| "Access to timely and relevant information | | | | (ERP), support, and eCommerce – and |
| has always been the purpose of business | | | | makes them accessible in a single system via |
| management software, but traditional systems | | | | the Internet. As a result, when an employee, |
| have often left small- and medium-sized | | | | a partner, a vendor, or a customer enters |
| businesses with an expensive infrastructure | | | | information, it is available to the |
| and outdated reports," says Michael Emaus, | | | | enterprise in real time, regardless of |
| President and CEO of eEnterprise ( a global | | | | location. Previously reserved for the Fortune |
| integrator of NetSuite, the world's leading | | | | 500, this integrated solution is particularly |
| on-demand business management software. "In | | | | crucial for businesses with growing market |
| contrast, Web-based solutions level the | | | | pressures to offer support for real-time |
| playing field." | | | | partner, vendor, and multi-location |
| | | | relationships. |
| Owners of small- and medium-sized businesses | | | | |
| (SMBs) often underestimate the necessary | | | | As a result, managers and owners can spot |
| expertise or the budget to implement and | | | | data trends as they occur and drill down to |
| support a traditional on-site Information | | | | determine the factors involved. "Small- and |
| Technology business management solution. "In | | | | medium-sized businesses can focus their |
| essence, business owners can think of | | | | attention on the information, not the |
| on-demand, Web-based applications as a | | | | technology, and quickly make informed |
| revenue stream, while the traditional | | | | decisions based on actionable data," says |
| Information Technology department requires | | | | Emaus. |
| both an initial investment and abundant | | | | |
| expenses to support it. Managers need | | | | For the growing small-and medium-sized |
| real-time, actionable information in order to | | | | business, traditional software continues to |
| grow and gain profitability, but instead | | | | require a significant investment with the |
| become distracted with untimely and distorted | | | | goal to have many disparate systems talking |
| reports," says Emaus. | | | | with one another. Generally, in today's SMB |
| | | | environment, accounting is not integrated |
| In contrast, on-demand, Web-based | | | | with sales, sales are not shared with support |
| applications such as NetSuite allow business | | | | and eCommerce is a report that is fed back to |
| owners and department managers to focus on | | | | sales and accounting. For the NetSuite |
| the "Information" necessary to grow the | | | | workplace, each employee, vendor, partner |
| business while the traditional requirements | | | | location, and global resource shares a common |
| of "Technology" – updates, security, | | | | communication network. "In today's world of |
| hosting, and support – are intuitive. | | | | virtual offices and multiple locations, the |
| "NetSuite on-demand removes traditional IT | | | | inherent drawbacks of traditional software |
| requirements, and the expenses required to | | | | are taking their toll on small business," |
| support that infrastructure," says Emaus. "In | | | | says Emaus. Not only are businesses faced |
| that sense, on-demand is the great equalizer, | | | | with a variety of computers and operating |
| allowing small- and medium-sized businesses | | | | systems that may not readily "speak" to one |
| to have the sophisticated tools that are | | | | another, but redundant resources are hired in |
| available to their big business | | | | each location to support the enterprise. |
| counterparts." | | | | "With an on-demand solution, timely access |
| | | | provides better managerial control of the |
| For example, NetSuite integrates four major | | | | business." says Emaus. |
| components – sales (CRM), back office | | | | |