Challenges
Beyond
the Market Impact of the events covered in Parts One
and Two
of this note, Geac Computer Corporation Limited (TSX: GAC)
faces serious challenges.
Although
it is functionally strong, Geac System21 has until recently
lacked some of the technology and buzzword must haves' such as a web-based,
server-centric architecture, XML-based integration and sales force automation
(SFA) that have been natively provided by many of its rivals such as SAP,
Intentia, IFS and J.D. Edwards.
In contrast, Geac products have mostly "talked" to the outside modern collaborative
world through a plethora of open APIs (application programming interfaces) and
the company has remained content (or forced) to settle for best-of-breed' connectivity.
Additional functional suites like CRM, advanced web-based product configuration
management, business intelligence (BI) and so on have been provided largely
through partner alliances such as with Cognos, Information
Builders, and Business Objects for business intelligence
(BI), Applix for its iCRM and interactive
planning solution, and with former Frontstep for its SyteLine
APS and SyteCenter solutions.
By
delivering the above-mentioned native enhancements within System21 Aurora,
Geac might partially allay some customers' fears that System 21 functionality
will increasingly lag that of its major competitors. Still, the tacit stance
Geac has assumed while developing the Aurora enhancements over the last few
years has come with a cost of lost mind share and a consequent challenge of
putting the product back on prospects' radar screens. In fact, Aurora is a 2nd
or 3rd-generation of web-enablement, given the web-based supplier- and customer-facing
applications have been available in earlier System21 versions since the late
1990's. This lost mindshare will make selling the product to new customers quite
difficult, especially considering a tough selling climate.
Further,
Geac will have to also embrace and promote a rock solid strategy for integrating
its product suite with multiple partners. The company may benefit from following
J.D. Edwards' example and closely partnering with a major enterprise applications
integration (EAI) vendor in order to ease integration with its partners. In
line with this thinking, Geac already has strong technology partnerships with
IBM and Jacada (for hardware and middleware).
The Aurora product uses the latest IBM technology, and the dependence on IBM
has largely helped Geac curb its development costs while delivering a number
of additional modules running on a unified platform.
Still,
the process of harmonizing the installed user base across a controllable number
of active software versions remains a major challenge. If history helps us predict
the future, most contemporary vendors will not be able to pull off a smooth
evolution from their current architecture to the next-generation. The problem
largely involves the issue of being limited by the past, making it more difficult
to truly transition to a new architecture (for more information, see What's
Wrong with Application Software? It's the Economics).
It
is needless to say that the still varied product portfolio under the Geac banner
will inevitably take more pondering and soul-searching and may likely act as
a distraction from the primary products' strategy. Geac has already begun to
address this matter by divesting a number of less-profitable and non-viable
products (see Geac
Decomposes To Survive), but it still has a few products running on disparate
platforms, from mainframes to web-based architectures.
Having
an unfocused, multi-product and multi-technology strategy in markets with diverse
dynamics typically multiplies and overstretches sales, R&D, and service & support
resources, jeopardizing the products' possible long-term success in their respective
niches. This market perception and sentiment is not to be neglected, as some
customers feel that Geac essentially treats some venerable products like the
M-Series (a.k.a., Millennium, acquired from former McCormack
& Dodge) as a cash cow and has long not reinvested significantly in
the product's enhancements. At the same time, the support fee is perceived as
costly, while the Millennium architecture is unique enough that it is difficult
to find resources to support the application independently. Time alone will
tell whether the Extensity and Comshare acquisitions
and IBM technology overlay will add some major new value atop these applications.
At least, the opportunity seems to be there.
This
is Part Three of a three-part note.
Part
One detailed recent events.
Part
Two discussed the Market Impact.
External Partnerships and Integration Costs
Geac
still has quite a range of functionality to cover through external partnerships
for some of its products, which gets increasingly complicated to track for several
products and their multiple releases (see Geac
Trying Its Luck in Partnering). The partnerships are intended to, for example,
enhance Geac's StreamLine Windows NT/2000-based ERP solution
aimed at manufacturing companies with 5 to 150 users. Geac's customers should
benefit from being able to use Eden Origin, a tool that enables
product configuration/product search engine via a Web-enabled interface. Through
Geac's partnership with Preactor International, small to medium
(SME) manufacturers might benefit from advanced planning and scheduling (APS)
and finite capacity scheduling. However, given that the above functionalities
have become all but commodities nowadays, Geac will have to work much harder
on StreamLine's enhancements if it is to match the functionality from many competitors,
as most of the e-business and CRM components are still lacking. The product's
scope still remains within managing the flow of production through the supply
chain, from purchasing of raw materials to sales and distribution of finished
goods.
While
the best-of-breed approach has its merits and is a necessity for some plant-level
applications that ERP vendors do not typically provide (e.g., data acquisition),
it inadvertently leads to additional integration costs and complicates service
& support arrangements. Interfaces between disparate applications like ERP,
SCM, CRM and/or e-business usually require significant tailoring across different
product versions. Things can get even more complicated due to partners' potential
troubled performance and subsequent demises or change of ownerships, like in
the recent case of Applix iCRM divestiture or Frontstep's
acquisition by MAPICS, which both happen to be embedded within
some earlier Geac's products' instances, albeit under OEM agreements that give
the vendor the right to source code. All of the above can be a barrier to future
changes as further modifying already modified code is notoriously time consuming,
costly, and risky.
Thus, Geac has some remaining work to do, in terms of functionally bolstering some of its previously neglected products and figuring out a middleware and web services framework for its users. The traditional problem for Geac has been its preference for acquiring new products rather than pursuing in-house product development and/or true strategic alliances. While the strategy might have worked in a number of esoteric industries with a low penetration of competitors like hotels & restaurants, real estate and construction, it is indisputably a completely different ball game in the global enterprise applications market in the mainstream industries. Modern enterprise applications must be able to support dynamic business requirements, and every vendor is compelled to add much more value to its products and services portfolio to attract and retain customers, rather than mainly invest in the existing bundle of disparate core products and hope for endless support revenues. Geac's fierce competitors mentioned earlier have long grasped this reality and have acted accordingly.
Realizing the crying need to change its faltering business model, Geac seems to be finally addressing its strategic options, with the above product strategy announcements showing it is serious about appeasing and shoring up its large customer base. One is only to hope that Geac's renewed interest in alliances and acquisition will be to the point of effectively enhancing prosperous product lines as required by its large installed base.
The Extensity and Comshare purchases should seemingly provide Geac with enhancements to its multiple core ERP systems for a modest price tag. In times when everybody is keeping a close eye on all IT investments, financial management products that help companies achieve better control of spending and/or streamlined financial processes should provide strong value propositions and quick Return on Investment (ROI). Geac's industries of interest such as construction, apparel, automotive, financial services, healthcare, property management, real estate, libraries, public safety and government all experience the need to streamline processes involving procurement and time/expense management. Comshare's MPC suite of financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and consolidation software should also provide many cross-sell opportunities to Geac's existing enterprise customers, since MPC should appeal to the same C-level executives and corporate controllers that rely on Geac's ERP transaction systems.
In
addition to cross-selling more products to its existing customers, the acquisitions
hold the potential of generating new customers. The tough financial climate
bundled with increased regulatory requirements (i.e., the Sarbanes-Oxley act)
put added pressure on measuring and optimizing business performance, and financial
analysis and planning appear to be exactly what the doctor ordered. When C-level
executives are held severely accountable for the accuracy of these reports,
there should be a high priority and easy justification for investments in financial
analysis and business performance management. The addition of Comshare MPC to
the Geac product line is in direct response to requirements from Geac customers,
given that AS/400-based applications have traditionally lagged in financial
reporting capabilities. Geac's existing mainframe and client/server customers
are also calling for financial reporting capabilities. One could notice a parallel
with the recent SSA GT's acquisition of Elevon
(formerly Walker Interactive), although one might be intrigued
with low-profile publicity about the Elevon acquisition that was atypical to
other recent SSA GT's purchases.
Given
the saying "once bitten, twice shy," one should believe Geac will have carefully
thought out the rationale for the above two acquisitions. Although there is
still sizable work ahead winnowing out the remaining under-performing units/product
lines, there is a strong opportunity, provided Geac can regenerate its growth
strategy. Although it remains at the fringe of Tier 1 enterprise applications
providers, the company's focus on real-time financial reporting and BPM has
earned it renewed respect in the market and some new customers. Comshare, in
its own right, was one of the first vendors to have produced an executive information
system (EIS) capable of pulling in data from various applications and presenting
it in a compact form. Unfortunately, the EIS technology has since been eclipsed
through the advent of integrated BI suites and portal technologies. Further,
although Comshare has achieved a strong customer satisfaction rating, its dubious
viability has traditionally been a major hurdle when competing against much
larger and more visible competitors like Hyperion or Cognos.
Geac's deeper pockets and much larger size should help it allay these sorts
of past problems.
Given
the fact that Geac too was up for sale in 2000 (see Geac
Lives By Acquisitions; Will It Die By An Acquisition?) its turnaround has
been impressive. However, a frequent turnover of CEOs will not fly very favorably
with the market, although Jones' appointment should indicate keeping the course.
Moreover, the leaner company with a large customer base and a palatable market
capitalization of slightly over $300 million remains an attractive acquisition
target in this seismically consolidating market. Still, the recent Comshare
acquisition for cash and an impending products' merger might put off the acquisition
spotting vultures for the time being.
User Recommendations
Geac's viability has long not been an issue. At least it should not be used as an excuse for not putting Geac on evaluation lists. The rejuvenated management team has done a praiseworthy job of bringing the company back to health while concurrently unveiling a new System21 product that can compete with the other products in the market. Deep vertical functionality, process integration, and the communication of a detailed product strategy blueprint to the market should help users manage total cost of ownership (TCO) during this era of conservative IT budgets.
While recent events continue to improve Geac's balance sheet, a more encouraging sign is the company's intent to become a true software-developing vendor, not simply a software collector and dealer. The challenge for current and potential users is to discern Geac's corporate strategy viability within the product line/industry in question. Users will benefit from approaching Geac and informing themselves about the company's plans for future service & support (or divestiture and/or product stabilization?) of its individual products as well as the ramifications of migrating (or not) to its new product offering. Users should vigorously question Geac on its future options and investigate alternative solutions now to fully understand their situation and options.
Mid-market manufacturing companies in Geac System21 Aurora's key vertical industries, including apparel, electronics, food and beverage, and automotive supply that are considering a new ERP system should evaluate the offering while observing closely Geac's future plans. Typical customers are small to mid-market enterprises, many of them operating in complex supply chains serving some of the world's largest manufacturers and retailers. As for manufacturing environments, System21 Aurora is amenable to many environments — from repetitive, batch process, hybrid, configure-to-order (CTO), engineer-to-order (ETO), to mixed mode. If vertical-specific solutions are near a perfect fit, Geac System21 Aurora should be evaluated given Geac's apparent determination to keep it highly competitive, but prospective customers looking to implement a comprehensive extended-ERP system outside of Geac's traditional vertical focus may benefit from considering other options.
Existing Extensity and Comshare customers looking to expand beyond their financial packages into ERP/supply chain planning should consider evaluating appropriate Geac's products. Conversely, Geac users with a need for a strong financial spending, planning, budgeting, consolidation, etc. products should consider Extensity and Comshare as high-priority contenders, although questioning the level of integration between the products goes without saying. Still, Geac's existing relationships with BI vendors like Cognos and Business Objects may become strained because of inevitable functional overlap, and Geac users of these applications should clarify their options with Geac's management.
The
E (Expert) and M (Millennium) series, which are IBM S/390 mainframe-based,
will likely not receive major functional enhancements owing to aging technology.
Still, existing users should investigate Geac's plans to leverage Comshare and
Extensity add-on enhancements to the systems. The SmartStream
suite that supports client/server-based UNIX and Windows NT systems, the StreamLine
series of NT-based back-office products, and System 21 Aurora are thus the most
likely recipients of R&D funds. However, overlapping modules in SmartStream
and StreamLine will likely be rationalized as to minimize duplicated R&D costs.
Consequently, System21 Aurora and StreamLine are the likely core ERP systems
going forward, both providing scaleable and flexible ERP and e-business systems
built on IBM middleware technology.
As for the newly added and/or anticipated functional footprint, users are advised to ask for firm assurances on the availability and future upgrades timeframes, and more detailed scope of enhanced product functionality. Existing customers, particularly those that have been yearning to rejuvenate their almost outdated technologies should welcome Geac's plans and check whether any new product in the family might be a fresh enhancement or even replacement -- although product switching is typically a bumpy road for users of legacy applications. Less technologically aggressive global companies and/or their divisions that have been happy with their existing product's performance may be better off by staying with older instances for the time being.
Nevertheless,
at the end of the day, users will have to undergo a thorough what if' scenarios'
assessment such as porting onto another platform, keeping the status quo, migrating
to another product from the same vendor, going for another ERP provider, etc.
Identifying and approaching your local sales representative and vigorously negotiating
assurances and firm commitment to future product roadmap, and service and support
would be the best course of action at this stage. For more rationale on what
to do about your legacy application in place, see The
"Old ERP" Dilemma: Replace or Add-on, The
Old ERP Dilemma: How Long Should You Pay Maintenance?, and The
Old ERP Dilemma - Should We Install The New Release?
On a more general note, existing customers of once-troubled vendors should address their concerns directly to the management and put contingency plans in place for ongoing support. Potential customers should proceed cautiously, buying components in a tactical manner and with a tangible, quick ROI. Stick to a series of smaller projects targeted at streamlining a specific business process. Keep it simple and smart, and be aggressive while negotiating risk allocations, price parity and general terms and conditions. Fixed project prices (as opposed to time and material pricing), milestone payment schedules linked to deliverables, and a penalty clause for late deliveries (as well as a profit sharing incentive for early completions) should be a matter of course. It also might not hurt to consider reviewing your current processes and systems to find any still undetected malfunctioning practice in accounting and/or financial reporting.
More on a general note, leading applications vendors are reaching parity in many areas. New users should base their software purchase decisions on many other criteria such as impending integration costs, product usability, product architecture, and TCO. Given the vendors' zeal for new license revenue, take advantage of any assistance offered by vendors identifying ROI, both in application customization for vertical industries and in integration to your legacy applications.