Current World Cup Champions, World Youth Cup holders and winners of the Fast5 World Series, Netball New Zealand is at the top of its game. In order to achieve ongoing success, the sport’s governing body has a simple philosophy: always partner with the best people to get results.

Sporting organisations often have complex reporting and audit requirements and, when it came to needing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution, chief executive officer Jennie Wyllie CA went through a rigorous tender process to find the right partner.

MYOB, best known for its online accounting software for small businesses and practice solutions for accountants, also has several ERP solutions – including an online ERP solution for bigger businesses called MYOB Advanced Business.

Wyllie found that MYOB’s service offering closely aligned with Netball New Zealand’s business. Netball New Zealand and MYOB’s business partner, Endeavour Solutions, are both New Zealand-based companies; both have a reach across the length and breadth of the country; and the values and ethos of the people within the two organisations align.

It also helped that Endeavour’s Maria Mullane, a self-professed extrovert, was super responsive and easy to work with. Mullane works with businesses of all shapes and sizes across New Zealand, helping them use business management software to make more informed decisions and drive growth.

Endeavour’s expertise is across the manufacturing, wholesale distribution and supply chain sectors and Mullane designs, supplies, implements and supports ERP systems for businesses across a range of industries.

“I enjoy company, meeting and working with new people as well as developing trusted relationships for the long term,” says Mullane. “I thrive on the creative process and enjoy brainstorming solutions. I like dealing with problems and looking at how to solve them to make life easier. It’s working with data, but you also need to think creatively to bring together all the business requirements and develop a solution that works.”

Wyllie and Mullane are keen to talk about MYOB’s service offering and how the two businesses came to work together.

Question: Maria, MYOB offers more than 50 business management solutions. Can you tell us a bit about what’s available?

Mullane: MYOB offers a suite of products to help with accounting, payroll, payments, retail point-of-sale, CRM and professional tax solutions. It’s really a matter of finding the one that will best fit with your company and clientele – and we can help with that too, of course.

Question: Jennie ultimately chose MYOB Advanced. What does it offer?

Mullane: In simple terms, it’s a cloud-based ERP solution that connects each area of the business with the relevant revenue and expenses incurred to then allow authorised approvers to make payments. This means managers can access real-time financial information through the platform, enabling them to make faster, better decisions and drive growth.

The tech solution provides real-time visibility over the business, enhanced controls from an audit and management perspective, increased efficiency through getting rid of manual processes, and integration capabilities.

When business processes are automated, errors are reduced or even eliminated; there is less re-work and the day-to-day experience is better. You can be more responsive to stakeholders and better manage your client relationships when you can easily source information and provide answers to their queries.

Maria Mullane, Endeavour Solutions.

Question: Jennie, what was it about MYOB’s products and service offering that appealed to you?

Wyllie: MYOB Advanced was the best tech for our needs, but for us it’s about more than the software solution: it’s about having good relationships with business partners. When you work with good people, good things happen. This is one of our secrets to success: we always make sure we surround ourselves with the very best people.

Maria is the key contact for our finance team and oversees the relationship between them and the MYOB tech team. She is currently leading the scoping and detailed design process. We’re aiming for a go-live date towards the end of this year.

On a personal level, Maria and I bonded during the tender process. She is very easy to communicate with and responsive to our needs. I think you should always seek to align with the best people because success then comes very naturally.

Question: What similarities do you see between MYOB and Netball New Zealand? Do you share any common philosophies, for example?

Wyllie: We have a culture of innovation, which is supported by our ‘safe to fail’ mindset. We’re always trying stuff. We’re happy to be the first, we’re happy to be different. We’re never static. Likewise, MYOB is not standing still.

Mullane: That’s right. We are always looking to break new ground, listening to our clients and understanding their needs. I’d add resilience in the face of competition; we’re not swayed from our path. And we both have the courage to lead – because how do you know if you don’t try?

Question: Now that you have worked together, how important is having human-to-human tech support?

Wyllie: For us, it’s everything. Netball is a people business and we establish genuine and long-lasting relationships built on trust. We’re looking for more than just a customer and supplier relationship. We want a partnership for the long term. To build trust, you walk in the shoes of the people that you’re asking to trust you. That’s how you build rapport and understand their direction.

Mullane: We’re very aware that every business is extremely personal and precious to the business owner in terms of the time, energy and care that they put into it.

The topics of finance and technology can be intimidating and make people feel vulnerable. By providing person-to-person support, we provide reassurance and hold our clients’ hands through the transition.

The tech does not know the context to the business activities and workflow. That’s where the people support comes in: guiding the team to navigate the context. This might be that someone has been off sick, specific individuals need support, or others enjoy undertaking particular tasks. We look at the context, make sure the capability is there, and provide reassurance through the process.

Question: Women own 33% of small businesses in New Zealand. Are they sufficiently on board with tech?

Mullane: I don’t think it’s a gender issue. Previously, I think business owners viewed certain tech as a grudge spend rather than an investment, as they did not see clear returns. But over the past 10-15 years, everyone has become a lot more tech savvy. With financial software products providing better analysis and understanding of the numbers, business owners can make changes that will generate profit to reinvest in the business. The ROI from the tech spend is now easier to quantify.

Question: Jennie, as a CA, what do you think about the tech disruption to the accounting industry?

Jennie Wyllie CA, CEO of Netball New Zealand.

Wyllie: I think it’s an exciting time. It’s an opportunity for accounting practices to evolve and differentiate themselves, perhaps leading clients through change and moving out of that traditional role and becoming trusted advisers.

Question: How do you maintain high levels of performance and inspire those around you to do the same?

Wyllie: I think you hold yourself and others to the high standard that you set to be the best. It’s motivating and inspiring for others and self-fulfilling as it gets positive results.

Mullane: Yes, and if you walk the talk and are authentic and real, you build trust and people will follow your lead.

Find out more:

Talk to MYOB about how we can help you support your small, medium, and large clients. Phone 0800 696 239.

Proud Principal Partner of the Silver Ferns.