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Steve Stasiukonis
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Can SMBs Really Afford ERP?
December 04, 2010
It's a question folks like Jeff Stiles get pretty often. Stiles is senior vice president of small and midsize enterprise marketing for SAP AG, so he comes across a lot of small and midsize businesses (SMBs) that feel they have outgrown their current, single-purpose bookkeeping application, or are tired of reading canned reports and trying to reconstruct some semblance of their day-to-day transactions and run rates using static spreadsheets. The burning question is: "Can we really afford an ERP system?"
Torelli's Big Takeaway: Get Help!
December 01, 2010
If you've been following this season's saga of a very special small to midsize business (SMB) getting its big break into the realm of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, you've probably already picked up on a recurring theme - one that continues to emerge in this collection of associated blogs, videos and "how to" articles. The lesson is: When it comes time to implement a new ERP solution for your SMB operations, seek professional help.
Like Having Steve Jobs Show You How to Use Your iPhone
November 28, 2010
In a recent InformationWeek SMB On Location webcast, the grateful employees of Torelli Bicycle Co. discussed details of their successful enterprise resource planning system deployment. The feat was accomplished through the help of ERP solution provider SAP and Navigator Business Solutions, a premier SAP integration partner that specializes in serving the small and midsize business (SMB) community.
Tips for Installing 'Big Business' Applications on an SMB Scale
November 26, 2010
In this series, we've been following the exploits of a particular company in the small to midsize business (SMB) category as it implemented the type of enterprise resource planning solution typically associated with Fortune 1000 firms. In fact, with its four full-time employees, Torelli Bicycle Company in North Hollywood, Calif., may be among the smallest companies to ever install an integrated ERP system from a leading software provider such as SAP.
Surviving 'Mack Truck Syndrome,' Part II
November 23, 2010
In our last installment of the InformationWeek SMB On Location blog, we talked with Torelli Bicycle's Product Design Manager Christian Feldhake about the benefits of his company's new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
Torelli's ERP Platform: Protection from 'Mack Truck Syndrome'
November 22, 2010
What's the best part of having a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system running your small business? For Torelli Bicycle Company's Product Design Manager Christian Feldhake, it's all about taking the guesswork out of operating the business.
Torelli's 'Uncloudy' Cloud Moment
November 19, 2010
There is an old folk song that talks about the promise of "an uncloudy day," a time and place where everything is clear, serene and peaceful. Sounds pretty tempting - especially if you operate a typical small to midsize business (SMB), where clarity and serenity are seldom the order of the day.
ERP Perspective: What Is and Isn't Unique about Torelli Bicycle Co.
November 15, 2010
In our previous installment, we revealed that SAP chose Torelli Bicycle Co. to be the recipient of a brand spanking new enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution because Torelli is, in fact, pretty typical. It's a little counterintuitive, I know. But when it was explained by Mike Coleman, SAP America Vice President for North American Distribution, Direct Marketing Resellers (DMR) & E-Store, it begins to make sense.
Torelli Takes the Path Less Travelled
November 10, 2010
"The Torelli Bicycle Company is the perfect company for us to do this implementation with," said Mike Coleman, SAP America's Vice President for North American Distribution, Direct Marketing Resellers (DMR) & E-Store, after visiting Torelli's rustic headquarters in North Hollywood, Calif. "I think it's a prime candidate for [an SAP] makeover. "
How Does ERP Benefit SMBs? Navigator's Greg Woodward Counts the Ways
November 06, 2010
The benefits are starting to roll in at Torelli Bicycle Company as employees begin to hit their stride with the new enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution from SAP. InformationWeek SMB checked in again with implementation expert Greg Woodward, who is leading the project for SAP integrator Navigator Business Solutions.
Are You Ready for Your ERP Close-up?
November 01, 2010
As part of a live webcast last week featuring executives from Torelli Bicycle Company, enterprise resource planning software leader SAP, and ERP implementation specialists to the small and midsize business market Navigator Business Solutions, we had the opportunity to conduct a live poll of the nearly 200 SMB companies in attendance.
Focus on Inventory: ERP Lets SMB Get Warranties Under Control
October 26, 2010
I recently checked in with Greg Woodward, who is heading up Torelli Bicycle Company's enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation project for SAP integrator Navigator Business Solutions. I asked Greg what gains Torelli will realize from the technology makeover it's receiving.
Focus on Financials: Why Tiny Torelli Took the ERP Plunge
October 21, 2010
A few years ago, the idea of a four-person company running a back-end business solution from SAP would have been an absurd suggestion. In the minds of most business executives who are familiar with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems from market leader SAP, the very name is synonymous with large-scale enterprise operations and implementation efforts measured in years and millions of dollars.
Vendor Perspective: Going Where No Small Bike Maker Has Gone Before
October 17, 2010
"One of the real benefits of an SAP solution is with the experience we have in the Fortune 1000 - well beyond the Fortune 1000, for that matter, in the large enterprise - we've taken a lot of that learning and brought it down into a very affordable package for the small to medium enterprise, that essentially allows folks like Torelli here, and Todd the CEO, to do things he could never do before."
Integrator Perspective: Taking Torelli to the Next Level
October 11, 2010
Whether you're a professional bike racer or a small business owner, you must have the heart of a true competitor to break away from the crowd and achieve success. And every competitor, at some point in his or her career, reaches that "make-or-break" point, where there is a clear choice of whether to push the envelope of endurance, or settle for being second best.
Taking Stock, Torelli Style
October 05, 2010
Working at Torelli Bicycle Co. in North Hollywood, Calif., takes more than just the physical stamina necessary to withstand the extreme heat of LA's 100-degree-plus Indian summer while rummaging through Torelli's stifling hot warehouse. It also takes a prodigious memory to know precisely what's housed in that cavernous storage area at any point in time.
Torelli Races for the Finish Line
October 01, 2010
Team Torelli is tensing for the final assault. As you read this, CEO Todd Linscott and his small crew of hardworking Torelli Bicycle Co. employees are huddling with small-business implementation experts for Navigator Business Solutions, who have flown in to finally flip the switches on Torelli's new production ERP (enterprise resource planning) solution from SAP.
SMB Makeover Update: Countdown to 'Go Live' at Torelli
September 27, 2010
Excitement is building inside Torelli Bicycle Co. headquarters in North Hollywood, Calif., as employees anxiously await another birth.
Torelli Contemplates the Possibilities with ERP: 'Oh! The Places You'll Go!'
September 15, 2010
"Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away!" Of course, those are the words of the incomparable Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) technology was probably the last thing on the good doctor's mind when he penned those lines, but they perfectly describe the prevailing attitude at Torelli Bicycle Co. these days, as employees contemplate life in the future, aided by an ERP business information system tailored to their specific small-business needs.
SMB On Location Progress Report: Torelli in the 'Sandbox'
September 02, 2010
If you drop in on Torelli Bicycle Co. headquarters in North Hollywood, Calif., these days, you'll find CEO Todd Linscott and the rest of Team Torelli spending every spare moment reveling in their new "sandbox."
Crunch Time at Torelli: Keeping Your Eyes on the Prize
August 24, 2010
"No pain, no gain." That's what the coach told us in high school, and it's as true today as it was then. If you're in the bicycle business, for instance, the height of summer is also the height of your sales season - and perhaps not the perfect time to switch your entire business operations over to a new platform.
SMB Business Challenges: Survival of the Fittest
August 16, 2010
The economic downturn has taken its toll on companies of all sizes, but there is no question that the nation's smaller businesses have been the hardest hit. At last count, there were about 30 million companies in the U.S. - and 99.9 percent of them are small to midsize businesses (SMBs), according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Living the Dream: Torelli Bicycles Braces for a Makeover
August 11, 2010
Which of us doesn't harbor the dream of eventually chucking it all, dropping out of the corporate rat race and following our passion? But it's a rare individual who actually has the guts, the grit and the determination to pull it off.