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One of the key things that ERP Systems provide are process controls. This article examines the issues around IS governance.

Improving governance with information systems
CHRISTOPHER CHAMBERLAIN

Why do we need information systems (IS) governance? Technology specialists tell us that there isn’t a great deal more functionality we can get out of our computer equipment. The next five years will not bring another Internet … revolution or significant changes in equipment size. We should concentrate on getting more out of our existing equipment by using it in a better fashion. IS governance is a framework for better controls.

Controls in the last couple of years have gained an image in the commercial world of excessive overheads and reduced efficiency. That does not have to be the case but it needs an approach different from the existing Sarbanes-Oxley process. Perhaps the future methodology could include more business controls designed to achieve greater productivity and asset control. Logistic controls to help an entity maximise its investment return on inventory usage could be an example.

The modern corporation needs financial controls because

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There is a new standard for Quality Management and it directly affects IT and specifically IT Security.

It is ISO 27001. What is it?

WHAT IS ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 is the formal standard against which organizations may seek independent certification of their Information Security Management Systems, meaning their framework to design, implement, manage, maintain and enforce information security processes and controls systematically and consistently throughout the organizations. The final version of ISO 27001:2005 is available now from ISO or BSI. More information is available at www.iso.org, www.bsiamericas.com and www.xisec.com.

This is a standard for ensuring the quality and integrity of IT Systems. Being certified in ISO 27001 can help with Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX).

Some sources of information on this emerging standard can be found at:

http://www.27001-online.com/index.htm

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/iso-27001/

From QAD’s website: An enlightening article about how to build an effective supply chain and possibly more important, those things that you should not do.

Seven Habits of Highly Efficient Supply & Demand Chains

Supply And Demand Chain Executive, May 2005

By Andrew K. Reese

To go the distance in business you need to take a disciplined approach. Here are some key best practices for making your supply chain hum.

[From Supply & Demand Chain Executive, April/May 2005] Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People first appeared on bookstands in 1990 and went on to sell millions of copies, offering a formula for personal and professional success based on a “paradigm shift” in how people perceive the world and themselves, a focus on character and principle, and the practice of the oft-repeated seven habits.

Seeking to apply the “7 Habits” approach to the supply chain, Supply & Demand Chain Executive asked Jim Tompkins, CEO and founder of Tompkins Associates, a Raleigh, N.C.-based consultancy and systems integrator, to reflect on his 30 years of experience helping companies achieve supply chain excellence and to identify those best practices, or “habits,” that are key to ensuring success in modern supply and demand chains. Our conversation with Tompkins began with the first best practice on his list:

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Process Improvement must be coupled with ERP implementation. The following talks about this connection:

It’s Still About the Process
by John K. Waters

As enterprise systems evolve from ERP to ERM, adding more functionality to tame and streamline back-office processes, the process of choosing the right solution grows more complex. Use this guide to sort through popular offerings.

Software Magazine - It’s Still About the Process

An interesting article on how to focus in on Sarbanes Oxley with your ERP:

7 major pointers which can help organizations towards better SAP security in the Sarbanes Oxley Era.Big4Guy - SAP R/3 Security in the Sarbanes OXley Era - 7 Steps for Better SOX Compliance