Easy-to-Use and Feature-Rich Woodworking ERP

What on Earth is ERP ‘Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are designed to address the problem of fragmentation of information or “islands of information" in business organizations.’ International Journal of Operations & Production Management ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is a software suite that automates and decreases the manual labor. It allows your company to perform in a cost-effective manner. ERP systems include a set of software modules, which manage the information for a separate business function or a group of those. It connects departments to one internal database and centralizes all the information. The database in turn exchanges data flow with the modules. For example, every month we have to inform the payroll office how much has each worker done. Employees should concentrate on their direct duties. By means of ERP automatization we minimize their involvement to the task and its tracked implementation. ‘I don’t see how any company can do effective supply chain management without ERP.’ ERP - Making It Happen To see the whole picture of what can be done by Enterprise Resource Planning alone, enjoy the graph: Source: Panorama report on ERP systems and Enterprise software So, make a step forward and simplify the process by implementing ERP systems: ERP analyzes the functional side of your enterprise and along the way automates and/or removes the irrelevant business functions. Each department has its own unique software that automates simple processes. Simplified working process. The info is already in the database, ready to be used. That will make the information exchange between the inner systems simpler and more robust. The modules have an access to each other’s outputs, while reduced time and effort consumption please the eye. Increased performance and stable implementation These make all segments of the company system fruitful; removes the spots of possible mistakes (e.g. human factor) and saves a great deal of time. Source: Panorama report on ERP systems and Enterprise software So, the main reason why people involve so much effort and money into the software of ERP is the need for constant improvement. The enhanced performance will push business processes increasing the efficiency and drawing customers’ attention. Visually, the influence of ERP systems looks like that: Source: Panorama report on ERP systems and Enterprise software Cloud-based ERP Today, a number of modern companies prefer this type of ERP. And BelItSoft isn’t an exception. However, because the security here is still questionable, some would prefer to have their data behind the walls. People still are suspicious of the Clouds. According to the Panorama report, 72% of respondents were frightened of the possible risks of data loss, and 12% of a possible security breach. Pros: Fast and easy data sharing+the access is seamless and handy. Saves money (no need in servicing and specific equipment) Good choice for small companies that are looking to start without going into too much technical aspects of setting their own hosting Cons: Deprives a full control over the data (hosting-provider is the one responsible for stable work and data integrity) Data security is in the hands of the vendor Still expensive: the price of VM in the Cloud is higher than in the local data-center On-premise ERP On-premise hosting means using your own resources for the software deployment (you need your equipment to make it work). However, you may also use VPS (Virtual Private Server) or VDS (Virtual Dedicated Server). As my interlocutor noticed, “To keep the machine working you need to hire people that could manage fixing whenever it breaks. Moreover, the space taken is also a reason to think your choice over". So, to make sure nothing will spoil “the moment of truth", the on-premise ERP holder should think of: Pros: Maximum security for your corporate data Full control 24/7 (physical access to any data on the server) Excellent for large and mid-sized enterprises which have a data control and safety in the first place Cons: Additional expenses (hiring specialists for servicing the equipment, space, safety, electricity) Complexities with data access for the distant branches OPEX (operating expenditure) is more profitable than CAPEX (capital exp.) you have buying facilities Ready-to-go vs ERP from the scratch. Budget decision Today you can purchase everything effortlessly. You may choose the way of the least resistance and check out what ERP software has been developed years ago and is still relevant. Source: https://selecthub.com/erp-software/ ‘However, we can’t say that the purchased product is the cure that works straight away. There are always things to change that make developers remove lots of discrepancies. It also happens that some existing modules that are not necessary anymore may be eliminated.’ Dmitry Garbar So, before the implementation, developers have to straighten everything up, adjust and test the results - to make sure the work is done the way you’ve expected. ‘I've never come across ready-to-use ERP software that fits a client perfectly. Often, they're not entirely willing to change their business processes to fit the ERP product. There's always room for the idea of a customized ERP solution.’ Dmitry Garbar Let’s sum up the information. The advantages of the ready-to-go ERP are: Short-term savings (by avoiding high costs associated with customization). Faster implementation Stable knowledge support (lots of outside experts on the software who can provide long-term training and advice) Software Sophistication (few bugs, industry-specific solutions and extensive elaboration) And the disadvantages are the following: The need for adjustments and additional development May be difficult to customize it to your processes You have less control over the product (software vendor holds the rights to the code) Developing ERP system from scratch. Some entrepreneurs may find it much more difficult to wisely develop an ERP core that holds their systems together. Firstly, you need to analyze what and how do people do their job in each department. “Each role that is performed in the company is under the question of automatization", Garbar said. “So to get the ball rolling, business analytics (BA) have a chat with every employee in the company to understand the mechanics better". And after the picture of company’s “back-end" has been drawn, we are ready to discuss the time frame, costs, individual desires, and suggestions. Source: ERP - Making It Happen. The overall process builds a totally unique architecture that is capable to adapt to the further changes in the company’s work. However, that coin has two sides. Pros: You get a unique software tailored to the specific nature of your business You have a full control over the software code You save money on the long-term prospects Intellectual property rights to the ERP increase company valuation. Cons: Long development time High costs compared to off-the-shelf solution May become obsolete by the time of implementation The costs and time frames Source: Panorama report on ERP systems and Enterprise software The final cost for the software is always formed individually and depends on the range of factors. Speaking of ERP system developing, the price includes: Company size (the number of employees, branches, locations and so on) The industry of the business Solution (industry-specific and customized, or general and flexible) Resources required (external consulting, user training, task tracking, etc.) Specific requirements For instance, if you expect to see a sophisticated custom ERP system, you may not find complete designs and architecture that will fully satisfy your desires. In such cases, the implementation may require heavy customization and third-party add-ons, which will increase the costs. But even if the price was named, it can’t be steady when push comes to the software expected to support your business for decades: Source: Panorama report on ERP systems and Enterprise software In numbers, USA companies charge from $10K up to $10 million and more: Small businesses: $10K - $150K Mid-sized: $150K - $500K Large enterprises: $1 million - $10+ million ‘Considering Belitsoft, it’s difficult to name even the average price we offer. The projects we are involved into are diversive and usually require a wide spectrum of services: from the company size and technology team to personal wishes and preferable time frames.’ Dmitry Garbar At Belitsoft, the effort on the project varies from 2000 hours to 96 man-months. And a plethora of those that need ongoing support and constant improvements. The question that doubts is shall the project pay off? Well, let’s see: Source: Panorama report on ERP systems and Enterprise software Time. If only “as fast as you can" would be taken literally and fulfilled right away. But in the real IT world all we have is to nod hearing 25, 32, 48+ months from the developer. But what takes them so long? Size. Same as with the costs. The size of your company, the amount of employees, and many other factors influence the time spent on analysis, chosen technology, the type of data storage etc. The industry you are operating in Types of ERP. The time needed for the final implementation of purchased and adjusted ERP on the Cloud differs from the on-premise solution tailored directly for the business you run. Personal desires. Any additional functions you want to see in the final product need extra time for development and adoption Respect the deadlines. Not many IT companies may boast for their accurate relationship with deadlines and set time-frames. According to the 2017 report, project duration was over scheduled by 59% in total: Source: Panorama report on ERP systems and Enterprise software Just face the fact that such a giant as Enterprise Resource Planning solutions can’t be developed in a day. It needs a constant updating and support, as an ordinary child does. Consider ERP as a life-time project that has a huge impact on everything you love. The best technologies for ERP implementation Source: https://www.cuba-platform.com/ The choice of technology arises from the size of a company you run. At Belitsoft, we provide PHP solutions for small and mid-sized businesses, and Java or .NET solutions for larger companies. If your project specifically requires Java expertise, you also have the option to hire dedicated Java developers from our skilled team. hire dedicated java developers Developing a desktop application for a Football Federation we’ve chosen .NET - as a prevalent technology - accompanied by C# and PHP. Creation of the ERP system for Granite Industry vendors involved Laravel, HTML and PHP. Angular JS coupled with .NET is a good replacement for Java to build financial software ‘One independent company carried out the technical audit of the project we were going to engage in. The focus was on specifications and architecture. In the end, they acknowledged only Java and .NET as the most secured technologies.’ As a programming language, Java shows itself as a perfect tool in finance and enterprise development. Amongst its advantages, the most substantial one is versatility. Java is essentially reliable and proven partner when it comes to the building software castles, skyscrapers and highway bridges. However, no one stops mid-sized companies to choose Java as well. It is a balanced language with well-oiled filling for the diverse purposes. Conclusion Two words: simplification and automation. Enterprise Resource Planning systems: Is a complex process that requires a distant understanding of the target. Requires re-orienting and teaching staff to work within a totally new environment. Transforms your enterprise into a computerized structural body managed by a set of software. modules covering the entire business. Provides the techniques accompanied by effective forecasting, planning, and scheduling processes. Makes the data exchange between modules much easier and more systematic. Helps to avoid repeated data entering. Automates business functions so that business processes go flawlessly.

If you still doubt about the real numbers of your expenses, then have a look at this small graph, where we’ve included the information about average yearly total cost for a 5 years experienced software developer. As an example, let’s take a role of a customer, who is located in the United States and requires developing a project (12 months of duration). Let’s say this project requires 10 engineers with different skills levels (it might be .NET or PHP or other technology platforms). As any customer you want to get it FAST, with a decent QUALITY and not to spend too much money on this (let’s call it – INEXPENSIVE). However, as we all know, such a combination of factors is quite a rare case, which can be illustrated by the following image: Let’s calculate what it takes to develop such a project in the USA The average salary for the team of 10 engineers including: 1 Software Architect; 2 Team Leaders; 2 Senior Developers; 5 Middle Developers. According to PayScale information (updated on 12 Jan 2016) it will cost you about 835,226 USD. The final cost won’t be just 835,226 USD as you will also bear the additional expenses. Let’s delve into this point: You’ll pay 3% for their 401k retirement savings; About $5,000 will be spend on the health insurance for each of your employees; You’ll pay 2,6% unemployment insurance per quarter on the first  $8,500 of their salary ($884 / year). You’ll pay for the rent, office utility, PCs, servers, HR staff to hire programmers, HR services to retain them and also accountant to pay them salaries. Let’s say it can be additional 20% expenses of the salary. Total average expenses for the team will be about 1.085.000 USD. For some of you this might be too much and there is no way on how to cut down expenses while working with the US full-time employees. Now let’s return to the calculation of the expenses for senior developers. This time we’ll pay attention to Western Europe, Germany To see the real cost of the same software development team in Germany, let’s analyze the list of experts included below: 1 Software Architect; 2 Team Leaders; 2 Senior Developers; 5 Middle Developers. We’ve used PayScale information (updated on 20 Sep 2015) and after a brief calculation you'll see that it will cost about 557,159 USD. Just like in the US region, you’ll have to pay for the rent, office utility, PCs, Servers, HR staff to hire programmers, HR services to retain them and also keep accounting department to pay salaries. Sometimes it can be additional 20% expenses of salary. So in total it will cost you about 670,000 USD per annum. As a consequence, you can see that a software development team in the US will cost you 1,085,000 USD and 670,000 USD in Germany. Depending on skills and timeframe to compile team it will cost you about 450,000-520,000 USD in Poland. It’s 50-60% cheaper than in the USA and 30-40% cheaper than in Germany. Apart from the savings, you need to take into account that the quality often doesn’t suffer in a way of outsourcing operations as every reliable company values its name and reputation. Moreover, every company is interested in long-term relations with its clients. As a result of our work with different clients all over the world, we’ve come to certain conclusions: To ensure fast project development, a good outsourcing vendor can gather a dedicated team according to the needs in a short period of time. Outsource Software Development companies can provide high-quality services. Thanks to the fact that well-educated engineers in Eastern Europe are more than capable of executing your project development, using standard technology stacks and provides qualitative results. Outsourcing is a very cost-effective solution for the customers who are looking for services, where you don’t need to think about taxes and additional payments. This also excludes the need to hire expensive individuals for the in-house work. Therefore, in a view of effective project implementation and compliance, inexpensive, fast, quality software development is true and often can be achieved using outsource software development companies with a good reputation.

How to Calculate Software Development Cost: Our Detailed Estimation Process Every project brings unique challenges. Relying solely on the Ballpark Estimation often yields rough, risk-prone estimates. While quick, we steer clear of this method. Why? Our aim is to offer you precise estimations, ensuring you can plan your budget effectively and mitigate project risks. You can contact me directly right now to discuss your project. Step 1: Detailed Requirements Gathering Clear and well-defined requirements are the cornerstone of accurate project costing. Typically, we commence with 1 to 3 complimentary meetings. During these interactions our business analyst (BA) works closely with the customer to grasp the idea and its intended product outcome. From this collaborative dialogue, a Proposal for Discovery Phase, along with estimates, is prepared, highlighting its projected duration. Once the proposal receives approval, we launch the Discovery Phase. Depending on project complexity, this phase usually spans between 40 to 160 hours. Drawing from our vast experience, this timeframe ensures a thorough yet efficient process of gathering. The main goal during this stage is to define the project's scope in detail. The outcome of this effort is that our Business Analyst crafts Vision and Scope document, which sets the stage for accurate cost estimation. Example of a Vision and Scope document Following this, the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is created— a clear, structured table that serves as the blueprint for project cost estimation. An exemplar WBS table derived from the Vision and Scope Step 2: In-Depth Cost Estimation by Senior Specialists Upon gaining a comprehensive understanding of the product vision during the discovery phase, we transition to the cost estimation step led by a specialized team. This team functions like a SWAT unit, comprising senior-level experts. The core of such a SWAT team is a back-end developer with system architect experience and a front-end developer. Depending on the project's nuances, we may also involve a UX/UI designer, project manager, and business analyst. With the groundwork laid by the business analyst during the discovery phase, where the BA aids in risk mitigation, our SWAT team refines and finalizes the hours needed for each feature or piece of functionality. Their calculations draw from extensive experience with projects of similar complexity and scope. Though our methodology finds its origins in the three-point estimation from the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK guide), it’s been enhanced over nearly two decades of practical experience. We strive for a consistent 20% margin between optimistic and pessimistic cost projections. When risks are higher, this gap may expand. In such cases, we pair the optimistic value with a risk percentage, and the pessimistic value becomes their product. Whenever risks exceed our 20% target, we pinpoint the cause and suggest ways to mitigate it. Throughout this process, the project manager communicates with the client, spotlighting risks and presenting alternative trajectories. This collaborative approach ensures that clients remain informed and can make pivotal decisions with clarity. For clarity, here's a sample cost estimation by a front-end developer based on the WBS This meticulous approach to cost estimation extends to all specialists involved in the project. Step 3: Personal Client Demo To present the cost estimation results, Belitsoft team organizes a video call or a face-to-face meeting, depending on your location and preferences. This direct interaction lets us elucidate the reasoning behind every figure and discuss all associated risks. It also allows you to verify the expertise of our team and assess their grasp of your project. You're placed in the driver's seat from this point onwards. We prioritize clarity over complexity. Instead of inundating clients with intricate formulas, we ensure the entire cost estimation process is transparent and accessible. During the demo, we provide a consolidated table detailing rates and the final cost estimation. We incorporate an 'Agile coefficient,' set at 20%. This coefficient accounts for sprint planning, daily meetings, reporting, presenting demos, and incorporating your feedback. This approach guarantees you remain informed and actively involved, preventing any blind spots regarding the project's progress. The example of a final cost estimation table that includes hours, developers' rates, three-point estimation, and Agile coefficient Navigating High Cost Estimations If our cost projection seems steep, we usually recommend a phased development approach. The MVP Strategy The initiation with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is a beneficial method for startups and businesses. We help prioritize MVP features so that in a few months, you have a functional product to present to investors and gather initial user feedback. This approach not only aids in cost management but also provides valuable insights for further development. Learn more about MVP software development in our detailed post, where we explore feature selection and other essential considerations. Risk Management Our primary focus on risk management ensures final project cost aligns with initial optimistic estimates. This commitment reflects our dedication to transparency and trust. A Practical Scenario For instance, if tasked with developing a registration form with SMS-based two-factor authentication (2FA) and the client suggests an unfamiliar service provider with limited documentation, this raises potential risks. To address these, we propose: Switching to a more cost-effective email-based 2FA, generally more economical than its SMS counterpart. Using Twilio, a platform we're well-acquainted with, which offers comprehensive documentation. Both options are geared towards minimizing risks and delivering value. What You Receive at the Conclusion Comprehensive Documentation. Vision and Scope, as well as Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) documents, meticulously crafted in line with international best practices. Clear Estimations. A detailed breakdown of hours and corresponding USD rates for the project, coupled with a projected development timeline. Strategic Recommendations. Insights on segmenting the project into phases (MVP, 1.0, 2.0, etc.) for optimal execution. Technical Guidance. Expert advice on the ideal tech stack tailored to your project's unique demands. Team Composition. Proposals regarding the optimal size, scope, and roles of the delivery team for efficient project completion. Risk Management. Identification of potential risks, accompanied by actionable strategies to mitigate them. This ensures your budget and timeline remain consistent with initial projections. Our method ensures that its cost estimation will be both accurate and human-centric. Contact me to discuss your project.

At elearning software development company Belitsoft, we know how to integrate CRM and LMS, create a new LMS with CRM integration, or add CRM to your learning platform. We are open to hear your needs and help you implement them. Let’s discuss your challenge now! 5 CRM and LMS Integration Use Cases The key benefit of CRM and LMS integration is that customer’s actions documented in one system can initiate actions in the other system. These actions are called “triggers”.  Let’s take 5 use cases to see how this integration works and what marketing and sales tasks it resolves. 1. Sales Prospect Learning When a prospect subscribes to your blog, watches a demo, downloads a whitepaper, or registers for a webinar, CRM tracks these activities. Every link your sales prospects click and every page they visit on your website are also tracked. Then, all these triggers are shared with your LMS.  Having all this information, your marketing team can engage prospects by driving timely training recommendations, managing the timing and tone of targeted messages for cross-selling and up-selling communication.  Also, your sales team can identify which accounts have been inactive for a long time, and make a proactive effort to reach out to such customers. hubspot.com 2. Customer Learning CRM stores information about your customers, including what and when they bought, why, and how many times they interacted with your support team.  When all these triggers go to the LMS, they allow to create personalized customer training recommendations and intelligently build customers’ learning paths. Well-trained customers tend to buy more, write to support less, and stay loyal to your product longer. The sooner your customers find value from using your product or service, the more likely they’ll invest in your brand again.  Phil Nanus, Vice President of Customer Success Research for TSIA, says: “The goal of customer success is to enable effective adoption of technology and services, which can lead to contract renewal and more revenue from existing customers through up-sell and cross-sell.” CRM and LMS integration for customer learning also reduces support costs. Your profit margin decreases with every support message or phone call from a customer.  Providing customers with relevant learning content minimizes the number of basic inquiries.  The integrated LMS serves as a self-service tool with video manuals, step-by-step guides, etc that resolve customers’ questions in the moment of need. learninglight.com 3. Partner Certification With LMS–CRM integration, you can create channel certification programs for partners’ training and entitlements. Such programs favor a well-organized tiered channel relationship structure.  For example, some of your partners complete training. They achieve a certified partner designation. And their commission rate automatically increases from 10% up to 20%. pega.com 4. Sales Staff Learning All sales teams use a CRM for account management. It makes the system ideal for onboarding and ongoing product training. Thanks to LMS and CRM software integration, your employees can practice their professional skills directly in the CRM they use for work. For that, a new tab is added inside the CRM. It displays a personalized training plan and the course content.  Your employees will learn on a regular basis, and you can assess onboarding training outcomes, ongoing training performance, and course completion. trailhead.salesforce.com 5. Talent Nurturing via Talent CRM Let’s mention another, not typical but innovative application of CRM and LMS integration where CRM stands for Candidates Relationship Management. Such a CRM is usually called a Talent CRM. A Talent CRM helps HR professionals reach out, build and nurture relationships with potential job candidates. Potential candidates apply for the training course or event through the LMS. Their data go to the CRM where the L&D team can enroll a trainee into the course. The company’s instructors then track the learning progress. After the trainees complete the course, the data about their skills and course completion transfers to the CRM. As a result, the HR department gets a pool of candidates.  When the company needs to fill the required positions, they are aware of the availability of the necessary professionals and can hire the right person fast.  Such an approach to talent management allows companies to avoid the talent shortage. avanture.net How to Integrate CRM and LMS? CRM and LMS integration is performed with the help of API. This is a set of protocols, standards, and tools that let different platforms communicate and share data. Once the LMS administrator installs the API, you can decide which fields and data from your LMS to push to CRM.  The fields and data that can be transferred to CRM can include actual and completed courses, scores, and certificates along with all contact details. How can organizations start with LMS+CRM-driven customer training? Here are the top recommendations: Start with a small training course Building a massive training curriculum with dozens of courses is a risky methodology. Take an agile approach and just get started. Then get feedback from the first customers to adjust the training process if needed. It’s like building an MVP - the method that’s proved its efficiency. Choose a solid LMS Choosing the right LMS will help you provide a quality learning experience. Your purpose is to provide a quality learning experience. The best option will be a customizable LMS that will grow with you for the next few years covering the growing needs of your education services. Create a custom LMS from scratch with in-built CRM integration Apart from using a ready-made LMS and customizing it for your needs, you can opt for a custom LMS development featuring all the integrations you need for business (CRM, HRIS, ERP, etc). Focus on key data You should understand what data you’ll measure to assess the ROI of your customer training. Make sure at the starting point that the system gathers the key data you need. The core features for smooth CRM and LMS integration Auto-enrollment Users can be automatically enrolled to LMS from CRM based on contact or user profile fields to reduce manual assignments and possible errors. The process may look the following way. In the templates module of your CRM, create an email template with a link to the training platform with log-in instructions. Use a single unlimited use access code (enrollment key) and rotate it periodically. Then you need to create a workflow rule in the CRM with a trigger based on an opportunity stage. Usually, the change of case status serves as a trigger. You can also set up the workflow action to trigger after a certain number of hours/days after the case status changes. The customer receives the message with instructions and can start using the training course through the LMS right away. Single-Sign-On This is an authentication method that permits to securely log into both CRM and LMS with one click. No need for a set of additional login credentials to improve the user experience while providing extra security. User data synchronization It implies the ability to automatically sync learners with their account in CRM using a unique identifier (email, name, address, birth date, ID, social security number, etc).  As a result, you can view all user learning records directly in the CRM. Usually, it's an extra tab with access to the learning course information. It permits launching and assigning courses, viewing material, etc without leaving the CRM. Training recommendation Training recommendation engine analyzes input data that may include user metadata (age, gender, or membership); user interactions (views, likes, or signups); item metadata (description of purchases, their category). Based on such triggers taken directly from the CRM, customers get relevant recommendations for courses. Course analytics in CRM LMS can automatically transfer data about the training process directly to the CRM. These data usually involve: Trainee first name, last name, and email address; Course titles and links; Enrollment and completion statuses; Certifications; Promotion or access codes used (can help track performance by channel); Subscriptions; Date and time of registration. Why can't CRM work without LMS anymore? The original purpose of a CRM where you store all of your customer and partner data is to manage and track this information, including: New customer acquisition rate; Repeat purchases and renewals; Complementary and cross-product purchases; Support call or trouble ticket volumes; Customer satisfaction scores. But all these powerful capabilities of a CRM don’t directly lead to an increase in sales. As you’ve seen, you can resolve this issue with the custom CRM development featuring LMS integration for the training of employees, partners, franchisees, distributors, and most importantly, your customers. Customer education is another great business benefit from such an integration. It’s not focused on connecting directly with customers before, during, and after a sale with the purpose to improve customer experience. It involves easy product onboarding and feature adoption, ongoing engagement, and overall customer success. Educated customers are the most loyal and profitable customers. To confirm, let’s look at the research led by the Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA). At least 64% of customers use products more after they participate in training ( eLearning, virtual instructor-led, classroom, or on-site).  The LMS capabilities together with the CRM functionality give great strategic benefits for a company from the point of view of sales, brand awareness, and human resources. We can do CRM and LMS integration for your business fast and accurately. Contact us for more details!