July 11, 2010

Back story on the Rock

Jim McGraw

Here’s the back story on the 2,000 pound rock in the front yard.

It washed down the arroyo. You could hear it coming.

It was really hard to move with garden timbers and a come-along.

Some of my neighbors stop to say it’s a bear’s head. I say, it’s a long way from a rock in the ditch.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Software reseller AX Global finds its niche on service side

San Antonio Business Journal - by Mike W. Thomas

Jim McGraw has a large rock in his front yard.

The rock used to be in a ditch at the back of McGraw’s property. It was the rock that he was sitting on in 2003 on the day he decided to start AX Global, Ltd.

It reminds him of how far the company has come.

AX Global is a reseller and value-added service provider for Microsoft Dynamics AX, an enterprise resource planning, or ERP, software. Last year, AX Global had about $1.6 million in revenues with most of that coming from the value-added reseller services the firm provides. The company has consultants worldwide.

Dynamics AX was developed in Denmark through the 80’s and 90’s, McGraw says. At the time, it was written to align specifically with Microsoft products.  The program grew in popularity and was purchased by Microsoft in 2002, since then the computer software giant has continued product investment and expansion.

Microsoft Dynamics AX is a comprehensive business management solution, also called ERP solution, that makes it easy to do business across locations and countries, consolidate and standardize processes, improve productivity, provide visibility across your organization, and simplify compliance.

Today, McGraw says, Microsoft Dynamics AX is a top-tier ERP system and competes head-to-head with other major players in the market, such as SAP and Oracle.

“Microsoft is the third largest ERP vendor, but the majority of sales take place through partnerships with companies like us,” McGraw says. “Of the three major players, we offer the better, more compelling product, and we provide added value through implementation and other services.”

AX Global has carved out a niche for itself by focusing primarily on professional service organizations.  Lately, however, the company has branched into product sales through the www.axappstore.com where customers can purchase and download Dynamics AX zip codes and postal codes and more.

“The web store is a great way to deliver value to the Dynamics AX community,” he says.

Growth

McGraw recently hired Dan Blau to be the company’s national sales manager. Blau is a longtime acquaintance and former colleague of McGraw’s with many years of experience in technology sales.

“We brought Dan on board to build on our reputation for delivery and manage sales,” McGraw says.

Blau says he was eager to come and work with his old friend because McGraw has built a solid company with a steady client base. They have implemented Dynamics AX for 80-plus customers worldwide.

The recent economic downturn may have hurt software sales but it likely boosted revenues on the service side, McGraw says.

“The recession has not impacted us as heavily as some.” he says. “By pursuing a global market we have increased our business network and increased our market presence.”

One way to get ahead and stay ahead, McGraw says, is to become a domain expert and deliver value.

“Our consultants bring immediate value to our clients because we specialize in deploying Dynamics AX for professional services organizations. It is what we do better than anyone else, and we’re known for rapid and cost effective implementations around the world.”

“In consulting, you thrive,” he adds, “by leveraging your company’s knowledge to deliver value for the client.”