Rootstock has announced a new addition to its networked ERP strategy with the addition of a new alliance with ComplianceQuest. ComplianceQuest is an Enterprise Quality Management Software (EQMS) built on the Salesforce platform.The announcement follows that made by Rootstock last month about Revenova, a transportation management solution also using the Salesforce platform.
The three ways to grow functionality.
Traditionally the two quickest ways to grow functionality within your ERP solution are through internal development or acquisition. Both are expensive and fraught with risk. The third way is to integrate your solution with another company’s. This also carries risks though. If the partner company is acquired it can leave the relationship and integration orphaned. Additionally these relationships are not scalable and as additional software vendors joined forces retaining tight integrations through upgrade cycles became problematic.
Using the Salesforce platform these risks diminish considerably. While acquisition is still a threat building a network of solutions and customers might actually protect individual companies from acquisition. Using the Salesforce platform means that as long as companies adhere to best practices, upgrades can often continue without further development work between partners.
At the moment each of these Rootstock announcements seems to be on a 1:1 relationship basis. It will be interesting to see whether Revenova and ComplianceQuest form a similar alliance to create an even stronger multidimensional partnership.
Manufacturers need Quality control.
In adding the functionality of a quality management solution Rootstock customers will be able to manage the quality of their supply chain. All manufacturers need quality control built into their processes. It will be interesting to see how many companies enhance their Rootstock solution by adding ComplianceQuest. The reverse is also true. Those companies using ComplianceQuest may now feel that they need to adopt a more comprehensive manufacturing ERP solution. This announcement may lead to them considering Rootstock as a serious option.
Govardhan Muralidhar, ComplianceQuest Founder commented: “Our EQMS enables manufacturers and distributors to accomplish their most challenging quality, compliance and supplier management goals. In many cases, Rootstock ERP customers will need a quality management solution to accomplish their most challenging quality and compliance management goals. With both solutions built using Salesforce.com, both companies’ customers can manage quality by collaborating with their supply chains – whether global or local – several layers deep, to stay compliant with relevant regulations.”
While there is development work needed to further strengthen the ties between the two software products this is a strategy that Rootstock appears to be holding to. It will be interesting to see what customer wins Rootstock is able to announce over the coming months both for itself and in combination with its two new partners.
Pat Garrehy, CEO of Rootstock Software said: “Rootstock strives to provide unbeatable customer value by building the most comprehensive ERP product that seamlessly integrates with best of breed solutions in adjacent areas on the Salesforce platform. This partnership is further proof that our customers can easily get best-in-class technology solutions that extend the already compelling value that Rootstock delivers. Ultimately, when the customer wins, we all win.”
Conclusion
The idea of building out a platform within the Salesforce platform is clever. It is however early days and while the announcement talks about working with joint customers one cannot help whether it should be going further. As Rootstock builds up a network of solutions one wonders whether a business alliance, under a revised brand might be a future option.
If Rootstock can persuade its new partners that together they can form a new allied brand that shares sales and marketing costs they may be able to deliver something that is greater than the sum of its parts. It will also be interesting to see what other partners Garrehy announces over the coming months as it looks to build out this new platform within a platform.
