Enterprise Application Software:

Computer software used to satisfy the needs of an organization rather than an individual.

Categories of Enterprise Systems:

1. Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
2. Enterprise Planning Systems
3. Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM)

Types of Enterprise Application Software:

1. Business Intelligence (BI)
2. Business Process Management (BPM) – Workflows
3. Content Management Systems – File Management, Document Storage, etc.
4. Customer Relationship Management
5. Database Management – Master Data Management / Data Warehousing
6. Enterprise Resources Planning – Finance, HR, SCM, CX
7. Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning):

 Evolved out of MRP (Material requirements planning)

 Connecting financial & operational systems to a central shared database
 Modules & submodules in ERP systems
o Finance systems
 General Ledger
 Accounts Payable
 Accounts Receivable
 Financial Reporting
o Supply Chain Management (SCM)
 Inventory Management
 Order Management
 Procurement
 Purchasing
 Production, Distribution, and Fulfilment
 Invoicing & Payments
o Human Capital Management (HCM)
 Talent Recruitment & Onboarding
 Core HR (HRIS) & Self Service – Absence Management
 Payroll, Compensation, and Benefits
 Learning, Talent & Performance Management, Succession Planning
 Talent Offboarding – Retirement / Termination
o Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
o Analytics – Workforce Analytics, SCM Analytics, Finance Analytics, CX Analytics

ERP Architecture:

N-Tier Architecture – A system in which an application is divided over multiple systems and servers which might or
might not be present at a single location – functioning in a client-server model.

3-tier Architecture:
1. Presentation Tier – User Interface
a. Topmost layer – Translate tasks and results to something that the user can understand
 2. Logic Tier / Application Tier
a. Middle layer – Coordinates the application, processes commands, makes logical decisions, and
evaluations, and performs calculations
b. Moves and processes data between the adjacent tiers
3. Database Tier – Information Tier
a. Information stored or retrieved from a database or a file system
b. Information is passed back to the logic tier for processing and then eventually reaches the user

Multitiered Architecture
1. Advantages – Data Integrity, Scalability, Reusability, Reduced Distribution, Improved Security & Availability
a. Ability to update the technology stack of one tier without affecting other areas
b. Allowed distributed working by developers
c. Scaling became possible, backend scaling by adding and integrating databases, etc.
d. More reliability and independence of underlying servers and services
e. Ease of maintenance
2. Disadvantages – Increase in Effort & Complexity

Steps in an ERP Implementation:

1. Engage
a. ERP project teams consisting of project managers, engineers, management teams established
b. Kick-off calls are set
c. Project budget, timelines, change management plans are finalized
2. Drive
a. Building actionable plans for the future deployment of the ERP system
b. Provision on-prem or cloud-based application licenses
c. Finalize and plan for customizations required – as per cost benefit analysis
3. Enable
a. Migrate critical data
b. Training, Installation, Solution
c. Preparations for the go-live event
4. Convert
a. Final Go-Live and cut-off of the legacy system
b. Transfer ownership of the system to the customer
Elements of a good ERP Implementation plan:

1. Research / Design
a. Post purchase activities – Implementation team finalize
b. Document and examine the current business processes and its condition to identify common
problems and unnecessary efforts
c. Set up kick-off calls and recurrent project meetings
d. Initiate project plan development – specific goals, objectives, and milestones
2. Development
a. Requirements
i. Finalize the project Plan
ii. Develop data migration strategy – Data cleansing, usability check for the new ERP
iii. Develop backup and BCP plans
iv. Develop user enablement strategies – user trainings
b. Installation
i. Initiate installation and configuration of new ERP system
ii. Migration of preliminary data
iii. Finalize installations and customizations
c. Migration – High level and detailed data migration for all modules involved
3. Testing – For all interfaces and integrations – Unit as well as system testing
4. Training
a. End user trainings
b. Customer transition meetings to encourage adoption and ownership
5. Deployment
a. Final process walkthroughs and go-live preparation
b. Transition ownership of systems from vendor to customer
c. Follow-up training post go live to ensure full user adoption of new system
6. Support – Ongoing maintenance & support of software through users and user training, KPI improvement

ERP system adoption is a critical pain point in any implementation. Often when founders or co-founders initiate the
changes rather than managers, the adoption is significantly faster.

Another major hurdle comes when execs and employee don’t have a sense of buy-in with the new system. Proper
explanation and demonstration of benefits and dashboards of results can help in resolving this issue.

The biggest benefit of ERP systems is Agility

1. When finance teams are relieved of going through hundreds of spreadsheets, they can focus on strategy.
2. Data visualization can help execs and colleagues forecast future trends and adapt quickly to beat
competitors.
ERP Implementation Strategies:

1. Big bang approach (single-step method)

a. All users and modules move to the new system at the same time
b. All configurations, testing, and trainings need to be completed for all modules before go-live date
c. Advantages – Start realizing ERP benefits like higher productivity, better insights, lower operating
costs much sooner
d. Disadvantages
i. Hard to go back once the new system is rolled-out
ii. Any minor error or glitch can cause the whole system to shut down temporarily causing loss
in business
iii. Temporary drop in productivity as employees get used to the new system
2. Phased Rollout
a. Less risky than big bang approach
b. Allows the company to focus on migrating the less risky modules and the quick wins
c. Learnings from initial deployments are used while migrating the heavier modules
d. Switch one ERP module, clear bugs, process the issues and then tackle other modules
e. Disadvantages – Company needs to support both the systems at the same time, implementation
period might be much lengthier
3. Parallel Adoption
a. Company keeps on using the legacy system along with the new ERP system for some period of time
till all bugs and issues are resolved and sorted out
b. Issues – More maintenance costs, data duplication, sync issues, etc
4. Hybrid – Start with a big bag approach for some modules and then later on move some other modules in a
phased manner

How to select the implementation strategy:

1. Organizational Size – Big bag mainly for small and mid-size firms, for large firms, phased manner is better
2. Risk Tolerance – Least risky is the parallel adoption, followed by phased and then big bang
3. Desired pace of ROI – Big band is the best in terms of ROI and parallel the least, phased lies in the middle
4. Cost – Best in terms of cost is Big bang approach
Human Capital Management:

1. ADP Workforce Now – Core HR, Payroll, Benefits, Talent, Time & Labor, Learning, and Analytics
2. Workday HCM – Core HR, Payroll, Benefits, Talent, Learning, Performance
3. Bamboo HR – HRIS, SaaS Cloud, Core HR
4. UKG Workforce Central (Kronos) – Time & Attendance, Absence Management, Scheduling
5. UKG Ready – Payroll, Talent, Service Delivery, Surveys
6. SAP SuccessFactors – Human Experience Management (HXM) Suite – Core HR, Payroll, Compensation,
Talent, Recruiting, Onboarding, Learning, Performance & Goals, Succession & Development, People Analytics
7. Infor Cloud Suite HCM, Global Human Resources – Core HR
8. Oracle eBusiness Suite HRMS – Core HR, Payroll, Absence, Self Service, Performance, Talent, Learning
9. Oracle Fusion HCM Global Cloud – Core HR, Payroll, Absence, Self Service, Performance, Talent, Learning
10. Oracle Performance Management (Taleo) – Recruitment

HR Software Solutions:
1. HRIS (Human Resources Information Systems) – Core HR data, Payroll, Benefits Administration, Time
Tracking, Employee Scheduling, Employee Scheduling, Self Service Portal
2. Applicant Tracking & Recruiting Systems
3. Learning Management Systems
4. Performance Management Systems & Succession Planning, Employment Growth
5. Employee Engagement – Survey Tools, Workflows, Gamification, Analytics
6. HR Analytics – Workforce analytics, Compensation analytics, Performance analytics

Hire to Retire (H2R) cycle (Employee Life Cycle):

1. Talent Recruitment – Talent Acquisition Software – Applicant Tracking, Pre-employment sourcing &
screening, interview scheduling, candidate follow ups
2. Talent Onboarding – Also part of Talent Acquisition Software – Initial mandatory trainings, Induction into
global workforce HRIS
3. Payroll & Benefits – Compensation setting, monthly Payroll run – Elements define, Employee stock options,
bonus administration, health & welfare, Assignment runs, bank file generation, transfer to GL (finance)
4. Develop & Retain – Goal Setting, Talent & Performance Management, feedback, continuous evaluation,
promotion, succession planning
5. Talent Management – Data Management, Leave, Time & attendance, attrition management
6. Talent Offboarding – Termination / Retirement, Final pay, and benefits

Current Trends in Life cycle management tools:

 Use of AI in 360-degree feedbacks
 Use of AI and ML in talent recruiting – avoiding biases and fast-tracking screening of applications
 Use of AI in employee engagement & retention
Current Trends in HRIS Systems:
 Features like analytics, social integration, mobile capabilities – Standard features nowadays
 AI and ML – Recruiting & onboarding new employees (reduce hiring biases, search & find qualified
candidates), more intelligent pulse surveys
 ML – LMS software to find out what kind of course should an employee take next based on established
learning patterns and behavior
 Team Management vs Talent Management – Managing teams of employees who share similar goals and
objectives makes more sense than just individual talent management. This has improved employee
engagement, and manager & employee communication
 HR Consulting Services – HR managed services to outsource core HR functions including payroll
 Best breed vs integrated systems – Disintegration is the current trend. Multiple integrated small-scale 3 rd
party (mostly in SaaS model) HR applications instead of a single large HRIS system. Benefits of a SaaS model
are cost effectiveness, can switch vendors anytime, can add newer modules whenever required

ERP HRMS Implementation Steps:

Common steps in an HRMS ERP Implementation:

1. Identify Gaps in the existing System

a. In case of no existing, list out the clear requirements and then go for product search
b. In case of an upgrade, evaluate the current system for pros and cons and identify gaps
c. Quantify the gaps and the loss that the company faces due to these gaps in the existing system
2. Analyze Requirements
a. Categorize the daily HR processes into clearly defined sections
b. Prioritize each transaction into mission-critical functions that help the HR achieve an objective
c. Figure out the budget for the new HR system including license and implementation costs
d. Check whether the profit due to gap-filling would be greater than implementation costs
e. Consider long term impacts like scalability and employee increase
3. Vendor Evaluation
a. A good vendor with proper support during implementation, after sales support and upgrade facilities
b. Check which vendor’s product helps you in meeting your requirements to the maximum in its native
form without the need of any customization
4. ROI Estimate
a. Long term cost-benefit analysis of new system
b. Quantitative estimate of the savings that the new HR system’s process automation provides
5. Project Plan & Development / Implementation

HRMS Implementation – Data Collection Checklist:

1. Employee Personal Information
a. Personal Info, Contact, Demographics, Dependents, Emergency
b. Work structure Information
2. Benefits details – Benefits administration, Plan details, open enrollments, premium calculation formulae,
eligibility requirements, premium statements, cost summaries, etc.
3. Total compensation data – Base pay, elements, other pay, all benefits, pay grades & pay rates
4. Absence Accruals, Scheduling Info – Total absences, time-off requests, paid time-offs, time & attendance,
employee scheduling information, rosters, etc.
5. Employee development information – learning & training courses, qualifications, competencies,
certifications, appraisal, talent development, goals, performance evaluation, succession planning
6. Organizational charts – Work structure charts for the complete organization
7. Recruitment & applicant data – applicant information, applicant lifecycle, conversion, onboarding, etc.
Supply Chain Management:

Modules:

1. Inventory Management
2. Warehouse Management
3. Customer Requirements Process
4. Logistics
5. Returns Management
6. Sourcing & Supplier Management – Requisition, Procurement, Invoicing
7. Supply Chain Analytics

Tools:

1. SAP SCM – Integrated Business Planning, Extended Warehouse Management, SC Collaboration, Analytics
2. Oracle SCM Cloud – Supply Chain Planning, Order Management, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Analytics
3. Infor SCM – Supply Chain Visibility, Planning, Sales & Operations Planning, Warehouse Management,
Supplier collaboration, Procure to Pay Automation, Transportation Management
4. Blue Yonder JDA SCM Cloud – Manufacturing & Distribution for Retail & Service Industries, Warehouse
5. IFS – Field Services – Demand Forecasting, Multi-site planning, Inventory, Distribution, Order, Procurement,
Rental, Warehouse Management

Procure to Pay Cycle:

1. Identify Needs
a. Determine & define business requirements
b. Set high level specifications for goods / products
2. Request for Proposal & Quotation
a. If a new vendor needs to be chosen, the buyer sends out RFP to new vendors
b. Vendors reply with Quotations containing price, turnaround time, material specifications
3. Requisition Approval
a. Quotations are evaluated, and most advantageous deal based on specifications and budget is chosen
b. The respective requisition form from the vendor is approved
4. Purchase Order (PO) & PO Approval
a. Purchase orders created for approved requisitions
b. PO approval based on hierarchy as per amount & business requirement
c. The approved PO is then sent to the vendor
5. Invoicing & Receipt
a. Vendor delivers the materials & buyer inspects the delivered materials
b. If product quality satisfies specifications, goods receipt is approved
6. Supplier Performance
a. Quality, On-time delivery, service, contract compliance, responsiveness, etc.
7. Invoice Approval
a. Invoice created for the goods receipt based on the supplier performance parameters
b. Invoice is sent to finance department for payment initiation
8. Vendor Payment (Accounts Payable)
a. Payment done consider earlier dues, security amounts, etc. into consideration
CRM – (Salesforce Automation & Customer Engagement):

 Understanding and managing how customers interact with businesses

 Drive customer acquisition & retention
 Manage customer interactions and customer lifecycle
 Provide businesses with a central repository of all customer data, tracking all customer interactions
 Both ERP and CRM are complementary software that help businesses grow
 Modules in CRM
o Salesforce Automation
o Customer Service / Contact Center
o Marketing Automation
o Customer Self-service
 Combining above with analytics
o Businesses get to know which customers to focus on to grow revenue
o How sales teams are performing
o How to service customers efficiently and more appropriately
o CRM Tools – Salesforce (Largest market share), Adobe Microsoft Dynamics, SugarCRM
 New Trends in CRM point towards Customer Lifecycle Management (CLM)
o Approach & Acquire / Convert
o Retain
o Monetize
o Reward / Loyalty
o Reactivate
o Overall – CLM seeks to improve customer lifetime value
o Lifetime Value (LTV) = Average Sale Value * No of Transactions * Retention Period
o Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) = Lifetime Value (LTV) * Profit Margin
Common ERP CRM Product Catalogs:

Oracle Product Catalog

1. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)
2. Oracle Cloud Applications
a. ERP – Enterprise Resource Planning
b. Financials
i. Accounting Hub
ii. Revenue Management
iii. Receivables
iv. Expense Management
v. Reporting & Analytics
c. Project Management
i. Project Management
ii. Resource Management
iii. Task Management
iv. Project Cost Control
v. Project Billing & Contracts
d. EPM – Enterprise Performance Management
e. SCM – Supply Chain & Manufacturing
i. Supply Chain Planning
ii. Inventory
iii. Logistics
iv. Product Lifecycle Management
v. Procurement
vi. Inventory
vii. Manufacturing & Maintenance
f. HCM – Human Capital Management
i. Human Resources Suite – Core HR, Onboarding, Workforce Directory, Compensation,
Benefits, Absence Management, Workforce Modelling
ii. Payroll – Global Payroll, Payroll Interface
iii. Talent Management – Learning, Performance Management, Succession Planning
iv. Workforce Management – Time & Labor, Health & Safety, Strategic Workforce Planning
g. CX – Customer Engagement – Advertising, Marketing, Sales, Service
3. Oracle Net Suite Cloud – ERP, Financials, CRM, eCommerce
4. Oracle On-premises Applications
i. E-Business Suite – Financials, SCM, HRM, CRM
ii. Peoplesoft – Financials, SCM, HRM, CRM
iii. JD Edwards – Financials, SCM, HRM, CRM
iv. Siebel CRM

Salesforce Product Catalog – Customer 360 Platform

1. Sales
2. Service
3. Marketing
4. Commerce
5. Analytics
6. Integration
7. Others – Slack, Platform, Industries, Health, Sustainability, Partners, Einstein AI, Experiences, Truth, Success

SAP Product Catalog

1. SAP Cloud Applications

a. SAP S/4HANA Cloud – ERP & Financials
b. SAP Business One – Clear Visibility & control of every aspect of business
c. SAP Business by Design – Comprehensive cloud solution driven by business processes in a quick to
implement package
d. SAP Analytics
e. SAP Supply Chain
i. SAP Integrated Business Planning
ii. SAP Ariba Supply Chain Collaboration for Buyers
iii. SAP Source-to-Contract Suite
iv. SAP Extended Warehouse Management
v. SAP Transportation Management
vi. SAP Logistics Business Network / Yard Logistics
vii. SAP S/4HANA Manufacturing Solutions
viii. SAP Enterprise Asset Management
ix. SAP Field Services Management
f. Human Capital Management (HCM)
i. Core HR & Payroll – SAP SuccessFactors Central, Payroll, Service Center
ii. OpenText Document Management Core
iii. SAP SuccessFactors – Recruiting, Onboarding, Compensation, Performance, Learning, Goals,
Succession, Development
iv. HR Analytics & Workforce Planning – SAP SuccessFactors Workforce Analytics, Digital
Boardroom, Analytics Cloud
g. Customer Relationship Management
i. SAP Customer Data Platform
ii. SAP Customer Identity & Access Management – B2C & B2B
iii. SAP Commerce Cloud, Upscale Commerce
iv. SAP Sales Cloud
v. SAP Service Cloud
vi. SAP Marketing Cloud