Customization Services

Customization Services involves any modifications or extensions that change how the out-of-the-box ERP system works.

Customizing an ERP package can be very expensive and complicated. Some ERP packages are not designed to support customization, so most businesses implement the best practices embedded in the acquired ERP system. Some ERP packages have very generic features, such that customization occurs in most implementations. It is also often possible to extend the standard ERP package by purchasing third party software to provide additional functionality. Customization work is usually undertaken as bespoke software development on a time and materials basis.

Customization can be further classified into:

• Core system customization
• custom extensions in custom libraries.

Core system customization is where customers change the software vendors’ proprietary code. This means that the software will no longer be supported by the vendor for the particular function that was customized as the code would be modified to the customers need. The customers IT department will then normally support the code in-house or subcontract a consulting organization to do so.

Custom extensions are where a customer build bolt on custom applications that run parallel to the standard system i.e. custom extended applications. Modules that are extended but core code not changed remain supported but the extensions will have to be supported by the customers IT department or subcontracted consulting organization.

Maintenance and Support Services
Maintenance and Support Services involves monitoring and managing an Operational ERP system. This function is often provided in-house using members of the IT department, but may also be provided by specialist external consulting and services companies.

ref: wikipedia, insurance software

Consulting Services

ERP System we are talking here. Insurance agency management software like insurance crm software or insurance sfa software helps insurance agents to give them better service to their customers. Today, we are going to talk about Consulting Services with reference to ERP System.


Consulting team is typically responsible for your initial ERP implementation and subsequent delivery of work to tailor the system beyond "go live". Typically such tailoring includes additional product training; creation of process triggers and workflow; specialist advice to improve how the ERP is used in the business; system optimization; and assistance writing reports, complex data extracts or implementing Business Intelligence.

The consulting team is also responsible for planning and jointly testing the implementation. This is a critical part of the project, and one that is often overlooked.

Consulting for a large ERP project involves three levels: systems architecture, business process consulting (primarily re-engineering) and technical consulting (primarily programming and tool configuration activity). A systems architect designs the overall dataflow for the enterprise including the future dataflow plan. A business consultant studies an organization's current business processes and matches them to the corresponding processes in the ERP system, thus 'configuring' the ERP system to the organization's needs. Technical consulting often involves programming. Most ERP vendors allow modification of their software to suit the business needs of their customer.

For most mid-sized companies, the cost of the implementation will range from around the list price of the ERP user licenses to up to twice this amount (depending on the level of customization required). Large companies, and especially those with multiple sites or countries, will often spend considerably more on the implementation than the cost of the user licenses -- three to five times more is not uncommon for a multi-site implementation.

ref: wikipedia, Insurance Software, Customized Insurance CRM Software

Configuring ERP System - 1

ERP System we talked in past and in last post we talked Configuring ERP System. Today we continue our talk on configuring ERP System.

Configuration Tables – A configuration table enables a company to tailor a particular aspect of the system to the way it chooses to do business. For example, an organization can select the type of inventory accounting – FIFO or LIFO – it will employ or whether it wants to recognize revenue by geographical unit, product line, or distribution channel. or an organization in insurance industry can select agency management software or insuranc software like insurance crm software or insurance sfa software.

So what happens when the options the system allows just aren’t good enough? At this point a company has two choices, both of which are not ideal. It can re-write some of the enterprise system’s code, or it can continue to use an existing system and build interfaces between it and the new enterprise system. Both options will add time and cost to the implementation process. Additionally they can dilute the system’s integration benefits. The more customized the system becomes the less possible seamless communication becomes between suppliers and customers.

ref: wikipedia, Insurance Software, Customized Insurance CRM Software

Configuring an ERP system

ERP Systems we are talking here and we talked different aspect of erp system. ERP System is part of Agency Management System which also include CRM Software and SFA Software. We talked Implementation of erp system in last post. Today we are going to talk about Configuring an ERP System.
Configuring an ERP system is largely a matter of balancing the way you want the system to work with the way the system lets you work. Begin by deciding which modules to install, then adjust the system using configuration tables to achieve the best possible fit in working with your company’s processes.

Modules - Most systems are modular simply for the flexibility of implementing some functions but not others. Some common modules, such as finance and accounting are adopted by nearly all companies implementing enterprise systems; others however such as human resource management are not needed by some companies and therefore not adopted.


A service company for example will not likely need a module for manufacturing. Other times companies will not adopt a module because they already have their own proprietary system they believe to be superior. Generally speaking the greater number of modules selected, the greater the integration benefits, but also the increase in costs, risks and changes involved.

ref: Insurance Software, agency management software, wikipedia

ERP System - Best Practices

ERP Systems we are talking here which incluse crm and sfa. All these are part of agency management system. Today, we are going to talk about Best Practices in ERP System.

Best Practices were also a benefit of implementing an ERP system. When implementing an ERP system, organizations essentially had to choose between customizing the software or modifying their business processes to the "Best Practice" function delivered in the vanilla version of the software.

Typically, the delivery of best practice applies more usefully to large organizations and especially where there is a compliance requirement such as IFRS, Sarbanes-Oxley or Basel II, or where the process is a commodity such as electronic funds transfer. This is because the procedure of capturing and reporting legislative or commodity content can be readily codified within the ERP software, and then replicated with confidence across multiple businesses who have the same business requirement.

Where such a compliance or commodity requirement does not underpin the business process, it can be argued that determining and applying a Best Practice actually erodes competitive advantage by homogenizing the business as compared to everyone else in the industry sector.

ref: agency management system, insurance crm, insurance sfa, wikipedia

ERP

ERP Systems we are talking here. Agency Management System is part of any ERP System. Today we are going to talk about before and after concept of ERP.

Before the concept of ERP System
Prior to the concept ERP systems, departments within an organization (for example, the human resources (HR) department, the payroll department, and the financials department) would have their own computer systems. The HR computer system (often called HRMS or HRIS) would typically contain information on the department, reporting structure, and personal details of employees. The payroll department would typically calculate and store paycheck information. The financials department would typically store financial transactions for the organization. Each system would have to rely on a set of common data to communicate with each other.

For the HRIS to send salary information to the payroll system, an employee number would need to be assigned and remain static between the two systems to accurately identify an employee. The financials system was not interested in the employee-level data, but only in the payouts made by the payroll systems, such as the tax payments to various authorities, payments for employee benefits to providers, and so on. This provided complications. For instance, a person could not be paid in the payroll system without an employee number.

After
ERP software, among other things, combined the data of formerly separate applications. This made the worry of keeping numbers in synchronization across multiple systems disappear. It standardised and reduced the number of software specialties required within larger organizations.


ref: Agency Management System, wikipedia

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