Like any major project, ERP implementations go best when planned in advance.
Larger companies can dedicate multiple senior executives as well as teams of junior stakeholders to an ERP project. Smaller companies, on the other hand, can’t dedicate the same number of people to a project, but they do not require the same detail when planning an ERP project.
One thing that we are seeing a lot here in Canada is ERP consultants moving down-market and participating in smaller deals.
We think that it is great that smaller companies are getting expert advice on projects as important as ERP selection, but you can’t just take the process that works for big companies and drop it on small ones without substantial modification.
The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow are almost upon us, and most people in the UK are thinking back to the exciting summer of the London 2012 Olympic Games. There is certainly something that inspires us all when it comes to games and competition.
ERP projects can potentially touch every part of the business, and even the ones that are limited in scope have a dramatic effect and touch virtually every part of the business in some form.
When you are early in the planning stage, and when speaking with experienced sales representatives who have seen first-hand how dozens and hundreds of ERP implementations have transformed organizations on dramatically positive ways, you will be exposed to a variety of ideas on how to improve your business.
In my previous post, I touched on why the mobile evolution plays an important role in the ERP realm and how businesses can benefit from deploying mobile ERP. Companies in the Asia-Pacific region, in particular, have the vantage point to be early adopters and lead this next evolution.
Equally important is the deployment of the right solution and one that can meet the requirements of your company’s salesforce team. Choose the wrong tool and your expensive implementation will end up nothing more than a paperweight.
If you have come across any SYSPRO resource for technical users, you have probably encountered the phrase ‘business object’, and related phrase, ‘service oriented architecture (SOA)’.
While you don’t need to be an expert on business objects, it is worthwhile to have a basic understanding of what they are and what they do, so that you can understand why they make SYSPRO a flexible product.
I recently took part in a SYSPRO office challenge cycle race at the Cape Argus 2014 event. If you’ve read anything about the race, you’ll know that the charitable fundraising by the UK team was for a cause very close to my heart. The cause in question is a special needs school near the K3 SYSPRO offices, where my mother has worked for over a decade.
Some ERP companies like to say that the way their ERP does things is a best practice, and that businesses should therefore conform to their system.
The International Standards Organization (ISO) is an example of an authority on standards or best practices. Their members debate on standards for months, and not until two thirds vote in favour is the standard adopted as an ISO standard. The point being that best practice surrounding any process is a matter for thoughtful analysis of the particular practice.
As population numbers continue to rise and pressure continues to mount for global food production, the world is looking to Africa to step up to the challenge.
While many may simply assume that a shift to industrial farming methods is the answer for increasing production, the inevitable resulting environmental degradation where such methods are used suggests that this is not the best way forward for a sustainable future.
