ERP System Buying Guide

The Value and Potential of ERP | PDF

ERPGUIDE — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:18:16 +0000

One of our favorite looks into ERP. Aptly named, this highly recommended Resource explores the following:
- History of ERP
- Who is an appropriate candidate for ERP?
- ERP Risks
- Instance strategies
- Build vs. Buy vs. Leverage existing SAP and historical systems
- ERP Lessons Learned
As part of an impressive look into ERP, this Resource shares the following as ERP objectives:
- Leverage vendor development
- Get out of the software business
- Leverage “best practices”
- Common database and data definitions
- Leverage packaged integration
- Enable a business transformation
- Deeper and broader support and documentation
- Leverage new technology
- Achieve compliance

Link to Resource: The Value and Potential of ERP | PDF

Source: Pat Phelan, Gartner

Find more Resources like this in the following ERP System Buying Guide Section: ERP Benefits

Enterprise Resource Planning Overview and Advantages

ERPGUIDE — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:50:53 +0000

As part of a helpful, straightforward look into ERP, the following advantages of ERP are shared:
- Consolidation of data into a single platform (identified as the biggest advantage of ERP systems)
- Information transparency
- Information security
- Industry expertise and best practice implementation
- Automating Manual processes
- Compliance
- Flexibility and ability to customize applications to suit company’s needs
- Ability to clean up existing data (and keep data consistent and accurate).

Link to Resource: Enterprise Resource Planning

Source: Arbuz

Find more Resources like this in the following ERP System Buying Guide Section: ERP Benefits

What Mid-Market Companies Should Know Before Buying ERP/Financial Software

ERPGUIDE — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:14:59 +0000

An example-filled look at key considerations when buying ERP and financial system software. Targeted at mid-market companies’ financial executives. From the Resource:
“Companies want to connect different areas of their business. Perhaps the biggest benefit of ERP systems is the ability to have a complete picture of your business – enabling everyone to have access to needed information. With information integrated all in one place, and financial reports readily available, you can begin to be proactive about your business decisions. It is easier to track profits, identify areas of rising costs or weakening profitability and make changes accordingly.”

Link to Resource: What Mid-Market Companies Should Know Before Buying ERP/Financial Software | PDF

Source: Jim Pullano, IDT Consulting

Find more Resources like this in the following ERP System Buying Guide Section: Is ERP Right for Your Company?

Strategic View of MRP ERP Implementations

ajindy — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:47:23 +0000

A valuable look at ERP from a software implementation perspective. Includes ERP system planning, needs analysis, business objectives, developing a plan to find, select and implement ERP software, ERP key performance indicators and more.

From the Resource:
- There are clear winners and losers-some companies get considerably more value from their ERP system implementations than others.
- To achieve the full value of an ERP system, companies must focus on integrating the organization, optimizing business processes and using and analyzing system data to improve decision making.
- While some companies have made progress in realizing value from their ERP systems, most still have significant opportunities to maximize the value of their investments.
- Organizations that approach an ERP system initiative as an element of an ongoing program rather than a project with a specific endpoint, believe they are more successful.
- Better decision making is the most sought benefit and also the one most likely to have been realized from the use of an ERP system.

Source: Knapp Associates

Find more Resources like this in the following ERP System Buying Guide Section: What is ERP?

Top Ten ERP Software Predictions for 2010

ajindy — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:11:07 +0000

A quick look at ten ERP Software Predictions for 2010:

- Diligent focus on ERP software benefits realization and ROI.
- SMBs to get back into the ERP software market.
- Increased adoption of Software as a Service (SaaS) at SMBs.
- Lots of ERP SaaS talk, but not as much action at large organizations.
- Increasing focus on organizational change management and ERP benefits realization.
- With ERP software, it’s still a buyers’ market.
- Enterprise software risk management.
- ERP software vendor consolidation.
- Focus on integration rather than major ERP package enhancements.
- Niches, low-hanging fruit, and business value.

Source: Eric Kimberling, SOA World

Don’t Be Afraid of Hosted ERP

ajindy — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:53:21 +0000

A lengthy, valuable look at the cost, benefits and tradeoffs of implementing a hosted ERP solution. Includes customer and deployment examples, ROI comparisons and expert quotes. From the Resource:
- On average, on-demand ERP is 8.9 times faster to deploy than is on-premises ERP
- On average, the initial cost per user to deploy on-demand ERP is 28 percent less than the cost to deploy on-premises ERP
- Over five years, on-demand ERP’s average TCO per user is 50 percent less than that of on-premises ERP (assuming no significant upgrades)
- Looking at SAP AG alone, given SAP’s high initial and ongoing costs, there’s no point at which SAP’s TCO becomes lower than on-demand ERP’s.
Rebecca Wettemann, Vice President, Nucleus Research Inc.

Link to Resource: Don’t Be Afraid of Hosted ERP

Source: Lee Pender, Redmondmag.com

Find more Resources like this in the following ERP System Buying Guide Section: Is ERP Right for Your Company?

A Tall Order: Finding the Right Order Management System

ajindy — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:14:06 +0000

A solid look at five key questions to consider before you purchase an Order Management System. From the Resource:
“For a company looking to replace legacy systems or to start fresh as it enters into the business arena, sourcing and implementing the right order management system can be a daunting and confusing task. Order management systems are the least understood when the question of what comes with them is asked.”

Link to Resource: A Tall Order: Finding the Right Order Management System | PDF

Source: Steve Rogers, Fry Inc.

Find more Resources like this in the following ERP System Buying Guide Section: How to Choose an ERP System

Manufacturers Explore Social Media Benefits for ERP

ajindy — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:47:03 +0000

A look at the expected benefits of social media integration into ERP systems by 268 ERP decision makers at companies with $ 100 million or more in revenue. An example from the resource:
As ERP tools start to offer integration with online social networking tools like Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., what uses could you see for this type of functionality?

- 63% Perceive value in ERP/social media integration
- 37% Gather information on what is being said about your company or competitors
- 29% Gather social networking profiles on prospects and customers as individuals
- 29% Product training
- 23% Integrate with software-specific social network tool so we can get context-specific software tips and tricks from users at other companies
- 23% Troubleshooting
- 20% Tie information from social networks into customer company records
- 3% Other
- 37% See no potential use/value

Link to Resource: Manufacturers Explore Social Media Benefits for ERP

Source: Manufacturing Business Technology

Find more Resources like this in the following ERP System Buying Guide Section: ERP Benefits

ERP System Buying Guide Twitter Feed Available

ajindy — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:36:38 +0000

Stay current with the latest ERP Buying Resources through our Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/erp_guide

Updated ERP Buyers Pocket Guide Available

ajindy — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:10:19 +0000

Download a free copy of the ERP Buyers Pocket Guide
In the ERP Buyers Pocket Guide, leading analysts, industry experts and users:
- Define ERP
- Provide ERP cost, benefit and ROI data
- Share best practices, guidance and research for ERP planning, evaluation and selection

Download the Guide