Accounting and manufacturing (collectively known as ERP) Implementations – SAS has performed hundreds of ERP implementations for businesses throughout the Western US.
Management Consulting – SAS offers a range of IT and business consulting services to middle market companies.
Middle-market businesses are faced with many challenges, particularly in IT. It can be a daunting task to know where to invest limited resources or understand the true value and risk of IT investments, particularly for owners and managers who have little direct experience. Conversely, internal IT teams may be tactically focused, but have difficulty with strategic or business-oriented issues.
That’s why our consultants use their 20+ years of IT experience, coupled with strong backgrounds in business and accounting, to offer advisory services to many companies throughout California and the Pacific Northwest.
We work closely with senior management to address their most pressing concerns, including:
Our consultants offer independent perspectives for companies that are not able to come to a consensus on these IT concerns. We’re able to effectively understand and relate to the roles of IT staff, end users, and management.
Multi-State Risk Management Company
This company was attempting to align its IT strategy and business operations for rapid growth, but its executive management was unclear if their enterprise systems should be developed internally or through off-the-shelf software. We analyzed these options, took into account the potential issues with integrating a mixed development/package software environment, and recommended an organizational structure for their IT department with estimated staffing levels to support the target strategy. We also helped them with the recruitment of a new CIO.
West Coast Labor Association
This organization was responsible for deployment and payroll for a large union. Their accounting department had been using the same ERP system for several years and felt it no longer effectively supported their needs. We reviewed how their current system was configured to address them, then recommended certain changes to the software’s original implementation: specific company setup, a restructured chart of accounts, additional reporting, and indirect cost allocation. We also recommended business process changes to resolve perceived software limitations, and determined that a new ERP system was not currently justified.
International Steel Fabrication Company
This company was six months into an ERP implementation when it became apparent the project was in trouble. The schedule kept slipping, the budget was close to expended, and other divisions within the company were resisting efforts to convert to the new system. We were tasked with reviewing their software selection to determine how best to restructure the project, and concluded that their new ERP was only an appropriate choice for the largest of the company’s three divisions. Because the other two already had software that closely aligned with their needs, all that was needed was an enterprise budgeting and reporting system to unite all three divisions for financial management purposes. We introduced the needed project management discipline, including a new framework for preparation and control of project plans.