Finance executives all over the world tear their hair out at month’s end. Here are a few pieces of advice from an IFS expert on how proactive thinking and ERP software can take the angst out of closing out the month.

Finance executives all over the world tear their hair out at month’s end. Here are a few pieces of advice from an IFS expert on how proactive thinking and ERP software can take the angst out of closing out the month.
I am a firm believer that products should ship with the expected basic set of features out of the box. This is why I think Samsung’s decision announced to ship their KNOX solution to consumers is the right one. Needless to say IFS is backing Samsung’s KNOX initiative—we already have our first apps available in the KNOX app catalog, and more is to come.
Pain is actually a good driver for coming up with new innovations because it forces you to produce new ideas. Being a leader is not painful. While you are concentrating on looking ahead, you might not detect what the competitors are doing and how your customers’ behavior and preferences are changing because you were too busy pleasing the financial market.
The Internet is a place where information exist in an abundance. Or is it? With an ever increasing demand for information together with a decreasing number of information sources, is it perhaps time to start looking at alternative business models for services on the Internet?
…and those that do, use manual spreadsheets! Governments of the world have been working towards an improved level of sustainability for some time, with the Kyoto protocol of 1997 and its later amends in 2012. What we’re particularly interested in right now is the fact that the UK Government plans to bring in legislation later…
NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan poses huge challenges in terms of logistics. The date of major withdrawal from Afghanistan is approaching (December 2014) with full withdrawal expected to be discussed at a summit next year. It’s likely that around two-thirds of the kit will be bought home, and…
Travelling back after a week with Microsoft and its worldwide partners in a balmy (no pun intended) Houston, Texas. What impression did the 14.000 or so attendees leave with?
Ask anyone responsible for dispatching field service technicians how hard their job is, and you will get one of two polar opposite reactions. They will all confirm that it is a high-pressure environment; caught, as they are, between the needs of the field force, the company management and ever more demanding customers. Those that are new to the role will also tell you it is fiendishly hard, while experienced dispatchers will assure you how straightforward it is.
Mobility continues to be a hot topic in the ERP/enterprise software market, but the conversations are changing from theory to optimization and practical use. In fact, mobility is one of Gartner’s nexus of forces, the convergence of social, mobility, cloud and information patterns that drive new business scenarios. This started me thinking about why manufacturers appear to be behind the curve in embracing this technology and in seeing the benefits on the shop floor.
Field service management (FSM) operations are facing unprecedented pressure from competitors and increasingly demanding customers. At the same time advances in technology are set to have a profound effect on field service, such as the increasing adoption of enterprise mobility, schedule optimization tools and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).