Tag: erpc

ERP for the little guy

Chris Shaul

Most of the news and information you hear on the web or read in print about ERP relates to SAP, Oracle and other large systems. There is a derth of information on ERP for the small shop or for the under 10 million dollar manufacturer. What then do people do when they have graduated from Peachtree or Quickbooks? Is it possible to get a complete integrated system that manages their entire operations and finance areas?

Well fortunately, there are a few solutions that will not break the bank and will provide end-to-end functionality for a small manufacturer or distributor. These softwares are surprisingly complete. In fact, there are often features and functionality that beat the main-stream big systems.

One such system is called IntegrateIT This system provides a well rounded set of features that allow the small manufacturer the ability to run the company with a complete understanding of what is in inventory, what am I making today, what should I buy today, where is my cash position and am I profitable? Surprisingly, this software has modules that many larger ERP systems do not have, such as Field Service. It is amazing the amount of power that these smaller systems have. This link is one such example of how this system saved a company thousands of dollars.

Another solution is DBA Software. Having gone through a major rewrite of their core solution, they are both complete in functionality and have a very current underpinning of technology. This solution provides a very easy to use system for the smaller firm.

What makes these systems perfect for the smaller enterprise? The fact that they get more done with fewer screens. On a mid-tier solution, there maybe 2 to 5 screens needed to process a transaction such as entering a voucher or creating a work order. These smaller solutions tend to do it in one to two screens with all the information you need at your fingertips. The idea is that in larger companies, there is a delegation of work. In the smaller company, you may have one person wearing many hats and they need efficiency in transaction processing.

So the when you are thinking of integrated software solutions, remember that big isn’t necessarily an answer. Amazing things often come in small packages.

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

The Shrinking Landscape of ERP

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.

The ERP comeback

Chris Shaul

ERP seems to be on the move again this year. Vendors are ramping up, customers are calling again, selection projects are beginning. Why now? With all of the things going on in the world, what is it that is driving the return of ERP and technology initiatives?

This can be attributed to several factors. First is the rush to implement prior to the year 2000. In the late 1990’s, every company was working to shore up their systems to prevent the dreaded millennium bug. Companies that couldn’t patch or were not even sure about it, moved in droves to the ERP market. It was a frantic time. Now, six and seven years later, the lifecycle of those original ERP systems is coming due. Companies that implemented back then are now reconsidering their systems and are either performing major upgrades or migrating to new solutions.

Second was the freeze on IT spending in the post 9/11 era. After 9/11, companies invested in very little infrastructure and spent more of their budgets on IT security related issues. It is only of late that companies are loosening the purse strings again to invest in infrastructure and strategic systems.

Lastly, because of the IT downturn in the early part of the 2000’s, there has been a tremendous consolidation of software providers. Sage and Infor have quickly aquired a multitude of smaller software providers and are rebranding and in some cases consolidating their offerings for the small and medium enterprises. Microsoft and Oracle have recently gobbled up competing ERP offerings. Microsoft with the acquisition of Navision/Axapta, Great Plains, and Solomon. Oracle with the acquisition of JD Edwards and Peoplesoft. The result of this consolidation is a more focused message and a clearer landscape of providers. In the mid to larger enterprises, t is almost a choice of platform rather than options. You have the SQL Server camp and the Oracle camp. That is for a different article. But clearly, companies interested in choosing new software now have a smaller field of vendors to look at. Instead of a selection, it is now a choice of perhaps two ways to go.

This comeback is not without problems. Continue reading The ERP comeback