Welcome to ERP and More!

Most companies want to know what they will get out of an ERP system. What is the ROI on the ERP investment. This article deals with some of these issues…

Get More From Your ERP Investment
Robert D. Kugel

Ventana Research recently completed a research study titled ‘ERP Innovation’. When we speak of innovation in using enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, we mean to suggest going beyond the first-generation objective of increasing efficiency through automation. We believe companies can achieve more today with this software than ever before. They can attain a higher return on their substantial investment in this critical enterprise software. Our study was designed to determine to what extent companies have taken advantage of these enhanced capabilities. Overall, we find that innovative companies have taken the lead in more completely utilizing their ERP systems. Our research indicates that these achievements are the result of using capabilities that already exist and that others can implement. … Read More…

ETO ERP: Making the Wrong Choice
Roger Meloy

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems offer great benefits to engineer-to-order (ETO) companies looking to increase productivity and decrease cost. According to TR Cutler, spokesperson for the ETO Institute, ‘These benefits come as a result of a successful implementation, but not every implementation is successful.’ Cutler asserts that, ‘One reason some implementations are not successful is the selection of the wrong system.’

The ETO Institute has just published a white paper, ‘Why Do Companies Choose the Wrong System?’ This document is written with engineer-to-order companies in mind. It highlights the problems facing ETO companies trying to find and evaluate a new ERP system. The while paper provides some time and simple steps companies can take to reduce the chances of making a critical mistake. (www.etoinstitute.org)

Cutler, who authors regular columns for Industrial Connection magazine (www.industrialconnection.net) and InMFG magazine (www.inmfg.com) is looking for case study profiles of ETO manufacturing companies and their ERP experiences. ‘The good, the bad, the ugly. I want to know what ETO manufacturers think about the ERP selection process, what companies have served them well and which have not. This will provide an interesting profile for the members of the ETO Institute.’

The ETO Institute specifically highlights some of the problems ETO manufacturers face when searching for an ERP system. Go to www.etoinsititute.org and learn more. Registration is free of charge and more than a thousand ETO manufacturers are expected to join in 2005.

Thomas R. Cutler ETO Institute 954-486-7562 www.etoinstitute.org e-mail protected from spam bots