Pool Source LLC, an independent distributor of pool supplies located in Nashville, Tennessee, needed an ERP system to manage inventory, track prices, manage sales and returns, track customer accounts and receivables, and deliver profitability reports. They wanted to get up and running quickly without the need to purchase hardware or hire information technology staff to manage ongoing upgrades and maintenance requirements. Their existing point of sale solution was simple and easy to use, but it did not have the ability to manage complex pricing or link purchase orders directly to customer sales orders. To meet these needs and gain more control over inventory, Pool Source began investigating ERP solutions that could serve a broader set of needs.

Ergoresearch Ltd., a leading manufacturer of intelligent, custom-fit foot orthotics and other non-invasive, non-toxic biomechanical devices and software, was grappling with multiple accounting systems, databases, and operating systems due to its rapid growth. The company's existing on-premise ERP system and later an open-source web-based ERP were not sophisticated enough to handle the company's growth. They lacked the level of ongoing development and support needed for continued growth. Ergoresearch needed a single, unique ERP solution that was flexible enough to allow their technology developers to link the software with the custom software they already had. In addition, the ERP needed to be compliant with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

Toffeln, a UK-based company that designs, produces, and distributes ergonomic footwear for hygienic environments, was facing challenges with its data management systems as it expanded. The company was using Sage Accounting, Sage ACT for CRM, and Orderwise for managing stock and order processing. However, the lack of connection between these systems was causing problems, particularly when sales personnel could not easily access customer records. As Toffeln's sales grew by about 12 to 13 percent each year, the company realized that it had outgrown its existing systems and needed a more integrated solution.

Lockwood Products Inc., the inventor of the modular coolant hose known as Loc-Line, was facing challenges in managing its growing business with two disconnected financial systems. The company was using QuickBooks Enterprise for financials and an add-on product called Activate for inventory and order entry. The process of jumping back and forth between the two systems was becoming increasingly frustrating. Additionally, accessing data and creating reports was a complex task as it involved exporting data to spreadsheets, writing inquiries in the SQL database management console that was part of Activate, and creating reports using Crystal Reports.

Antenova, a multinational company that manufactures high-performing standard antennas and RF antenna modules, was previously operating with two separate systems: Sage50 for finance and Orderwise for purchase orders, sales, and warehouse management. This setup posed challenges as the two systems did not work together, leading to manual data input from one system to the other. Some reports also had to be constructed in MS Excel to get the desired information. As the company grew and the IoT market expanded, Antenova needed to keep pace by renewing its website and digital marketing tools. This led to the need for a cloud-based ERP system that would enable Antenova to grow efficiently to meet these challenges.

Wholesale Furniture Brokers, a 15-year-old company selling furniture to consumers and others in North America through various internet sites, was operating on QuickBooks Enterprise. The system was not connected to the company's websites, payment processor, invoicing, inventory, or shipping programs. Instead, a team of eight maintained the different programs, entering information into each one to log a sale or order transaction from initial entry through to shipping. The company also used Google Docs as its customer relationship management system. The system was highly inefficient, with employees unable to all log into QuickBooks at the same time and some processes causing the program to freeze or crash if too many employees were doing tasks simultaneously. The company's CEO, Sergei Tashlikowich, knew he couldn't grow his business on the existing technology, so he decided to look for an integrated platform that could help streamline operations.

PT Multi National Equipment (MNE) was previously running their business on Zahir Small Business Accounting software and i.scope CRM. However, they were in need of an integrated ERP system that could offer a range of functionalities. These included the ability to calculate pricing estimates in multiple currencies, manage the quote to order process, consolidate their shipment process, and consolidate their financial statements. The company was seeking a solution that could streamline these processes and improve their overall operational efficiency.

Devil’s Peak Brewing Company, a craft brewery based in South Africa, was facing challenges with their existing QuickBooks system. The system was not providing the visibility they needed across the business, especially regarding production and inventory. As the company expanded, their financial management needs grew. The basic financial software was not sufficient anymore. They needed a system that could handle the full financial and industry capability that they required.

The Cesar Chavez Foundation had been running its financial systems on programs including Yardi, FundWare, QuickBooks and Excel spreadsheets. When FundWare started to reach its end of life, the Chavez Foundation sought an ERP that could handle multiple entities, automate payroll, provide financial insights, and was affordable for its multiple users. After rigorous research, they decided Acumatica was the right solution. The Chavez Foundation is a complex organization offering a broad array of educational, housing, property management and other services to Latinos through a number of entities in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Washington State. It also operates two non-profit radio stations and FERNI, the Farm Workers Educational Network Inc., a for-profit entity that operates six radio stations.

Danforth Pewter had been running its manufacturing and retail operation for the past 24 years on the same software and hardware. The company's 65 employees used NCR Counterpoint's POS and Sage Platinum for Windows, two systems that weren't integrated, causing numerous headaches over the years. For example, quarterly inventory counts at the company's six retail stores were not very accurate and had to be done manually, slowing the pace of business to a crawl four times a year. The company needed a financial system that could handle AP, AR, inventory control, and manufacturing; integration with a retail POS system; and a better shipping solution. However, the company found that many ERP offerings were too expensive.

Tan Hiep Phat Beverage Group (THP), a leading beverage manufacturer in Vietnam, was facing challenges in managing its wide-reaching distribution network. The company needed real-time visibility and enhanced capabilities to better manage its network of more than 200 distributors in 64 cities and provinces across the country. The existing decentralized Microsoft Dynamics system was not providing accurate data, which were consolidated at the distributors’ end. The system was also cost-prohibitive as it required a server and client license for each THP distributor. There were also concerns with security and data integrity, as the same administrative password was used by its distributors for system access.

DDB Unlimited, a manufacturer of rugged enclosures for various applications, was experiencing rapid growth and needed to automate and improve processes across multiple locations and production facilities. The company was using QuickBooks for accounting processes and Profit 21 for CRM activities, with sales orders arriving via phone, fax, and email. Inventory and production processes were being tracked manually. Having separate systems for different processes created extra work including dual order entry, manual import and export processes, manual accounting, and offline reporting. DDB Unlimited decided to investigate an ERP system to streamline and automate these systems. The company implemented a Sage MAS 90 system but was unhappy with the fact that processes got slower and more confusing.

Traveldoo Technologies, a corporate travel and expense management company, was acquired in 2011 by Expedia Inc. The company was based in suburban Paris and had about 25 employees. It relied on an outside accounting firm and a few Excel spreadsheets to handle accounting. This meant that Traveldoo didn’t have access to real-time financial data and was not able to manipulate or analyze data because only top-level data was delivered in reports. In late 2012, Rachid Ouaddour joined Traveldoo to head up the financial team at the company, which had rapidly grown into a mid-sized company. His first task was to find a flexible accounting system so he could bring accounting in-house. Mr. Ouaddour also wanted the ability to manipulate and analyze Traveldoo’s financial information and needed a system that could handle its travel suppliers, travel products and resellers of the company’s travel and services.

JAAS Systems, a global supplier of manufacturing software, was looking to transition their Advanced Manufacturing Software (JAMS) from a client-server architecture to a web-based solution. The company believed that a web-based solution would be easier to deploy, reduce their clients' costs, and provide more flexible integration with modern cloud-based accounting systems. However, JAAS was concerned about the challenges of moving years of manufacturing expertise to a web-based environment and building complex accounting and inventory functions in a cloud environment.

Global Beauty Care, a wholesale beauty product distributor, was facing challenges with its legacy financial system. The system was unable to accept digital orders or invoices, leading to manual data entry for every transaction. It also lacked connectivity to other applications and did not provide the agility the company needed to handle orders from large retailers. The lack of visibility into financials led to a lot of time spent on manual calculations, such as determining how much was owed to an overseas vendor, which often resulted in errors. The biggest challenge was processing orders from its largest customer, whose 40+ distribution centers placed orders every Thursday. The orders needed to be routed within a couple of hours, causing the entire company to halt other operations and focus on order entry.

Fidelux Lighting, an LED lighting manufacturer for commercial customers, changed its business model to sell through distributors and implemented a commission structure. This change required a better way to track and pay commissions, manage inventory, and new financial software to manage operations. The company was using QuickBooks, which couldn't handle the complex inventory and assembly and kitting requirements, or commission processing it needed. QuickBooks was not customizable, nor did it connect to other software, which meant Fidelux had to import and export data in and out of QuickBooks just to create standard financial reports and handle commissions.

Kelly Products, Inc. is a holding company for 13 diverse agribusiness brands. The company was operating on a legacy ERP system, with each new division having its own instance of the ERP. These instances were not connected and were managed by different people among the various businesses. This led to inconsistencies and difficulties when someone was out, as others were often unfamiliar with the specific business system’s coding and transaction process. Tracking inter-company transfers was also a challenge, as many transfers between businesses were paper-based and physically mailed from one company to another. This held up monthly reporting and increased chances for manual-entry errors. With its ERP solution nearing the end of its life, Kelly Products began looking for a new software solution.

Firewire Surfboards, an eco-friendly surfboard designer and producer, was using a low-cost ERP called Greentree Business Software for basic transaction processing and as a company database. However, as the company grew, it became apparent that they needed a more robust system. The finance team lacked visibility into the firm’s European distribution entity and the finances of the company’s weekly production operations. The sales team also could not readily access data on specific retailers to learn which surfboards were selling and which weren’t. The company’s Australian distribution arm was growing extremely frustrated as they experienced multiple computer crashes when logging in since the product was hosted on-premises in the U.S. office.

Boulder Creek Stone, a family-owned manufacturer of stone and thin brick veneer, was operating its business using a combination of systems. Sage was used for inventory, sales order processing and accounts receivable, while Microsoft Dynamics handled the General Ledger, payroll and accounts payable functions. Data migration was done manually using Excel spreadsheets and Crystal Reports provided some business reporting. The company found it difficult to track the different lines of business efficiently and deep dives into company data to spot trends or operational deficiencies were nonexistent. The staff wasted a lot of time checking for double entries, verifying accuracy among multiple paper documents and reconciling them when questions arose. Operating with “laymen’s IT”, even small customizations were difficult in Sage, which meant Boulder Creek had to spend thousands of dollars in IT consulting fees when it wanted to customize Sage to conform to the way the company did business.

Aditi Staffing, a division of Aditi Technologies, had to become a standalone entity after Aditi Technologies was purchased. This required the staffing division to hire a new accounting and administrative team and find an accurate accounting system. The company had been operating on Microsoft Dynamics AX, which was only an input tool and did not provide reliable information. Aditi Staffing's business model is non-standard, as it does not have inventory and relies on client-vendor management systems for invoicing and timekeeping. The company's entire revenue stream relied on a manual system with minimal visibility. The company also lacked visibility into its operations in Bangalore, India, and generating reports was a time-consuming manual process.

Aimtec, a global manufacturer of power supply products, was facing challenges with its existing financial system as the company grew. They were using SAGE Peachtree for accounting purposes and had developed their own software for warehouse management and supply chain management. However, these systems were not scalable and could not handle the company's growth. Additionally, they needed to consolidate their financial statements between Canada and Asia, and they had an issue with their accounting software being based on a single currency. The company also wanted to improve the connections for their employees located outside of the office, so they decided to look at using the cloud.

Biopelle, a skin care company, was using SagePro 100 for its operations. However, the production planning and forecasting in Sage was manual and tedious. The finance director had to manually enter data into Excel and create reports for the Operations Director. Creating a bill of materials was also a challenge as Sage pulled inventory from the wrong places and created negative balances. The outside sales team used Act!, which was slow to access data in the field. Without integration to the ERP data, the reps lacked valuable information when selling. To get needed information, reps had to contact the home office and request updates on their orders. Multiple reports were created in Excel and Adobe and emailed on a daily basis to keep the reps current. When Sage informed Biopelle that they would no longer be supporting SagePro 100, the company started looking for an ERP to fit all of Biopelle’s needs.

Demtech Services, a manufacturer of specialized plastic welding machines, was facing challenges due to the limitations of its accounting software, QuickBooks. As the company grew, it found that QuickBooks was unable to meet its needs, particularly in terms of financial controls and accountability. The software allowed changes to be made arbitrarily, without any financial controls or accountability, which was not suitable for a growing company. Additionally, as Demtech expanded its offices and added staff in the field, it found that QuickBooks was unable to meet its needs in terms of managing multiple warehouses.

Global Asset, an IT hardware asset management firm, was struggling with managing its inventory and financial data. The company was using a combination of QuickBooks and spreadsheets, which was inefficient and time-consuming. The company handles a large and complex inventory, with thousands of unique SKUs to track. The manual entry of data was taking up a significant amount of staff time. The company wanted to improve the speed and functionality of their inventory and financial systems, and also wanted everyone in the company to be working off one system.

Great Commission Publications (GCP) was facing significant challenges due to the inadequacies of their previous data management systems. The existing system was primarily developed for book publishers and GCP users had limited ability to retrieve financial and operational data. This resulted in long download times and often, the inability to retrieve a year's worth of information. The existing database system was often unable to print order confirmations for the warehouse, which resulted in orders not being shipped. This created a snowball effect of further issues in customer service and shipping operations. GCP also couldn't easily update its freight database files, a problem which had cost the business many thousands of dollars in lost freight billings in previous years.

Guardian SealTech, a provider of preventative and corrective services to oil and gas companies, was facing challenges due to its growth through acquisitions. The firm ended up with disparate financial and operational systems that were difficult to manage and consolidate. IT had to support nine different systems covering some 20 different regions, and managers were frustrated because they didn’t have insight into financial operations. The cost and efforts of managing these systems were unsustainable. The company needed a cost-effective, end-to-end integrated and scalable business system to simplify and automate data entry, work processes, and reporting.

IMG Enterprises, Inc. is a diversified organization with nearly 400 full-time employees and annual revenues surpassing $60 million. The company's operations include citrus farming, ornamental tree farming, and landscape construction. However, the complexity of IMG Enterprises’ operations led to a complicated IT situation. The company started using Solomon in the 1990’s and re-implemented Dynamics SL again in 2004. They also used 14 different programs in conjunction with SL, paying for maintenance on all of them. They wanted to bring in a manufacturing component, including work orders and material resource planning. However, they didn't feel there were many good manufacturing programs that worked with SL and could fulfill their needs.

J. Goodin is a manufacturer and distributor of fashion jewelry that needed an ERP system to manage sales orders, purchase orders, inventory, and accounting. The system had to be efficient in order to process a large daily volume of orders and customizable in order to support both current and future business processes. The new software needed to support several sales models including a make-toorder process as well as a make-to-stock process for distribution through several sales channels such as Amazon.com, jewelry wholesalers, and retail outlets. The company had previously used ERP software and a NetSuite solution, but found them lacking in speed, reliability, and support.

The Macabe Associates, a leading reseller and developer of Sage Software, was facing the challenge of outdated business systems that were not tightly integrated. They had been using Sage applications for 28 years and the systems were retiring. Their CRM was not integrated with ERP, timekeeping and expense entry was a separate application, and technical support incidents required duplicate entry for billing. They wanted a single next-generation application that could run on any device, from anywhere, one that could meet customer service, sales, project management and finance requirements. They were not satisfied with the hybrid process of some client-server components and some web-based services offered by the new Sage applications.

New England Tile, a tile and stone importer and seller, was facing issues with their server-based Everest ERP software which they had been using for 14 years. The server was dying and the company was constantly trying to patch it up. When they contacted Everest to upgrade, they found the prices had skyrocketed and were not satisfied with the level of support that would be provided. They started looking into other options, including NetSuite, but found NetSuite's user interface to be primitive.