WBSRocks: Business Growth with Enterprise Software and Digital Transformation

Send us a textChange management has become the new buzzword. Most ERP implementation practitioners talk about how important change management is and how that can save implementation failures. Also, most ERP implementation failure conversations are around exceeding the original estimations of the budget. But who pays for change management? Who is responsible for change management? Where does change management fit in the organization? How to budget for change management? Is there a finite amount or timeline that companies should plan while allocating a budget for change management?In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss change management strategies. We covered many grounds in this episode, including why change management is important and where change management function fits in an organization. We also discussed how to identify change management projects in an organization and why the center of excellence plays an important role in managing changes. Finally, we discussed why the real need for change management is to bring that cross-functional perspective typically supported by CEOs in smaller organizations.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textWhile building your e-commerce site, you might be tempted to go for the cheapest option. But for your e-commerce initiatives to work, you need to perform a deeper analysis of customer journeys to provide them the experience they expect. This study requires you to go deeper than the five WHYs and to utilize methods such as management by walking around. Also, optimizing customer journeys is an ongoing process, which doesn't end with identification. In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss customer journey mapping. We covered many grounds in this episode, including how companies can start on the customer journey and why performing as-is and to-be analysis is vital to identify customer journeys and behaviors. Finally, we discussed several other concepts related to customer journeys, such as touchpoints, cohort analysis, the importance of user research, and design thinking.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textMost machine shops are afraid of going for certifications such as AS9100 and CMMC due to the process overheads and compliance requirements imposed. They would rather invest that money in buying more machines and adding more people. While these certifications can be perceived as unnecessary, they can open up tons of newer opportunities for you. They can also make you efficient with your operations and provide the necessary controls for creating a sustainable business that will have much higher value when you are ready to sell.In today's episode, we have our guest, Aaron Theisen, who shares his journey to AS certification for his shop. He also discusses how AS9100 certification can open up newer opportunities for your shop and grow faster despite it being perceived to be expensive. Finally, he shares several data and reporting requirements that you need to get in a row before you attempt to acquire the certification.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textWhile several tax packages out there, such as Avalara and Vertex, can automatically monitor each state's tax rates and apply to each of your transactions, these packages rely on your data and accounting to determine your tax obligations. If you are not accounting for your product costs appropriately, you might be leaving millions of dollars on the table. You could save this money through tax recovery if you conducted a refund review. In today's episode, we have our guest, Jason Parr, who discusses the nuances of tax recovery of your purchases and why periodic refund review is crucial. He also touches on tax laws of different states and where you might have the opportunity to recover some of the taxes that you may be overpaying. Finally, he compares the sales and purchases side of tax obligations and any opportunities available through strategic planning of your facilities and warehouses.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textIf you have been thinking about penetrating the automotive market, your customers will ask you to comply with the PPAP processes. You need to comply with several requirements irrespective of your tiers, such as communicating any process or line changes in your facility. You will also have additional testing requirements at the transaction level, such as corrosion testing, etc. If you don't understand these standards, you have a risk of losing your customer or wasting money on non-conforming parts.In today's episode, we have our guest, Ken Hatlewick, who discusses the nuances of the PPAP process for machine shops serving the automotive market. He also touches on the testing requirements at the transaction level and the audit and compliance requirements annually. Finally, he shares several stories about how upfront communication and relationships with your customer could help navigate issues if you run into challenges while complying with PPAP guidelines.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textFirst-time ERP buyers and salespeople without any implementation experience consider implementations as plug-and-play. But while you might be using someone else's product, you first need to understand the product at a deeper level and this learning might take the same amount of time as creating your ERP from scratch. So although off-the-shelf products reduce the implementation risks and success, they still require substantial time to go through the necessary phases of software development to avoid issues in the live system.In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss how to manage the digital budget. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the difference between budget risks for custom development and ERP projects. We also discussed the secret sauce for making digital projects successful and strategies to mitigate risks with vendors. Finally, we discussed how to vet the vendors that are being realistic with their estimates from the ones that may be low-balling to get a foot in the door.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textA deep understanding of your ideal customer profile is the foundation of your sales, marketing, and e-commerce success. Unfortunately, most companies struggle to create their marketing positioning around their ICP as they are often serving multiple industries and buyers. This issue is even more critical for your digital and e-commerce journey as the success of your market would be dependent upon how well you map your buyer journeys aligned to your ICPs.In today's episode, we invited a panel of cross-functional experts for a live interview on LinkedIn who brings significant expertise to discuss ICP Identification strategies. We covered many grounds in this episode, including the ideal customer profile (ICP) and how it differs from buyer personas. We also discussed how ICP strategies would differ for both B2B and B2C businesses and how they would differ for both PPC and SEO. Finally, we discussed the strategies for identifying and prioritizing ICPs when companies might be serving multiple industries or multiple personas inside a company.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textRobotic applications have come a long way. They can automate a lot of mundane processes in your warehouse and facility. But to get the ROI from robotic investments, you need to assess the factors that make robotic applications efficient. Just like human operators, robots are not suitable for all environments. Even minor changes in the environment can impact their efficiency goals. With any technology, the more standardized and streamlined your processes are, the higher your chances of success with your technological investments.In today's episode, we have our guest, Kevin Paramore, who discusses the nuances of robotic automation of warehouse and manufacturing processes. He also touches on barriers to automation and shares several stories where robotic automation may not be the best fit. Finally, he provides insights into technological, environmental, and regulatory factors to explain the use cases for warehouse robotic applications.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textERP sales teams are some of the most confident people, while the ERP implementation team would come across as the most nervous. If you ever sat in an ERP demo, the sales team would provide assurance on every single doubt you might have, and the implementation team is rarely involved in the sales process. After signing the contract, you might never see the pre-sales or salesperson, and in the implementation, the lead might not agree with the verbal commitment during the sales phase. To be successful with your ERP implementation, you need an expert hand who knows how to look under the hood.In today's episode, we have our guest, Andy Pratico, who discusses why ERP demos are designed to deceive and why ERP salespeople are more incentivized to sell their products and the success of their customers. He also touches on how to find the right references and evaluate them. Finally, he discusses different manufacturing verticals and their unique requirements.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.

Send us a textSales compensation is a multi-edged sword. There are many variables, and each variable could significantly impact your top line and bottom line if the consequences are not thought through. If the base salary is too low and if it doesn't meet the basic needs of salespeople, they might be looking for additional sources of revenue for themselves and might not be committed. If you paid too much in base, they might not be motivated to work hard and go out of their way to close deals.In today's episode, we have our guest, Ryan Wicklum, who discusses why companies require a framework for sales compensation strategies aligned with their growth plans. He also touches on psychological drivers and motivational triggers that drive sales teams to deliver results. Finally, he shares several stories of bad compensation strategies that fired back for the company and the good strategies that paid off. For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.