In the rapidly evolving world of software development, businesses are constantly seeking ways to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and stay competitive. One of the most significant advancements in this realm is the advent of Cloud ERP software. This technology has revolutionised how organisations manage their resources and operations, providing a unified platform that integrates various business functions.

This blog post delves into the intricacies of Cloud ERP software, highlighting its role in fostering resilience and agility in organisations. Whether you’re a seasoned software developer or a business owner looking to optimise your operations, this post offers valuable insights into the benefits and workings of Cloud ERP software.

Understanding Cloud ERP Software

Cloud ERP, or Enterprise Resource Planning, is a type of software that operates on a vendor’s cloud platform, allowing businesses to access it via the internet. It integrates and automates essential business functions such as financial and operational tasks, providing a unified source of data. This includes aspects like inventory management, order processing, and supply chain management. It also aids in procurement, production, distribution, and fulfilment.

Being hosted by the ERP vendor and provided as a service to businesses, cloud ERP software supports the same or even superior functionality as on-premises systems but without most of the downsides, such as upfront licensing fees. The demand for cloud-based ERP systems is on the rise due to their ability to access and analyse vast amounts of data in near real-time.

The Working Mechanism of Cloud ERP

Cloud ERP systems operate using a combination of technologies connected by high-speed internet networks. The cloud ERP is always online, with security updates managed by the ERP provider. This means that your team only needs to focus on using the ERP and its underlying data. This can result in a lower cost of ownership compared to older ERP systems hosted on company-owned servers.

Cloud-based ERPs offer almost limitless scalability and enable your team to access any information they need wherever their work takes them. Key features include accessing customer information, sales histories, financial data, human resources management tools, live operating metrics, supply chain status, and more.

7 ways cloud ERP helps organisation build resilience and agility

1.    Enables Remote Workforce Management and Collaboration

Cloud ERP software is accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. This means that employees can access necessary data and collaborate with their colleagues regardless of their physical location. This flexibility is particularly beneficial in today’s work environment where remote work is becoming more common.

2.    Complies with Accounting Standards and Regulatory Requirements

Cloud ERP systems are designed to comply with various accounting standards and regulatory requirements. This means that businesses can ensure they are always in compliance with the latest regulations, reducing the risk of penalties and enhancing their reputation with customers and stakeholders.

3.    Provides a Unified and Accurate Picture of the Business

By integrating various business functions such as finance, sales, inventory, and customer relationship management, cloud ERP software provides a unified view of the business. This means that all departments within the organisation have access to the same data, ensuring consistency and accuracy in decision-making.

4.    Drives Quick Reaction Times

With real-time data and analytics, cloud ERP systems enable businesses to react quickly to changes in the business environment. For example, if there is a sudden increase in demand for a particular product, the business can quickly ramp up production to meet this demand.

5.    Reduces Operational Risk

By automating processes and providing real-time visibility into operations, cloud ERP systems can help reduce operational risk. For example, automated data entry reduces the risk of human error, while real-time visibility into operations allows businesses to identify and address issues before they become major problems.

6.    Tracks Unit Economics, Customer and Project Profitability

Cloud ERP systems provide detailed insights into unit economics (the revenue and costs associated with a particular business model expressed on a per unit basis), customer profitability (the profit that a firm makes from serving a customer), and project profitability (the profit that a firm makes from a particular project). These insights can help businesses make informed decisions about where to focus their resources.

7.    Helps Companies Scale and Adapt

With their scalability and flexibility, cloud ERP systems support business growth and help companies adapt to changing business needs. For example, as a business grows, it can easily add more users to the system or expand its functionality to meet new business requirements.

The Future of Cloud ERP

Cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have brought about a revolution in how companies operate and innovate. By centralising various functions like finance, inventory management, human resources, manufacturing, and customer relationship management into a single integrated application maintained by a third-party provider, cloud-based ERP solutions offer numerous benefits.

The future promises improvements from AI and ML, IoT integration, and systems that separate front-end development from back-end system development. According to some reports, 35% of cloud implementations are still on-premises, suggesting a large untapped customer base for cloud-based ERP systems.

Top Cloud ERP Software in 2023

Here are some of the top cloud ERP software in 2023 according to various sources:

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: Best overall
• SAP Business One Professional: Best for customization
• SYSPRO: Best for manufacturing businesses
• QT9: Best for real-time reporting
• Epicor Prophet 21 ERP: Best for distributors
• Oracle NetSuite OneWorld: Best for global companies

Inshort,

Cloud ERP software has become an indispensable tool for businesses aiming to streamline their operations and enhance efficiency. With its ability to integrate various business functions into one platform accessible from anywhere, it offers significant advantages over traditional on-premises systems.

It’s an investment that can propel your business to new heights of efficiency and productivity. If you’re ready to take the next step in your digital transformation journey, Verbat is here to help. With our expertise in software development and cloud solutions, we can guide you in implementing a Cloud ERP system tailored to your business needs. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you harness the power of Cloud ERP.

In the competitive world of business, effective sales management is crucial for success. However, sales teams often face numerous challenges that can hinder their performance. In this blog post, we will explore some of these challenges and discuss how Verbat Technologies, a leading name in software development in UAE, can help overcome them.

Challenges In Sales Management & methods to Tackle them

Overcoming the challenges in sales management requires strategic planning, effective communication, and strong leadership skills. Here are some actionable methods to overcome these challenges:

1.    Transitioning from Sales Representative to Sales Manager

This is often one of the first challenges a new sales manager faces. The skills and mindset that made someone a successful sales representative are not the same as those needed for effective sales management.

As a sales representative, success is often measured by individual achievements, while as a sales manager, success is measured by the performance of the team. This transition requires developing new skills such as leadership, strategic planning, and team building.

HOW TO TACKLE

This transition can be facilitated through targeted training programs that focus on the skills needed for effective sales management, such as leadership, strategic planning, and team building. Mentoring from experienced sales managers can also be beneficial.

2.    Time Management

Sales managers often have to juggle multiple responsibilities, from coaching their team members to strategizing sales plans and liaising with other departments. Effective time management is crucial to ensure all tasks are completed and goals are met.

HOW TO TACKLE

Effective time management can be achieved through prioritisation and delegation. Sales managers should focus on high-value tasks and delegate other tasks where possible. Using time management tools and techniques, such as time blocking or the Eisenhower matrix, can also be helpful.

3.    Building a High-Performing Sales Team

Assembling a team that consistently meets or exceeds sales targets is no easy task. It involves hiring the right people, providing effective training, setting clear expectations, and maintaining a high level of motivation among team members.

HOW TO TACKLE

This involves hiring the right people with the right skills and attitude. Providing ongoing training and development opportunities is also crucial. Regular feedback and recognition of achievements can help motivate the team and improve performance.

4.    Meeting Supervisor’s Needs

Sales managers often find themselves in the middle of their sales team and upper management. They need to balance the needs of their team with the expectations of their supervisors. This involves clear communication, negotiation skills, and the ability to manage up.

HOW TO TACKLE

Clear communication with supervisors is key to understanding their expectations. Regular updates on progress and challenges can help keep supervisors informed and build trust.

5.    Creating a Sales Career Advancement Plan

Sales managers need to guide their team members in their career growth and development. This involves understanding each team member’s career aspirations, strengths and weaknesses, providing constructive feedback, and offering opportunities for skill development and advancement.

HOW TO TACKLE

Understanding the career aspirations of team members is the first step in creating a career advancement plan. Providing opportunities for skill development and advancement within the company can help motivate and retain team members.

6.    Dealing with Internal Dynamics and Collaboration

Every organisation has its own unique culture and dynamics. Sales managers often need to navigate these internal dynamics and foster collaboration within the team as well as with other departments.

A well-managed sales pipeline is crucial for forecasting and meeting sales targets. However, managing a sales pipeline can be challenging without the right tools.

HOW TO TACKLE

Building a positive team culture can help overcome internal dynamics. Encouraging open communication and collaboration within the team can also improve team dynamics.

7.    Keeping Up with the Fast-Paced and Competitive Sales Environment

The sales industry is dynamic and competitive. Market conditions, customer preferences, and competition can change rapidly. Sales managers need to stay updated with these changes and be able to adapt their strategies accordingly.

Sellers often struggle to spend enough time selling. On average, they spend only 30% of their time actually selling. The rest of the time is spent on various preparatory and administrative activities.

HOW TO TACKLE

Regular market research and staying updated with industry trends can help sales managers adapt their strategies to the changing environment.

8.    Building Trust Virtually

With the increasing trend towards remote work and virtual teams, building trust virtually has become a new challenge for sales managers. This requires effective virtual communication and team-building strategies.

HOW TO TACKLE

Building trust in a virtual environment can be achieved through regular virtual meetings, clear and timely communication, and by being responsive to team members’ needs.

1. Getting in Front of Decision-Makers:

One of the key challenges in sales is getting access to decision-makers who have the authority to make purchasing decisions. This requires strategic prospecting and networking skills. The market is constantly changing, and sales teams need to adapt quickly to stay ahead.

HOW TO TACKLE

This requires strategic prospecting and networking skills. Building strong relationships with gatekeepers, such as secretaries or assistants, can also help gain access to decision-makers.

In conclusion

overcoming challenges in sales management requires the right strategies and tools. Verbat Technologies, with its expertise in software development in UAE and ERP software development, can provide the solutions you need to boost your sales performance. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business thrive.

In today’s competitive business landscape, customer engagement has emerged as a key differentiator. Businesses that succeed in engaging their customers often enjoy higher customer loyalty and better business outcomes. This blog post will explore how Customer Relationship Management (CRM) can be leveraged to maximise customer engagement.

The Role of CRM in Customer Engagement

CRM is not just a tool but a strategy for managing all your company’s relationships and interactions with your customers and potential customers. It helps businesses stay connected to customers, streamline processes, and improve profitability. When it comes to customer engagement, CRM plays a pivotal role by providing a 360-degree view of the customer, which enables personalised interactions and builds strong customer relationships.

In the age of big data, businesses have access to more customer data than ever before. CRM systems can collect and analyse this data to derive valuable customer insights. These insights can help businesses understand their customers’ needs, preferences, and behaviour patterns, which can be used to personalise interactions and enhance customer engagement.

Implementing CRM for Customer Engagement

Implementing CRM for maximising customer engagement involves several steps. First, you need to set up your CRM system in a way that aligns with your business processes. Next, integrate your CRM system with other tools used in your organisation to have a unified view of the customer. Finally, train your team on how to use CRM effectively to engage customers.

Personalization and Segmentation

CRM systems allow businesses to segment their customers based on various criteria like demographics, purchase history, etc. This segmentation enables businesses to personalise their marketing and engagement efforts. Personalised interactions often lead to better customer engagement as they make the customers feel valued.

Automation and Workflow

CRM systems come with automation features that can streamline various customer engagement processes. For instance, you can automate routine tasks like sending follow-up emails, updating contact information, etc. This not only saves time but also ensures that no customer interaction opportunity is missed.

Multi-Channel Engagement

In today’s digital age, customers interact with businesses through various channels like email, social media, chatbots, mobile apps, etc. CRM systems enable businesses to manage these multi-channel interactions effectively and provide a consistent experience across all channels.

Feedback and Continuous Improvement

Customer feedback is a valuable resource for any business. It provides insights into what’s working well and where improvements are needed. CRM systems can help businesses collect and analyse this feedback for continuous improvement.

Measuring Customer Engagement

Finally, it’s important to measure the success of your customer engagement efforts. Most CRM systems come with built-in analytics features that can help you track key performance indicators (KPIs) like customer satisfaction scores, net promoter score (NPS), etc.

By leveraging CRM effectively, businesses can maximise their customer engagement efforts leading to enhanced customer loyalty and business growth.

Conclusion

In conclusion, maximising customer engagement is crucial for business success in today’s competitive landscape. CRM systems, when implemented effectively, can play a pivotal role in enhancing customer engagement by providing personalised interactions, streamlining processes, and offering valuable customer insights.

However, the journey doesn’t end here. Continuous improvement based on customer feedback and regular measurement of engagement metrics are key to ensuring your CRM strategies remain effective.

If you’re looking to implement these strategies and need a partner to guide you through the process, consider reaching out to Verbat. With their expertise in digital technology solutions, they can help you make the most of your CRM system and drive customer engagement to new heights.

If you are a developer, a business owner, or just a curious person who wants to learn more about the digital world, you have probably heard of the term API. But what exactly are APIs and why are they so important? In this blog post, we will answer these questions and more. We will explain what APIs are, how they have evolved over time, what are some of the common use cases and tools for working with them, and what are the future trends in the API landscape.

What are APIs?

API stands for Application Programming Interface. It is a set of rules and specifications that define how different software systems can communicate and interact with each other. You can think of an API as a contract between a provider and a consumer of data or functionality. The provider exposes certain endpoints or methods that the consumer can call or request, and the provider returns the expected response or result.

APIs are like the glue that connects different applications and services together. They allow developers to reuse existing code and functionality, rather than reinventing the wheel every time. They also enable users to access data and features from various sources and platforms, such as web, mobile, desktop, etc.

A Brief History of APIs

APIs have been around for a long time, but they have evolved significantly over the years. Here is a brief overview of the major milestones in the history of APIs:

• Early APIs: The earliest forms of APIs were procedural APIs used in libraries and operating systems. These APIs allowed developers to access low-level functions and data structures through function calls or system calls. For example, the C standard library provides a set of APIs for performing common tasks like input/output, memory management, string manipulation, etc.
  
  
  
• SOAP: SOAP stands for Simple Object Access Protocol. It is a protocol that was developed in the late 1990s and early 2000s to allow for more structured communication over the Internet. SOAP uses XML as the data format and HTTP as the transport protocol. SOAP defines a standard way of wrapping requests and responses in XML envelopes, which can include headers, body, and fault elements. SOAP also supports features like encryption, authentication, and error handling.
  
  
  
• REST: REST stands for Representational State Transfer. It is an architectural style that was proposed by Roy Fielding in his doctoral dissertation in 2000. REST is based on the idea of using standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.) to perform operations on resources identified by URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers). RESTful APIs are designed to be simple, stateless, cacheable, and scalable. They also follow the principle of HATEOAS (Hypermedia as the Engine of Application State), which means that each response should contain links to related resources or actions.
  
  
  
• GraphQL: GraphQL is a query language for APIs that was developed by Facebook in 2012 and released as an open-source project in 2015. GraphQL allows clients to specify exactly what data they need from an API, rather than receiving a fixed set of fields. GraphQL also supports features like mutations (changing data), subscriptions (real-time updates), fragments (reusable queries), directives (conditional logic), etc.

Use Cases for APIs

APIs have many applications and benefits for both developers and users. Here are some of the common use cases for APIs:

• Internal Communication: APIs are used within organisations to facilitate communication between different systems and services. For example, an e-commerce company may use APIs to connect its inventory management system with its order processing system, or its customer service system with its CRM system.
  
  
  
• Third-party Integration: APIs allow different applications to integrate with third-party services that provide additional functionality or data. For example, a social media app may use APIs to integrate with Google Maps for location sharing, or with Spotify for music streaming.
  
  
  
• Public APIs: APIs also allow developers to access functionalities from various sources and platforms that offer public APIs. For example, a weather app may use APIs to get weather information from Weather.com or AccuWeather.com, or a travel app may use APIs to get flight information from Skyscanner or Expedia.

Tools for Working with APIs

Working with APIs requires various tools for different purposes. Here are some of the popular tools for working with APIs:

• Development Tools: These are tools that help developers design, test, and document their APIs. Some examples are Postman, Swagger, Insomnia, etc.
  
  
  
• Testing Tools: These are tools that help developers perform performance and security testing on their APIs. Some examples are JMeter, SoapUI, LoadRunner, etc.
  
  
  
• Monitoring Tools: These are tools that help developers monitor their API usage and performance in real-time. Some examples are Apigee, New Relic, Datadog, etc.

Documentation for APIs

Documentation is an essential part of any API. It provides information and instructions on how to use the API, what are the available endpoints and parameters, what are the expected responses and errors, etc. Documentation helps developers and users understand and consume the API effectively.

Documentation can be created and maintained using various tools, such as:

• Swagger: Swagger is a tool that allows developers to create interactive and dynamic documentation for their APIs. Swagger uses a specification language called OpenAPI, which defines the structure and behaviour of the API in a YAML or JSON file. Swagger also provides a user interface that displays the documentation and allows users to test the API directly from the browser.
  
  
• Redoc: Redoc is another tool that generates documentation for APIs based on the OpenAPI specification. Redoc provides a simple and elegant user interface that organises the documentation into sections and subsections, and supports features like search, navigation, code samples, etc.

APIs and Microservices

Microservices are a software architecture style that consists of breaking down a large and complex application into smaller and independent services that communicate with each other using APIs. Each microservice is responsible for a specific functionality or domain, and can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently.

Microservices have many benefits, such as:

• Increased modularity and maintainability: Microservices allow developers to focus on one service at a time, rather than dealing with a monolithic codebase. This makes it easier to update, debug, and refactor the code.
  
  
• Improved scalability and performance: Microservices can be scaled horizontally or vertically according to the demand and load of each service. This improves the overall performance and availability of the application.
  
  
• Enhanced flexibility and innovation: Microservices enable developers to use different technologies, languages, frameworks, and tools for each service, depending on their suitability and preference. This allows for more experimentation and innovation.

However, microservices also have some challenges, such as:

• Increased complexity and overhead: Microservices introduce more complexity and overhead in terms of communication, coordination, testing, deployment, monitoring, etc. Developers need to deal with issues like network latency, service discovery, data consistency, fault tolerance, etc.
  
  
• Higher operational costs: Microservices require more infrastructure and resources to run and manage multiple services. Developers need to invest in tools and platforms that support microservice development and deployment.

API Gateways

An API gateway is a component that acts as an intermediary between the clients and the microservices. It handles request routing, composition, transformation, authentication, authorization, rate limiting, caching, logging, etc.

Some of the benefits of using an API gateway are:

• Simplified client interface: An API gateway can provide a unified and consistent interface for the clients to access multiple microservices. It can also aggregate or transform the responses from different services into a single response for the client.
  
  
• Improved security and reliability: An API gateway can enforce security policies and protocols for accessing the microservices. It can also implement features like load balancing, retrying, circuit breaking, etc., to improve the reliability of the communication.

• Enhanced performance and efficiency: An API gateway can improve the performance and efficiency of the communication by caching frequently requested data, compressing or decompressing data, throttling requests based on quotas or limits, etc.

Some of the popular API gateways are:

• Kong: Kong is an open-source API gateway that is built on top of Nginx, a high-performance web server. Kong supports plugins that extend its functionality with features like authentication, logging, rate limiting, etc.
  
  
  
• AWS API Gateway: AWS API Gateway is a managed service that allows developers to create, publish, monitor, and secure APIs on AWS. AWS API Gateway supports features like integration with other AWS services, lambda functions, caching, throttling, etc.

Conclusion

We hope this blog post has given you a comprehensive overview of what APIs are and why you should care about them. 

APIs have many applications and benefits for both developers and users. They also pose some challenges and risks that need to be addressed.  APIs are constantly changing and improving with new trends and innovations. They are likely to become more automated, intelligent, personalised, etc., in the future.

You may already know a few variables that you need to consider so as to find the right partner from a large number of software development companies in the market, to help grow your business. But do you ask the right questions? There are a lot of factors to be taken into account before hiring a software provider.

With your business growing, you will eventually have to acquire a software that caters to your business needs. This is basically a race to get your business into the digital realm and expand it.

GET, SET…

If you think the first step is to shortlist good companies after a couple of hours in Google, you are off to a shaky start. The first step is to clearly define what your organization needs, taking all aspects related to it into consideration.

• Do you expect a sales boost with the software?
• Do you expect increased operational efficiency or just bring order to the chaos with a software?

There are many things that you can list down.

The second step is “Market Research”. This step is supposed to be time-consuming.

• Find out about the market
• Compare it with your business needs
• Identify the software requirements that work well in the market environment

Now see if a software catering to your requirements already exist. A pre-existing software is a better option than building one from scratch, but make sure it isn’t outdated. If it doesn’t, let’s find a good software company for you.

GO…

Once you set out to find a perfect software provider, you can start spending some time on Google searching for good candidates. Once the list is ready, you need to understand each firm you have listed individually. Factors involved are many, and reputation of the firm alone will not cut it. So let’s explore the things you need to know.

Technical Expertise: The most critical factor of software development is Technology. You need to be aware of the technology best suited for your software and the expertise of the software company in this technology. A good company can advise you on what technology works best for your business environment and hardware infrastructure. However, you need to ensure that they can properly leverage this technology to build an apt software.

Company Portfolio: To get a grasp of what the custom software development company is capable of, you can ask for their portfolio, which should include information on:

• Their past projects/success stories
• The technologies they used and how it benefitted their clients
• Client testimonials
• Company lifespan and industry experience
• Their pricing structures

Do a deep research to get an idea of their competency. A good company will have developed unique development methodologies to ensure the completion of a project on time. You need to make sure they don’t compromise quality for on-time completion. If they have offshore development centers, you can get products at generally lower production, delivery and testing costs.

Status Update & Delivery: You should make sure that the software company in question can give you regular status updates regarding development until delivery. There are many firms that offer transparent development methodologies where you will be able to see the progress and call for modifications whenever and wherever necessary. Make sure they complete each phase of development on time.

You don’t need to tolerate excuses for not delivering on time, as on-time delivery is very important. Even after getting the product, you may need more time to get your own employees trained to use the application. It should be specifically stated during the negotiations and in the contract. Certain companies can give a working prototype so you can start training your employees while the software firm finishes up with a fully functional product.

Pre and Post-development Support: Pre-development support is important but rare to find. Competent firms can give you complimentary or paid advisory services where experts will let you know the pros and cons of using a particular technology for software development, how the software will operate in changing business environments etc.

Know that delivery or installation of the final product isn’t where the deal ends between you and the software company. Companies usually give you a walk-through of the software and its features before closing the deal. But it’s better to make sure they also offer post-development support services like helping you with application configuration, maintenance and backup, and future upgrades etc.

FINISH…

Mind you that these are not the only variables to take into account. There are many others including flexibility, project management etc. However, the ones mentioned are the most critical while choosing a right software provider.

The race ends here but it’s up to you to discuss every aforementioned aspects with a prospective software provider, get clarifications and negotiate the cost of their service before including them all duly in the papers and getting them signed.