Go Mobile with Sage 200

By Arshad Abdul, Account Manager

The New Sage 200 Mobile is designed to give users the freedom to choose how, where and when they access business-critical information.

It couldn't be easier. Download the App, Configure the application & Start using Sage 200 Mobile.


You will be glad to hear that this New and Exciting Feature is available Free of Charge with Sage 200 Version 2011.

Sage 200 Mobile gives SECURE ACCESS to your Sage 200 data on your iPhone!

With Sage 200 Mobile you can access your Sage 200 data using views and search functionality via your iPhone or Blackberry device. Sage 200 Mobile gives you quick and easy access to a wide range of business information, enabling your workforce to be more productive. The data available as standard is aimed at the Financial Director, Managing Director, Sales Person and Project Manager roles, how ever the application may be customised so you can access data that is relevent to a particular role.


Now in this age of mobile technology, it makes sense that you should leave the pen and paper to one side, forget the pages of customer and contact information and just log onto your iPhone or Blackberry to find the information you need when you need it.

Now you can............

• View customers, suppliers, projects, stock and bank accounts




• View invoices, and sales orders




• View transactions on customers, suppliers and bank accounts




• Rapid access to information, through "Favourites"




• Workspace can be viewed for Sales Summary, Cash Position and Project Position

Drop me a an email if you would like to find out more.....
sales@advent.ie or call me on 01 8223200

Sage e-Marketing....

by Sinéad Hayes, Sales & Marketing Manager


Many businesses are looking for more creative ways of reaching their target audiences and connecting with their customers. They are looking to operate more efficiently and effectively with leaner resources to stay one step ahead of the competition.

During times of a slow down in the global economy, it is important to accelerate marketing activity to ensure your products and services are at the forefront of prospects' and customer's minds.

The attached whitepaper explores how marketing departments, in this age of cost consciousness and accountability, are increasingly turning towards e-marketing to help generate leads and drive sales. As one of the most cost effective forms of marketing, e-marketing enables businesses to communicate with customers and prospects around the world instantly, putting products and services at the forefront of customers' minds ensuring that as soon as a new purchase decision arises, that your offering is the first that springs to mind.

http://www.advent.ie/pdf/Sage CRM_White Paper_emarketing.pdf

What is CRM?

By Sinéad Hayes, Sales & Marketing Manager

I have to admit that the term "CRM" can be sometimes confusing and is used a lot within the IT industry. But what does it really mean?? What is Customer Relationship Management really all about? Why would your business need a CRM system?

I like to think of CRM as a useful tool that enables businesses to get things done much more efficiently. So, instead of having to call up the sales rep to find out what he has agreed with Customer XYZ, you can simply log onto the CRM software and you will see all of the recent communications, correspondence, opportunities and even customer queries. Now this all assumes that the sales team and all other teams using the software actually update what they have been doing, but with Sage CRM being web browser based and available for smart phones, updating the system should become second nature. The benefits all there for all to see.

Now I am going to ask a few simple questions which should help illustrate the real power that CRM can deliver...

• What is the value of sales opportunities for this month/quarter?



• What is your conversion rate of Leads to Opportunities?



• Which of your Sales Rep's is most productive?



• What are the top 5 sources of business opportunities and how does this compare to last year?
  


• What marketing campaigns yielded the best results?



• Can you tell which e-marketing campaigns created the highest click rates and what areas in the campaign were of particular interest?



• Can you get a quick overview of what's happening with a customer all from one place? From Sales & Marketing to Communications & Customer Service & Finance?
  


• What % of opportunities did you lose because of Price? Do you know why you are not winning business?
  

Without having a CRM system in place, I would suspect that some of this information could be gathered from various sources and compiled eventually. I would also suspect that some of this information is not stored anywhere and therefore it would suggest that we may not be as "on the ball" as we may need to be. We are all out there competing with one another - surely its about being smarter and sharper to gain the competitive advantage??

CRM is really about putting a better structure on how you do things. Instead of sending prospect letters out by post, create an e-marketing campaign and follow and track the results. Use the information you have gathered and put it to good use.

If you were going to host an event for example, in Kerry. Using a system like Sage CRM, you can pull up all the contacts you have in Kerry who you dealt with in the past, but who never bought from you. Without a CRM system, I would suspect that many people will take a note of the company, contact them and if it doesn't work out, then their details become lost somewhere along the way. Keeping this information for future use is exactly what we should all be doing - its a very small world and just because somebody doesn't buy now, it doesn't mean that you cannot do business again in the future.

So, I think you get the picture now. It's really not that revolutionary - it's just a simple way of getting things done more efficiently and with greater clarity & accuracy. Integration with your Accounts system really completes the circle and enables information to flow in a circle around the organisation. It goes without saying that having this information to hand means you can make those decisions that spark change where change is needed. Remember that campaign we ran in March 2010 and generated lots of interest and where we exceeded our budget for the Quarter as a result?....why don't we try to replicate this and run the same campaign in 2011??

CRM systems such as Sage CRM V7.1 also incorporate Twitter & LinkedIn components and Microsoft Exchange integration. I would see this as an important step of adapting our business tools to take on board the new ways that we communicatate with each other and with the world.

Here's a video which hopefully illustrates the value of CRM to a business. It can be used in pretty much any size business and is not necessarily just for sales organisations. Its practical uses know no bounds.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0xRlBp57Zw&feature=player_embedded


The easiest way to work out the value of CRM to a business is simply to ask any business this question.

"If we took away your CRM system tomorrow, what impact do you think this would have on your business"??

I would suspect you would get some very strange looks at the prospect of parting with CRM and the reaction might be along the same lines as asking if we could take away your mobile phone. Doing things the old way just doesn't cut it any more. It just becomes part of how you do business - in a structured and organised way.

Advent Runs-A-Muck

Go Team Advent!!!


I would like to say a huge Thank You to my colleagues who took part in the recent Run-a-muck challenge which took place on 14th of May. This act of sheer madness was all for a very good cause and helped to raise much needed funds for The Niall Mellon Township Trust.

We had a great day out and it was certainly a great test of phyiscal and mental strength.

Thanks also to Frank Kelly (from Sage Ireland) and Ray McSherry for joining us on the run and thanks also to everybody who sponsored us over the past few weeks!

The Niall Mellon Township Blitz takes place in South Africa in November, where I will be working with a group of Irish volunteers to build houses for families in the Townships. This will be a different sort of physical and mental challenge and I am looking forward to making a difference.

Sinéad