Core-Effect

BACKGROUND

Could you describe your company?

We’re a wholesaler of seafood products. We primarily import and export tuna.

What is your position?

I’m the CFO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What were your business goals for initiating the project with Core-Effect?

We needed a new ERP system to be implemented for us. It’s called NetSuite.

Why did you select NetSuite as your preferred solution?

Most typical accounting software isn’t capable of interfacing seamlessly with CRM systems. When we get leads, which eventually turn into customers, we have to input the same data into the accounting software in order to put in sales orders. With NetSuite the advantage of that is because it’s all interfaced between the two systems, once you have the information in the CRM system, when they start making purchases that information is automatically transferred over to the accounting software.

Also, because the database is linked, a lot of the information can be shared and available between sales and the support team, the administrative support or accounting support team. Having all of the relevant customer information consolidated and accessible across various departments is crucial.

SOLUTION

How did you select Core-Effect as your solution provider?

Core-Effect was recommended to us and they’re also the only certified NetSuite partner in Hawaii, at least as far as I know.

Could you describe the scope of the project in terms of its components: did it include custom design, development, support, training, etc.?

When we first signed on with NetSuite, we really didn’t know what kind of support we would get.  It gives me a lot of flexibility in terms of programming. Unlike other software packages, you can really customize the system to fit your specific needs, and the entire thing is scalable. Core-Effect has helped us primarily with customizations and training, but they were also responsible for implementing the solution in the beginning. We’ve made a significant amount of modifications to the system at this point, none of which would have been possible without Core-Effect.

Could you provide a sense of the size of the initiative in monetary terms or the number of personnel that was delegated to the project?

There was only one consultant on their side working directly with me, and together we would basically diffuse the knowledge to my other staff members. In the end we on-boarded about 30 new users. I don’t remember the cost of the project to be honest.

When was this project completed?

The actual implementation, prior to any custom development, was completed in the fall of 2006.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics or metrics that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work they delivered?

The key thing for us has been the level of control we’ve been able to extend over our processes. Because a huge part of our work involves having quick access to accurate information, we need to be able to control almost every aspect of our customer interactions. NetSuite has added a level of control and monitoring that we’ve never really experienced before. It’s made a huge impact on our workflow and efficiency.

When working with Core-Effect, is there anything you would consider unique or special about them as compared to other solution providers you’ve worked with in the past?

I would say their customer service. Customer service is always the key for me because I’m so busy and I don’t have time to go chase after somebody when I have a problem. Customer service is the top criterion for me when I select a service or product.

In retrospect, are there any areas that you think Core-Effect could improve upon or that you might do differently as the client before approaching a similar project?

I really can’t think of anything.  I’ve been more than satisfied with the results.

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your company?

We’re Hawaii’s largest locally owned media company. We produce 11 different magazines, mostly monthlies, but there are some bi-monthlies and quarterlies in there as well as a couple of annuals. We have 70 employees. Our magazines have become brands so they’re no longer just a print product. There’s digital edition, mobile apps, events, social media, websites, newsletters, etc.

What is your position?

I’m the President.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What were your company’s business goals for initiating the project with Core-Effect?

We needed uniformity and quasi-universal reporting across all of our different brands. Our company is only 15 years old. Of the 11 titles we have, only two of them are ones that we’ve launched. And we just launched those within the last two years. The other titles belonged to previously existing firms that we’ve since acquired. They all had their own idiosyncratic way of doing things. Almost all of the titles came with the staff that was working on them originally. They all used different methods to track clients, revenues and expenses.

We had been using a system called Saleslogix and it was really starting to fail us. The database itself was no longer functioning correctly. It was no longer being supported by anyone here in Hawaii who could help us with training, system updates and support. It was at that point that we began to search for a replacement package. There were some software packages that were made explicitly for our industry, but they seemed limited. We wanted something flexible and robust.

People usually think their own industry is the most bizarre or most complex, whether it’s healthcare or magazine publishing or whatever the case may be. There are weird, quirky ways within our industry that make off the shelf software very difficult to fit our needs. Our fiscal months are often different than our issue months. Although as a reader, you might get the December issue of one of our magazines, for us that’s a fiscal November event, but it needs to be tracked in both ways, both by its issue date and its fiscal date. It’s those kind of complexities that we needed to deal with.

What Core-Effect was able to provide with the NetSuite implementation was something that was a blend of both. Yes, it was off the shelf, but highly moldable and pliable and something that we were able to customize to our business needs.

SOLUTION

How was Core-Effect selected as your solution partner?

We had five different options in mind. We very quickly eliminated two. We got down to three, one of which was still Magazine Manager. The reasons for selected Core-Effect were two-fold. One reason had to do with their proximity to us. We really wanted consultants on-site working directly with our staff. We were also impressed with their international expertise. Our readership is diverse and we wanted a partner that could understand not only our business model and objectives, but also our customer base.

In the end, we were able to get the price that we wanted, because right now, publishing industry, as I mentioned, is going through a lot of changes. Our margins are extremely tight. We needed to find an option that we could afford. Affordability played a large role in the decision making process. Knowing that there was a local vendor here who was going to be able to walk us through the implementation and the customizations became the icing on the cake.

Could you describe the scope of the project in terms of components: did it involve custom design, development, training, support, etc.?

There were all those things. We began this process a little over three years ago. We’re beginning now beginning the last year of a three-year contract. But of course, there’s a whole year run up before we even signed the contract.

First, there was a needs analysis where they came by to meet the various user groups that we had. We have sales people using it. We have the sales support people using it. We have the publishers using it. We have our accounting people using it. We needed a system that could manage the entire cycle, from the sales side of things all the way through an ad sale and then a production of that ad, the billing of it, the tracking and receivable and making sure that the payment has been received.

Obviously, each of the different user groups had their own need for the system. At times those needs were conflicting. What one group wanted would make things more challenging for another group. Core-Effect played a key role in reconciling those conflicts.

Moving data over from the Saleslogix system was also a part of what needed to be done, because we had nearly a decade of data that we didn’t want to disappear. We also had to migrate data from our MAS 8000 accounting system. The last system to migrate data from was Excel, which had all of our revenue and expense information.

Once all of the preparation was complete, Core-Effect was responsible for purchasing all of our necessary NetSuite licenses. They negotiated the price to a point where we were able to sign, and then they worked with NetSuite to do all the modifications and customizations to the software to meet our business needs.

The whole process took us well over a year. We conducted rolling implementation where our sales team came online first and then our production department came online second. And then our accounting department was connected third. It was a somewhat lengthy, drawn-out implementation, but it was necessary to do so, because of all the different players and their respective tasks and priorities.   

When was the rolling NetSuite implementation finally completed?

Once we signed the contract with NetSuite, which would have been two years ago in November. It must have been November of 2011 when all of our departments were online.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in either monetary terms or in the amount of personnel dedicated to the implementation?

The actual cost is confidential, but the implementation spanned nearly 65 licenses, with training and support for each. One consultant handled that entire process and how ever many support staff dedicated to the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics or metrics that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work they delivered?

It’s so hard to quantify. What I will say is that it is so much faster and more efficient for us now to get our invoicing out. Our invoicing used to take four days to accomplish. And we do that now in probably less than four hours.

The reason that it used to take so long is we had to take the information out of Saleslogix, it would move in part through Crystal Reports. It would go from Saleslogix to Excel, from Excel to a Chrystal Report into MAS 8000. The data would then move into the invoicing system. But then once it was in MAS, there had to be this arduous manual process to actually match up the invoices to the correct client. It literally would take us, especially for some of our bigger magazines, three to four days for us to do our invoicing. 

All of that is now accomplished with the click of a few buttons. From a systems point of view, it goes much faster now. That also cuts down on mistakes, because you’re only entering data once as opposed to entering it twice or more.

When working with Core-Effect, is there anything you would consider unique or special about the way they operate compared to other companies that you might have worked with?

I really appreciate their preference to leave clients with solutions that work smoothly and are easy to maintain and operate. They deliver sustainable, custom solutions that add considerable value. Only for large, complex new reporting do we need to call Core-Effect now. Their goal is to be able to sell a system, implement it, train the company and then move on. They don’t want to have a system that’s so complex where they need to be regularly accessible.

In retrospect, are there any areas that you feel Core-Effect could improve upon or that you might do differently as a client when approaching this type of project?

A lot of the difficulties we experienced were what I refer to as self-inflicted wounds. In other words, there were things we were doing wrong here in our company. No matter how bad your current system is, there are always other people who want to hold on to it when you finally decide you’re going to implement something new. And whether it’s just human resistance to change or whatever the case was, we were running into some of that.

From perspective of Core-Effect, there were issues with the smallness of their company. There were times when issues arose, especially during the data preparation phase, that we needed immediate assistance. I understand that Core-Effect has other clients, so it’s really an issue of bandwidth. You can only be one place at a time.

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your company?

My company is a manufacturer of decontamination gels, and we also conduct government R&D.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What were your company’s business goals for initiating the project with Core-Effect?

I can’t speak to what the origins were and what the work was at that time because I believe the relationship extends back maybe four or five years. I’ve been around two and a half years now. But, on an ongoing basis, we have a recurring need for specific NetSuite projects.

SOLUTION

Why did you select NetSuite as your preferred solution?

At the time, I believe we were transferring from QuickBooks. We needed our accounting system to be fully integrated with our parent organization as well as its other three subsidiaries. QuickBooks was unable to meet that functional requirement. We needed a solution that could monitor and manage multiple, independently run, self-contained subsidiaries. We needed to make sure the new system could handle government research accounting requirements, and could also handle the inventory of goods and associated costs.  

How was Core-Effect selected as your solution partner in this endeavor?

I don’t know for certain, but I suspect it has to do with the fact that they’re a Hawaii-based company. There weren’t very many NetSuite reps in Hawaii five years ago. That’s probably still true to this day. For this kind of implementation, I’m sure management was in search of consultants and experts able to work on-site.

Would you describe the scope of the project in terms of its components? Did it involve custom design, development, support, or training?

There’re a number of different projects they were involved with. Some of the projects involved simple bug fixes and troubleshooting to acting as the NetSuite administrator for certain complex tasks. More recently, we’ve been looking to incorporate a project management module that NetSuite offers, basically setting up each contract that we have as a project within NetSuite and then managing the contract on that project module, the budget and the time assignments, and all that jazz, so to speak.

Other projects revolve around inventory tracking and control. We have recurring inventory adjustments to be made, which can be both tedious and cumbersome. They’ve helped us create scripts to manage a lot of our inventory needs, which has been essential to our progress and growth.

Could you give a sense of the size of these initiatives in either monetary terms or number of personnel that were dedicated to these projects?

We’ve only worked with one consultant from Core-Effect. I’m unsure about how many support staffers were involved. I can’t disclose pricing information to you.

When was the most recent project completed?

There’s one that’s still ongoing. The last big project had to do with setting up a Web store. We got 75 percent there. They helped us setup our credit card integration through NetSuite so we could accept credit cards. They also helped us write script that enabled us to create a cleaner pricing algorithm. The project is currently on hold due to internal issues, but it’ll be resumed sometime in the near future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics or metrics that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work they’ve delivered?

I probably don’t have any hard, quantitative data. I can tell you that their assistance in setting up the credit card center has resulted in probably more than 100 credit card orders to this day.

How do you think Core-Effect performed?

I think they’ve done very well. They’ve been extremely responsive to our needs. That being said, I don’t have a whole lot of experience with other reps, so I don’t have a good basis for comparison.

In retrospect, are there any areas that you feel Core-Effect could improve upon or that you would do differently as a client approaching some of these projects?

No. They’ve really done a great job. They’ve even assisted us in working with our shipping agent. They’ve gone above and beyond to deliver high value results to us.