erp system

The art of choosing an ERP system

Tue, 01 May 2007 20:01:38 -0400

For smaller companies in particular, the decision of which enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to buy can be daunting. There are a great variety of systems, both in terms of functionality and price. First, ask these questions: Which offers the proper fit of software to business processes? How fast is too fast when it comes to implementing a system? What effect will the Oracle vs. SAP battle have on my organization? For large enterprises, SAP continues to be the dominant enterprise resource planning player with Oracle running a close second, but once you move down the rungs, Microsoft Dynamics also is a popular choice. For SMBs, it almost always comes down to price, however.

Read more about choosing an ERP system:
- read the article at ComputerWeekly

ALSO:
- read this about how Microsoft Office integrates with ERP systems
- this about how ERP vendors are revamping their tools
- and this about how ERP makes business processes work

Social responsibility: a CIO function

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 20:01:39 -0400

According to a survey by market research firm AMR Research, CIOs aren't taking an active enough role in their companies' corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Often, the data and information needed to prioritize CSR investments and measure its impact are spread across organizations in disparate systems and databases. It's the CIO's responsibility to take ownership of this problem. For example, a successful CSR initiative would include information accessed from a company's enterprise resource planning (ERP) system--something CIOs should recognize and incorporate. But as companies realize the business benefits, CSR is becoming a front-of-mind issue for many organizations. That should change the way that CIOs view CSR over time.

For more about the importance of CSR:
- read the article at ZDNet

ERP, not as easy as 123

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 20:01:38 -0400

When it comes to choosing and implementing a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, finding the right tool is just the first of many important steps. Even if the ERP system you find is a great fit for your organization, it doesn't have a chance of succeeding without good processes already in place. Instead of a system that you can simply install and then forget about, the technology will impact the organization in many ways, each of which should be evaluated in advance. The first step is addressing areas where your company needs to improve. Also, the project should have sponsors on both the IT and business sides of the company. When evaluating vendors, consider input from employees in the trenches who will be affected by the project; they can better define mission-critical aspects of the business to create a list of must-haves for any system. And don't try to use all features of the ERP system just because they are available; it can bog down implementation and training and may increase complexity. Finally, make training a priority. That's important, because ERP systems are complicated and sometimes difficult to learn.

Read more about success with ERP implementations:
- read the article at TechTarget

How one manufacturer found ERP success

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 19:01:38 -0500

There's always been a lot of talk on the benefits and value of deploying enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, and one U.K. manufacturer can tell the story on how a successful ERP system saved money, eased system management work and boosted better business initiatives through consolidation and standardization. It wasn't an easy road to take, and there was some substantial investment in both time and money.

For more on a good ERP deployment:
- read this article at BPM Today