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Welcome to the Business Software Education Center

The Business Software Education Center blog is focused on sharing information, resources and training on all aspects of business software including Accounting/Finance, ERP, Business Intelligence, CRM, MRP, and more.

Digital Transformation Mistakes: Not thinking carefully about the platform for transformation

In the path to creating a digitally transformed business, much of your focus should be on the technology that can get you there. As we discuss in our whitepaper on your possible mistakes, digital transformation is built on the following backbone.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA):

Put simply, RPA applies Artificial intelligence to integration and workflow automation, and could be considered the precursor to AI.

What’s on Executives’ Software Investment Plate in 2020?

If you’re looking to learn even more about the plans, investment strategies, and outlook for companies like yours, we invite you to join us on February 18, 2020 for a webinar exploring the trends and plans for the coming year.

Infrastructure-as-a-Service: Definitions, Use Cases, and More

The fastest-growing of all the as-a-service offerings, cloud system infrastructure services, or infrastructure as a service (IaaS), which is forecast to grow 27.5 percent in 2019 to reach $38.9 billion, up from $30.5 billion in 2018, according to Gartner. With many businesses working toward adopting IaaS strategies, we would today like to explore this topic as we kick off our as-a-Service series.

Cybersecurity Platforms: Hype Reality, and Promise

You already understand that cybersecurity is important to the long-term success of your firm. This has led to many companies offering cybersecurity “platforms.” Here are just a few of the things you can expect to see in a cybersecurity platform.

What Are the Many Different Flavors of Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence. Is it a technology that will end civilization as we know it? Is it a tool that will make our lives easier? Is it something between the two? Only time will tell.

Digital Transformation Mistakes: Taking Too Big of a Bite at the Beginning

If you’ve kept your resolution going so far, congratulations! If you’ve been following our digital transformation mistake series, you’ll know that resolutions and digital transformations are surprisingly similar. Learn how taking too big of a bite at the beginning of a digital transformation is a mistake.

Digital Transformation Mistakes: Failing to appreciate the change management aspects of the concept

What do New Year’s Resolutions have in common with Digital Transformation? Both are incredibly likely to fail. In fact, like our second biggest digital transformation mistake, many can chalk up their resolution failures to the same problem—a failure in change management.

Business Technology Outlook 2020: Ready Yourself for a New Year

As we enter a new year—and decade—business leaders are both anxious and excited about the future. But what’s on the horizon? What investments are being made? These are questions that pervade discussions, and at the Business Software Education Center, we’re here to answer them. In this, we’ve announced a new survey and webcast to help our readers plan their software investments—and we need your help.

Blockchain 101: A Super-Simple Explanation of Blockchain

Today, we’re kicking off a series on the basics of blockchain, discussing how it can be used by businesses to track, trace, and tokenize, starting with an introduction to the key terms and essential concepts. Over the coming months, we will help you develop a deeper understanding of why the use of this can help you see and control more.

Integration and Workflow Management Platforms: A Brief Primer

From collaboration platforms to business intelligence solutions, we are today taking a second to investigate integration platforms, solutions designed to connect two systems and make the overwhelming more manageable.

What Does It Take to be a Lean Enterprise?

Lean enterprise focuses on value creation and the elimination of waste and non-essential processes. But it’s not as easy as it seems. However, there are some fundamentals that go into being a lean enterprise and many examples to follow.

Technologies for 2020 and Beyond – A Gartner Review

In 2009, Gartner saw this, featuring mobile applications, cloud computing, advanced analytics, and social computing in their top ten strategic technology trends for 2010. Take a look at technologies for 2020 and beyond in this Gartner review.

What is a Comprehensive Digital Transformation Strategy?

Digital transformation is very real term, defined in our Technology Glossary as the full-scale improvement of business processes and activities. Learn what a comprehensive digital transformation strategy is and why you need one here.

The Top 10 Digital Transformation Mistakes

Digital transformation is about using technological innovations to rewrite the rules of engagement for how you deal with customers, partners and whole industries. This article reviews the top 10 mistakes we’ve seen in the digital transformation process.

What Are the Best EPM Solutions?

EPM software refers to a class of application that helps you analyze, understand and report on a business, or division of a larger company. It’s related to Business Intelligence (BI). CFOs are the main users of EPM solutions.

Top 10 Software Technology Buzzwords of 2019

Business software and information technology are changing rapidly, and so is the terminology used by business professionals, software and IT professionals. The Business Software Education Center researched and developed a comprehensive glossary to help.

Top Mobile Technologies for 2020

It should not be big news to you that mobility is increasingly important in IT. If it is news, we need to talk. Mobile apps and mobile computing in general have rapidly become critical for businesses to be competitive. What may surprise you, though, is the expanding scope of mobile offerings in the market. With that in mind, here are some emerging top mobile technologies coming in 2020.

Understanding the Potential of Role-Based Dashboards

Role-based dashboards are an important asset provided by modern ERP systems. Acumatica, for example, an advanced cloud ERP, enables users to create, configure and maintain custom dashboards based on roles. They provide full visibility into areas such as accounting, operations and sales. Dashboards offer more than customizability, though. They can deliver a great deal of potential for your business. The following examples reveal the types of information and analytics you can obtain from fully centralized, role-based dashboards.

5 Blockchain Initiatives that Can Be Implemented Today

Blockchain has been so hyped for so long, people may want it without quite understanding what it actually does. There are plenty of reasons for this confusing state of affairs. The biggest culprit is the business of crypt-currencies, which use blockchain technology as their foundation. But, there is much more to blockchain than just Bitcoin and the like. There are many practical blockchain initiatives you can implement today. We will present five of them in this article.

Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine Learning Primer: What You Need to Know

The Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning (ML) are reshaping the world of computing. From corporate data to consumer devices, these phenomena have been the subjects of intense development. They’re not new, with the IoT having been recognized for around 20 years and the concept of machine learning existing since the late 1950s. However, today, they are advancing in their sophistication and coming together to realize innovations such as online recommendations, fraud detection and self-driving cars.

Top 10 Collaboration Software Options

What is the best collaboration software? A quick survey of the leading industry software review sites and analyst reports shows a diverging set of favorites. Part of the problem in figuring out what’s the best are variations in how people define collaboration software, or even the act of collaboration itself. We’re offering our top 10 recommendations.

Modernizing the Accounting Function

Next time you call an accounting staff person a “bean counter,” know this: You’re WRONG! The term is actually derived from the German word “Erbsenzähler,” which means “pea counter.” In German, it means someone who is overly nitpicky, a perfectionist. Here, it’s a pejorative name for someone who fusses over the books, a person who spends all day reconciling a two-cent discrepancy in the general ledger.

Cloud ERP as a Driver of ROI in Non-Profits

Non-profit organizations can achieve a positive Return on Investment (ROI) by moving to cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. This may sound like an odd proposition, but non-profits very much need to think in terms of ROI, if they don’t already. Cloud-based ERP software, with specialized non-profit accounting and management functions, enables non-profit ROI by allowing them to work more efficiently and cost-effectively.

The Case for Hybrid Cloud and Legacy Services

As cloud computing services become more powerful and varied, most senior IT managers are contemplating a hybrid approach to the cloud. This is not a new topic, but the continuing evolution of cloud solutions should lead to refresher on the subject every six to twelve months. Last year’s hybrid cloud is not the same as the one you might be considering today.

5 Real Life Examples of AI at Work in Businesses Today

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an exciting topic in business, but often the vision for AI is either too futuristic or expensive to mean much to a midsized business. You might want AI capabilities, but you don’t have data scientists or high-end software developers on staff. The cool thing, though, is that AI is now becoming available as part of standard software solutions. Here are five examples of AI at work in business today.

Digital Transformation Requires True Cloud Software

Digital transformation is a compelling goal for businesses today. However, it presents a multi-faceted challenge. Transforming business strategy and operations with technology means combining the power of data with innovative software and flexible infrastructure. To make this work, the best practice is to leverage cloud computing wherever possible.

Getting Ready for the (Hard-to-Find) Next Generation of IT Professionals

There’s a rather morbid joke making the rounds of IT shops that’s truer than most IT people would want to admit. It goes like this: In the year 3142, scientists unearth a cryogenically preserved corpse from the early 21st century. After thawing him out and bringing him back to life with their 32nd century technology, they quickly ask him, “You don’t know COBOL, do you?”

Business Software – News Roundup for the Summer of 2019

Here’s our roundup of business software news for the summer of 2019. It’s been a busy season, with stories from Acumatica, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power BI and Oracle NetSuite.

Is the Cloud Killing the CIO?

Is the CIO role on its way out? It may be premature to announce the demise of this critical executive function, but cloud computing is definitely threatening it. At the very least, the cloud is pushing significant changes to the CIO’s job description.

The Role of Business Software in Digital Transformation

Digital transformation is a hot topic these days, perhaps a little over-hyped. Yet, it’s very real, and it can make a difference in your business. Though a complex subject, the essence of digital transformation involves the use of new technologies to effect fundamental changes in the way your business runs. Business software programs like ERP and CRM are part of the story. In some cases, they are the digital transformation story.

10 Keys to Avoiding Data Breach

Who doesn’t want to avoid a data breach? They’re bad for business, on so many levels. If you needed any reminders about this, consider that within the last two weeks, Equifax was fined $750 million for its massive breach and Capital One had to announce to the world that 100 million of its credit card application records had been stolen.

The Controller and Business Software

What is the controller’s role in business software usage and procurement? We’ve found this to be a significant question because a lot of otherwise smart people don’t seem to understand either what a controller does or what business software is really all about. First, the question that EVERYONE wants to ask: What’s the difference between a controller and a comptroller? The truth is, they’re the same role, though the comptroller designation is usually associated with a government position.

What is the C-Suite Thinking about Software and Technology?

We recently published The 2019 C-Suite Software Sentiment Study. We surveyed over 500 executives about their thinking, planning and prioritizing for the increasingly mission-critical subject of software and technology. Our goal was to provide new insights into how c-level executives view software and related technology as drivers of strategy. The respondents work in multiple roles and come from a range of company sizes and geographic locations. The findings are statistically “projectionable” and valid for the United States market.

Understanding Dashboards, KPIs, and Analytics for Your Business

The concepts of dashboards, KPIs and analytics can get blurred. They are related but distinct from one another. Not everyone needs to see the same dashboard in a business. Indeed, not everyone should be able to see the same dashboard.

C-Suite Software Sentiment Study (Infographic)

The 2019 C-Suite Software Sentiment Study by the Business Software Education Center was conducted in May of 2019 with the goal of providing a mid-year check regarding what executives are thinking, planning and prioritizing on the increasingly mission-critical subject of software and technology.

Business Process Automation: What it is and How it Works

Technology has long been employed in speeding up or simplifying business processes. Today, we are seeing steady growth in the area of Business Process Automation (BPA). And, while we’ve come a long way since the days of dots and dashes, the essentials have not changed much.

Understanding the Role of Software in Cybersecurity

Software has its own, distinctive role in cybersecurity. Hackers frequently target software applications. As a result, it’s useful to understand software’s vulnerabilities as well as countermeasures that can protect software from attack.

Integrating Salesforce.com with ERP

Salesforce has an extensive feature set, but it doesn’t do everything. Indeed, Salesforce is designed to integrate with other software applications so its CRM capabilities can surface in multiple areas of a business.

BI is Not Just for the Enterprise Any More

Business Intelligence (BI) is no longer the exclusive domain of large organizations. New BI tools make it easier than ever before for non-specialists to analyze and visualize data. And, the technology is getting more affordable.

Why Migrate from Legacy ERP to Cloud ERP?

Many businesses are migrating their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems from legacy, on-premises deployment to the cloud. Should you? There is no simple answer, unfortunately. The cloud offers some compelling benefits for ERP, but it’s not for everyone.

Getting Proactive with Data Analytics

Being proactive means structuring your data analytics to serve ongoing business objectives. It creates tangible, business-facing actions that arise from data-driven insights. For example, you can use data analytics tools to create a business dashboard.

Understanding Data Security

There is no single element that defines data security. Rather, it’s invariably a combination of practices, processes, policies and tools. The goal is always the same, though, and that is to protect data from theft, disruption or unauthorized access.

Enterprise Software News Roundup

The marketplace for enterprise software products is lively and fast-paced. Every week brings exciting new product announcements, client “win-wires” and reports of analyst coverage. Here is a roundup of some industry highlights for the last few months.

ERP Analyst Roundup

Here are some recent examples of analyst coverage for cloud ERP, an emerging category, and for Acumatica, one of the most promising cloud ERP solutions on the market today.

Ways to Increase the Power of Your CRM

CRM is all about building better, more profitable relationships with your customers. Having worked with many companies on CRM implementation, we can suggest a number of ways to increase the power of your CRM.

Top Priorities for IT Professionals

As an IT professional, you have an important role to play in the company’s overall profitability and strategic advantage. Any priorities you set should reflect back on this reality.

How to Maximize Your Potential with Big Data

How to Maximize Your Potential with Big DataYou’ve surely heard about big data, but do you really know what it’s all about? The term has been overhyped to the point of absurdity. Yet, despite all the discussions, it still remains a vague concept for many business...

Business Intelligence Solutions for the Modern Organization

Today’s business managers have access to a rich, deep variety of data about their companies. Using Business Intelligence (BI) software, they can gain real time visibility into operations and leverage analytics to get valuable insights.

How Automating Processes Improves Productivity

How Automating Processes Improves ProductivityBusiness managers love to say, “Time is money,” but in reality, they often overlook how much time—and money—their own people are wasting right in front of their eyes. Time is definitely money, though. When a worker spends...

Modern Finance: Are You Keeping Up?

Modern Finance: Are You Keeping Up?“I don’t have a crystal ball” is one of the all-time great cop-outs in life and business. If you’re the CFO of a modern company, though, you better get yourself one. The financial role has changed, especially with regard to treasury...

Three Ways CFOs Can Use Technology to Stay Ahead

To make a difference to the CFO, technology has to go beyond the basics. Accurate reporting and good financial controls by means of software are a given. Where can tech advance the CFO’s agenda and, perhaps even further his or her career?

The Power of Cloud in Finance

Financial management itself tends to be an under-examined area of business operations. Opportunities for transformative change have been hard to find, however, until now. The maturing of cloud computing opens up paths to more agile, cost-effective and insightful financial management.

3 Tips for Driving a Culture of Digital Innovation

Embracing new technology tools—and not just adopting them—is a mindset: the change makes sense to employees, who have grappled with challenges and look forward to experiencing the benefits of innovation.

Exploring the Cloud Deployment Models: Public, Private, and Hybrid

If you’re a SMB technology decision-maker who’s considering implementing ERP, CRM, or other cloud-based business software, you need to think carefully about which cloud deployment model is most appropriate for your organization: public, private, or hybrid.

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