ERP Comparison You have landed on the most comprehensive comparison of ERP systems anywhere on the internet. We have over 100 ERP systems, hundreds of questions/vendor answers in the following categories: System Information Contact Cost Vendor Information Company Profile Geography Language Industry Technology Applications Generic Features Business Intelligence Financial Budgeting and Forecasting Fixed Assets Distribution Manufacturing Professional Services Construction Service Management Human Resources Document Management CRM eCommerce The data was provided by the vendors. It is not possible to validate all of the data, but it is in the best interests of vendors to provide honest and truthful responses as […]
ERP Vendors
You would be amazed at how many ERP vendors want your business. They could be one of the more well-known vendors that have a solution for multiple industries or a vendor focusing on one industry. Types of ERP Vendors ERP vendors can be classified based on the size of company they target. They can also can classified as: Horizontal – Vendors with solutions for multiple industries. Vertical – Vendors that offer a complete solution for a specific industry. Hybrid – Vendors that offer an extension to a horizontal system for a specific industry. The horizontal vendors are typically the largest […]
ERP Whitepaper
How to Select and Implement an ERP System ERP is a term that is widely used but still not well understood. Although ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) was initially targeted to manufacturing companies, today it encompasses software that can be used across an enterprise. Table of Contents in the Whitepaper What is ERP? Analysis Vendor Selection Vendor Demonstrations Reference Calls Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Implementation Click here to obtain the ERP Whitepaper […]
Reference Checks
A Reference Check is a must for any software selection. It’s easy to do and you could be very surprised at the results Why You may think that there’s no point in doing a reference call as the references are coming from the vendor. You’re probably thinking that the vendor has only selected the customers that are happy. For all you know, there are only a few happy references. So you might decide to skip the reference call in the selection of a new system. That would be a big mistake. It’s my experience that reference calls provide useful information, […]
Business Process Improvement (BPI)
In the past, BPI was called Business Process Re-engineering (BPR), which many people think is a euphemism for layoffs. BPR was also supposed to involve radical change. Today, you hear less about BPR and more about BPI because BPR has bad connotations. BPI is not about layoffs or radical change. What is BPI BPI is about gradual improvement of business process. A business case should determine whether the change is warranted. BPI is not just for large organizations. There are opportunities for BPI everywhere in any sized organization. But often these opportunities are undetected or ignored. Why? One reason is […]
Change Management
Change management is critical to the success of any project and especially to the implementation of a new system. Are employees resistant to change? There is a widely held view that employees are inherently resistant to change. I disagree. Employees are resistant to change only when it will adversely affect them. If a new system could eliminate their jobs, do you blame them? But if the change does not threaten their jobs, they are more likely to accept and even welcome the change. New systems can make employees more marketable, eliminate the drudgery of inefficient manual processes and allow them […]
System Implementation
You have probably heard horror stories about system implementations, especially related to ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). Selecting the right system is no guarantee of a successful implementation. Consider doing the following: Business Case Foundation Don’t forget what you should have known during the selection process. You should have already understood Critical Success Factors (CSFs). CSFs are defined as those things that you must do well in order to be successful. As well, you should have defined measurements of success. Before starting any project, you should know how to measure success. Measurements of success act as a motivator for staff during […]
Business Case
The problem with busines cases are usually not the calculations but in the underlying assumptions. There is also the lack of independence factor that will find a way to make the models and statistics work in a favourable way. What is included in a business case? A business case usually contains a number of sections, including executive summary, objectives, methodology, cash flow, return on investment (ROI), assumptions, in-tangible benefits and recommendations, as well as appendices for the preliminary work done, such as a business process review and the request for proposals. Independence is Key Sometimes the compelling business case is […]
Total Cost of Ownership
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) TCO is a very good way to evaluate the costs related to a new system. You need to include not just the software license costs, but also all the other direct and indirect costs. Sometimes vendors will give a low-ball cost for software, but will make up for it in later charges. You don’t want any cost surprises part way through an implementation. What can you do? Steps to Calculating TCO Avoid ambiguity You need to be very specific about your needs so that there is a minimum of ambiguity. If there is ambiguity, the […]
ERP Requirements Analysis Article
Problem Before replacing an ERP system, you need to document your requirements. Obvious, right? You just have to talk to the people working with the existing system and ask them for the requirements. But that would be a huge mistake, for a number of reasons. If employees are afraid the new system will automate a big part of their job, they might be reluctant to tell the whole story. Also, they might be unable to think outside of their own box, or they might think certain tasks are not worth mentioning Solution There is a better way. Rather than ask […]