Many times companies try to select and implement ERP software on their own. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn’t. So the question is, when should a company use an ERP Software Consultant to guide them in their ERP Selection or ERP Implementation?
The answer is not so simple. If a company is mature and has the resources that can look independently at the business processes, then it may make sense to embark on a selection on their own. Most of the time in mid-market sized or even smaller clients, then it is difficult for them to 1. Spare the resources and 2. Look at the business processes objectively.
Any good ERP Selection begins with a company evaluating their business processes. Borrowing from the Toyota Production system (aka Lean Manufacturing), a company should first eliminate waste and then consider automating. Automating bad processes will only make things worse faster. However, automating good processes will help grow the business and promote better communication.
The real question becomes how much is the company willing to flex their processes to adapt to “best practices” that are usually built into a commercial software system. If the company is flexible (and this takes a lot of leadership to make happen), they can select a system and model their business around that system. The larger commercial systems, such as those from Microsoft, Infor, SAP, Oracle, and others have all grown up from thousands of implementations from all sorts of companies. They have developed efficiencies that many companies who adopt the software’s methodology can benefit from.
The real key is understanding the fit of a software package to the business. If the company does some niche processing, then a mainstream commercial package may not fit. However it the company is a Read the rest of this entry »
One of the main struggles that many companies go through is finding the right software for their business. Often, the owner simply picks one because he knows a vendor, or met someone at a trade show. This is simply not the way to choose software.
More often than not, the manager responsible does not know where to even begin to look for the right software, be it Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), or even Warehouse Management Systems (WMS). Sure you can Google it, but there are simply too many options and they are not focused.
ERPandMore.com has released their Enterprise Software Directory to help people begin the search for a software provider. Organized by category of system, such as ERP or CRM, someone seeking a starting point for their business software search can begin looking for the ideal solution to meet the needs of their business.
Additionally, people can read the reviews of different software. And, if a software is not listed, readers can submit their favorite business software.
We hope that this directory will continue to grow and become an essential tool for anyone doing research into the varying software systems on the market today. You can find it at:
http://www.erpandmore.com/directory/
When entering into an ERP selection and implementation, the more you understand what you are getting into, the better. We have collected a few key sites that give a great basis for understanding and are resources we turn to now and again. We have also conscientiously stayed away from vendor references. What we show below are references to help you before you start talking with vendors.
1. CIO.com ABC An Introduction to ERP – This is an detailed article on all facets of an ERP undertaking. Looking at the cost factors, the project aspects, and the realities of ERP.
2. The ePMbook – The FREE ePMbook by Simon Wallace is a great resource for project management concepts. Broken into two sections – the Day Job and the Night Job; the Day Job is an exhastive look at project management and the Night Job is a quick guide to concepts such as Program Management. Well worth a read.
3. TEC Vendor Showcase – This is a very detailed summary of ERP, CRM, BI, and other enterprise solutions. The site goes into detail as to what the software is, who it is targeted at, and provides contact info for each of the vendors.
4. Bridgefield Group ERP/Supply chain Glossary – A detailed glossary of terms for ERP and the Supply Chain.
5. ERP @ IT Toolbox – A great collection of articles and information. There are also discussions and various white papers. Just be careful of all the vendor sponsored information.
6. ERP Graveyard – You can’t keep track of the players without a scorecard. This site sizes up the acquisitions and mergers of all the ERP companies. You will be surprised at the long list of players in the Graveyard Scorecard!
7. ERPandmore.com Books – If you are going to attempt an ERP roll-out, you will want to read even more in depth than even these brief articles.
According to the Institute for Supply Management:
Spending by manufacturing companies on technology — particularly ERP and manufacturing software and integration tools — is poised to accelerate through 2007, stimulated by business issues such as globalization and the need for operational efficiency, according to three recently released reports.
This is good news. Especially for the ERP space. This month, being the year end, vendors are reporting that they are very busy. For a while, there was a drop in activity, but it seems that people are back looking at enterprise software again, especially in manufacturing.
Stumbling through various ERP websites, we came across this article that shows some of the key factors for doing an implementation correctly. You should probably read this one…
The top 20 ERP implementation tips
By Jan Stafford, Site Editor
22 Jun 2005 | SearchOpenSource.com
An enterprise resource planning ERP software project can be daunting for first-timers or veterans handling a migration. Get started on the right foot with the top 20 ERP implementation tips from Linux users, consultants and vendors.The top 20 ERP implementation tips
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