The survey, which attracted participation from 142 different UK charities, highlights our commitment to our not-for-profit customers, all of whom recommended us as a leading accounting software supplier.

Our OpenAccounts finance system was praised by end-users for its compatibility with charity accounting systems, overall functionality, web enablement and ease of use.

This achievement is testament to the importance we place on remaining close to our customers through understanding their needs and providing the right solutions to fulfil their not-for-profit requirements.

It’s so rewarding to receive such a resounding seal of approval and to be assured that putting customers at the centre of our business is working.

Advanced gets seal of approval from charity sector is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment

That’s right, the team’s just learned that they’ve been shortlisted for the ‘Environmental Accounting & Management Software of the Year’ category in the 2012 Green IT Awards. Advanced was selected for its new, cutting-edge Carbon Accounting system.

The good news follows last year’s National Green Apple Environment Award win, which Advanced scooped in recognition of the environmental benefits of its Human Resource Self-Service solution.

The Green IT Awards recognise the outstanding environmental products, suppliers and projects of 2012 and highlight the companies and teams that have made significant contributions to improving the IT industry’s environmental performance.

Advanced is one of six finalists in the Environmental Accounting category and the team will find out their fate at the awards ceremony on 19 April at London Zoo.

Going for green… is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment

Payroll World is one of the UK’s leading payroll magazines and the awards ceremony will take place at the Hilton London Bridge Hotel in London on November 16th, 2011. 

Advanced Business Solutions will join around 300 professionals from the payroll sector, and awards will be presented to teams and individuals who demonstrate their professionalism, pioneering efforts and commitment to improving the reputation of the payroll department.

To make the final of these prestigious awards, ABS had to demonstrate success in one or more of the following areas:

• Significant cost savings / business benefits to clients
• Customer satisfaction including client testimonials
• Innovative client solutions. 

So let’s hope we can raise another celebratory glass next month!

On a roll…. is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment

Graeme Walker – HCM (OpenPeople) Product Manager

The champagne corks were popping on the Advanced Business Solutions table at the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) Awards ceremony last night. Despite being up against tough competition, Advanced Business Solutions won the HR/Payroll Software Product of the Year category, and the broad smiles in the Advanced offices this morning are testimony to the team’s immense pride in winning this award.

The CIPP’s Annual Payroll and Pensions Excellence Awards are the most respected UK payroll industry awards and recognise and honour payroll and pensions professionals together with human capital management (HCM) software providers for their achievements and contributions to the industry. To win the award the team had to demonstrate that Advanced’s HCM system is up to date, easy to use, legislatively-compliant and well supported.  Winning the award is evidence enough that Advanced’s HCM system fulfills all this criteria, leaving competitor systems in the shadows. And so it is perhaps no surprise that the Advanced team’s grins are broader than ever this morning and are unlikely to fade anytime soon!

Why the broad grins? is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment

The technology marketplace is a confusing place. Mergers are common, a large number of outsourcing providers exist and it’s often a struggle to choose one IT supplier from another, especially when there is little to tell their software systems/services apart!

For the IT manager, stuck in the middle of a complex tangle of vendor propositions and three letter acronyms, finding the right partner can be a tricky task. So, how can a customer get satisfaction from a supplier?

A simple ‘finger in the air’ test will not suffice. Good supplier relationships need work and your selection of a provider must be well thought through. If you speed through the tendering and evaluation process, you are likely to be left disappointed.

Recommendations from peers are helpful, as are previous experiences. But do not simply rely on the tried and tested. Suppliers can sometimes surprise and a thorough evaluation of your available options might present a new potential provider.

Your supplier needs to provide satisfaction across a series of areas. Value for money is obviously important but it should not be your only consideration.

Does the software meet your organisation’s particular needs? Is the software reliable and does the supplier provide quality and local after sales support?

Is the supplier financially stable and likely to be around in ten years’ time? The modern business is technology-enabled and the crucial role of IT means you must know that the provider of any implemented system is likely to be a viable partner for many years to come.

Contracts need to be tight and measures set in place. But once you’ve selected a supplier, don’t simply rely on contractual arrangements and vague KPIs to assess whether you are getting customer satisfaction. Continue to evaluate your suppliers through a series of carefully honed metrics to make sure they understand you and can readily respond to your needs. Ultimately you need to feel that your providers are delivering real value for money.

Getting satisfaction from a supplier doesn’t have to be impossible. The best providers will be partners; trust, metrics and importantly, regular communication, can make this partnership a reality.

See which IT suppliers have made the grade by being shortlisted for this year’s Software Satisfaction Awards: http://www.softwaresatisfaction.co.uk/2010-shortlist

Can’t get no supplier satisfaction? is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment

A body language expert will also be giving the attendees from a range of leading UK software companies some top tips on how to use and understand body language during the sales negotiation process.

Version One has found that days such as these are key to nurturing and strengthening re-seller relationships and with continued reports of economic doom and gloom, a day such as this may prove more valuable then ever for providing IT software authors and re-sellers with the much needed support they need and some optimism about the future!

Version One Horses Around With Its Partners is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment

COA Solutions was very well represented last Thursday 30th October at the Sift Media Business Software Satisfaction Awards 2008 at the Brewery in London. We were the only company to have made the final in six separate categories incorporating accounting software, document management, business intelligence, HR and payroll software, which is a fantastic achievement, demonstrating the breadth and quality of our Smart Business Suite.

All products scored extremely well across the board and as the awards are voted for by actual software users, having so many customers demonstrating their satisfaction with COA Solutions’ products and service is testament to our continued strategy of listening to and responding to our customers’ business needs and the hard work and dedication of the COA Solutions team.

We’d like to thank all customers who took the time to vote for us, your encouraging feedback is greatly appreciated and rest assured that we will do our upmost to build on this success.

Satisfying customers remains our top priority is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment