| With the plethora of business management software | | | | enterprise the information it needs to grow," he adds. |
| solutions available today, how does a small- or | | | | Growth is one of the two primary differentiators |
| medium-size business owner decide where to invest | | | | between Web-based on-demand business |
| his or her resources? According to Michael Emaus, | | | | management software applications and its cousins. |
| CEO of eEnterprise ( a division of NetSuite's global | | | | "On-demand solutions such as NetSuite represent a |
| reseller Skyytek Worldwide, there are basically three | | | | paradigm shift in the way business owners manage |
| choices: custom applications, client-server applications, | | | | their customer, vendor, or partner base," says |
| and on-demand Web-based applications. "The cost | | | | Emaus. "NetSuite is not an application that 'supports' |
| benefit analysis leaves no doubt that on-demand | | | | an existing business, but rather is one dedicated to |
| solutions provide the greatest integration and cost | | | | 'growing' a business. Because it has four fully |
| efficiency for growth-oriented enterprises," he says. | | | | integrated components, it's both highly scalable and |
| "Customized software that is designed either in | | | | highly customizable." |
| house or by developers for a specific business is | | | | The second major differentiator between NetSuite |
| extremely costly, in terms of development and | | | | and other business management software options is |
| hardware, and for maintenance," says Emaus. He | | | | that it is all functionality is available virtually |
| notes that, more importantly, such applications are | | | | instantaneously. "When we talk to business owners, |
| not designed to adapt as the business grows, and so | | | | we don't have to spend their time or resources |
| business owners are saddled with costly upgrades. | | | | talking technology," says Emaus. "NetSuite has taken |
| "Small- and medium-sized businesses simply don't | | | | care of that. Instead, we can talk about the individual |
| have the resources to develop and maintain custom | | | | company's business goals, growth potential, and |
| applications," Emaus adds. | | | | workflow." |
| Client-server applications, which are typically licensed | | | | Lastly, the total cost of on-demand over a five-year |
| to a business, are also problematic. "Invariably, | | | | period is substantially less than either customized or |
| business owners are faced with the challenge of | | | | client-server applications. "Business Owners who think |
| having several different applications that can't 'talk' to | | | | of on-demand as their most efficient, most |
| one another," says Emaus. Without seamless | | | | productive, long-term employee" concludes Emaus, |
| integration, owners have no way to, for example, | | | | "have the most success. In the past, business |
| cross-reference accounting and customer service | | | | owners have not been able to consider Information |
| data or company information and e-commerce. "This | | | | Technology as a profit center. NetSuite makes it |
| results in a hodge-podge solution that doesn't give an | | | | possible, but you have to rethink everything. |