Jerry Norman

About Jerry Norman

Are you considering changing to a new accounting/ERP system? How frustrating! But nobody should do this “heart transplant surgery” on their firm unless they think the current “heart” is too clogged, slow, weak, or small to support their “body’s” growth and health. So, why not first look into fixing the existing “heart?” Why not see if some “stents,” a pacemaker, “valve repair,” or perhaps a “bypass” will get the results you need? Are you sure you’re getting the most from your current “heart” before you go through the risk and expense of a different one?I lead SmartBridge Partners in helping our customers either get the most from their current “accounting system” or replace it with the right one for them. Either way, we call our process “untangling” your ERP and related systems. We usually work with customers in B2B distribution and discrete manufacturing industries who use Sage 100 or Acumatica.(However, our methodology and experience let us also work with firms using other systems.)Sometimes the existing system can’t go where you need it. If so, then we help you choose an ERP more appropriate for your current and future needs. We work with several, including Acumatica, Sage Intacct, Xtuple, and Sage 100.We produce our results through a series of modest, fixed-price projects with money-back guarantees. We design each project to meet your needs and budget. You will get NO surprises. What do I mean by a “tangled” system? Some symptoms of this condition include:• Your salespeople spend too much time creating orders for customers & answering their questions and problems.• You have an inaccurate picture of what is in stock or how much to order, and paying vendors takes way too much effort.• Your payables and receivables people spend a lot of time researching status.• The only reports your get are for the previous month – nothing for today or tomorrow.After our work with you, your “UNtangled” system will:• Capture the sales, warehouse operations, and purchases accurately the first time.• Produce accurate information to customers during the order, shipment, and invoicing.• Provide nearly “hands-free” operation of e-Commerce and EDI.• Feature fast and error-free warehouse pick, pack, and ship operations.• Keep inventory lean without stockouts.• Keep receivables low.• Let you make faster decisions because you get information - “intelligence” - in time to make them.• And much more!For an initial exploration of whether I might be able to help you, contact me at j••••••@smartbp.com or call x112.

Experience

1. CEO

   Smartbridge Partners

   Jul 2003 — Present

   I grew SmartBridge Partners into a specialist that untangles the Business Management Systems (BMS) of inventory-based B2B firms under $50m in revenue. We focus on providing advice, consulting, and education to executives and their teams for streamlining operations, customer relations, and accounting functions related to all of this. Most modern business software and applications work and interact in similar fashions, so a holistic approach combined with understanding \"the weeds\" works pretty well at simplifying them. We mainly work with Sage 100-based systems. My philosophy driving SmartBridge is two-fold. First, we focus our customers on achieving Peter Drucker’s key insight, “The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer.” Too often, their ERP/accounting systems are obstacles to achieving this goal.Second, I’ve created systems within SmartBridge that let us produce only projects with defined outcomes and with fixed prices so our customers never see a surprise bill. Further, our customers pick the project, from custom options, to meet their needs and budget. Hard to believe we actually do this every time? I’d love to explain how it would work for your situation.

Education

• San José State University

  BS, Meteorology

• Case Western Reserve University

  BS, Systems Engineering

• Stanford University Graduate School of Business

  Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Marketing, Finance