Introducing an ERP culture, processes, solutions and technology is one of the most disruptive changes to an organization. Bringing the employees, management, organization and business to play together through a successful project – is a work of art, science and heart. How can this mission be a success?

In my previous Blog posts in the ERP Explained series, I outlined the approach and process of selecting an ERP solution, what is it and its benefits and challenges. In this closing post I offer some key considerations to secure a successful project. If you haven’t read the ...

ERP should be an enabler of growth, efficiency and professional visibility of your business. Being part of a strategic organizational and business transformation haul, significant challenges prey along the way * Rip the benefits, prepare for the challenges

In my last Blog post I outlined the approach and process of selecting an ERP solution. The preceding post explained what is ERP and why you need it for your business. In this third Blog post in the ERP Explained series, we’ll consider the benefits expected from an ERP system against the challenges to prepare for.

Expected ERP...

Choosing an ERP solution is (almost) like a catholic wedding. It is one of the most important decision with long lasting implications, up to making the difference between a growing business and an enslaved business * Here are my main points to discuss with your strategic consultant when matching the best solution for your business.

In my last Blog post I explained what is an ERP system and why consider it for your business. Now it’s time to consider the selection process of an ERP solution.

I cannot emphasize enough: selecting an ERP solution is a critical decision with many...

Can you run your business with a pen and a paper? I don’t think so. What software solutions can come to the rescue? The most popular recommendation you here is probably: ERP * In a series of Blog posts I will dissect ERP to the what, why, how, benefits and challenges. We start today with: What is an ERP system and why should you consider getting one?

A typical business has to handle money, employees, suppliers, sales, marketing, some also have inventory to maintain, production, warehouses etc.

One cannot manage all of these areas with a pen and a paper. We use computer software for...

You know an electronic spreadsheet is the right tool for your need, but you’re not sure which of the available products to choose. Two prominent options are suggested: Google Spreadsheets and Microsoft Excel. Let’s make it easier for you

First, let’s consider your requirements. The following list will help us frame the discussion:

• Do you need multiple users to concurrently work on the solution, or can one person at a time exclusively work on it?
• Do you need pixel-perfect visual design with wide flexibility over fonts, colors, forms design etc.?
• Does the solution needs to...

In choosing a software to support your business processes and requirements, you basically have the following options:

1. An ERP solution (either implemented on your premise, or used as a service delivered from “the cloud”).
2. Best of Breed - buying and implementing different solutions for different areas (departments) of your business (e.g. Human Resources, Manufacturing, Sales, Financials, …) and maintaining interfaces between them.
3. Tailored Development Solutions - Software that is designed and developed for your specific needs (may also be to support only parts of your...

Creating a live dashboard is a skill combining data sourcing and staging (arrangement of the data to serve the dashboard elements), queries (typically SQL, or smart Excel functions), visual design, user experience and layout, and business requirements to be fulfilled. My students learn how to create beautiful, business dashboards.

I recently offered an answer on Quora to the question: How can you create a live dashboard with Excel for your clients? After submitting my answer, I thought my Blog readers may benefit from this as well, so here it is :)

Consider the following dashboard:

This is...

Becoming a successful figure in any field required a combination of skills, resources, knowledge and experience. Why is one lawyer so successful while others are not? How about marketing consultants? * What is the recipe for a successful business software consultant?

The last two Blog posts clarified some questions about choosing VBA as the programming language for your business software consultant career. I presume by now you have come to appreciate the opportunity, and the alignment of your career goals with VBA. Frankly, you can take the Excel VBA courses I offer and find your way. This...

Last Sunday was our monthly meeting at Microsoft's Offices in Raanana, Israel. We are Israel's Excel Masters - developers and trainers mostly. We meet once a month at Microsoft's office to learn new things and engage in discussions with Microsoft's managers * Below are my key takeaways and predictions from this meeting with Microsoft's Collaboration Customer Success Manager, Maor. Do we know what is the future of Excel VBA?

Cloud Cloud Cloud

Maor, who's leading the Collaboration Customer Success with the Large Enterprises in the local market, presented Microsoft's future (cloud, cloud,...

Should you consider investing in learning Microsoft’s Visual Basic for Applications? It is so ubiquitous as it is supported by all MS-Office installations. However, it was not adopted as a general, all purpose programming language by the professional developers’ community. Who would benefit and what are the pros and cons of learning and becoming a professional VBA developer?

In my last blog post I offered a brief analysis of why VBA was not adopted by the professional developers’ community as an all-purpose business applications technology. You will not find too many...