Inixion’s continuous drive for Sage X3 know-how

We all know that change is a given and the pace of change for business has become much faster over the past decade. Whilst the principles of doing business have stayed the same, the way it’s done or needs to be done (e.g. regulation, fiscal compliance) keeps changing. An ERP system like Sage X3 needs to enable businesses to keep up with change.

It’s not just an ERP system that needs to facilitate change within organisations. Your provider also needs to understand how the system can be fully exploited and configured to allow your business to keep up with change.

This is why at Inixion we continuously strive to gain Sage X3 know-how. By understanding the product, its latest versions, add-on products and our customer’s businesses, we support our customers in staying agile.

Collaboration drives richer knowledge

With a number of the Inixion team having worked with Sage X3, or Adonix X3 (as it was known prior to Sage’s acquisition), since 2001, there has always been a steady basis for knowledge to build on. But we are now on version 12 of Sage X3, and the Inixion team grows each year, so how do we keep up with change?

The acquisition of know-how is not down to each individual employee within Inixion, but collaboration and knowledge exchange across the whole of Inixion and our customers; as well as with Sage, and this exchange is very much at the heart of our organisation.

All of our implementation, development and support team members are certified by Sage to the latest version of Sage X3. We work closely with Sage; we’re part of their Business Partner Advisory Council, we work with the Sage Centre of Excellence on performance and infrastructure design projects for global Sage X3 customers and we work closely with the Sage X3 Product Development team to support Sage in making Sage X3 an ERP system of choice.

Robert Sinfield, Vice President for Sage X3 and ISV Success, comments:

“Sage Partners from across the ecosystem are essential as we scale and grow the Sage X3 customer base. We value the contribution that partners such as Inixion bring to our shared customers – delivering expert experience, services and value both in the UK and globally.”

Sage X3 Product Manager

To centralise the flow of information we have appointed Senior Sage X3 Consultant, with 20+ years of Sage X3 experience, David Spindler as our Sage X3 Product Manager. In his role as Product Manager, he links Sales, Operations and Support, as well as being the central point of reference with Sage to keep Inixion, and our customers, abreast of new functionality that is on the Sage X3 roadmap, complementary (“add-on”) solutions and to advise on both.

David joined Inixion not long after its inception in 2006 as a Senior Consultant. His knowledge of Sage X3 is extensive, matched with his willingness and hunger to keep learning about the product. That ability makes him an ideal Product Manager, as it involves tracking and understanding the future roadmap of the product and managing and advising on third party add-ons that are available.

David comments:

“I have been working with “X3” for 20 years; as Sage Enterprise Management, Sage X3 and, originally, Adonix X3 and over that time I have seen the solution evolve and expand. The Product Manager role came about as we recognised the need for there to be a single point of contact within Inixion for all things “product related”. Whilst most of this is related to Sage X3, it also encompasses various add-on products that are available and our own Inixion Sage X3 Modules that we have developed.”

Extending Sage X3

As David mentions we also look to gain knowledge of various add-on products, to understand whether and how they can extend Sage X3 to provide a holistic solution to our customers. It is of the utmost importance to us that any add-on product ‘does what it says on the tin’, to ensure it works with and enhances Sage X3; without causing issues.

We also need to understand any other business critical systems our customers are using that they are looking to integrate with Sage X3. We look at the way they will integrate, the information exchange and the process within the organisation; advising our customers on the best way forward.

In addition, we make sure that our colleagues in support receive the relevant training on these add-ons to enable them to support our customers.

Sharing know-how with our customers

Implementation and go-live is only the start of our relationship with our customers. With change being a constant in the development of the Sage X3 business system and each of our customer’s businesses, it’s imperative to us that we support and advise our customers in a pro-active way to make sure that Inixion and Sage X3 enable them to keep up with growth and changing market conditions.

David holds a dual role as Product Manager and Senior Consultant and is therefore ‘at the coalface’ when it comes to interacting with customers and prospects and translating their requirements into a Sage X3 solution.

However, it’s not just David, but the whole team who support each-other and our customers by sharing knowledge. This drive for continuous understanding and information exchange about Sage, Sage X3, our customers and their industries is one pillar of ‘The Inixion Difference’.