The Internet has made it easy for companies to jump from startups to global enterprises. But growing pains from going global, such as currency exchange, tax issues and travel costs, just to name a few, quickly become apparent. A global business-management tool that takes advantage of cloud computing promises to ease some of those growing pains, though at first glance the price might cause some pain.
NetSuite has added OneWorld to its suite of business-management software. OneWorld is a “cloud computing solution” that uses Software as a Service (SaaS) to help multinational companies manage global operations in real time. OneWorld can deliver data using local currencies, taxation models and so on that typically would be difficult or impossible for headquarters staff to drill into. The SaaS model allows its functions to be accessed anywhere users have a browser and Internet access.
For Midsize Companies
Targeted at midsize enterprises, OneWorld costs $1,999 per month — steep, perhaps, except when compared to the millions it would cost to embrace big-name on-premise competitors. And if SaaS makes it possible to hire one less administrator, return on investment could potentially be reached quickly.
“OneWorld is for the upper-mid-market company, specifically for companies with operations around the world,” said China Martens, senior software analyst for IT research company The 451 Group. “They want more insight, but their wallets might not allow them to invest in lots of business intelligence capabilities and analytics.”
Martens said the offering allows organizations to easily do more “slicing and dicing” of CRM, ERP and e-commerce. It might be a good way for midsize companies short on cash to gain visibility into overseas operations, she said. “You could roll up all your financials around the world and come up with a figure, but what does that figure mean? You typically can’t drill down into it…