What are the top 8 features of Sage X3?

features of sage X3

Sage x3 is a comprehensive business management solution for small to medium-sized businesses. It is a robust and adaptable system that can help organizations streamline operations and boost productivity. In this article, we will explore the top eight features of Sage x3.

Features of Sage X3

Scalability and Advanced Analytics

One of the most significant advantages of Sage x3 is its scalability. This software solution suits businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises. Sage x3 allows organizations to expand their business and add new features to their system as and when required, thereby making it an ideal solution for growing businesses.

Sage X3 offers advanced analytics tools that empower organizations to make informed decisions. Additionally, the system’s analytics capabilities enable users to access real-time data, generate reports, and analyze business performance. Furthermore, the software provides a customizable dashboard that displays the critical metrics businesses need to track.

Seamless Integration and Customization

Sage x3 integrates with other business software solutions, including CRM and ERP systems, to create a comprehensive business management system. This feature enables organizations to consolidate their data into a single platform, reducing manual data entry and improving accuracy.

Sage X3 is a highly customizable system that can be tailored to precisely meet the specific needs of a business. Additionally, users have the flexibility to modify the software’s layout, create new fields, and incorporate new functions to align with their unique requirements. This level of customization empowers businesses to adapt the system to their workflow, enhancing efficiency and maximizing productivity.

Multicurrency and Multilingual Support

Sage X3 offers comprehensive multicurrency and multilingual support, rendering it an ideal solution for businesses operating in multiple regions. Additionally, this feature enables businesses to seamlessly manage their financial transactions in various currencies and languages, thereby enhancing efficiency and minimizing errors.

Manufacturing and Distribution Management

Sage X3 incorporates powerful manufacturing and distribution management tools that empower organizations to effectively manage their entire supply chain. Moreover, the system offers comprehensive features such as inventory management, order processing, and production planning, making it the ideal solution for manufacturers and distributors alike. Furthermore, these tools enable businesses to optimize their operations, enhance efficiency, and achieve seamless coordination throughout the supply chain.

Mobile Access and Cloud-Based Solution

Sage x3 offers mobile access, enabling users to access the software from anywhere at any time. Additionally, this feature enables businesses to stay connected with their operations, even when they are on the move.

Sage x3 is a cloud-based solution that provides businesses with flexibility, scalability, and security. The cloud-based solution enables businesses to access the software from any device with an internet connection, reducing IT infrastructure costs.

Conclusion about features of Sage X3

Sage X3 is a robust and comprehensive business management solution that offers numerous features to help organizations streamline operations and boost productivity. Moreover, from advanced analytics tools to manufacturing and distribution management, Sage X3 provides businesses with the necessary tools to succeed in today’s competitive business environment. Additionally, it equips organizations with the means to efficiently manage their resources, optimize processes, and drive growth.

In case you have any inquiries regarding Sage X3 or any other software-related matters, do not hesitate to reach out to the IWI Consulting Group today. Being the largest Sage partner in Canada, IWI Consulting Group is proficient in addressing any software-related questions and providing businesses with the necessary support for their success.

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How Much Does Sage X3 Cost? A Comprehensive Guide

How Much Does Sage X3 Cost

Sage X3 is an enterprise-level ERP system offering various features, including financial management, supply chain management, manufacturing, and distribution. It is intended for bigger businesses and may be fully modified to match the unique demands of your company. If you are considering implementing Sage X3, one of the most important questions you need to ask is, “How much does Sage X3 cost?” Hence, this post will provide a detailed overview of Sage X3 price to assist you in making an informed business choice.

Overview of Sage X3

Sage X3 is a complete ERP system with a variety of features tailored to the demands of larger enterprises. It offers financial and supply chain management, manufacturing, and distribution features, making it a one-stop shop for your business management needs. The system is highly customizable, allowing you to tailor it to meet the specific needs of your business.

Factors Affecting Sage X3 Pricing

Various criteria determine the cost of Sage X3. This includes your company’s size, the number of users, the specific features you want, and the customization required. Below, we will break down each of these factors in more detail.

  • Business Size: The size of your business is one of the most significant factors affecting Sage X3 pricing. The larger your company, the more complicated your requirements will be, and the greater the system cost.
  • Number of Users: The number of users accessing the system is another factor affecting Sage X3 pricing. The more users you have, the higher the cost of the system.
  • Specific Features: The specific features you require will also affect Sage X3 pricing. If you require advanced features such as inventory management, manufacturing, or distribution, the cost of the system will be higher.
  • Level of Customization: The level of customization you require will also affect Sage X3 pricing. The system’s cost will be higher if you require extensive customization to meet your business’s needs.

Sage X3 Pricing Options

Sage X3 offers a range of pricing options depending on the size of your business and the features you require. Pricing is customized based on your needs, below $12K per year (Financial).

Additional Costs

In addition to the primary Sage X3 pricing options, you may incur additional costs when implementing the system. Below, we will break down some additional costs you may need to consider.

  • Implementation Costs: Implementation costs can vary widely depending on the level of configuration you require.
  • Training Costs: Training costs are another factor to consider. If you have many users, training costs can add up quickly.
  • Maintenance Costs: Maintenance costs are ongoing costs for running the system. These costs may include software updates, bug fixes, and technical support.

Conclusion

Sage X3 is an excellent option for enterprise-level businesses that require a comprehensive ERP system. The system’s cost depends on a range of factors, including the size of your business, the number of users, the specific features you require, and the level of customization you need. Sage X3 customizes its price based on your needs, offering it below $12K per year (Financial).

In addition to the primary pricing options, implementing Sage X3 may entail additional costs, including implementation costs, training costs, and ongoing maintenance costs.

If you consider implementing Sage X3 for your business, working with a reputable and experienced Sage partner like IWI Consulting Group is essential. As the largest Sage partner in Canada, IWI Consulting Group has the expertise and knowledge to guide you through every step of the process, from selecting the correct pricing option to customizing the system to meet your specific needs.

At IWI Consulting Group, we understand that software-related questions can be overwhelming and confusing. Consequently, we are dedicated to offering exceptional support and service to all our clients. We offer various services, including implementation, training, and ongoing support, to ensure your business gets the most out of Sage X3.

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Sage Intacct Vs. Sage X3: A Comprehensive Comparison

sage intacct vs sage x3

Sage is a well-known cloud-based business management software provider offering solutions for businesses of all sizes. Sage Intacct and Sage X3 are two of their most popular products, designed to meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and enterprise-level companies, respectively. In this article, we will compare Sage Intacct vs. Sage X3, highlighting the features and functionalities of both products to help you make an informed decision for your business.

Overview Between Sage X3 and Sage Intacct

Sage Intacct is a cloud-based financial management system for SMBs. It offers a range of features, including accounts payable and receivable, general ledger, cash management, and project accounting. The system is highly scalable and can be customized to meet the specific needs of your business.

Sage X3, on the other hand, is an enterprise-level ERP system for larger organizations. It offers a range of features, including financial management, supply chain management, manufacturing, and distribution. The system is highly customizable and can be configured to meet the needs of businesses in various industries.

Features and Functionalities

Sage Intacct offers a range of features that are specifically for SMBs. The system offers real-time financial reporting, giving you a complete view of your business’s financial health. The highly customizable system allows you to create custom workflows and automate routine tasks. Sage Intacct also offers a range of integrations with other business software, making it easy to connect your financial management system with other systems in your business.

Sage X3 offers a range of features designed for enterprise-level businesses. The system offers a highly customizable user interface, allowing you to tailor the system to meet the needs of your business. Sage X3 also offers a range of advanced features, including multi-currency support, inventory management, advanced reporting, and analytics. The system has a built-in business intelligence module, which allows you to create custom dashboards and reports to gain insights into your business operations.

Pricing

Sage Intacct offers a range of pricing plans, depending on the size of your business and your specific needs. Pricing starts at $400 per month for the basic plan, which includes financial management and basic reporting. The advanced plan, which includes advanced reporting and analytics, starts at $1,000 per month.

Sage X3 offers a range of pricing options depending on the size of your business and the features you need. Pricing is customized based on your needs, low as under $12K per year (Financial).

Ease of Use

People know Sage Intacct for its user-friendly interface and ease of use. The system is easy to navigate, and the menus are intuitive. The system is easy for non-accounting professionals, making it an excellent choice for small businesses that do not have a dedicated accounting team.

Sage X3, on the other hand, has a steeper learning curve due to its advanced features and customizable interface. The system requires more training to get the most out of its features, but once mastered, it can be a powerful tool for enterprise-level businesses.

Integration Capabilities

Another critical consideration when choosing between Sage Intacct and Sage X3 is integration capabilities. Both software solutions offer integration with other business software applications, but the level of integration and ease of integration can vary.

Sage Intacct integrates with various third-party software applications, including Salesforce, ADP, and Avalara. This makes it easy to connect your financial management system with other systems in your business and ensure data flows smoothly between them. Sage Intacct also has an open API, allowing easy custom integration with other software solutions.

Sage X3 also offers integration with various third-party software applications, but the process can be more complex. This is partly due to the highly customizable nature of Sage X3, which means that integrations must be tailored to meet the specific needs of each business. However, Sage X3 also has an open API, allowing for custom integration with other software solutions.

Implementation and Support

Another factor to consider when choosing between Sage Intacct and Sage X3 is the implementation and support process. Both software solutions require a certain level of setup and configuration, and ongoing support is essential to ensure the system runs smoothly.

Sage Intacct offers a streamlined implementation process, with a dedicated implementation team to guide you through the setup process. Ongoing support is available through the Sage Intacct customer support team, which offers phone, email, and chat support.

Sage X3 requires a more complex implementation process due in part to the highly customizable nature of the system. However, Sage offers a dedicated team of implementation specialists to guide you through the process and ensure a smooth transition. Ongoing support is also available through the Sage customer support team, which offers phone, email, and chat support.

Sage Intacct vs. Sage X3: Which One Is Right for Your Business?

In summary, when comparing Sage Intacct Vs. Sage X3, we know are robust software solutions to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes. Sage Intacct is a cloud-based financial management system, offering a range of features and customization options. Sage X3, on the other hand, is an enterprise-level ERP system for larger organizations, offering advanced features and a highly customizable user interface.

Choosing between these two software solutions depends on the specific needs of your business. Consider factors such as the size of your business, industry, budget, integration, and customization needed when making your decision.

At IWI Consulting Group, we understand that choosing the right software solution for your business can be overwhelming. That is why we are here to help. As the largest Sage partner in Canada, we offer a range of business management solutions, including Sage Intacct and Sage X3. Contact us today to learn how we can help you find the right software solution for your business.

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Bridging Sage X3 Cloud Capabilities With Enterprise Abilities

What are the exceptional capabilities of Sage X3?

Every start-up or business that needs to be at par with the digitalized era, demands an adapting Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) that scales the complex areas of the business system at every touchpoint and its parameters. Let us have a glance at how Sage X3 Cloud as a ERP software provides a simplified and personalized business management solution assuring the growth of Rate on Investment (ROI) to Rate of Return (ROR/ROI) each day.

sage x3 cloud

Sage X3 Cloud as an ERP Application

ERP involves a complex network of business management integrating all the operations of entities like productions, warehousing, sales, financial appropriation, quality control, customer services and all associated parameters. Sage X3 has provided a cohesive solution to simplify the complexity across all the business parameters at one flexible platform. It is designed to ensure consistent efficiency with speed, automated global compliances and expansion. The infrastructure of the software is designed to deliver – 

  • Cost effective solutions for the growing business
  • Fast integration and processing in supply chain, production and financial management
  • Automated ecommerce in end-to-end sales process, global compliances and customer interactions

Resource Planning Made Manageable and Adaptable

Sage X3 serves its purpose in cutting down the time consumption of planning the production process, manual entry at each sales point, with unmatched speed in scheduling cycle time and quality control.

Some of its streamlined features are: 

  • Low cost ERP functionality for manufacturers and distributors tailored to service requirements and type of ever-changing business parameters
  • Curated to support both current and future needs with its adaptable infrastructure and tailored add-on features.
  • Simplicity in implementation of automated solutions for the complex Enterprise Resource planning
  • Providing the freedom of technological choice as Sage X3 is designed to work efficiently with any Operating System like Unix, Linux or Windows and equally well with database software  like Microsoft SQL or Oracle.
  • Its architecture works fluidly both on a web base or local domains of client-server
  • Functionality supports worldwide efficiency with multiple languages, currencies, consolidations and jurisdictions
  • Top-notch technological management of services like –
  • Different aspects of Inventory or management right from order to cash and product profitability analysis; 
  • Warehouse processing like stock assessment and fulfilment of orders
  • Monitoring of performance and business growth across different entities
  • Reduced risks of compromise in quality productions; suppliers to sub-contractors integration; customer feedback in products delivered.
  • Tracing of pricing and cost over Rate on Investment with Rate on Return

Capabilities Attuned to Global Business

Sage X3 Cloud, thus is the most sought automation software which ensures unparalleled business growth and expansion globally. Already adopted by thousands of organizations in more than 50 countries, it offers top-notch tools catering to the business needs of each enterprise. It’s open design enables a flexible option to meet new challenges attuned to the changing countrywide regulations and manage customer services promptly.

Business in this digital age reiterates the saying – ‘Time is money.’  

Every entity or business in this world grows on its consistent performance, archive of credibility and the minimal timespan taken in successful transactions, mould to everyday changes in multi-dimensional market trends and jurisdictions. Efficiency in current times is measured in terms of speed and performance rates. So, the best way to assess the capabilities of Sage X3 is to hear it straight from word of mouth and endorsed by the one who has experienced its functionality.

Dr Mark’s HyGenie is a growing mid size startup with a potential to expand globally for its simple solutions in the common yet problematic cleaning of dental appliances. Let’s hear what they say about Sage X3 –

Steve Plakotaris, is the CEO and Managing Director of Dr Mark’s HyGenie who says –

“…..we were seeking an ERP that allowed us to integrate new business entities and manage them in a single platform. 

Processing Amazon orders is now quick and easy with Sage X3. We can now simply drag and drop the CSV file into Sage X3. It takes about 25 seconds, as opposed to around 3 minutes previously. This efficiency boost has helped us avoid the cost of hiring an administrative assistant.

Sage X3 has allowed us to automate our entire ecommerce sales process.”

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The Sage X3 Quote Estimator: Streamlining the Sales Process

Efficient quoting is crucial for businesses to retain their customers and meet their product and service requirements. The current challenges in supply chain operations have made it essential for organizations to obtain complete and accurate quotes on demand. Failure to do so can lead to unreliable predictions about item delivery time and cost estimation. That’s where Sage X3 Quote comes in, providing businesses with a reliable solution to these challenges.

According to Barrons, larger corporations can access various suppliers and logistics options and may find supply chain issues less complicated. On the other hand, smaller businesses have limited resources and cannot afford any margin of error. They struggle to stay afloat and turn a profit if they cannot obtain quotes when, where, and how they need them. In this case, Sage X3 Quote provides them with a competitive edge by enabling them to meet their customer’s needs more efficiently.

The Sage X3 Quote Estimator is a solution provided by IWI that can help businesses streamline their quoting process. It allows businesses to get complete and accurate quotes on-demand, enabling them to predict delivery time and cost estimation more accurately. By simplifying the quoting process, businesses can focus on their core activities and increase productivity. The Sage X3 Quote Estimator is an efficient solution that can help businesses of all sizes stay competitive.

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Sage X3 Quote Estimator By IWI Consulting Group Inc.[/caption]

Challenges in a Quick and Accurate Quoting

Along with evolving supply and demand frustrations, companies also face more familiar challenges in quick and accurate quoting. Some of the most common include:

  • Lack of preparation

Lacking complete datasets puts companies in the unenviable position of lacking preparation. As a result, when potential customers come looking for RFQs, teams must scramble to pull together datasets, in turn increasing the risk of cost or logistics errors.

  • Limited communication

Businesses often duplicate key processes without streamlined communication between sales, marketing, and front-line customer service departments. This duplication of functions reduces the efficiency of quote processes.

  • Poor price planning

Given the changing nature of supply, demand, and materials pricing, it’s critical for companies to ensure all prices are as accurate as possible. Lacking this accuracy, companies could end up under-quoting customers and having to cover the difference.

  • Staff skill gaps

The digital nature of businesses requires companies to respond in kind to customer requests; clients want quotes ASAP or they’ll consider other options. In practice, however, many businesses now face a lack of skilled staff to help bridge the digital quote gap.

  • Legacy tools

Last but not least? Legacy tools can create friction between quote requests and outcomes. If businesses are stuck using tools that can’t connect to cloud databases, they can find themselves struggling to keep up with consumer expectations.

Building a Better Quote with Sage X3 Quote

The Sage X3 Quote Estimator from IWI Consulting Group can help your company build better quotes more quickly. Instead of using multiple solutions to build a single quote – only to discover that prices or processes have changed since the quoting process began – the Sage X3 Quote Estimator lets your team do everything from a single application. And thanks to full integration with your X3 environment, you don’t need to worry about missing or incompatible data; everything is pulled directly from your most current data set.

IWI’s Sage X3 Quote Estimator offers key advantages, such as:

  • Comprehensive component factoring

The IWI solution factors in key quote components such as burden, labor, materials, sub-contractors, set-up time, and production time. This ensures quote accuracy is achieved.

  • On-demand quote creation

Don’t wait until it’s too late: Create quotes on-demand when customers come looking. Instead of asking for patience for days or weeks while quotes are prepared, use the IWI Sage X3 Quote Estimator to build quotes on the fly.

  • Seamless previsioning

Despite best efforts, quotes aren’t always accurate. The Sage X3 Quoting solution makes documenting revision numbers, and changes made easy. This ensures that all parties work with the most accurate quote data available.

  • Complete visibility

Obtain complete visibility into your sales process through on-demand information. This includes stock by site, transactions, lots, projected stock, sales orders, sales order lines, and purchase orders.

Ready to streamline your sales process? Start with the Sage X3 Quote estimator by IWI. Get in touch at 416-499-4821 (ext. 101) or toll-free at 866-916-3851 (ext. 101), or email us at sales@iwigroup.ca today.

 

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Sage X3: Helps boost your overall effectiveness

Implementing an ERP system like Sage X3 is a crucial step for any business looking to streamline its operations and improve overall efficiency. However, the implementation process can often be fraught with difficulties and challenges. Fortunately, the IWI Consulting Group is here to help you navigate these challenges and ensure a smooth implementation process. 

One of the main difficulties that businesses face when implementing Sage X3 is ensuring that the system is configured to meet their unique business needs. This can be a complex and time-consuming process, and many businesses struggle to navigate it effectively. At IWI Consulting Group, we have years of experience in configuring ERP systems like Sage X3 to meet the specific needs of our clients. Our team of experts will work closely with you to understand your business processes and ensure that your system is configured to meet your needs. 

Types of challenges:

Sage X3

Another common challenge when implementing Sage X3 is data migration. Businesses often have vast amounts of data that need to be migrated from legacy systems to the new ERP system, which can be a daunting task. IWI Consulting Group has a proven methodology for data migration that minimizes the risk of data loss or corruption. Our team will work with you to ensure that all of your data is migrated accurately and efficiently, so that you can continue to run your business without interruption. 

Training and support are also essential components of a successful ERP implementation. However, many businesses struggle to provide their employees with the training they need to effectively use the new system. At IWI Consulting Group, we offer comprehensive training and support services to ensure that your employees are fully trained and comfortable using Sage X3. We also provide ongoing support to help you troubleshoot any issues that may arise after implementation. 

Benefits to a business, such as:

  1. Streamlined operations: An ERP system integrates different business functions such as finance, human resources, inventory management, and customer relationship management, among others. This integration can help in streamlining operations and eliminating redundancies, leading to more efficient business processes.
  2. Improved data management: An ERP system provides a centralized database that can store and manage all data related to different business functions. This data can be accessed by different departments, leading to better collaboration and decision-making.
  3. Enhanced reporting and analysis: With an ERP system, businesses can generate various reports and analyses, such as sales reports, inventory reports, and financial reports, among others. These reports can help in identifying trends and making data-driven decisions.
  4. Increased customer satisfaction: An ERP system can help businesses provide better customer service by providing a single view of customer interactions across different channels. This can help in improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.
  5. Scalability: An ERP system can grow with a business, allowing it to add new users, functions, and features as needed.

Overall, implementing an ERP system like Sage X3 can provide significant benefits to a business, improving efficiency, productivity, and profitability. However, it is essential to plan and execute the implementation process carefully to ensure its success.

Finally, one of the most significant challenges of implementing Sage X3 is the cost. ERP implementations can be expensive, and many businesses struggle to justify the investment. However, with IWI Consulting Group, you can rest assured that you are getting the best value for your investment. Our team will work with you to develop a customized implementation plan that meets your specific needs and budget, so you can be confident that you are getting the most value for your investment. 

In conclusion, implementing Sage X3 can be a challenging process, but with the help of IWI Consulting Group, you can ensure a smooth and successful implementation. Our team of experts has the experience and knowledge to help you navigate the complexities of implementation, from system configuration to data migration, training, and ongoing support. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you implement Sage X3 and take your business to the next level. 

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Real-Time Data Sage X3: Manufacturing Process advantage.

Real-time data with supply chain and logistics issues likely to persist through 2023 and potentially into the following year, manufacturers need on-demand insight into what’s happening across their entire operation, from inventory arrivals to production floor processes to product shipping details. 

As noted by the State of Service Level Objectives (SLOs) 2022 survey, however, less than half of manufacturing firms say they have visibility into the impact of current operations on meeting service-level objectives. This creates a productive paradox: While manufacturers recognize the need for increased process diversity to align with evolving supply chain and logistic impacts, lacking visibility can create additional complexity, in turn frustrating efficiency. 

The result? Real-time data is now a critical component in manufacturing success. Here’s how Sage X3 can help. 

The Trouble with Real-Time in Manufacturing Processes 

Processes on the production floor happen in real time. For example, if a piece of machinery fails or a staff member makes an error, the results are immediate and potentially disruptive. What’s more, these problems have a downstream effect — critical component breakage could slow or entirely stop production further down the line. 

While there’s no way to fully eliminate these problems, companies must know as much about what’s happened as soon as possible. Consider a sudden equipment failure. Even if data is collected every five minutes, the lag time between incident and information could lead to significant disruptions in performance until the issue is identified and remediated, after which companies still need to work through production backlogs until they’re back on track. 

Using process management tools that provide real-time data, meanwhile, offers immediate insight. In the scenario above, this means notification would directly follow incident, in turn alerting floor managers to the problem and allowing them to pause production until the error was fixed.  

While in both cases production suffered, the first saw a disconnect between incident and response followed by a backlog of orders — the second saw a stoppage of work but one that minimized the overall impact. 

Put simply, the problem with time in manufacturing is that there’s never enough. Losing even more time to delayed data collection makes it harder to stay on track, and almost impossible to get ahead. 

Keeping it Real (Time) with Sage X3 

Sage X3 process manufacturing solutions let firms take control of product consistency, production planning, and compliance with access to accurate and reliable real-time data. 

Key benefits of the Sage X3 solution include: 

Complete responsiveness 

With access to real-time data, it’s possible for companies to respond more quickly as consumer demands shift and purchasing requirements change. Long data lead times, meanwhile, can put businesses behind the curve when it comes to pinpointing key trends and ensuring operations stay on track. 

Product consistency 

Consistent product production reduces the risk of recall. This isn’t simply a time-saver — it can also help companies control costs by eliminating the need for expensive product redesign and redistribution. In addition, consistent processes make it possible to scale production up (or down) on demand to meet changing customer needs. In practice, however, this kind of consistency depends on the agility provided by real-time data — the data offered by Sage X3. 

Consistent compliance 

Compliance in manufacturing processes is rapidly getting more complex, especially as businesses branch out into global markets. Equipped with real-time data, companies are better prepared to provide the requested information to regulatory bodies and are better equipped to navigate evolving compliance expectations. 

Anytime access 

Real-time data only delivers on its potential if it comes with anytime, anywhere access. With Sage X3, managers and team leaders can quickly access the information they need, when they need it to get a clear picture of operations.  

Taking Ownership of Key Operations 

For manufacturing firms to see sustained success, operational ownership is critical. With supply chain disruptions continuing even as consumer expectations evolve and costs increase, even small problems in current processes can significantly impact processes. 

As a result, companies can’t afford to ignore the impact of real-time data. The more they know and the quicker they know it, the better positioned they are to make data-driven decisions that help boost output and reduce downtime. With Sage X3, businesses can bridge the gap between what they know and what they need to know — whenever and wherever it happens. 

Don’t keep using data processes that leave you behind the times. Take ownership of manufacturing processes with real-time process manufacturing solutions from Sage X3. 

Ready to own your operations in real time? See how IWI Consulting Group can help. Let’s talk. 

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Below view of group of workers cooperating in a warehouse.

Sage X3: Pros of Automation in the Process of Warehousing

Sage X3 is designed to help the supply chain problems that have been persisting all these years, and experts predict that pressures won’t ease until at least 2024.

While the most obvious challenges with supply chain issues are tied to the movement of goods from suppliers to distributors, there’s another side to this coin: Warehousing. Consider recent survey data, which showed a 400% increase in warehouse prices as companies deal with massive inventory overstocks that aren’t selling as anticipated. 

This creates a unique problem for warehouse operations: How do companies effectively manage what they have, make room for what they need, and get rid of what they don’t? Legacy tools simply aren’t up to the task — instead, automation offers the way forward. 

In this piece, we’ll break down some of the top warehousing challenges and explore the pros of Sage X3 automation in warehousing. 

Current Warehouse Challenges  

As supply chain frameworks continue to evolve, warehouses are under more pressure than ever to effectively track and manage what they have while simultaneously finding new ways to improve overall efficiency. 

In practice, four challenges are common: 

Redundant processes 

As warehouse inventory volumes increase, redundant processes become more common. For example, if multiple staff members are all entering pallet or product information, this results in time wasted that could have been better spent elsewhere.

These redundant processes can also lead to data entry errors — if one employee enters a data value that conflicts with another staff member’s entry, companies must spend time and effort determining which value is correct.

Layout optimization 

With stock levels at an all-time high, optimized layouts are critical to ensure process efficiency. With staff focused on managing incoming and outgoing inventory, however, there’s often little time left over to create optimized inventory plans. This may lead to increased lead times for both shipping and receiving, in turn increasing total costs. 

Picking processes 

Efficient picking processes mean fewer trips to complete the same volume of tasks. As warehouse layouts become more complex, however, the ability of staff to design efficient processes is reduced. 

Inventory accuracy  

Inaccurate inventory data could lead to both under and overstock issues. If reporting errors show more inventory than is on-site, orders based on this data could lead to shortages. If inventories are under-reported, it could lead to additional and unnecessary ordering.  

Pros of Implementing Sage X3 Automation 

Sage X3 Warehousing is a comprehensive warehouse management system (WMS) designed to help organizations improve current processes and set the stage for more sophisticated warehouse strategies and operations.  

Key benefits include: 

Direct data capture 

With Sage X3, data can be captured directly via scanning or RFID, allowing quick and easy entry into databases. In addition, this data is automatically validated to detect and eliminate potential errors. 

Improved data quality 

Automatic analysis of data entry also leads to improved data quality. While verified data is posted directly into Sage X3, potentially problematic data is flagged for manual review, in turn helping staff pinpoint possible process errors.  

Reduced shipping errors 

Multiple verifications across shipping and loading processes can cause data disagreements, in turn bringing warehouse processes to a halt until issues are resolved.

For example, if one staff member enters incorrect inventory values due to issues that occur during the unloading process, a second staff member enters data correctly while moving pallets to their storage location and a third employee records another value during regular inventory review, companies must spend time and money resolving the issue. 

By leveraging Sage X3 as a single source of data truth, companies can keep operations both accurate and on track. 

Automated document generation 

Automated generation of shipping and receiving documentation lets staff spend more time optimizing warehouse processes and less time worrying about the numbers. And with anytime, anywhere access to key reporting data, companies can stay on top of changing inventory levels rather than racing to catch up. 

Put simply, warehousing challenges are here to stay. Current processes can’t keep up — to future-proof inventory operations, companies must adapt and overcome with automation. 

Ready to improve warehouse processes and reduce the time and cost associated with manual processes? Discover how Sage X3 warehouse management automation can help.  

Get in touch with IWI Group today to get started. Let’s talk. 

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Gun Scanners Are Some of the Most Effective Tools Supported by Sage X3 to Deliver Real-Time Inventory

Effective inventory management is critical for companies to survive in a global marketplace now predicated on supply chain uncertainty.

Knowing exactly what’s in stock, where it’s located, and how quickly it can be collected and shipped can make the difference between successful quarters and significant losses. Companies also need to consider the costs of carrying too much inventory — as noted by the Wall Street Journal, inventory carrying costs rose 26% in 2021 compared to 2020, while transportation costs increased by 22%.

The result? Accurate, real-time inventory information is essential for companies to minimize costs without sacrificing market performance. To help bridge the gap between knowledge and action, SageX3 supports a wide variety of hand-held gun scanners to streamline this process.

Gun Scanner

Taking Aim at Inventory Success

Gun scanners, also called barcode or radio frequency (RF) scanners, are hand-held devices used by staff to quickly capture product information. The marker for scanners is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 9% over the next four years as companies look to streamline inventory processes and ensure they have accurate data on-hand to drive better supply chain and logistics decision-making.

Some of the biggest benefits of gun scanners include:

Portability

Gun scanners can be either standalone devices or applications that leverage smartphone camera technology to record inventory details. This makes them ideal for both smaller businesses and larger warehouses since the number of scanners can be easily scaled up or down as needed.

Ease of use

These scanners are designed for ease of use: Staff simply point-and-click to capture and store barcode information. This reduces the amount of time required for device onboarding and increases the willingness of staff to use these scanners since they don’t require in-depth training or specialized knowledge.

Accuracy

Manual capture of product data can lead to errors or inconsistencies which in turn cause mismatches between shipment manifests and on-hand product volumes. In the best-case scenarios, these mismatches are quickly detected, and staff take time to correct them. Worst case? Companies using incorrect data believe they have inventory that simply isn’t there.


The Sage X3 Advantage

It’s one thing for companies to capture key product and inventory data — it’s another to ensure this data is effectively transferred into relevant ERP systems. With Sage X3, however, support for gun scanners comes standard. As a result, businesses are better able to achieve key capabilities such as:

Real-time inventory data integration

With full support for scanner guns, Sage X3 allows companies to easily integrate product data into ERP systems. Users simply scan products or pallets and relevant data — such as shipment origin, product dimensions, and inventory value — are automatically added to the company’s Sage X3 ERP deployment.

Location management

Where is inventory stored? How long has it been there? What is its eventual destination? Rather than forcing staff to sort through massive databases looking for an answer, support for scanner guns means that employees can simply walk up to any product, pull the trigger, and get relevant inventory information.

Quality control

Quality control is critical to ensure that inventory items meet company standards and are ready to ship at a moment’s notice. One of the most effective ways to conduct quality control? Random checks. By having staff regularly assess the quality of items across warehouses and compare them to ideal specifications, businesses can reduce the risk of shipping broken, damaged, or out-of-spec items.

Scanner guns streamline this process by removing the need for staff to manually enter and track data about potential product defects.

Current inventory balances

As pandemic pressures have begun to ease, stock levels are rising. It makes sense: High consumer demand during the past two years has begun to ebb, even as additional products ordered by companies to fill this inventory gap have finally arrived in force.

The result? Many companies are now dealing with over- rather than under-stock issues. To help mitigate monetary losses, businesses need ways to accurately assess current inventory balances and make strategic decisions, such as selling items at a loss or offering them in bulk. Integrated inventory balance management paired with gun scanner support reduces the time required to compile this data.

Import tracking

With supply chains diversifying, import tracking is critical: Where are products coming from, when, and how much has arrived? Gun scanners offer the front-line data needed for this process, while real-time data monitoring with Sage X3 lets companies take action to ensure they have the right mix of products to meet evolving demand.

Ensure your inventory practices deliver accurate, real-time data with comprehensive gun scanner support from Sage X3. Ready to pull the trigger? See how IWI Consulting Group can help. Let’s talk.

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Material Requirement Planning (MRP): How a Sage X3 Module can Help

MRP systems help companies calculate the materials and components they need to manufacture finished products. These tools include inventory management of on-hand materials, identification of missing components, and the ability to schedule the purchase of necessary parts.

The challenge? As regulatory demands around product data capture — such as tracking material origins, composition, and intended destination — become more complex, legacy MRP tools may not be up to the task. In addition, ongoing material shortages can frustrate efforts to create simple material plans.

Here’s a look at current market challenges and how Sage X3 can help.

The State of MRP

While the past few years came with unexpected disruptions to materials availability, several issues have persisted even as public health pressures began to ease.

As noted by Retail Dive, for example, materials such as semiconductors, aluminum, plastics, and building materials are all in short supply. For businesses, this means longer lead times and higher prices: Nonresidential construction prices are up 23.2% in 2022 compared to 2021.

Also challenging are evolving traceability requirements. In many cases, companies are now required to record the registered name and address of manufacturers or importers, the date of component manufacture, the location of manufacture, the batch number or ID of materials, and any associated SKUs.

The result is a dual challenge for material requirement planning (MRP). Businesses need a way to track what they have, what they need, and where they can get it, and need processes in place that streamline management once materials have arrived.

Material Requirement Planning

How a Sage X3 Module can Help

Sage X3 can help companies improve their MRP approach.

This starts with the Sage X3 solution itself. Cloud-based, powerful, and intuitive, X3 makes it possible for companies to take control of their operations and provides visibility into key processes. Sage X3 ERP solutions deliver a trifecta of functional benefits that include collaboration, personalization, and mobile support.

Easily manage workflows across multiple sites with X3, and personalize your workspace with timely and relevant data. Then, increase your reach with mobile integration that lets your team work anywhere, anytime.

When it comes to production and manufacturing, meanwhile, businesses can also benefit from the implementation of a Sage X3 MRP module. Benefits of this approach include:

  • BOM Planning

Understand what you have, where it is, and how it can help your business with bill of materials (BOM) planning. With both single and multi-level BOM management, your team can achieve greater product consistency, quality, and collaboration across operations. In practice, this gives you complete control over all product data along with the ability to connect related product details for easier search and discovery.

  • Projected Stock Management

With comprehensive projected stock management capabilities, companies can see what they have, what’s on order, and when it should arrive. This helps inform both short- and long-term materials requirement planning along with pinpointing potential roadblocks such as shipping delays or low supplier stock levels.

  • Time Bucket Customization

Time buckets help companies understand the balance between materials supply and requirements over a given time period. With the Sage MRP module, these buckets can be customized to provide reliable data about projected, current, and expiring stock levels in relation to the specified time period. This period could be a day, a week, or a month, depending on your planning requirements and current state of production.

  • Master Production Schedule (MPS) Integration

Master production schedules are critical for companies to determine how much stock is required to meet demand, and when this stock is needed to meet production goals. The Sage X3 MRP module provides complete MPS integration, meaning your team can spend their time on materials planning to meet emerging demand — instead of switching between multiple applications to find critical MPS data.

Making the Most of Materials Requirement Planning

Better materials planning means reduced waste, improved operations, and enhanced ROI. But this doesn’t happen by accident. In a world of ongoing material gaps and evolving compliance regulations, companies need solutions that deliver collaborative, customizable, and comprehensive MRP support.

Ready to improve your MRP process with complete visibility and control? See how Sage X3 can help — contact IWI Group today to get started. Let’s talk.

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