Industry solutions – really the best rate?

The term industry solution sounds tempting. A solution made for the requirements of my industry. Surely I expect the best features in this software. The usability is optimized for typical processes and the manufacturer knows my core topics. So if you are looking for a new business software, you should choose an industry solution. Or not?

At Vertec, we have been dealing with the same industries since the founding years. Historically, we have grown with fiduciaries, engineers, software manufacturers and lawyers in Switzerland. In Germany, there was also strong growth among consultants and IT companies. Be Vertec an industry solution for companies in these categories?

Some of our customers have deliberately chosen Vertec because they have heard in the industry that the requirements are met excellently. Ergo – industry solution. Other Customers are happy to tell us that they do not see Vertec as an industry solution. And yet – or precisely because of that – they chose our integrated CRM and ERP.

Surprisingly, we are talking about the same software in both cases. So how can it be that both customer groups feel so well picked up?

Similar in basic functions

Regardless of whether it is an industry solution or not, all relevant providers must offer the basis of business software “out of the box”. By basis we mean the meaningful mapping of the core processes of project-oriented service providers:

• Manage leads and customers
• Setting up projects
• Entering services and expenses
• invoicing

In addition, there are aspects such as cloud capability and the associated ability to use the system mobile. Not to forget: authorization system, security and performance.

With Vertec as Crm and erp for service providers This basis is given, just as in many industry solutions that are widely used on the market, especially for lawyers and engineers. However, the benefit for your company is not primarily reflected in the basic functions, but in the degrees of freedom.

Different in degrees of freedom

True to the 80/20 principle, 8 out of 10 use cases are covered by the core features. Here you are certainly not at a disadvantage with an industry solution. But how do you deal with the remaining 20%? More importantly, what happens when the use cases expand? Example are mergers of companies or new services that have to be handled with corresponding processes.

Now the degrees of freedom come into play. A classic industry solution is typically developed very closely along with the core needs. Deviations are individual, so it is difficult to integrate into the core software. Ultimately, you are guided by the software, not the other way around.

In Vertec’s DNA, customization is the core strength. Build on the already powerful foundation (core product), customization to individual needs is not only possible – it is actively promoted by our plug-ins. Plug-ins are configurations of the core software provided by Vertec that enable new functionalities. Example includes opportunities, mandate management, payment plans, or absence approvals (for Plug-in overview in the Knowledge Base). By the way, plug-ins are not rigid, but can be adapted to your needs.

If your needs are not yet fully covered by plug-ins, Vertec also offers individual options for customization. The following chart shows the structure in three stages:

This creates your individual customer solution, driven by a strong core that is continuously developed by Vertec. And the best part: core product, plug-ins and customer-specific adaptations remain release-ready.

Individuality with industry expertise

Traditional industry solutions must map processes in such a way that all customers can work with them. What still fits well for some standard processes, but in others it quickly becomes a reality. Vertec has gained a wealth of industry expertise from numerous implementation projects. These insights are used both in the development of new plug-ins and in best practices. This allows an industry-specific solution to be implemented quickly and easily.