The last month Exact invited two groups of freelancers for a workshop. Most were quite surprised when they found out what we wanted them to do. The aim? For them to talk to each other about freelancing, and for us to listen – not for us to bombard them with questions and do all the talking. Furthermore, the workshop wasn’t about software. In fact, it wasn’t even about bookkeeping. It was just about being a freelancer.

So why are we suddenly so interested in freelancers? Why has ‘the user’ in general become so important? Well, to create effective solutions for certain groups or types of users, one needs to understand them. And understanding a user is something different than understanding the job they do or the tasks they need to carry out every day. Of course we’ve talked to users in the past, but mostly concerning their business activities or the applications they use. However, really understanding the user can only be achieved by listening to and observing them carefully.

In line with this we invited some freelancers to tell each other about what they like and/or dislike in their professional environments, how they manage their working and private life balance, and perhaps most importantly, what brings a smile to their face. We just sat, listened and tried hard to absorb the information they were offering us.

The freelancers in these first two workshops have already given us a great deal that we can use in designing and developing solutions for them. It’s not just about the struggle to get their administration done and send in their VAT return, but also about how they manage their customer relationships and find new jobs using their personal networks. I really appreciate their openness and willingness to share this information.

It was also pleasantly surprising to learn how willing the participants are to contribute further along in the design and developing process. It tells us that users are willing not only to tell us about their needs, but really want to be involved in collaboration throughout the whole process. In the world of industrial design this is often referred to as co-creation or co-design. Industrial designers refer to product development in such close proximity to the customer user centric designs – essential for them in developing successful innovation. It is only fair to say that as software designers, we can and will also learn a lot from their approach.

We have already planned another workshop for September, which I have to say I’m really looking forward to it. For those of you who are interested, I’m sorry to tell you that all the seats are already booked. But please do keep your eye out for more initiatives to come concerning user collaboration – we’d love for you to be part of our research and help us in designing solutions that make a difference. In the meanwhile I will certainly keep you posted on our progress and share the results with you as they unfold. 

The author of this blog post is principal research engineer at Exact, focusing on researching business services offered through Software as a Service.

The logistic functionality is in controlled release since early June. To validate our offering we have started a controlled release period until September. For this controlled release, pilot customers have approached us to take part in the tryout of the product.  Before a pilot customer will start with the product, a member of the controlled release team and a member of the development department will bring a visit with the goal to  interact with the customer about the expectations and to see whether the functionality will match with business practice. A nice side effect of having this interaction is that early customer comments can be incorporated before the commercial offering of the product. To give you an example: a customer indicated that it is difficult to trace the financial consequences after processing a logistic entry. To be more to the point, when processing a logistic entry (e.g.  a goods receipt), the financial consequence remains unclear to the user. Therefore we have taken action to bridge the link from the logistic transaction to the financial entry.

In the old days, we probably would have provided a report when processing the goods receipt. However this is not a very ‘green solution’. Therefore we have been ‘bridging’ instead. When opening the processed receipt, we have enabled access to the link to the financial entry that resulted from the goods receipt.

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The entry number in the screen above is hyperlinked to the financial entry. When activating the hyperlink, the financial transaction is displayed.

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The link between the logistic and the financial transaction has been implemented for all logistic transactions: stock counts, sales deliveries, returns, purchase receipts.

I consider this a nice example of using customer input to help making a better product.

Picture credit: Conquering nature by kevindooley

In this article I will give a quick introduction of the features we have developed for Exact Online Purchase order and Inventory. Together with Sales order (which has been  in controlled release since last April) the user will have the possibilty to register a  flow of incoming and outgoing logistic transactions. Purchase order and Inventory have been in controlled release since mid June.  

With Purchase order and Inventory the user has the possiblity to create:

• Purchase orders
• Receipts
• Purchase invoices
• Purchase returns
• Stock counts
• Cost price changes

Besides the cockpit

we also provide the user with several overviews to help keep them in control of the incoming and outgoing transactions:

• Purchase order status overview
• Stock positions
• Transaction list

Through the overviews the user can retrieve information on which purchase orders have been created, in addition to checking the status of  quantities ordered,  received, invoiced or returned.  Available quantities remaining can be retrieved from the stock positions overview.  The user can also zoom in at the columns Planning in and Planning out to get detailed information on which sales and purchase orders have been created. The transaction list functionality also allows detailed insight into stock moving in and out of the business, offering data on items grouped by creditor or debtor, per period or per transaction type.

In general terms, the module offers the user a powerful tool for registering business data, carrying out planning and controlling realizations simply and easily.  Primarily aimed at the lower end of the SMB market, the first reaction from our controlled release customers on the module has been very positive. We will continue to include their feedback in the product and, as we bring it closer to commercial release, will certainly keep you informed of developments as they occur.

I’ve written about Functions and Features versus the User Experience, Simplicity being the new Gold, the Survival of the Sexiest and the fact that it’s all about the User. All these articles have in common that they are changing the mindset towards more focus for the end user of the products and services. I’ve created a short presentation on the progress to embed the User Experience in everything we do. If you can’t view the presentation below you can find it here.

Focus alone is not enough, it also requires special expertise and of course YOU! The user of our products and services as the main source of information on you emotions and feelings. If you want to participate, fill in a comment below or email at ux@exact.com

Image: ovizo0n

75% of all companies registered in the Netherlands fall into the group of freelancers and self-employed entrepreneurs. It’s reasonable to assume this applies to other countries as well. Notably, most of these people do not use business software for running their businesses. The reason for this is simple: it seems not to be meant for them. The available solutions seem too complex and/or too expensive – the cheaper ones too simple to meet their requirements.

Freelancers and self-employed entrepreneurs, or ZZP-ers as they are called in the Netherlands, differ from other types of companies. Their company is ‘just’ them, their private and business affairs often intertwined. Their finances, time and social lives are influenced personally and professionally. They know what they are capable of, they understand their clients and they like doing their job. They generally do not know accounting, don’t understand fiscal law and do not like doing administration.

These professionals generally spend 8 to 10 hours a week on admin and acquiring new business – as much as 20% of their time spent on activities they do not like and do not bring in any money. Any other type of company would begin automating or outsourcing this to save time and expense. Unfortunately though, when you don’t have the money, you’re forced to make the time.

The challenge therefore lies in offering a solution for ZZP-ers which will save them time and money. The answer lies in SaaS-based services. They require no investment and the monthly recurring subscription fees are reasonable given the added value and spread over the year. Services that help to process expense receipts, split private and business expenses and directly result in correct VAT returns and income statements can save a lot of time. The same applies to services that help you to get invoices out and paid in time. But what about saving time and money?

For freelancers and self-employed entrepreneurs time really is money. Doing things yourself (like your administration or accounts) allows the money you would otherwise spend on someone else (an accountant) to be saved. A paper administration and some spreadsheets can be very time consuming though, especially for the non-expert. The right tools and support are essential for ‘doing it yourself’ to be a practical solution.

The good news is that SaaS-based solutions for this group are already available. However, the very near future will also see service solutions developed specifically for them. They form a large and important group in our economy and therefore deserve to be supported. The main question is what services should be developed first to benefit ZZP-ers as soon as possible?

So what happens once freelancers and self-employed entrepreneurs can save both time and money? More time to work and earn more money or more money used to work less and enjoy more private time? It’s an exciting question for them – after all, that freedom of choice is why they became self-employed or a freelancer in the first place!

The author of this blog post is principal research engineer at Exact, focusing on researching business services offered through Software as a Service.

First, let’s start with the changes in the environment. Internet usage in general has been growing significantly in Turkey over the last 10 years. The strong economic growth there (around 8% on yearly basis since 2000) is a second factor. Third, the population division shows that the average population is very young. Thanks to this combination, the Turkish environment offers a great opportunity for cloud-based products like Exact Online.

But how do these changes in the environment lead to a new species evolving? Well, Exact Online targets a local market and therefore must compete with other local products on that market. These are often long-existing (10+ years) and fully tailored to local legislation, regulations and business habits. Unlike Exact Online, most of these products are installed on-premise. However, realizing the “in-the-cloud” advantage successfully – turning it into actual customers – demands a 100% match with local requirements. Anything less will be insufficient. This is especially the case with auditors, an important target group unlikely to switch if the new product doesn’t meet their expectations

How was the match with the Turkish requirements achieved? It obviously wasn’t left to a random code generator to come up with the correct product (as nature would do). Making the product fit the market requirements was a result of careful study, design and engineering. At an early stage of research for the market introduction, a meeting was organized with a Turkish auditor. A wide range of topics were discussed and the existing product used to check the current match. Furthermore, Exact also enjoys significant localization experience from its growth over the last 25 years. The interaction of these factors generated a list of areas that needed adjusting. Anyone familiar with localization will not find the summary a surprise: local VAT and taxation rules, local official returns and reports, depreciation methods for assets and local payment instruments among the most important topics.

After this first research and the go-to-market decision, several meetings were organized to dive deeper into the requirements for each specific area and ensure that the product would be adjusted accordingly. One of the real challenges here was to stick to the “simple and fast” principles of Exact Online. During the development process, other auditors were kept frequently up-to-date and informed about the solutions’ progress. This early feedback was essential in keeping us on the right track. The whole process ended with a controlled release stage, in which a group of 20 auditors started to use Exact Online for their daily activities. In the end, the new species was born on May 12 2010: Exact Online for the Turkish market.

It’s now up to natural selection to highlight Exact Online’s perfect fit with the Turkish market. Of course, you’re welcom to give it a try. Visit the website and take a tour.

In this article, I will focus on transactional loyalty. The transactional loyalty is based on facts. Transactional loyalty covers recency, frequency, customer lifetime and customer share. It is based on transactional records /evidence that shows how recent, frequent, long (customer lifetime) and deep (customer share) the customer is with your company.To support this evidence from customer point of view (and help in future negotiations with your supplier), we are busy with the development of a simple (though powerful) overview that will provide you historical evidence in relationship to your supplier. The overview will show the purchase value (price before discount), discount and the actual purchase price categorized per supplier.

To put all information about into a screen interface:

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Additionally, you can break down the information per item / assortment (and even cost center / unit) and have the same information related to purchase value, discount and actual purchase amounts.

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With the information as described / provided, we think that you as a customer have a good instrument to negotiate with your supplier. Of course, the other elements of customer loyalty are just as important and should not be forgotten.

Do you share with me that we have covered the most important ingredients from transactional point of view?

Picture credit: customer-loyalty_retention.jpg by enriqueburgosgarcia

Leads
A lead is a, mostly unknown, person who was referred to you by another person, or has expressed interest in products you are selling. After creating the lead, all involved activities and communication can be registered and is directly accessible from the lead card.

Opportunities registered in Exact Online help you to efficiently track and close a sales deal. Opportunities can be used to follow your standard company process, strategize against competition, record your actions and other notes and more. They can be created newly or they can be converted from leads.

The opportunity card shows you all general and contact information relevant for the opportunity. From the card activities can be started and followed up and quotations can be created. Opportunity based reports are available to analyze and improve the process and to forecast revenue.

Quotations
Somewhere in your sales process your potential customer hopefully want to receive a quotation for the products he/she is interested in. A quotation can be entered manually or generated from an opportunity.

After entering the products, quantities, and prices, the quotation can be printed on paper or sent electronically by e-mail. Based on the customer’s response, the quotation can be accepted, rejected, or a new version can be created. For accepted quotations an invoice can be generated.

Cockpit
From the standard Sales cockpit or a personalized “My cockpit” actual and relevant information is directly displayed to the user.

Fast and Easy
Exact Online modules are designed to be simply implemented. This means that for the SFA and Quotation modules, default master data and layouts are available.
 

Current status
Both modules have gone through a controlled release phase. The modules were well received and feedback was very positive. Currently the last modifications  based on feedback are being implemented before becoming commercial available in September. At Exact internally, the SFA module is being used by the Dutch and Belgium sales departments of Exact Online.

At the moment Exact Online provides a list of reports from which you can choose. When a report is added to your personal cockpit, you can set some settings. But how the report is shown (gauge or column) and what is shown in detail is fixed.

For example the current Revenue report shows  a “list of revenue per account”. You can set the maximum length of the list.
But what if you want to see the revenue divided per region instead of account or what if you want to express the revenue by column instead of a list?

In the development environment it is now possible to fully design your own reports. You can choose:

• which subject you want to build a report
• if you want to see a matrix or a graph
• in case of a graph: the kind of charttype. For example: line, bar, column, pie
• what should be displayed on the x-axis and y-axis of your graph
• which filters should be taken into account
• which data must be shown when drilling down from the matrix or graph

Example of report definition (please click on the picture for a good view)

As developers we are curious to hear if you as a user only want to determine “how you like your eggs in the morning” or if you also want to be able to “choose the type of eggs” you want to see.

One of Exact Online’s newest solutions, currently in controlled release, is the time registration and invoicing solution and it offers all the above and more. You can read more about the solution in the blog post from Robert Huberts. In addition to all costs and invoices being directly booked on the correct general ledgers for financial reporting, the solution can also be used internally for time registration only – just like we’re doing within several of our teams here at Exact!

Our finance and administration department highlighted a need for better insight into time spent by teams on current and future projects. Luckily, we knew just the tool to provide them with the information they needed!

The requirements for this time registration were simple:

Although several other tools (amongst others Excel, Exact Synergy Enterprise) could fit the requirements, we decided to go for the Exact Online solution – in effect becoming our own controlled release customer!

It seemed the perfect choice for several reasons. Being online, everyone has access to it from any location. Furthermore, the time registration is based on hours and not periods of time. It’s easy to make the entries, either in daily or weekly fashion – just fill in project, activity and the hours for the various days displayed and save. Its reporting function also ideally met the requirements of our finance department.

We have been using Exact Online time registration since the beginning of May and, although some suggestions have come forward, it is working brilliantly. Entering hours for a day or a week is literally a matter of minutes.

The main challenge we have to overcome currently is to remind everyone in the team to actually fill in their hours! To be fair though, almost 90% of us are doing this on time, which is great! And providing reports to finance and administration is almost over now – they will have their own access to Time & Billing soon where they can do their own reporting.

To conclude: choosing Exact Online Time & Billing for our own time registration was a great decision. Working with it is very simple, the interface is user friendly and it takes a minimum amount of time to enter hours. The fact that we are using our own product and can support suggestions from our customers on improving it firsthand is a bonus!