Management Message
On behalf of the management and staff of HM / Reflex, we sincerely hope all of you are adjusting and coping with the economic downturn, and most recently the impact of the H1N1 flu on your staffing requirements. While it has been a difficult time for a number of companies over the past few years, we are seeing some positive signs that business in general seems to be turning the corner and companies are preparing for better times ahead. In addition to the feedback we receive from existing clients, some of our newer clients and the prospects we are speaking with, are using this time to focus on reviewing and improving business processes to gain greater efficiencies with the goal of full collaboration and integration with the IT systems. If there is an upside to a downturn, it forces us all to re-examine our policies and business processes to gain the most optimum return on our invested capital.
In March 2009, we had our official launch of our new Reflex Enterprise v9.0 software suite at the River Cree Marriott Convention Center. While we have introduced a number of the new .net software modules to clients over the past six months, it was only in October, that we had a first major implementation of the software with one of our clients, Comco Pipe and Supply. They are using all of the new v9.0 .net applications in a 100% 64-bit network across Canada with over 120 connected users. While everyone is anxious to get the new Reflex Enterprise v9.0 product with all of the enhanced features, we have to acknowledge and thank the management and staff of Comco and Russel Metals for the long hours and efforts they put in to get us to this point. It’s always hard to be the first one to implement a brand new software package, but having a client the size of Comco and with the involvement and management skills of Russel Metal’s IT, Finance and Internal Audit departments, we have created a mid tier enterprise system that we can all be very proud of.
It has been a long journey to get to this point as our expectations about the first general release of Reflex v9.0 that we announced at our launch was to be in Q2 of 2009. While the delay has been hard on both our staff and in particular you, our clients who are waiting, we have used this time to go through extensive quality assurance testing, improve all the help PATI’s and documentation, refine our conversion and implementation processes, establish key system controls and audit points that will benefit both large and small companies, and establish a better profiling process to assist in moving our clients from their existing environment to the new .net / 64-bit framework with the Reflex Enterprise v9.0 software.
The one thing that we have learned from this very involved and long process is that we are “doing it right”. In our past versions of Reflex as well as our products prior to Reflex, we struggled with the integration requirements of the various specialized system modules which created a bit of a maintenance nightmare and hampered us from moving forward with new innovations and common object libraries. When we first introduced our new Reflex Enterprise product in March we adopted a new tag line “
the power of
one", as
one vision,
one solution,
provided by
one company.
To hold true to this promise, we needed to build a single product that would address the integrated requirements of the various vertical markets served.
The only way to achieve this objective of providing
one
solution from
one company,
you have to start with standard and consistent technology to create the core product and work outwards. Almost all of the software companies – large and small, that we compete against are still wrestling with 10 – 20 year old products and trying to integrate or bolt on some of the new technologies or new modules written by different software vendors. This approach creates inconsistencies in every area and invariable leave the client with the task of making it all work while trying to maintain some level of control and audibility. Holding on to the past may have some merits, but it is the number one inhibitor of achieving the objective of full system integration. If Reflex had adopted this approach we would have got to the finish line faster and probably saved a considerable amount of money… but then what we would be offering as a product would be no better or worse than the rest of the pack!
The first release of Reflex Enterprise v9.0 addresses all of the requirements for clients in the wholesale distribution industries, and we are currently completing the project management / work order modules that will be ready for release by first quarter, 2010. This was originally scheduled for release in Q3 2009 but was impacted by the initial product delay. We are also working on a redesign of a number of other specialized applications, land development, property management and homebuilder, which are currently scheduled for release in Q3 / Q4 of 2010.
We have a very busy and exciting year ahead of us and look forward to meeting with all of our clients over the next number of months and begin the process of discussing the new products, the training requirement along with the network and hardware requirements and ultimately brining you over to the new world of Reflex Enterprise .NET.