Selling Software Products (ERPs and CRMs) in India

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Selling Software Products in India

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<p> </p> <p>In response to the customer feedback we have upgraded the below features in ERPNext. Hope these helps to save time and manage your business more efficiently.</p> <p><!--[if gte mso 9]> <p style='line-height:1em;'><![endif]--><strong>1. Customer and Supplier Codes :</strong> <br /> Customer and Suppliers can now be saved by customer and supplier codes respectively. These can be alpha numeric. There is also an option where code can be same as customer name also.<!--[if gte mso 9]></p> <![endif]--></p> <p><!--[if gte mso 9]> <p style='line-height:1em;'><![endif]--><strong>2. Expense Voucher:</strong> <br /> Your employees can now claim expenses through Expense Voucher link in the HR module. Employees can specify the type of expense and the amount to be claimed. The concerned authorized person can then sanction the amount.<!--[if gte mso 9]></p> <![endif]--></p> <p><!--[if gte mso 9]> <p style='line-height:1em;'><![endif]--><strong>3. Notification Emails:</strong> <br /> You can now go to “Notification Settings” in “Setup” page and select transaction documents for which auto email should go to the concerned contact person’s email id. You can also modify the content of the email.<!--[if gte mso 9]></p> <![endif]--></p> <p><!--[if gte mso 9]> <p style='line-height:1em;'><![endif]--><strong>4. Attendance module :</strong> <br /> You can now mark attendance everyday for your employees in HR module. Attendance can be marked in an excel sheet and uploaded in the system as well. The excel sheet template for marking attendance can be downloaded from the system.<!--[if gte mso 9]></p> <![endif]--></p> <p><!--[if gte mso 9]> <p style='line-height:1em;'><![endif]--><strong>5. Customized Reports:</strong> <br /> You can make your own reports through Report Builder and save them. These reports can be viewed if you click on Custom Reports in each module at the end of readymade reports.<!--[if gte mso 9]></p> <![endif]--></p> <p><!--[if gte mso 9]> <p style='line-height:1em;'><![endif]--><strong>6. Employee Appraisal:</strong> <br /> You can now measure the performance of your employees using Appraisal form in the HR module. It will have the list of employee's KRA, period, its weightage and score earned. Score earned can be added for submitted Appraisals at the end of the period. Only the authorized person will be able to fill in the KRA details. You can go to the Authorization Rules from Setup page and set rules for Appraisals. <!--[if gte mso 9]></p> <![endif]--></p> <p><!--[if gte mso 9]> <p style='line-height:1em;'><![endif]--><strong>7. Transactions for project based companies :</strong> <br /> For non standard customized products (eg: Heavy machinery for a plant) which involves a number of parts to be delivered and assembled to complete the final product you can create a project master. This project will be linked to sales order, delivery notes, invoice and other purchase transactions. You can also get project based reports like gross profit, costing, deliveries etc. from the Projects module.<!--[if gte mso 9]></p> <![endif]--></p> <!--[if gte mso 9]> <p style='line-height:1em;'><![endif]--> <p><strong>8. How Do I? :</strong> <br /> You can find a new link called “How Do I?” in Accounts, Sales and Stocks modules. This is a help document.</p>

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After 5 months of marketing a product, I realized how difficult is the proliferation of a new product in India. Now I understand why the Indian market is so stubborn. The companies that have succeeded have all got away one way or another. I am not saying other entrepreneurs have not been visionary and masters at execution, but they had something to hang on to and some things going their way.
Here is the list of the recent entrepreneurial successes of India:

1. Infosys / Wipro / other - The don't sell in India
2. Airtel - Political connections got them valuable licenses
3. Air Deccan - Captain Gopi's army / political connections were helpful

I really have to rack my brains to find out one new business that grew from India solely on the basis of what value it delivered and without some crutch. I must say FabIndia is one of those exceptions - But they too started by exporting to the West!

For the kind of products that we sell, its not that people are lining up to find out ways to make their small businesses more efficient.
Part of the reason is historical and cultural.

More than 75% of small business in the Mumbai area are owned by Gujaratis and Marwaris (full disclosure: I am a Gujarati too). Traditionally they have prospered due to their ability to migrate and form strong trade links across regions. They are still of a traditional mindset where investment in status and lifestyle comes before investment in their business. When they do business, they do it with a trader mindset. Because a trader always negotiates and keeps variable margins, they expect software also to be a tradable item or service.

Businesses in the West usually prosper because they invest in technology and hence they understand the value of technology. In India its a different story. I never thought this would hit me so hard so late in my startup process.

So I have two options if I want to break-even faster

1. Sell to the West

2. Sell to the West

Lets see how this process goes!

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After 5 months of marketing a product, I realized how difficult is the proliferation of a new product in India. Now I understand why the Indian market is so stubborn. The companies that have succeeded have all got away one way or another. I am not saying other entrepreneurs have not been visionary and masters at execution, but they had something to hang on to and some things going their way.
Here is the list of the recent entrepreneurial successes of India:

1. Infosys / Wipro / other - The don't sell in India
2. Airtel - Political connections got them valuable licenses
3. Air Deccan - Captain Gopi's army / political connections were helpful

I really have to rack my brains to find out one new business that grew from India solely on the basis of what value it delivered and without some crutch. I must say FabIndia is one of those exceptions - But they too started by exporting to the West!

For the kind of products that we sell, its not that people are lining up to find out ways to make their small businesses more efficient.

Part of the reason is historical and cultural.

More than 75% of small business in the Mumbai area are owned by Gujaratis and Marwaris (full disclosure: I am a Gujarati too). Traditionally they have prospered due to their ability to migrate and form strong trade links across regions. They are still of a traditional mindset where investment in status and lifestyle comes before investment in their business. When they do business, they do it with a trader mindset. Because a trader always negotiates and keeps variable margins, they expect software also to be a tradable item or service.

Businesses in the West usually prosper because they invest in technology and hence they understand the value of technology. In India its a different story.

Lets see how the next decade of Indian SMEs turns out. There is a huge opportunity, hope the 2nd and 3rd generation Indian SME owners are smart enough to compete and expand their businesses.


Cheers!

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