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
You’ve probably heard the stories of frustration with RFID: high overheads and little returns, constant implementation challenges, and business benefits that will be realized someday. So I’m sure you’l be as floored as I was when you hear LEGO Systems, Inc.’s story. Pat McGrath, project manager, distribution, Americas; and Gary Deets, applications manager, global IT, are so positive about RFID that you’d think they’re speaking pure conjecture, or at the very least, a bunch of marketing fluff. But, they aren’t. McGrath and Deets are speaking from real experience, from implementing an RFID solution into a LEGO DC (distribution center) to comply with both Wal-Mart’s and Target’s mandates – compliance they gained three months ahead of schedule.Integrated Solutions – RFID Required: LEGO’s Integrated RFID System
Andrew Karasev
While in 1990th we saw very fierce fighting between Microsoft Windows and Apple Computer PowerMac for the workstations market, when two systems were practically not compatible and didn’t have plans to understand each other, plus all the blends of Unix/Linux were trying to step in and take workstation market over, the next decade in our opinion will be the decade of coexistence, integration, cross-platform heterogeneous data distribution and querying. Good example would be this – imagine you are freight forwarder and your company has Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains implemented as accounting and partly distribution application and on the other hand you have Oracle based cargo delivery / tracking system. You do not have to phase out one or the other – you make them coexist: if you need Great Plains user to lookup shipment status – you use heterogeneous query from MS SQL Server (Great Plains) to Oracle via linked server and have instant result set on the screen. Similar heterogeneous query you can have from Oracle side to MS SQL Server. Let’s look at the trends:
• XML – is platform independent way to communicate: transfer inbound/outbound streams of data. This is the sign of future coexistence and it is very simple in reading and understanding by human being
• IT Budget. Evolution versus Revolution: the old days of restructuring your company business operation around new computer system are probably over. Nowadays IT budget is pretty limited and corporate management considers IT as regular (not elite) internal services department. So – you, as IT manager or director has limited resources to revolutionize the company, so you follow the step-by-step evolution
• The sunset of proprietary languages. Good example is Great Plains Dexterity – this is the core of recent Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Dynamics. Dexterity had the history of evolution, and now it is using SQL Stored procs to do the majority of database querying and updating, Microsoft plans to phase it slowly out and replace with the future .Net language of choice (not sure which one will win: C# or VB.Net – but this is not important at this moment). In the close future SQL with XML inbound/outbound will be the language of integrations
• The end of heavy custom programming. At least in the US – majority of the project will be outsourced. In the USA we will be mostly dealing with project management and specifications writing, plus physical hardware support. Even if you are dealing with, say Microsoft Business Solutions partner in San Francisco – partner itself will be using either overseas facility or simply contractors over there. When the majority of us will become project managers, thinking about business logic, not the way of realizing it in the code – we will stop heating the opposite platform –no more Microsoft VB.Net programmer hatred toward Java/EJB/J2EE programmer
We are already doing cross platform integrations from Microsoft Business Solutions products: Microsoft CRM, Great Plains to Oracle, DB2, Lotus and other databases, plus Microsoft CRM email messaging through Lotus Domino to begin realize the strategy
Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, serving clients in Chicago, California, Texas, Florida, New York, Georgia, Arizona, Minnesota, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), he is CMA, Great Plains Certified Master, Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.
Frank Dazerton
Customer Relationship Management (abbreviated CRM) is a very hot topic among businesses. CRM is such a hot topic because it is a way for businesses to connect with their customers, increase profits, and have better customer service. There are several things that you need to know about CRM.
1. It’s all about the customer. Some companies focus too much on expensive CRM programs and elaborate IT departments and not enough on what is at the core of CRM. CRM programs need to be designed to appeal to the business’ customers. The best Call Centers are the ones which customers find easy to navigate. The best CRM vendors have the customer satisfaction in mind when designing their CRM applications.
2. On-demand is the way to go. Many vendors offer traditional CRM programs and service. I believe, however, that On-demand CRM is the way to go. On-demand CRM is different from traditional methods in that instead of requiring companies to hire new IT people, and use extensive resources to implement elaborate CRM programs, the software comes with support. On-demand CRM is no longer the “bring your own IT department†approach. Many vendors like Salesforce.com, Siebel, and NetSuite offer On-demand solutions that are great for businesses just getting into the CRM market.
3. Customer Relationship Management is not just software. Some businesses would like it to be simply software, but it will never be as simple as that. Customer Relationship Management is an ongoing learning process. The business must learn from the customer and change accordingly. The closer a business gets to its customer, the better. CRM applications and strategies are the methods through which the business can access, analyze, and learn from customer Data. Knowing what CRM applications are actually for is a very important step in understanding how to be successful when implementing CRM practices.
4. It is important to understand that there are hundreds of CRM vendors out there. Many of the vendors claim to be number one, but if you look closely, they may be number one in only one category. Other companies say that they are number one in CRM, but there is no basis for their statement. It is important for companies to choose the right vendor that will attend to all of their CRM needs. This may not always be the most expensive, “number one†company. On the contrary, some simple companies offer CRM solutions that are highly effective. Some of the major CRM providers are Siebel, Salesforce.com, NetSuite, IBM, Microsoft, and SAP.
5. The best CRM technology can be very helpful for any business. Some CRM applications can now be accessed via BlackBerry devices. Major vendors are constantly updating their software and improving their service. It is a good idea to stay as current as possible in terms of CRM technology. However, always remember to balance technology with customer service. There is no substitute for old-fashioned customer service, the most basic of all CRM ideals.
Customer Relationship Management can be very beneficial for a business if it is carried out properly. It is important to keep the customer in mind at all times when you are implementing CRM practices into your business. Remember that there are quite a few CRM vendors out there, and it is important to choose the vendor that is best for your company. Customer Relationship Management seems like a very daunting idea for someone who has never used it before, but if you follow these steps, you will surely see the benefits of successful CRM.
Frank Dazerton enjoys writing about a variety of Custromer Relationship Management topics. In addition to writing CRM articles, he writes for CRM Lowdown ( www.crmlowdown.com ).
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ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software has traditionally been used by large corporations to integrate and automate diverse departments across the enterprise.
For a long time, smaller companies purchased individual accounting and payroll packages and then migrated to expensive ERP solutions as they grew. They did not have many options as ERP solutions were costlier and required magnitude and many employees to justify their use.
Now, with many Open Source software coming out, it is possible for SMEs to go in for ERPs at an earlier stage. There are several in the market including…
Open Source ERP for SMEs
Thomas Cutler
Key Benefits of Digital Kanban include:
* Further Reduce Inventory: Detailed reporting and increased visibility make resizing and elimination of excess buffers easy and accurate.
* Further Reduce Stock Outages: All members of the supply chain can proactively address upcoming changes without having to wait until the outages occur.
* Dramatically Increase Buyer/Planner Capacity: Remove the burden of creating, transmitting and managing routine replenishment communications, freeing Buyers/Planners to handle critical exceptions and continuously improve supplier relationships.
* Simplify Management: Easy to use and maintain, requiring very little maintenance to keep inventory turns friction-free, and making real-time data easily accessible.
* Coordinate All Users: Operations Managers, Buyer/Planners, Material handlers, Water Spiders – all have the visibility needed to get the job done.
* Utilize Industry-Standard Barcodes: Automate the replenishment process with a single action, generating the necessary signals, notifications and alerts throughout the supply chain.
* Integrate With Database & MRP/ERP Systems: Integrate with existing databases like Oracle, SQL, and Sybase and with MRP/ERP applications like SAP, JD Edwards and Peoplesoft.
* Streamline Implementation: ASP model provides global visibility into the plant floor from anywhere in the world, with nothing to install and no software to maintain.
Signum is the Digital Kanban tool from Datacraft Solutions, Inc. (www.datacraftsolutions.com) based in Durham, North Carolina. According to Founder Matthew Marotta, “Datacraft Solutions Internet-based on-demand delivery platform offers key benefits from the very beginning of an implementation – namely, the elimination of lengthy, complicated and expensive infrastructure upgrades before a company can even begin to see positive ROI. There is simply no faster or easier way to begin exploiting the power of Digital Kanban in a lean manufacturing operation.”
Datacraft Solutions www.datacraftsolutions.com Kelly Pryor 800-819-5326
Professional Marketing firm
The simple answer is to improve your business methodology so that you reduce defects, thus reducing costs and increasing quality, thus increasing efficiency and ultimately, customer satisfaction and loyalty.
The fundamental objective of the Six Sigma methodology is the implementation of a measurement-based strategy that focuses on process improvement and variation reduction through the application of Six Sigma improvement projects.
In essence, Six Sigma is a business improvement strategy. It seeks to identify, reduce, and eliminate defects from every product, process and transaction. It uses a structured systems approach to problem solving and strongly links initial improvement goal targets to bottom-line results. Six Sigma is a way to achieve Continue reading Why Six Sigma?
Karen Trisko
Leading Excellence, Inc. makes best practice techniques used by America’s best companies available through Web-based seminars.
(PRWEB via PR Web Direct) October 25, 2005 — The best companies in America, verified by the U.S. Department of Commerce Baldrige National Quality Award process, have mastered strategies for success that previously were not well known. Now their strategies can be quickly learned and adapted by anyone in any organization.
In the past, managers could learn success strategies only through reading lengthy documents describing success strategies, or attending conferences that require travel and extensive time commitments to learn from award-winning organizations. Now Leading Excellence, Inc. offers Performance Excellence Webinars to make the secrets widely known and accelerate the time that organizations spend making improvements.
The first Performance Excellence Webinar series titled “Continuous Improvement and Process Management†are available starting in November 2005. In the three-session Webinar series, participants will discover three essential, practical, and systematic techniques to improve their organizations’ results. Anyone can participate from home or their office – wherever there is a telephone and an Internet connection.
Webinar topics and dates are as follows:
1. Continuous Improvement 101: Fundamentals of process management and improvement. For managers, improvement coordinators, and new process owners, Friday, Nov. 18, 2005. 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. PST
2. Maximize & Sustain Improvements: Why and how to utilize process owners and the “Process Excellence Rating System.†For managers, improvement coordinators, and process owners. Friday, Dec. 2, 2005. 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. PST
3. Strategy-Driven Improvement: How improvement initiatives should help achieve long-term strategic goals. For executives and process improvement managers. Friday, Dec. 9, 2005. 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. PST
Leading Excellence Performance Excellence Webinars are inexpensive, no-hassle, and skillfully led by one of the nation’s leading experts in organizational performance improvement, Karen Trisko. Trisko has 11 years experience successfully implementing the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. She has served as a senior examiner for the Baldrige National Quality Award program (2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005) and formerly chaired California’s award program. She has guided many organizations to achieve dramatically improved results and earn award recognition. See Karen’s profile and additional information at www.leadingexcellence.com.
Leading Excellence, Inc. is a consulting firm that specializes in performance improvement techniques that are useable by all sizes of organizations in any industry sector. The mission of Leading Excellence is to empower organizations to exceed the expectations of their customers, employees, stakeholders. Its performance improvement services can be applied quickly and easily to produce measurable results. The company aims to transfer competency in performance excellence techniques to organizations in minimum time, through practical hands-on workshops and provision of ready-made templates that organizations may immediately use. The approach helps companies leap ahead in performance results much faster than otherwise possible.
For further information about the November/December 2005 Performance Excellence Webinar Series, “Continuous Improvement and Process Management,†contact Karen Trisko at 951-894-6748 or visit the Web site http://www.leadingexcellence.com.