One such product is called SAP Crystal Dashboard Design 2008 (formerly Crystal Xcelsius). Below is a video on how you can get started with SAP Crystal Dashboard Design 2008.

Getting Started with SAP Crystal Presentation Design (Formerly Xcelsius Present)

In terms of generating reports, you’re given a very simple option of either plugging the report directly into SAP Business One or even further analyzing the data via Excel.

What really helps is the ability to convert basic (read: boring!) reports into animated and interactive reports that allows for almost instant analytic and analysis.

Below is a screenshot of a sample dashboard created using Crystal Presentation Design in just 5 minutes.

You can also download a sample of the SWF file here:

Thank you

With the New Year quickly coming upon us it’s that time of year when budget’s are being assessed, business plans drawn up and software solutions reviewed.

Has your business grown this year? Are you planning to grow next year? Do you find time is being wasted repeatedly completing tasks manually or perhaps you feel you don’t have the visibility necessary to put a firm business plan in place?

We’ve put together the top ten sign’s it’s time for you and your business to consider investing in an ERP solution…we hope you find them helpful!

1. Your business uses multiple software packages to process a variety of business transactions and these aren’t interlinked in a single database.
2. As a direct result of the multiple disparate systems data has to be entered multiple times for the same transaction time and time again. This is affecting data accuracy is also a drain on human resources.
3. You lack a warehouse management system with build in RF and barcode scanning technology.
4. Your system(s) don’t process eCommerce transactions.
5. Accounting personnel spend weeks reconciling accounting entries to close‐year end.
6. Sales and customer service representatives lack visibility in to order status and rely on warehouse employees to provide them with timely updates so they can keep the customer informed.
7. You’re unable to retrieve accurate and useful business performance information in a timely manner which hinders business decision making and execution of business strategy.
8. You are unable to gain full visibility of the true cost of operations across your business particularly labour and services provided.
9. Your business regularly fails to anticipate demand resulting in inventory shortages and surpluses.
10. Your existing system(s) run on an outdated technology platform.

In summary, if you recognise that your business is suffering from internal process inefficiencies and you lack clear visibility and access to key information an ERP solution designed specifically for SMEs will be able to accommodate your growing business needs.

A fully integrated solution can help you do what you do best even better, allowing you to save time and money and increase profitable business growth.

Contact us now for a free consultation. http://www.tfp.com.my/form.asp?i=2

Article extracted from:
http://beabetterbusiness.com/blog/2011/12/12/top-ten-signs-its-time-to-consider-erp/

If competing is identifying market opportunity, then winning is capitalizing on opportunity faster than the competition. Whether you’re doing business across locations, countries or industries, help lead your organization to a competitive advantage with business software that’s as agile as you need to be.

The flexible architecture of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 means it can grow and adapt with you, and empower you to make changes quickly and cost effectively to match your business. Because it’s built to scale, Microsoft Dynamics AX can support your diverse operations, in a single solution. It also helps you balance risk with accurate information you can trust, and sharpen your competitive edge by combining the unique way you do business with industry-specific best practices.

Lead your business into the new generation of work with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. Experience the power and agility with a free demo. Contact us now for a free consultation. http://www.tfp.com.my/form.asp?i=2

Article extracted from :
http://meritsolutions.com/meritmatters/index.php?/archives/457-Compete-AND-Win-with-Microsoft-Dynamics-AX-2012.html

TFP Solutions group of companies specializes in providing Business Productivity IT Solutions and Services for business enterprises. Our business proposition to our clients is to enhance the Total Factor Productivity of their businesses. The principal activity of TFP Solutions Berhad is an investment holding company. The Group currently has 8 subsidiaries:

• MBP Solutions Sdn Bhd

• O2U Solutions Sdn Bhd

• ProDserv Sdn Bhd

• ProXerv Sdn Bhd

• SBOne Solutions Sdn Bhd

• SoftFac Technology Sdn Bhd

• Tech3 Solutions Sdn Bhd

• TFP International Pte Ltd

Our business comprise of 2 main business pillars, Business Management Solutions (BMS) and Converged Infrastructure Solutions (CIS).

In line with the Total Factor Productivity tagline, our Business Management Solutions (BMS) team provides sales, consultation, implementation, helpdesk and after-sales support and maintenance services for the various solutions in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Human Capital Management (HCM). In the other hand, TFP Converged Infrastructure Solutions (CIS) team provides the following solutions:

• System Virtualization
• Microsoft Infrastructure
• Linux Infrastructure
• Data Management
• Service Management

We offer a wide range of CIS products and services such as:

• Enterprise Servers (x64 & UNIX Platforms)
• Enterprise Storage System (DAS, NAS, SAN, & Tape Solutions)
• Networking Components (Switches, Routers, Load Balancers)
• Data Centre Infrastructure (Availability, Accessibility, Performance)
• IT Outsourcing Services

For more information, please visit www.tfp.com.my

Account Manager
Selangor

Responsibilities:

• Able to achieve company’s sales target, maximizing profit margin, strategic planning, manage pre and post sales activities.
• Service existing clients and seek out new opportunities.
• To establish long term partnerships with clients by providing excellent after sales service
• To work towards improvement of company’s business and products

Requirements:

• Candidate must possess at least a Diploma, Advanced/Higher/Graduate Diploma, Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent Professional Degree
• Required language(s): Chinese, English, Bahasa Malaysia
• Good interpersonal and communication skill
• At least 1 years experience in sales and corporate account management, however fresh graduate who are keen to build a career in sales are encourage to apply
• Sales experience in IT products & solutions is an added advantage
• Industry knowledge in areas of financial, distribution, services or manufacturing will be an added advantage
• Good business negotiations, presentation and communication skill at all level
• Applicants should be Malaysian citizens or hold relevant residence status
• Processes own transport

Using cloud-based infrastructure services doesn’t always mean sending your precious data to a third-party provider. While services such as Amazon EC2 are great for SMBs or enterprises with occasional workload spikes, sometimes organizations want the benefits of a cloud with more control, flexibility and security assurances than a third party can provide.

That’s why some companies looking to adopt a shared-services operating model are choosing to build their own internal clouds. Here we cover the differences between internal and public clouds, what an internal cloud can do for your organization, and what you should do to prepare for building your own.

What’s the difference?

Internal cloud vs. public cloud

When most people think of cloud computing, they think of the most visible examples, such as Amazon EC2, Google AppEngine and Microsoft Azure. Those services are public clouds, which means they operate outside of customers’ firewalls. The resources that power the clouds are owned by the companies that operate them, not by the customers.

Perhaps the biggest feature of public clouds is they give customers a way to avoid purchasing and managing certain hardware and software. That’s why they’re so attractive to organizations that don’t have the budget or internal resources to make this capital expenditure.

An internal cloud, on the other hand, is owned by the company and operates behind the company firewall. An internal cloud doesn’t let companies ditch hardware altogether. Instead, it’s all about creating dynamically available resources based on a highly virtualized, tightly integrated, converged infrastructure.

What’s the better model?

Both internal and public clouds can be excellent choices, depending on a company’s unique requirements. But internal clouds are becoming popular because they offer a degree of flexibility, compliance, security, transparency and control that public clouds typically don’t.

Public cloud: easy start up, less control

To understand the benefits of internal clouds, let’s first look at the advantages and disadvantages of public clouds. On the plus side, public clouds are convenient and easy to use. The infrastructure is already set up, so you don’t have to worry about how to build it. You simply go to the provider’s web site, order a service, and pay for only what you use.

On the other hand, public clouds don’t afford the control that customers have within their own firewalls. That means the provider may not use the exact security, privacy, and compliance mechanisms that your business requires. Although you can choose from a menu of services and service-level agreements (SLA), your pricing options are limited. The biggest worry, however, is that everything that could go wrong is out of your hands.

Internal cloud: more control, more service delivery options

An internal cloud is an attractive alternative because it features many benefits of public clouds without any of the drawbacks. Your organization can stick to its tried-and-true security mechanisms. You can maintain specific compliance procedures that might be required for your industry. You can maintain the benefits of the IT infrastructure you’ve already built. You can fine-tune every part of your internal cloud without feeling beholden to a third-party.

Another benefit of internal clouds: Companies can create new revenue streams by offering the internal cloud to external companies.

One drawback is that, depending on an IT organization’s maturity and existing infrastructure, building an internal cloud may call for additional capital and skills. But for many companies, the ability to serve multiple BUs and fulfill multiple SLAs quickly and consistently provides plenty of justification for the expense.

How do we prepare?

Building an internal cloud is a bigger endeavor than signing up for an external cloud service. But for organizations that require a high degree of security, control, flexibility and cross-BU standardization, it’s a smarter option.

As in any major IT initiative, the first step is careful planning. Experts recommend that organizations planning an internal cloud follow these six steps before implementation:

1. Rally stakeholders around a common vision.
2. Create a common understanding of concepts and trends.
3. Investigate best practices.
4. Mobilize customer teams for fast decision-making.
5. Identify your strategic cloud-related initiatives.
6. Lay out the next steps in a project roadmap.

 Get a jumpstart with TFP, call us now for a free consultation! Tel : 603 – 8060 0088

HP P6000 Enterprise Virtual Array Systems

Article extracted from : http://www.informationweek.com/news/storage/systems/229402739

By Chandler Harris InformationWeek

An early access program will allow select enterprises to use the HP P6000 Enterprise EVA before the official unveiling of the upgraded product.

Hewlett-Packard on Tuesday confirmed its next-generation Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA) is coming in June. In the meantime, HP is offering an early access program that allows select enterprises to use the HP P6000 Enterprise EVA before the official unveiling of the upgraded product.

A “couple hundred” customers will be treated to HP’s mainstream enterprise block access storage array, with most of them existing EVA users, said Tom Joyce, vice president of marketing for HP Storage, in an interview.

“The reason we decided to do it this way is because the EVA is one of the most successful storage products in history, with up to a 100,000 out there,” Joyce said. “We have a very significant customer base and a lot of folks are looking forward to the new product.”

The EVA is part of HP’s Converged Infrastructure portfolio that includes virtualization, unification, and management of storage, networking, and compute resources. The HP EVA is typically deployed for core enterprise applications from messaging to enterprise resource planning.

The HP P6000 EVA is the company’s fifth generation EVA and will feature increased capacity and performance improvements. The HP P6000 EVA will include a 6 Gbps Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) back-end, support for standard SAS hard disk drives, and 8 Gbps Fibre Channel connectivity. It will have new software features for increased functionality, but HP isn’t disclosing details yet.

The EVA is HPs mainstream enterprise block access storage array, with an estimated 100,000 deployed. After HP acquired 3PAR last year, it said there would be two more generations of EVA to fit into HP’s Converged Infrastructure product portfolio. The upcoming EVA upgrade is the first of these.

While there is overlap in both the offerings, Joyce says they are far enough apart to provide offerings for different enterprise needs. He gives a car analogy to describe the product, with the EVA the Ford F150 truck and the 3PAR product the Ferrari.

“Many consumers decide to go with the EVA for its functionality, simplicity, and economic value for general storage use cases,” Joyce said. “If an organization is primarily services oriented they can go with 3Par.”

The EVA upgrade is part of HP’s ongoing Converged Infrastructure strategy. HP’s merger with cloud storage provider 3Par last year helped in its competition against archrival Cisco, which has been strong in the conjoined data center and cloud computing markets. For its converged infrastructure strategy, HP noted that it is focusing on its storage, server, and networking portfolio. 3Par helped to beef up HP’s storage operation.

Sometimes its quite easy to think that an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software is greater than the sum of its parts. I tend to disagree. I think (and again, this is something I personally believe) an ERP is only as good as its reporting functionality.

Wikipedia somehow helps solidify my point of view by reporting:

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) integrates internal and external management information across an entire organization…

Management information usually falls into the realm of reports and reporting tools.

SAP Business One comes with (you should be sitting down for this!) not one but 6 (SIX!) Reporting tools, 7 if you include SAP Crystal Solutions Dashboard (formerly known as Xcelsius).

These reporting tools are:

1. SQL Queries (within SAP Business One)
2. Drag and Relate
3. XL Reporter (XLR)
4. Crystal Reports (CR)
5. SAP Crystal Solutions Dashboard / Xcelsius *
6. MS SQL Analysis Services
7. 3rd Party Reporting tools – Excel etc

* SAP Crystal Solutions Dashboard / Xcelsius requires an additional license purchase

In the next few blog posts I’ll detail out the above tools and how they help in day to day operations as well as administration of SAP Business One.

Articles by Charles.Knapp posted on February 8, 2011 12:28 PM (www.blogs.oracle.com/crm)

I have helped firms evaluate software demos and delivered demos in diverse industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, life sciences, and travel (to name just a few). Here are a few suggestions.

First, which vendor has the best fit for your industry? Make sure that the vendor demo staff tell you clearly throughout the demo (not just in a passing comment), what portion of each business process and screen is standard, what has been configured, what has been custom coded, and what has been provided by a partner. If you don’t keep asking, what you buy may be less useful than what you saw. This will lead to added (and unbudgeted) costs and time.

Second, what are the roles of the primary users? What are their top-most needs, such as exception-oriented dashboards or rapid data entry? Can you get a demo for each key role, showing how the software fits a typical workday? Have the vendor repeatedly tell you what is standard, configured, custom coded, or provided by a partner to avoid costly surprises.

Third, how well does the demo balance ease of use with completeness of business processes? One common demo approach is to hide needed fields or steps that are of low visual value. Another approach is to focus heavily on a visually appealing capability, while downplaying overall fit with your key business processes. Results: despite their business acumen, demo attendees may miss significant gaps in business fit or form an unrealistic impression about ease of use.

The most common analogy to explain cloud computing is that of public utilities such as electricity, gas, and water. Just as centralized and standardized utilities free individuals from the difficulties of generating electricity or pumping water, cloud omputing frees users from certain hardware and software installation and maintenance tasks through the use of simpler ardware that accesses a vast network of computing resources (processors, hard drives, etc.). The sharing of resources reduces the cost to individuals.

Cloud Computing is often characterized by:
     •   Virtualized computing resources
     •   Seemingly limitless capacity/scalability
     •   Dynamic provisioning
     •   Multi-tenancy
     •   Self-service
     •   Pay-for-use pricing

Why Cloud Computing?
Increase speed. Improve efficiencies. Reduce costs. For years, those have been the big promises of most new IT nitiatives. They’re also the big benefits of cloud computing. In pursuit of those benefits, organizations are choosing both public and private cloud strategies. Because cloud computing is based on pooled and elastic computing resources to rovide high efficiency, scalability, and availability—at the lowest-possible cost—choosing the right cloud technology to support cloud-based applications is a critically important element of any cloud computing strategy.

In summary, these are the answers to WHY CLOUD COMPUTING?
     •   Easy / Fast to deploy
     •   Less in-house IT Staff
     •   On demand basis
         (Pay only for what you use)
     •   Low montly payments
     •   Offers the latest functionality
         (no upgrade cost)
     •   Sharing systems / information simpler              
          (access from anywhere, anytime)

Oracle Cloud Computing Objectives:
     •   Ensure that cloud computing is fully
          enterprise grade
     •   Support both public and private cloud
          computing – give customers choice

The technology behind a cloud deployment may be a collection of best-of-breed components from different vendors, ntegrated by a cloud service provider or an organization’s own IT staff. But a cloud technology  platform that is engineered to work together, preintegrated and preconfigured by one vendor, can be optimized for much higher levels of performance, scalability, availability, efficiency, and manageability compared to heterogeneous solutions.

“In terms of economies of scale in an on-demand world, it’s about having a unified technology stack that enables tandardization and provides for operational efficiency and much lower operating costs,” says Gene Eun, director of product management, Oracle On Demand. “The fact that Oracle’s on-demand cloud offering is an integrated solution that’s designed to work together means that it’s all built for scale and stability, ensuring that the solution is optimized for performance and is
always going to be available.”

Software Dilemma

Many of us have heard of the term “CRM”, however, some of you may still have questions about what exactly it is.

What is CRM?

CRM, an abbreviation of Customer relationship management software is a tool used to manage all of your contacts’ and customers’ information in one place and tracks all activities related to them.  It’s also used to manage partner and vendor relationships.  It stores critical data for sales, marketing, and customer service purposes and is used for managing marketing campaigns and generating meaningful reports.  With CRM software like Microsoft Dynamics CRM, it’s easy to share customer information, monitor sales activities and retrieve purchase history, identify revenue opportunities, deliver consistent customer service, and track your progress against your goals.

Do I Need It?

It’s important to analyze your needs before selecting a CRM software.  Here are some indicators that your company may be ready to take the plunge:

• You use multiple methods to communicate with your customers (e-mail, phone, face-to-face, direct mail, etc.)
• You want to be able to target specific customers and prospects and personalize communications
• Your customers’ demographics vary
• You want greater visibility into your sales pipeline
• You’re duplicating efforts within the company (i.e. two salespeople call the same prospect)
• It’s time-consuming and difficult to generate reports
• You want to be able to track marketing and sales trends and identify opportunities
• Any customer or prospect data you currently have is spread across different software

 Is It Worth the Investment?

It´s a fair question; many business leaders still question the value of implementing CRM software in a business. It is an elusive answer because there is a wealth of inconclusive information in the marketplace. Fear no more as we would like to share you some insights from the experts. There are several tangible and intangible benefits to CRM including increased revenue, reduced costs, and greater efficiency. Of course, these results vary depending on the company and type of CRM software you choose.  However, it’s easier to prove the worth of a CRM software investment compared to many other software systems since some benefits can be realized almost immediately.  Some benefits include:

• Integration with existing databases and technology systems
• Consolidated information in a centralized system
• Improved visibility into company data and processes for more predictable and manageable business operations
• Ability to create custom reports efficiently and modify rules of the system
• Improved customer service and efficiency due to increased responsiveness and non-duplication of data
• Improved information sharing and synchronization resulting in increased productivity and sales performance
• Better targeted and more efficient marketing

 Here’s a video of Top 10 Reasons to Choose Microsoft Dynamics CRM: