCK. Similarly, there may be an instance where STOQLYH has no corresponding record in STOQLYD.

A serial number is not issued nor in stock, the deletion of the record in STOSER is automatic.

The FIFO stock price and the stock control has found an anomaly. The correction needs to be made manually.

The Mysoft team have 250 cumulative years of experience working solely with Sage X3. Our experienced team is capable of supporting you throughout your entire Sage X3 journey; scoping, implementation, customisation, development and beyond.

Our Support team has a unique depth of technical knowledge. This blog demonstrates a tiny fraction of their knowledge. We want your solution to be perfect for you and we focus on building long-lasting business relationships with our customers, to ensure they continue to gain the very most from their investment over the months and years to come.

Obtaining traceability and visibility of stock within your business is becoming increasingly important as well as increasingly difficult due to the complexity of supply chains.

Traceability and visibility are not only important from an accuracy and stock predictability point of view, but also due to legal requirements and compliance issues.

Governing bodies such as the World Trade Organisation, have strict regulations over the movement and tracking of goods. Failing to comply with these can have severe consequences, emphasising the need to monitor stock and the supply chain in detail.

Gaining supply chain visibility means that dealing with issues such as stock accuracy or damaged goods will be less time consuming and less labour intensive. Whilst, gaining supply chain traceability allows a business to pinpoint exactly where a product is at any given point, meaning that reacting to product recalls is time efficient.

An industry that often faces track and trace obstacles is the food and beverage industry. Food and beverage companies regularly face challenges such as:

The points mentioned so far illustrate the value of using an ERP solution that can tackle the issues and cope with the complexity both in single and multi-territory organisations.

Data Management

A solution such as Sage X3, puts all data into one integrated system that is accurate, reliable and available in real time. It is possible to have a precise view of stock and, through factoring in sales forecasts, resources are always in tune with market fluctuations.

The food market is a complex industry with multi-buy offers, seasonal trends and even the weather affecting stock levels. System software can keep track of variations in prices, stock levels of multiple manufacturing sites and movements between warehouse and production. This could not be achieved to such a high degree if carried out manually.

Traceability and Visibility

Using an electronic system designed for resource management allows a high level of accuracy to be met with all of the data surrounding the supply chain. Sage X3 can identify profits that have been generated through promotions or ingredient/component changes within a product. The solution shows how this affects the whole financial outlook.

This information allows companies to make strategic pricing decisions, clearly identifying which products and customers are the most profitable. The accurate stock data allows full traceability of a product from manufacture through to point of sale.

Summary

Data management enables complete traceability and visibility which ensures compliance to quality control bodies, whose certifications are based on the quality of the data they are given. This is an area where ERP systems outperform other data collection methods and systems. A solution such as Sage X3, is able to integrate all areas of your business, to streamline processes and highlight cost saving opportunities, enabling the growth of your company.

Quality control is a system whereby standards in manufactured products are maintained by testing a sample of the output against the specification.

The Problem

Poor quality control can result in non-conformance where a product, service or process does not meet the defined specification or industry standard. A common problem within the manufacturing world is that defects are often not spotted until the end of the manufacturing process. This creates a risk where an entire batch might be produced with flaws, for example, a packet of biscuits might have the incorrect ingredients printed on the packaging for a batch of 2000 units. Non-conformances can negatively impact a company in terms of cost, reputation, efficiency and effectiveness.

The Solution

Ensuring that quality controls are in place is a never-ending task for operations and quality managers. Non-conformance management software is a useful quality tool that helps manufacturing and distribution companies satisfy compliance requirements.

Non-conformance management is the process whereby the organisation manages quality control issues so that they are identified, documented, evaluated/investigated, segregated and resolved as appropriate. This allows a business to improve profit margins and keep costs lower for the customer, therefore, remaining competitive within the vertical market.

Sage X3 allows operational performance to seamlessly integrate with a production control plan. Up to date work instructions and quality measures can be accessed across the whole business through the solution.

Application

Within Sage X3, users are able to preconfigure parameters and specifications for each item/product in order for the system to effectively manage non-conformance. Preventative and corrective action plans can be created from the Non-conformance Form or directly created without link to a non-conformance. From this stage, actions can be implemented to resolve and avoid future non-conformances.

A manual or paper-based system would not be able to achieve this process to such a precise and efficient standard that an electronic system can. Once a system, such as Sage X3, is in place, it is possible for costs, reputation, efficiency and effectiveness to improve within an organisation.

The introduction of Making Tax Digital, or MTD, can be confusing at times!

It is often difficult to find the information you need surrounding the topic. To make things easier we have put together this short guide explaining MTD with a list of options for Sage X3 users.

MTD Explained

MTD started on the 1^st April 2019. It is a UK government initiative that is designed to be more efficient, more effective and easier for taxpayers (individuals and businesses) to get their tax right. The system aims to eradicate the errors made when inputting data manually.

At present (2019), the initiative only requires UK VAT registered businesses to submit their VAT returns digitally to HMRC. At some point during the next few years, income tax and corporation tax will also be required to be submitted digitally. The government will announce this at a later date.

What MTD Means for You

The final deadline to submit your VAT returns digitally is 1^st October 2019 although this may have been earlier depending on your business’s financial year. Please note that you can submit at any time before your deadline. Make sure you understand your financial year so that you understand when your VAT return is due.

However, there are some exceptions. About 3.5% of VAT registered companies do not have to submit until after 1^st October 2019. They are categorised in the ‘Deferred Group’. These are mostly not-for-profit organisations or NHS businesses. You will have received a letter in January 2019 informing you if you are categorised in the ‘Deferred Group’ and this will allow you an extra 6 months to submit.

There is also a ‘Soft Landing Period’ which lasts 12 months from 1^st April 2019 which put simply is extra time for more complex businesses to digitise their financial processes.

Sage X3 Customer Options

Via the latest patch you will be able to submit your taxes directly from your Sage X3 solution to HMRC. The patch update will require some professional service time so remember to allow for this.

Sage have released a Making Tax Digital module that can be implemented within Sage X3 PU8 or older allowing you to pull data from Sage X3 and into HMRC. The module will require a separate purchase and professional services time to implement.

Version:	PU9, V11 and V12	PU8 or older	All Sage X3 users
Solution:	A software patch	An additional Sage module	A third-party solution

A range of third-party add-ons are available, however, be aware that not all are compatible with Sage X3. At Mysoft we have been successful using VitalTax that uses Microsoft Excel. This requires minimal download time and incurs a small monthly fee.

“You don’t need to have a particular data format or spreadsheet template to use VitalTax, as it can be used with any user-defined Excel spreadsheet. You can also export VAT return from your current accounting solution and use VitalTax to submit it via MTD gateway.” Vitaliy, Director, VitalTax

Please note: All of the above information is for compliance according to 2019 legislation. There will be further requirements for 2020 legislation which we will release information on in due course.

One of the main features of Sage X3 is its suitability for streamlining your business processes on a company wide basis.

This can be enough of a challenge to your business when all of your companies are in the same country, but what about if you’re looking to implement a new ERP system across the globe?

Mysoft consultant, Liz Parker, has previous experience of multi-national implementations of Sage X3 and has advice for anyone looking to undertake a global ERP project: “Your system model should be built knowing about the legislations for the territories you’re working in and include them where appropriate. It’s also vital to engage experts who can manage the configuration of your system for each legislation. Once you’ve decided which is the main legislation for the Group, you should collectively scope out and build a model that works on that main legislation. That’s your global blueprint.”

Download our step-by-step guide on multi-territory implementation for Sage X3 to find out what our consultant, Liz Parker advises. The document will cover:

The first thing you need to do is determine the broad scope of your project – which companies are involved, what territories are they in and what should Group reporting look like?

Once you’ve established the reporting requirements and the practices that provide a best fit across the Group, the next step is to prove the model.

This can be done by setting it up on a subset of the companies and territories involved, on the basis that if it works for the selected companies and/or legislations, then it should be possible to then test it on a company wide basis. Changes to the global model should then only be to cater for legal and fiscal changes for the different territories, importantly taking into account VAT considerations.

It is important to document how each territory will be supported, as well as which elements of the configuration can be changed at a local level and those that must not. It is vital to keep control over those areas that should only be changed on a group level, such as product prices, to avoid serious company-wide implications. Issues such as time zones, language and currency should all be made editable at a local level.

It is essential for a project’s success to ensure that all important parties are involved right from the start. Those in the Group position need to ensure that they maintain control over the processes being implemented, and that their decisions are carried through to all locations involved. This ensures that the all-important global view, for reporting and informed decision-making moving forward, is achieved.

In recent weeks we’ve looked at some of the benefits of Sage X3 with regard to improving transparency of information and standardising processes such as purchasing.

But how do we ensure that we keep our costs in the different areas of our business under control, both in the short and longer term?

One way is to create an Analytical Budget in Sage X3, which provides a flexible method of recording and monitoring projected revenues, costs and even quantities at whatever level of the organisational hierarchy you need. You can, for instance, enter a motor expenses budget, including mileage figures, for each of your cost centres (in their own company currency) and then roll the figures up by company and group. You can budget monthly or annually and you can even store budgets spanning multiple financial years for reporting on projects, for instance.

In functional terms, budgets are input or imported for a GL account and multiple combinations of analytical dimensions (e.g. cost centre and project). You can then adjust your budgets, either by overwriting an existing draft budget or creating multiple versions. Alternatively, you can even complete new budgets for the same period, which can all be reported against each other using a variety of methods within Sage X3 and BI tools such as Sage Enterprise Intelligence (SEI).

Then, once you’ve got your budget finalised, you can use Purchasing controls in Sage X3 to alert you to when a Purchase Requisition or Order is taking you over budget, either for the year or for a month, which might also then prompt an additional approval for purchases. You can also configure audit tracking and workflow alerts to provide you with regular updates via an email or dashboard as your monthly or annual spend hits a certain percentage of budget.

Additional valuable functionality is available using Prophix. Prophix is a browser based corporate performance management solution which is fully integrated with Sage X3, providing you with powerful tools for not just budgeting and forecasting, but also financial consolidation and strategic planning. In terms of budgeting, its intuitive interface makes it really easy to streamline the input, submission, approval and auditing of budgets and forecasts across multiple departments. Information entered into Prophix is also fully integrated with Sage X3 for reporting purposes, using either a BI tool like SEI or a Prophix dashboard. For more information on Prophix, please get in touch, or visit their website by clicking here.

As an aside, if you’re purchasing stock using a reordering strategy like MRP, you can also use Sage X3 and Prophix to drive your stock replenishment. Budgeted stock quantity details can be fed into Sage X3 as Sales Forecasts, which can then be used to help shape your future purchasing and manufacturing requirements.

In one of my previous roles, we had an odd job man called Mick who often had to buy bits and bobs to fix “this and that” around the company.

Most of what he spent was with reputable suppliers, but it was all paid out of petty cash and we were lucky if we saw the receipts. We just assumed that Mick was trustworthy and was getting the best value for money possible for the company.

If our company had had a more structured ordering process involving the use of Purchase Requisitions and Purchase Orders, Mick could have provided his line manager with a requisition detailing his list of nuts, bolts, bits and bobs (and where he was getting them from), which could have been approved and progressed to an order. The account could probably then have been settled via a monthly invoice, thereby reducing the need for Mick to carry cash.

Taking this further, if the “Bits and Bobs” budget was being monitored, then his manager could perhaps have been alerted to potential overspend and questioned whether these were really needed at all, or whether they could get them cheaper elsewhere, and possibly nipped the potential order in the bud.

Improving Your Procurement Processes

In a not-very-scientific survey of Mysoft prospects in recent years, approximately 100% have indicated that they would be interested in the following when considering a new ERP solution:

In the area of Procurement, then, it’s a wonder why more companies aren’t interested in implementing a more formal Purchasing process like the one outlined above, often relying instead on tried and trusted paper based processes that usually start with a Purchase Order, may encourage over-spends and can in extreme cases also be a catalyst for fraud within their businesses.

Purchasing Process Within Sage X3

At the time, Mick was a bit “old school” as an odd job man, but nowadays he would probably be using an ERP solution like Sage X3, where:

Mick could have been purchasing fixtures and fittings for the office, or alternatively stock for his van or warehouse – the Purchasing process outlined above works for both. For the latter, you could incorporate Purchase Requests into an MRP or Statistical Reordering process for additional control.

A formal Procurement process using Sage X3 allows you to standardise the way you purchase, add control and visibility to the process and also provide transparency regarding department and ultimately company spend, and that means that we’re all a bit happier about how modern-day Mick’s spending the company’s money.

One of the big strengths of Sage X3 is its ability to cater for multi-company scenarios.

Irrespective of the size of your group, one issue with having multiple systems (or even multiple instances of the same system) across multiple companies is the level of control that you have over account coding and then the ensuing reporting. Adding a new code to your trial balance in one company can cause inconsistencies across the group if that code isn't replicated elsewhere, leading to, at best, manual workarounds to ensure that everything is reported correctly and, at worst, potentially incorrect consolidation leading to financial decisions based on an “apples being added to pears” scenario.

With Sage X3, you maintain your Charts of Accounts centrally as master data, so that changes in any chart are immediately updated across the various accounting models (and therefore companies) using that chart. That means that you can share a single set of accounts across multiple companies, safe in the knowledge that any new accounts will be automatically reflected across the group. A centralised approach to GL account maintenance is advisable in this situation, to ensure that consistency is being maintained.

If different companies are using different charts of accounts, however, then there are still a number of ways to aggregate relevant totals to provide meaningful results, including:

Account Pyramids: Using Account Pyramids you can create a multi-level reporting structure to suit your requirements, click on image to enlarge

Multi-Territory Benefits

The concept of a multi-ledger instance becomes even more powerful when we consider a group of companies located across different territories. In certain countries, such as France and Germany, local legal reporting requires a standardised chart of accounts, meaning that group level reporting usually then requires some form of mapping exercise. Tax rules and rates also differ from country to country, so being able to assign an appropriate Legislation code to the company will also impact how the legal ledger is used and coded. A number of countries have complex purchase and sales tax structures and so the number of tax accounts in the different legal ledgers may vary enormously – hence the need to then think carefully about mappings into a group structure.

Mappings: In a multi-ledger set up you can map accounts in one chart of accounts to accounts in others, so that postings flow through automatically

Finally, if legal reporting is required in local currency then the system of choice must be able to easily translate activity into the group reporting currency. Using Sage X3 each company can transact in its own local currency and then maintain and update multiple exchange rates, so that your reporting ledger is always using a consistent conversion rate for budget comparisons, for instance. For example, you can transact in GBP, with an automatic conversion into USD at a group exchange rate into the group reporting structure in real time.

Financial Reporting

When it comes to intercompany activity, Sage X3 allows you to automatically post cross-charges between companies, as well as offering a number of options for including or excluding intercompany postings. These mainly revolve around the ability to filter transactions in or out based either on how they were generated or on various attributes attached to postings – these include: dimension values, document types or even special company codes set up to identify cross-charges before they are posted into the receiving company's books.

A financial reporting structure using Sage X3 may incorporate elements of all of the different options above, depending on the complexity of group reporting requirements. The best fit solution will be robust and repeatable, while at the same time being adaptable to changing circumstances, enabling you to keep control over group finances. While we're not necessarily advocating throwing your Excel models away, Mysoft's team of consultants have the experience to help you design strong solutions using standard functionality within Sage X3, providing real time information, to enhance, streamline or simply complement your existing reporting solutions.

Benefits of Automated Test Platform (ATP)

End-to-End Process Replication

Pre-Built & Easily Customisable Scenarios

In Application Script Assistant

User-friendly natural language for non-developers

Easily run 100’s test cases with a click of a button

Easily modify, re-run and maintain test cases

Holistic reporting

Minimise Repetitive Manual Testing & Maintenance

Easier Incorporation of the latest functionality, security and support enhancements

Maximise Efficiency & Effectiveness of Testing

Time / cost / resources savings

Summary

Mysoft x Digital Humani

Selection of Tree Planting API Providers

Development of the Tree Planting API with Sage X3

The Complete Solution; From Sage X3 to Tree Planting

Digital Humani Dashboard

Mysoft’s Future with Tree Planting

Nowadays, it’s incumbent on us to look beyond our own personal financial responsibilities and consider the global imperatives that face us all.

How Sage X3 can achieve sustainability within industries

Product expiry and repurposing

Packaging

Waste tracking

Purchasing and stock management

Supplier Management

Reducing Paper Waste

Why choose Sage X3 as your ERP?

Download the Mysoft guide to Upgrading to Sage X3 Version 12

Conduct a system health check and post-implementation review

A great ERP system health check will cover the following areas:

2. Review business processes to find efficiencies

3. Identify core functionality that might fit your needs

4. Still gaps? Look at Independent Software Vendors

5. Let’s look outside the box for options “off the shelf”

a) What can Mysoft develop/bespoke for you?

6. Technology check

a) On-premise? Then consider if the cloud is right for you

b) Worried about falling behind? Look at a patching service

c) Tired of testing? Check out the ATP solution from Sage

d) Are you secure? Explore MFA options

Kickstart

Toolkit

What does a typical Toolkit project look like?

Implementation Phases

How long can a project take to deliver?

Download the Mysoft guide on Buying ERP

Download the Sage E-Book: Discover The Full Power of Business Intelligence

According to an IDC report reviewing digital transformation and ERP systems within the Food & Beverage industry, only 10% of respondents stated that their ERP is used the way it was intended.

This leaves 90% of businesses with an ERP system either not being used correctly or not fit for purpose, leading to “work arounds”.

Challenges for the Food & Beverages Industry Today

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Solutions Offered By Modern ERP

Download the Mysoft E-Book for Food and Beverage

As a food and drink manufacturer, your company must effectively tackle the challenge of managing industry-specific requirements and legal mandates imposed on your business.

The food and drink industry has a turnover of more than £105bn, accounting for 20% of total UK manufacturing as the biggest manufacturing sector in the country.

The importance of the industry goes beyond turnover.

1. Streamline compliance to grow faster

2. Accurately forecast supply and demand

3. Formula and recipe management

4. Ensure quality management

5. Improve efficiencies and assess demand

6. Maximise inventory usage and reduce spoilage

7. Take control of your production process

8. Proactively monitor your supply chain

The food and beverage industry is undergoing rapid and complicated period of change.

Consumers today are always connected, seek individuality and personalisation, and are impatient with complexity and latency.

“A product is easy to copy, but experiences are hard to replicate.” Clayton Christensen, former Harvard Business School academic

New forms of marketing

Mysoft tip:

Direct to consumer

Mysoft tip:

Food safety and traceability

Mysoft tip:

Transparent supply chain

Mysoft tip:

Increase in private labels

Mysoft tip:

Environmentally friendly packaging

Mysoft tip: