Rootstock Software has announced its first release in 2024. The Winter release contains several enhancements to the Rootstock Financials module and several other product updates. The strengthening of its financial suite signals an intent to further strengthen what was once a weaker module within the system. In the past, Rootstock has deployed its strong manufacturing capabilities alongside financials ERP vendors such as FinancialForce (now Certinia) and Workday. The improvements should help it compete head-to-head with more recognised vendors outside the Salesforce platform.
The update also aligns with the Signal Chain strategy that Rootstock announced last year. Rootstock defines this as, “A signal chain is representative of real-time demand signals combined with those coming from your supply chain, augmented with artificial intelligence to make better, more timely decisions that improve manufacturing operations.”
With this release, Rootstock draws in more financial data to assist manufacturing leaders in improving revenue, cost allocation and performance. The update also features some UX improvements for finance users, bringing the Salesforce Lightning UI to more screens across the application.
Raj Badarinath, Chief Product & Marketing Officer at Rootstock Software. “In the dynamic world of manufacturing — with its wild fluctuations in customer demand, volatile supply chains, and variable production capacity creating complexities — the finance function becomes a unique fulcrum.
“Recognizing this opportunity, Rootstock Financials is designed to address industry issues head-on, providing manufacturers with a centralized command center for real-time, accurate, and actionable financial insights. Our latest enhancements foster a user-friendly environment that connects banking and other underlying data streams, so manufacturers can precisely monitor and manage costs, profitability, cash flow, and the overall financial health of their operations.”
AP and Bank Reconciliation automation added
Details from Rootstock are light about the new release, but users can request a demonstration of the software. Rootstock is also hosting a customer conference from March 25-27 in New Orleans (Register here, discounts on offer), where customers will be able to see the solution and attend over 30 sessions.
Most of the updates in this release are to Rootstock Financials. Key elements include a new banking integration with Plaid. This allows users to import bank statements from Plaid. Users can opt to allow the system to create the relevant records within Rootstock and can also auto-reconcile the bank records against transactions, saving time. The import will also automatically open the bank reconciliation screen for the accounts team to continue with their most obvious next action. They can import a range of records, minimising the risk of duplications. Leveraging the open banking platform allows financial data to be imported quickly to ensure that the latest financial data is available to Rootstock and accounts teams.
Rootstock has also improved the matching process of purchase orders during the Accounts Payable (AP) process. The PO-AP Workbench suggests allocations of line items from the purchase order against the latest invoice, speeding up the matching process. Rootstock estimates that this increases the efficiency of this process by 30%. The new Salesforce Lightning page for accounts payable (AP) users, processes payments more efficiently, reducing user steps and clicks by 50%.
What else is in the update
Other improvements include:
- It has improved grid components that enhance data visibility and user experience for increased productivity and efficiency.
- Rootstock has streamlined the processing of open items in accounts payable to improve cash flow management and reduce processing time by 70%.
- An updated and improved payable transactions process that offers a streamlined user experience with the ability to modify multiple transactions and payment terms simultaneously.
- Consolidation of cash receipts and quick pay options give a clearer view of a manufacturer’s cash position and streamline related receipt scenarios by up to 60%.
- It has improved the financial closing process. This includes the automation of routine tasks and access to real-time data for more reliable and efficient financial reporting. There were no details provided of what this means though.
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
For Rootstock users this update significantly improves the life of the finance team and visibility for the business leaders. The integration with Plaid ensures that banking information can be imported in near real-time and is no longer the painful process it once was. With greater visibility of costs, manufacturers can quickly identify trends when transportation or other costs increase (or decrease) quickly. They can, therefore, better plan for the future, taking advantage of the signal chain that helps to power their decision-making.
