Paul Ziliak is with xkzero, a MAPADOC Select Channel Partner and provider of Sage ERP MAS 90/200/500 solutions. A leading consultant for Sage MAS since 1992, Paul provides practical, sustainable solutions for manufacturers, distributors and a variety of service industries throughout Chicago and the Midwest.
SWK: How do you explain EDI to customers to help them understand how MAPADOC integrates with MAS?
Paul Ziliak: Clients quickly develop a high degree of comfort with MAPADOC when they see that they can manage EDI using the same interface as their Sage MAS ERP application. That fact alone simplifies training for end users and puts no additional burden on their IT staff. Lately, clients have been seeking custom development efforts that impact EDI, too; working with SWK and MAPADOC paves the way for seamless development because MAPADOC is using the same code base as MAS.
SWK: What is your most in-demand service?
PZ: There are two types of companies in the manufacturing and distributor sectors these days – those pushing to grow market share and efficiencies through improved automation and those who are not. Some of our highest level of activity involves web integration to MAS and warehouse automation, and we’ve seen more and more companies demanding EDI.
SWK: What is your Route-Sell Solutions all about?
PZ: RSS Route is a comprehensive solution for distributors that picks, loads and delivers products directly to customers on company vehicles. It streamlines the operation by providing route scheduling and delivery information to drivers on a mobile tablet device. Demand for this kind of automation is increasing dramatically. Competitors claim to integrate with everything, which means they weren’t designed to integrate with anything. RSS Route was designed exclusively for Sage MAS 90 and 500, and we’ve got Sage X3 on our radar.
SWK: Tell us about your “You Can’t Have Too Many Friends” networking series. How is this networking group different than others, how did it first get organized and what are the benefits for your participants?
PZ: As a CPA who began in public accounting, I have been active in the Illinois CPA Society for years as a way to stay connected. The Society began this networking series about six years ago, and now runs the event in 18 locations each month throughout the Chicagoland area. It provides hundreds of CPAs and friends of the CPA community the chance to get to know each other better. I consider myself very fortunate to serve as host at two of the locations. The group is free and is not exclusive to Society members. We make it easy to attend once, and the genuinely welcoming nature of the group fosters new friendships, and ultimately leads for new business opportunities.