ERP System Features - 2

ERP System we are talking here, we talk ERP System Features in our last post. Today we are continueing that here as a part of agency management system.

ERPs are often incorrectly called back office systems indicating that customers and the general public are not directly involved. This is contrasted with front office systems like customer relationship management (CRM) systems that deal directly with the customers, or the eBusiness systems such as eCommerce, eGovernment, eTelecom, and eFinance, or supplier relationship management (SRM) systems.

ERPs are cross-functional and enterprise wide. All functional departments that are involved in operations or production are integrated in one system. In addition to manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and information technology, this would include accounting, human resources, marketing, and strategic management.

ERP II means open ERP architecture of components. The older, monolithic ERP systems became component oriented.

EAS — Enterprise Application Suite is a new name for formerly developed ERP systems which include (almost) all segments of business, using ordinary Internet browsers as thin clients.


ref: Insurance CRM , SFA Software, agency management system, wikipedia

ERP System Features - 1

We are talking ERP Systems here. We talked features of Enterprise Resource Planning in our last post. We continue with that today.

Enterprise Resource Planning is a term originally derived from manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) that followed material requirements planning (MRP). MRP evolved into ERP when "routings" became a major part of the software architecture and a company's capacity planning activity also became a part of the standard software activity. ERP systems typically handle the manufacturing, logistics, distribution, inventory, shipping, invoicing, and accounting for a company. Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP software can aid in the control of many business activities, like sales, marketing, delivery, billing, production, inventory management, quality management, and human resource management.

ERP systems saw a large boost in sales in the 1990s as companies faced the Y2K problem in their legacy systems. Many companies took this opportunity to replace their legacy information systems with ERP systems. This rapid growth in sales was followed by a slump in 1999, at which time most companies had already implemented their Y2K solution.

we continue our talk in next post.

ref: CRM Software, wikipedia

ERP System Features

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System we are talking here and in last post we talk about Overview of ERP System.

Today we are going to talk about ERP System Features.

Ideally, ERP delivers a single database that contains all data for the software modules, which would include:

• Manufacturing
  Engineering, Bills of Material, Scheduling, Capacity, Workflow Management, Quality Control, Cost Management, Manufacturing Process, Manufacturing Projects, Manufacturing Flow.
  
• Supply Chain Management
  Inventory, Order Entry, Purchasing, Product Configurator, Supply Chain Planning, Supplier Scheduling, Inspection of goods, Claim Processing, Commission Calculation.
  
• Financials
  General Ledger, Cash Management, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Fixed Assets.
  
• Projects
  Costing, Billing, Time and Expense, Activity Management.
  
• Human Resources
  Human Resources, Payroll, Training, Time & Attendance, Benefits.
  
• Customer Relationship Management
  Sales and Marketing, Commissions, Service, Customer Contact and Call Center support.
  
• Data Warehouse
  and various Self-Service interfaces for Customers, Suppliers, and Employees.

ref: CRM Software, wikipedia

Enterprise Resource Planning System

Enterprise Resource Planning we are talking here and we talk Origin of the term. We also talk ERP Sytem-1 and ERP System-2 in older post.

Today we are going to talk about overview of Enterprise Resource Planning System.

Overview
Some organizations — typically those with sufficient in-house IT skills to integrate multiple software products — choose to implement only portions of an ERP system and develop an external interface to other ERP or stand-alone systems for their other application needs.

For instance, the PeopleSoft HRMS and financials systems may be perceived to be better than SAP's HRMS solution. And likewise, some may perceive SAP's manufacturing as better than PeopleSoft's equivalents. Same way BimSym’s Leadorganizer is better than other CRM and SFA software in the industry. In this case these organizations may justify the purchase of an ERP system, but choose to purchase the PeopleSoft HRMS and financials modules from Oracle, and their remaining applications from SAP, BimSym.

This is very common in the retail sector, where even a mid-sized retailer will have a discrete Point-of-Sale (POS) product and financials application, then a series of specialized applications to handle business requirements such as warehouse management, staff rostering, merchandising and logistics.


ref: crm & sfa software, wikipedia, customazie software development

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

We talk ERP System -1 and ERP System-2 in our past talk. Today we are going to talk about Origin of the term ERP.

The Origin of the term Enterprise Resource Planning:-
The term ERP originally implied systems designed to plan the use of enterprise-wide resources. Although the initialism ERP originated in the manufacturing environment, today's use of the term ERP systems has much broader scope. ERP systems typically attempt to cover all basic functions of an organization, regardless of the organization's business or charter. Businesses, non-profit organizations, nongovernmental organizations, governments, and other large entities utilize ERP systems.

To be considered an ERP system, a software package must provide the functionality of at least two systems. For example, a software package that provides both payroll and accounting functions could technically be considered an ERP software package.

However, the term is typically reserved for larger, more broadly based applications. The introduction of an ERP system to replace two or more independent applications eliminates the need for external interfaces previously required between systems, and provides additional benefits that range from standardization and lower maintenance (one system instead of two or more) to easier and/or greater reporting capabilities (as all data is typically kept in one database).

Examples of modules in an ERP which formerly would have been stand-alone applications include: Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Financials, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Human Resources, Warehouse Management and Decision Support System.

ref: CRM & SFA Software, wikipedia

ERP Systems-2

Enterprise Resource Planing (ERP)--2

ERP Risks
• Technical Risk (Easy to fix)
o Result of IT
• Business Risk
o Result of methodologies, and processes related to ERP implementation
o Cohesion of process through the supply chain
• Organizational Risks (Hard to fix)
o Result of environment - organizational structure

ERP Trends and Future
• Outsourcing
• Extended enterprise system
• Data warehousing
• Business Intelligence
• CRM

ERP Outsourcing

• IDC Study : Business process outsourcing is 60% of all outsourcing worldwide

Data Warehousing

• A vital enterprise technology that is revolutionizing the way companies are
accessing information and using it to create data storage
• Data warehouse is a subject oriented database, designed specifically for decision support
• Data mart a subject specific data warehouse often departmental
• On-line Analytical processing (OLAP) - Multi dimensional analytical tools for
accessing storing and manipulating decision support and EIS - style information
• Data mining - knowledge discovery process of extracting previously stored data

Data warehouse and the Web
• Benefits
o less expensive
o universal interface
o less administration
o portable code
• Disadvantages
o stateless/sessionless

CRM
Today the important business issues or opportunities within the organization are, its customers and its competitive landscape Looking at that many organizations have decided that a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) initiative will enable you to tackle them. Though you know that CRM is a strategic initiative that extends far beyond the technical solution, you are also aware that technology is an instrumental driver of your final success. Organizations can leverage the CRM –ERP integration to the enhancement of operational effectiveness. By linking front office, customer-facing systems (CRM) with back-office systems (ERP, HRM, SCM), organizations can build an infrastructure that enables streamlined business processes, which in turn will lead to operational effectiveness enhancement.
In our next part we will talk about Workflow management.

ERP Systems--1

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)--1

Some organizations - typically those with sufficient in-house IT skills to integrate multiple software products - choose to implement only portions of an ERP system and develop an external interface to other ERP or stand-alone systems for their other application needs. How does a organization get to this stage. The stage of implementing full ERP system.
How ERP became part of business life over a period of time?

New World Disorder

• Standards change or became irrelevant very quickly
• Rules are set by consensus
• Speed is the only sustainable competitive advantage
• You will compete with your partners
• Surprise! Technology is driving business again!
• Networks will make platforms almost indistinguishable
• The web is becoming business platform

IT and Business

• Focus of the 80s automate IT as a substitute to processes and tasks
• Late 80s - Integration to increase effectiveness between applications - when IT augments, it informations!
• Focus of the 90s - Realized that IT alone cannot provide sustained competitive advantage - need outstanding execution of business process.
• Focus of the New Millennium - Best business practices are required to be competitive. CRM and Inter organizational process are new focus.
In next part we will look at ERP Risks, ERP Trends & Future, and Workflow Management.