Tag Archive for: SAP

In the ever-evolving realm of industrial commerce, standing out requires more than just top-tier products—it demands vision, adaptability, and above all, a deep understanding of modern-day challenges.

Enter Southern Wire, a luminary in agricultural fencing products since 1993.

Since its inception in 1993, Southern Wire has been committed to excellence, providing state-of-the-art fencing products ranging from prefabricated wire fencing to automatic gate openers and much more.

Their journey from being a predominant provider of fencing products for the agricultural industry leveraging cutting-edge digital solutions in sales is nothing short of inspiring.

The Evolution: From Individual Effort to Unified Process


While their products spoke volumes, internally, they faced a challenge. Boasting a skilled sales team, every member drove results, albeit in their unique style.

The underlying issue?

The lack of a harmonized direction.

There was an urgency to capture the essence of these individualistic strategies and streamline them into a cohesive, replicable process; a catalyst for scalable growth.

The solution materialized in the form of Salesforce CRM.

Beyond its reputation, Salesforce resonated with Southern Wire for its profound ability to sculpt around sales opportunities and its inherent flexibility.

As Harrison Sivewright, the astute Manager at Southern Wire, shared, “The crux of our Salesforce decision centered around its customization flexibility. It promised to shape as per our vision.”

Click here to read the full customer success story.

The Challenge: Breaking Down Data Silos


Transitioning to Salesforce was only half the battle. The real challenge lay in synchronizing their extensive data, preserved in SAP Business One, with their new CRM.

Historical data, spanning customer details, accounting records, order histories, and unique pricing structures for particular clients, demanded seamless integration.

Before the advent of Commercient SYNC, these data silos were significant roadblocks.

The sales team’s dependency on in-house accounting for insights disrupted workflow.

Sivewright elucidates, “Our team often had to halt their processes, make calls, seek reports, all just to understand what a customer had previously bought.”

The Game Changer: Commercient SYNC


When two titans meet, transformation is inevitable.

Southern Wire leveraged Commercient SYNC, the undisputed leader in sales data integration, to bridge the gap between SAP Business One ERP and Salesforce CRM.

This pivotal move wasn’t just about data integration; it redefined sales efficiency.

Just consider the wealth of data now available seamlessly:

  • Customer Insights: Detailed profiling and historical interactions.
  • Accounting and Invoicing: Transparent financial exchanges, from orders to finalized invoices.
  • Order Histories: Comprehensive understanding of prior orders, assisting in upselling and cross-selling strategies.
  • Real-time Price Levels: Tailored pricing structures for specific clientele.
  • On-the-Go Accessibility: A crucial facet, especially for the robust on-road sales team at Southern Wire.

Drawing from Sivewright’s words,

“Commercient SYNC’s integration furnishes us with a lucid SAP data view right within Salesforce. It’s been transformative, especially for our on-road sales team. Earlier, they’d rely on printed reports; now, every pertinent detail, from order histories to invoices, is available at their fingertips. The agility it offers is simply unparalleled.”

The Value Addition

SYNC isn’t just a tool; it’s a game-changer for Southern Wire.

Here’s how:

Unlocking New Sales Avenues: The platform’s ability to highlight potential areas for cross-selling is empowering Southern Wire to explore previously untapped revenue streams.

Sales Team Empowerment: Armed with accurate and real-time data, the sales team is in a stronger position to address client queries and concerns, ultimately leading to improved sales outcomes. The days of manual data fetching, such as making phone calls or going through print reports, became obsolete.

Deepening Client Relationships: With immediate access to invoice records and other critical data, transparency with clients has improved. This has fostered greater trust and cemented Southern Wire’s reputation as a client-first organization

Boosted Operational Efficiency: Automatic data sharing between Salesforce and SAP Business One not only improved accuracy but also reduced time-consuming manual entries.

Elevated Client Interactions: Having a 360-degree view of each client’s data allowed Southern Wire to craft more personalized and effective client interactions.

As Sivewright emphasized, “This comprehensive view transforms our client interactions. We don’t just meet needs; we anticipate and exceed them.”

Conclusion: A Partnership Redefining Excellence


Southern Wire’s journey exemplifies the power of digital transformation.

By integrating their operational backbone, SAP Business One, with the dynamic Salesforce Enterprise through Commercient SYNC, they’ve streamlined their lead and customer management processes.

The integration has not only enhanced the efficiency of their sales team but has also ensured that they can offer a more personalized, informed service to their clients.

As we navigate a world where data isn’t just an asset but the very currency of business, Southern Wire, powered by Salesforce, SAP Business One and Commercient SYNC, is not just staying ahead of the curve—they’re redefining it.

Technology is advancing rapidly, and forward-thinking manufacturers are embracing the digital evolution. They are adopting new technologies in order to stay relevant, innovative and competitive. One of these important technologies is the use of SAP ERP’s for the manufacturing industry.

All manufacturers strive to optimize their operational processes by reducing costs, improving efficiency and increasing profits. Advancements in technology have aided many manufacturers in achieving these goals.

Failure to adopt new technologies in your manufacturing business will make it significantly harder for it to thrive and grow in today’s fast-paced, digital business environment.

SAP ERP

SAP was founded in 1972 by five former IBM engineers, and is one of the largest global vendors of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software.

It offers industry-specific ERP solutions that support business processes across procurement, manufacturing, service, sales, finance and human resources.

SAP ERP solutions support the following manufacturing types:

  • Discrete Manufacturing: A manufacturing process whereby finished products are distinct items capable of being easily counted, touched or seen. Discrete manufacturing involves parts like nuts and bolts, brackets, wires and individual products. Examples of products made by discrete manufacturing include furniture, toys and smartphones.
  • Process Manufacturing: A process whereby a product is created by using a formula or recipe to refine the raw ingredients. The final product cannot be broken down into its basic components. Examples of products made by process manufacturing include pharmaceuticals, paint, food and beverages.
  • Repetitive Manufacturing: In this process, goods are manufactured by following the same production sequences. This type of manufacturing process often goes hand-in-hand with automated assembly processes. Examples of products made by repetitive manufacturing include small electronic goods and car components.

SAP ERP Integrations

SAP ERP solutions integrate with the following systems:

  • Salesforce
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Zoho CRM
  • Oracle
  • Sage
  • NetSuite
  • And many more

The Importance of ERP and CRM Integration for Your Business

Many businesses make use of Client Relationship Management (CRM) and an ERP system to help business processes run efficiently.

A CRM system manages front-end data, such as customer information and new orders. Meanwhile, an ERP system handles back-end information like customer purchase history, billing and shipping details, and information regarding their operations, financial, human resource, and supply chain management.

Both systems will independently offer substantial benefits to a business. But having two systems that are unable to communicate with each other makes it impossible to track all customer interactions, and obtain all your customer data through one interface. Utilizing a powerful integration solution to connect these two systems will provide even further benefits to your business.

Commercient SYNC, the #1 data integration platform for sales, provides seamless connectivity between your ERP and CRM system, giving you a 360-degree view of your sales and business processes and providing better customer insight. Click this video to watch how SYNC works.

Integrating your sales and marketing system also reduces the time it takes to make data available, and gives you more time to focus on driving new business. Take a look at the types of SAP ERP’s that can be SYNC’d with CRM here.

SAP ERP’s for the Manufacturing Industry

SAP Business One

Designed for small and mid-size businesses, SAP Business One is an ERP solution that automates and streamlines key business functions in financials, operations and human resources. With SAP Business One, you will gain greater insight into your business, streamline key processes and make strategic decisions based on real-time information. SAP Business One can be deployed on cloud or on-premise and is integrated with business intelligence and the SAP HANA platform.

Key Features of SAP Business One

  • Financial management
  • Sales and customer management
  • Purchasing and inventory control
  • Manufacturing management
  • Inventory management
  • Industry-specific manufacturing capabilities

SAP Business ByDesign

SAP Business ByDesign is a cloud ERP solution designed for fast-growing, mid-market businesses to compete without the complexity and cost. Built for growth, this configurable solution will help your business become more efficient.

Key Features of SAP Business ByDesign

  • Financial management
  • Human resource management
  • Project management
  • Procurement management
  • Supply chain management
  • Manufacturing management
  • Inventory management
  • Quality and sales management
  • Product technology
  • Industry-specific manufacturing capabilities

SAP S/4HANA

SAP S/4HANA is an ERP solution suitable for small, mid-size and large businesses. SAP S/4HANA consists of two editions: (i) SAP S/4HANA On-Premise and (ii) SAP S/4HANA Cloud. Both editions include functionality for finance, accounting, procurement, sales, manufacturing, plant maintenance, project system and product lifecycle management.

Key Features of SAP S/4HANA

  • Financial management
  • Human resources management
  • Manufacturing management
  • Inventory management
  • Purchasing management
  • Quality management
  • Sales management
  • Product technology
  • Industry-specific manufacturing capabilities

The benefits that can be derived from implementing a SAP ERP system in your manufacturing business far outweighs its cost in the long-term. Relying on outdated software when your competitors are embracing the Internet of Things (IoT) and adopting innovative technologies will hold you back and eventually stifle the life out of your business.

Make the leap and contact Commercient today, to find out how we can help your manufacturing business stay ahead with data integration!

About the Author

Anna Kinnear is a Sage Financials Consultant at Edgeware, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting Science from the University of South Africa. She has always had a passion for reading and writing.

SYNC ERP and CRM

For this week’s tech blog, we’d have some introductions to make.  We’d like you to meet the Aston Martin Valkyrie, Google Earth’s new social tool, and Commercient’s great new Salesforce SYNC apps.

Stuff I’d want if money were no object, Part 3.  Like the Norse goddesses for which it was named, the Aston Martin Valkyrie is gorgeous and untouchable. While it doesn’t match the Bugatti Chiron for specs, this car is literally designed for nothing but speed.  Aston Martin has even redesigned their signature badge to accommodate the car as the original was too heavy. Here are the specs. The hypercar has a mid-mounted Cosworth 6.5 liter V12 and a Rimac-designed KERS-style hybrid powertrain.  It has 1,100 HP, 7-speed paddle shift, and a top speed of around 250 mph.  It can get from 0-200 in under 10 seconds. The car has no mirrors in order to avoid aerodynamic drag; instead, it has rear-facing cameras mounted toward the back with the images going to two screens in the car.  This will also give the car a better peripheral view.  All switchgear is in the steering wheel. The car will be available in 2019, but unfortunately, you won’t be able to buy one even if you do have a spare $3 million lying around.  All 150 of the available cars have already been sold.  Here is a picture of the barely street-legal gorgeous piece of machinery.

Google Earth might become the next social network. Well, kind of.  As part of the “Voyager” tool, Google Earth will soon be offering a platform to share your own story.  You can post your status updates, photos, and videos and place them directly on Google Earth’s map of the planet, wherever your exploits occurred. Your posts then become a part of the site’s history. You can share stories, recommendations, pictures, or even philosophical ideas about the places that inspired you. They have a beautiful preview of what these personal stories could look like.  Check out their “I Am Amazon” video below.

Commercient’s developers have been busy enhancing our stories. We are excited to announce that we have added several new apps to the Salesforce App Exchange.  We’d like to introduce you to SYNC for IFS and Salesforce, SYNC for Aptean and Salesforce, SYNC for Exact and Salesforce, SYNC for NetSuite and Salesforce, and SYNC for SAP and Salesforce. Contact us today to learn more!