Sage User Network September 2009 Cherryl Holliday & Graham Hoyle

Focus Group Format How they work −Separate work stream (Financial/Commercial) −Open and Interactive −Introductions o Who, company, role −Ratify work in progress Theme for the first meeting −Ascertain whether modules/options are still relevant to you

First Focus Groups Held at The Binding Site Ltd on June 25 th −Financials 10:00 – 12:00 −Commercials 13: :00 Attended by 9 Customers for each work stream Agenda Items covered −Module Usage −Module Improvements −Review and Priorities Take Away −Agreed priorities −Objectives & requirements for the next Focus Groups −Venue – Sage User Network Conference – October o UI & usability, Reporting

First Focus Groups Customers impression; −Ford Galaxy – Unsexy, Flexible, does the job −VW with Skoda badges - Reliable −Citroen – Reliable, versatile −10 year old Saab - Reliable but can buy ‘Go Fast Stripes’ −Late 80 early 90 Volvo - Reliable but outdated −Old Classic – No bells and whistles −Ford Focus – Ok, functional, nothing fancy −Ford Mondeo – Middle of the range −Austin Alegro - Engine goes forever but flaky around the edges −Cross between Ferrari (CRM) and 2CV (Fin & Ops) −Reliable but outdated – not in current century Ratifying UI & Usability

Finance Group Objectives General Ledger −Review reporting – basic management reports −Budgets −Archiving of reports (this, last and previous 2 years) −Tracing items from stock and nominal ledger −Excel integration Cash Management −Work through and get in-line with business usage −Cash forecasting to budget −Bank statement import and reconciliation −Reflect online banking requirements

Finance Group Objectives Accounts Payable −Ability to scan, route and authorise (as in VersionOne), payment routines −Reporting −Scan and imports −Aged debt Usability – use-ability −Inconsistent interactions in modules / windows feel −Workflow

Commercials Group Objectives Sales Order Processing −Use-ability of SOP ESC/F9 (confusion) – program flow, too many options −Sales reporting – despatch notes, acknowledgements, invoices −Reporting history – sales analysis/patterns, what, when, why −Find all related info easily −Daily order values in base currency −Integration – with export master (3 rd party) e.g. no customs invoice −Gross margins and carriage commission (customer and product)

Commercials Group Objectives Stock/Inventory Control −Movement of stock items; prices of products in different warehouses −Setting up products cumbersome – lot of screens – mark the items in progress (workflow) – odbc link upload −Batch control – extra fields for test results −Lack of reporting −User defined fields, field length −No in built bar coding Intrastat / VAT reports −VAT return required to upload to HMRC Specific focus for Binding Site on Extended discounts & Telesales

Follow up Objective – to visit all participating customer sites −Binding Site −Nelsons Reporting −University Hospital Birmingham −Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust– next week

Follow up – The Binding Site Research, development and manufacture of innovative, high quality, immunodiagnostic assays INC &TBS Multi-company system −Multi-national with distributors Customisation of menus and forms Number of 3 rd Party add-ons Document management −Archive Orders/Invoices each month o Cannot reprint from archive −Paperless

Follow up - Financials Cash Management −Re-wrote the Cash Management (Cash book) user guide −Recently moved from a totally manual system −‘Love’ Cash Book −Work from Bank Statement o Receipts & Payments monthly – now daily −Sales & Purchases now integrated o Still use spreadsheets for reconciliation −Banking software o Online banking o Direct debits −Still identified areas for improvement

Follow up – Commercials (OP) Sales process/Quotes outside Sage −Sales Reps/Quote Telesales module but not telesales? Different depending on whether UK Sales or Export Simple Orders ( few lines) −Prices fixed – no negotiation Use-ability −Accuracy −Keyboard entry −Help Add-ons (many!) Information outside sage −Awareness of production schedules, and shipping limitations

Follow up - Nelsons UK’s largest manufacturer of natural healthcare products Multi-company system −Multi-national with distributors Customisation of menus/forms/messages Number of 3 rd Party add-ons Document management −VersionOne Reporting ‘Universe’ −Management structure vs operational −Cognos and ‘Txt’

Follow up – Commercials (OP) Sales process/Quotes outside Sage −Sales Reps, ‘Merchandiser’ EDI Accounts, Telesales, Retail, Web Telesales module but not telesales? Different depending on whether UK Sales or Export Simple Orders ( few lines) −Prices fixed – no negotiation Add-ons (e.g datalinx) Information outside sage −Awareness of ‘promotions’, stock, account packaging/pallet Opportunities identified

What’s next? More Customer Visits −Synergy - now looking at contrasting business sector −User requirements −Use cases −Business Scenarios Usability & Reporting workshop at Conference

Follow up Lots to think about …..where to start Understand business needs – Order processing – Cash Management −Visit to Binding Site. −Visit to Nelsons Reporting - Doc −Visit to UHB −Herts NHS First observations – ring bells? Domestic and export, integration with 3 rd parties. What about? Any differences? Chip in? Absolutely cM love it! Because better manual process Nelsons 3 different ways of order processed Telesales but no telesales ordgainistation – why’s that? – no People – experienced k ---- break does this sound familiar --- What’s next – −Interested in further visits to business to understand Order Processing – Cash Management – Users needs – build complete understanding (buiding use case, business scenarios −Usability and report workshops on ratify at Conference

Questions?