While cloud computing is one of the latest trends in the IT industry, the delivery of computing and storage capacity as a service is not that new. In fact, some of the underlying concepts of cloud computing date back to the 1970s with users accessing mainframes via thin clients or terminal computers.
Year: 2014
How to plan an upgrade – Part 1 – to upgrade or not to upgrade?
A few weeks ago my ageing TV packed up and it was a sad moment when I threw my trusty appliance of many years onto the tip. I am now the proud owner of a flat screen, HD, Internet connected, “you name it my TV has got it” TV and wondering why I didn’t upgrade it a long time ago.
Tenaciously we tread – onward and upward!
Why does someone climb a mountain? Why am I climbing Kilimanjaro? These are questions we have all asked ourselves and don’t really have an answer to. With 10 women doing this with me – it’s not about a personal challenge of “I must get to the top at all costs” it’s more a case of “I’m really looking forward to the fun I’m going to have with my friends over the next nine days, and hopefully we will all summit.”
Mapping ERP systems to manufacturing needs
Given the importance of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, many manufacturers might find selecting the right one for their needs to be an overwhelming experience.
Successful manufacturers are able to tailor their ERP systems to react to market trends and pull the information required to make business-critical decisions timeously. For the most part, they rely on vendors that can become their partners in the ongoing drive for great efficiencies and profitability.
Change, and the need for training
I recently upgraded my cell phone (or mobile phone, for some people). I used to have a feature phone, but the opportunity arose for me to change to a new phone that runs the Windows Phone 7.5 (aka Mango) operating system. Getting used to the physical phone, from one with real keys to one with a keyboard display, wasn’t the biggest adjustment – but getting used to the new way of doing things, actually doing everything, was an enormous challenge for me. In tech speak it’s called changing the UX (user experience). The last time I had such a challenge was moving from a DOS-based PC to one running the first version of Windows.
Vendor relationships in ERP – the magic potion
Recently I had several very ordinary (and seemingly unrelated) personal experiences that, in hindsight, had a common theme related to using an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) business software system. Can you spot the theme?
Managing the Project Environment
When managing an ERP project, the traditional view is to schedule activities and tasks, to create work breakdown structures, to organize meetings, set agendas, complete reports and update budgets. The skill is in the planning and in the control – or is it?
Mining the Possibilities of a Green Cloud
I recently finished watching the new television series, Grimm. The lead character in the adventure discovers that he is a descendent of the Brothers Grimm. This led me to reread the Brothers Grimm fairytales and inevitably, I came across Mother Holly again. To cut a long fairy tale short, a widow’s stepdaughter ends up working for the devilish Mother Holly. However the quality of her work is so great that Mother Holly ends up sending her back to the ‘real’ world covered in gold. When the widow discovers this treasure, she sends her biological daughter to Mother Holly hoping for more gold. Unfortunately she is not as diligent as her stepsister and ends up being sent back home covered in coal.
Conquering the Clutter
In my position at SYSPRO USA, I am given the opportunity to meet with Enterprise Resource Planning prospects, channel partners and customers. I have found that some have perfect experiences choosing and implementing an ERP system, while others find themselves overwhelmed and frustrated with the process. Reflecting on each company’s unique experiences reminded me of my own similar experience of furniture shopping.
