ERP and More!

ERP implementations are difficult. That is a given. But, during an ERP implementation people always use analogies to describe how difficult the process will be. Here are some of our favorites. Please comment and add to the list of interesting, strange, humorous or bizarre analogies you have heard:

1. The implementation will be like open heart surgery while the patient is still alive and working.

2. An ERP implementation is like the corporate equivalent of a brain transplant.

3. I think of ERP implementations like mountain climbing: No two are the same, Some principles are universal: Gravity makes you fall no matter what mountain you climb. Some approaches are either wrong or very risky.

4. ERP is like my marriage…In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health…

5. ERP implementation is like a warfare, make it quick and fast, don’t drag too long. The soldier’s morale is the key.

6. ERP implementation is like a soccer team, where the coach, physiotherapist and substitutes have roles that are equal to those of the players themselves. (… in explaining the role of top management.)

And our favorite …

7. An ERP implementation is like a 9 month root canal.

Do you know of any more?

• del.icio.us
• digg this
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Buzz it up
• Share on Linkedin
• Mixx it up
• rddit this
• Stumble Upon
• Tumblr it
• Tweet This
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

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

• del.icio.us
• digg this
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Buzz it up
• Share on Linkedin
• Mixx it up
• rddit this
• Stumble Upon
• Tumblr it
• Tweet This
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

By Andrew Karasev

As seeing large number of implementations in our case these are Microsoft Business Solutions Products: Great Plains, MS CRM, Navision we would like to give you our opinion on what should you consider to do to secure implementation success. These principles should work as for large corporation as well as for midsize and even small business. We will not be talking about old-wisdom, which you know from the college classes or business school about management and staff involvement into the decision making, brainstorming, etc. we’ll be ERP specific

* In-house Technical Expertise. Well, complication of computer networking and its security, plus the fact that SQL is now standard for the database platform (Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, DB2, etc.), plus internet connection line and its support make it inevitable to have IT expertise in the company this might be the whole department or just coming or part time networking consultant. Our experience indicates that the lack of internal or always available onsite specialist decreases the chances of success dramatically. And the explanation should be simple to this fact. Nowadays ERP system requires minor or major customization, integration and reporting and all these steps in turn require patient coding and testing in the test environment or on the sample dataset/database

* Dedicated ERP Administrator. This is true that users could be trained and would know how to use the system. However typical ERP has its own life and somebody should assign new users, setup security roles for them, modify reports and makes custom reports available for the users, setup printers, try first to resolve the issue by looking at the techknowledge database, and so on. ERP Administrator doesn’t have to be IT guru she/he needs to be trained on how to administer the program and how to deal with technical support. Image for a moment that if you take out manager from the company even if all the employees have excellent training and used to work for the company numerous years you will still expect performance degradation. The same should be said about ERP system

* Expect Certain Number of Issues. IT industry is not yet mature and it is probably sad, but the reality, that even very experienced consultant, developer, programmer makes errors or your software environment has something that make the custom piece malfunction. When you see the consultant being persistent in resolving your issues please be patient and try to help him or just don not make him nervous.

* Trust Your Consultant. When you decide on somebody to implement the system, you need from this moment on to trust him and let him have high security access to the ERP hosting server. Complex security makes consultant suffer from getting connected, installing the patches or custom pieces. So many times we were spinning our wheels in trying to test new custom business logic, when, say Windows or MS SQL Server security was restricting us to do the actions we needed

* Do Not Overnegotiate. This is from the sales cycle. When you purchase the system you should purchase the software and implementation from the same company otherwise your partner will place you on the second priority list. We saw numerous examples, when client purchases Microsoft CRM licenses from nation-wide distributor, and then is trying to find somebody to implement the system. Also if you are cutting software prices you may see your consulting company rescheduling the work for you in favor of somebody else.

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) – Microsoft Business Solutions and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, Non-Profit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing and having locations in multiple states and internationally.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

• del.icio.us
• digg this
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Buzz it up
• Share on Linkedin
• Mixx it up
• rddit this
• Stumble Upon
• Tumblr it
• Tweet This
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later

Chris Shaul

Now that Oracle has gobbled up its competitors, Peoplesoft and JD Edwards, and has aquired Seibel CRM, there is a shrinking landscape of Tier 1 vendors available in the marketplace. It used to be the old JBOPS (JD Edwards, Baan, Oracle, Peoplesoft, and SAP) that people relied on as the playing field for their selections. Now, you have Oracle and SAP battling it out at the top end. SSA Software is working at bringing Baan back to the game under the name SSA ERP LN, but the market has not yet recognized the “new Baan”. So essentially there are now three players in the Tier 1 space.

SAP and Oracle are continuing to compete on the extensiblity of their solutions. SSA is making some buzz in the market too.

So the question is, will there be more variety or options, or will it be more of the same. If it is more of the same from each of these three players, then who will companies turn to? One possible answer in the future will be Microsoft and their Axapta (Now called Dynamics AX) product. But that product is still a few years from being a true Tier 1 competitor. The advantage with the Microsoft solution is very flexible technology that allows solutions and modifications to be built around the product core easily, without breaking the upgrade path. This flexibility outshines the other players. The depth of the product will be their in a few years, but it is not there yet.

What about the Tier 2 players? Can QAD, Epicor, or Infor produce a competing product? As of right now, no. It seems that is not the niche they want to play in. So for now, in the upper tier space, there will be only a few players and few options. But with everything in the IT world, a short time can reveal many new changes.

Chris Shaul is a Sr. IT Consultant and specializes about ERP selections and implementations.

• del.icio.us
• digg this
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Buzz it up
• Share on Linkedin
• Mixx it up
• rddit this
• Stumble Upon
• Tumblr it
• Tweet This
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend
• Print for later