First Hosted creates cloud-based solutions for the NetSuite platform. Here we speak to its owner Andrew Peddie, to find out 
what it could do for your business
Please tell me about your business
First Hosted Ltd is an award winning South Cheshire cloud computing consultancy specialising in delivering solutions around the NetSuite platform. Our team of 20 developers, project managers and professional services specialists has delivered more than 80 business solutions since the company was established in March 2007.
Our consultative solution driven approach is designed for clients that seek to take advantage of cloud technology and operate within our chosen sectors of business. Good knowledge of business processes within the client sector is key to ensuring a good fit and helps user adoption.
By developing a roadmap for clients, we continually add value to our clients’ operations so they repeatedly see a return on investment. First Hosted Ltd continues to build programming and development skills, produce applications, such as electronic point of sale, and forge partnerships to provide value added solutions such as shipping, data exchange, ecommerce and telephony integration.
This approach has yielded a healthy return of customers in retail, ecommerce, wholesale and distribution, franchise and professional service sectors. Clients include LHK Fine Wines, Nationwide Express Parcels, Ecocleen cleaning services, Pure Sports Specialists, Allied Insulators, Cineflix, Dolby Medical and Bluw Ltd international e-commerce retailer to name a few.
Who is the product aimed at?
Businesses that are starting up, looking to transform or perhaps undergoing a change of ownership are all considering the cloud since the cost of ownership of world class solutions is significantly reduced.
Organisations that have aging software and infrastructure, perhaps multiple silos of data or are challenged by multiple locations and/or subsidiaries are excited by the opportunity afforded by cloud based business management solutions that already have compliance for local tax reporting, languages and currencies.
Vertical sectors such as retail and ecommerce, often backed by wholesale and distribution operations are particularly well placed to take advantage of single platform cloud-based solutions such as NetSuite.
What are the benefits of using it to an eCommerce businesses?
Simple, scalable,100% secure and totally web-based – one product, no limits.
Whether you want one web store or 20 web stores, NetSuite can offer the benefits of a single product solution capable of meeting all requirements to manage orders via telephone, web store, retail store, eBay, amazon orders, customer centre etc.
How much does it cost?
More than Sage but less than SAP. From an ecommerce perspective, NetSuite is suited to businesses that are – or intend to be – more than £5 million in turnover and that have a preference for little or no IT infrastructure. A single company deployment will generate an ROI in year one of operation while a multi-company/location can pay back in a fraction of that time.
How does it work?
NetSuite just works – and goes on working – via the internet. Designed from the start (remember Software as a Service or SaaS as it was known?) to be an internet based solution.
Continually enhanced by a dedicated team for more than a decade, NetSuite is evolving ito the leading platform from which businesses and developers alike can add features and functionality to shape a solution that will match their business needs perfectly.
Take me step-by-step through how I buy and install it
1. Initiate: Determine the project objectives
2. Analyse: Examine business needs to determine that solution matches needs technically and is commercially viable.
3. Design: Take the needs and design the solution considering all facets and options for short and long term objectives.
4. Configure: Build NetSuite with configuration, customisation and integration in accordance with the design.
5. Validate: Test for functionality, performance and usability
6. Deploy: Train and support users and support through the go live stage.
7. Optimise: Iterative process to refine system operation and add new features and functionality.
What do I need to do once it is set up?
A web browser and access to the internet.
Is there anything else I should know?
NetSuite helped Groupon to become the fastest growing company of all time by going live in five countries in six weeks, 26 countries in three months and 46 countries in one year.
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