Technology Record - Issue 22: Autumn 2021

80 www. t e c h n o l o g y r e c o r d . c om T he growing ecosystem of the Microsoft Business Applications ISV Connect pro- gramme helps partners work together to meet common goals. Microsoft independent software vendors (ISVs) SK Global Software and SignUp Software are one example. Both businesses build their solutions on Microsoft Dynamics 365, with SK Global Software spe- cialising in global banking and treasury automa- tion and SignUp Software ExFlow focusing on accounts payable (AP) invoice automation. They each joined the programme to expand their geo- graphic reach and move into new markets. “One of our big drivers was to gain access to those markets where Microsoft is very well- known and we are not,” says Torbjörn Thorsén, head of marketing at SignUp Software, which is based in Sweden. “We’ve had great results through contacts with new partners and new prospects through AppSource, and we’ve worked with Microsoft to develop those chan- nels even further.” Leveraging the benefits of the ISV Connect programme, the two businesses joined forces in their go-to-market efforts by packaging their solutions for an end-to-end customer experience based on the Dynamics 365 interface. The joint SK Global-SignUp solution starts with ExFlow, which handles a customer’s incom- ing invoice processing. It scans an invoice, auto- mates coding, automatically matches the invoice to a purchase order or creates an approval work- flow, and, once the invoice is approved, transfers it to SK Global’s Treasury Automation Suite, which automatically handles cash management and vendor and customer payment processes. One customer using the joint solution is Agtegra, a farmer-owned agricultural coopera- tive based in the USA. When Agtegra began implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365, it also wanted to modernise and consolidate its AP and banking solutions. And the SK Global-SignUp joint solution was ideal for them. Since the firms’ software was bundled together, Agtegra was able to reduce the number of ISV relationships it had to maintain while get- ting the value of both. And because the bundled solution is built on Dynamics 365, Agtegra is confident that the product is certified and up to date with the latest upgrades. After implementing the joint solution, Agtegra reduced the approval time for its 70,000 invoices substantially, saving time and effort. “Through the efficiencies provided by SignUp and SK Global, we’re able to spend more time focusing on value added activities to better serve our stakeholders,” says Paul Forst, chief financial officer at Agtegra. Beyond collaborating to deliver a bundled solution to customers, SK Global Software and SignUp Software have benefited in other ways from their participation in ISV Connect. The joint solution is available on AppSource, which has led to many leads that more easily translate into sales opportunities. “We have connected Microsoft’s ISV Connect programme has helped SK Global Software and SignUp Software expand their global reach and enter new markets A mutually beneficial partnership P ROF I L ED : S K G LOBA L SOF TWAR E AND S I GNUP SOF TWAR E “ The programme enables organisations like ours to get leads from all over the world” TOR B J ÖRN THOR S ÉN , S I GNUP SOF TWAR E BY A L E X SM I TH