UNIT I INTRODUCTION

Overview and Benefits of ERP, ERP Related Technologies- Business Process Re-
engineering (BPR), Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), Data Warehousing, Data
Mining, Applications of ERP.

2.1 Overview of ERP software solutions:

Enterprise resource planning is now gaining lots of importance among the business economy. It is now
being seen as an important tool for managing resources of a company both internally and externally. It is
being used both for many business applications and also for manymanufacturingindustries.
Previously, enterprise resource planning was used only of large business companies. It required lots of
money to be invested. Small scale and medium sized companies were not ready to invest a large amount
for buying software and employing staffs for managing ERP software.

Keeping this in mind, ERP vendors started diversifying their enterprise resource planning software by
releasing many versions of the software which could assist small companies too.
Also, small sized companies might not require all the tools and customizations available for the big
companies. The ERP software got tailored particularly to meet the small sized companies and for
increasing the productivity. After this, small sized business people also started buying ERP software
which matched their investment amount.

From the early 1990’s ERP helped the companies in driving down their cost and also helped
them in operating more efficiently. Effective data management also helped streamlining the
business process effectively. Planning, manufacturing, marketing, sales and quoting services kept
on improving. Stock control, financial tracking and customer service also got better with ERP.
Many time consuming and labor related processes were eliminated by the small business with the
usage of enterprise resource planning software.

1.1.1.Introduction
ERP is an acronym that stands for Enterprise Resource Planning. ERP software saw phenomenal
interest from the corporate sector during the period 1995-2000. The ERP market is estimated to
be in excess of USD 80 Billion in the year 2000. Many analysts feel that today’s global business
environment - products and services customized to suit the individual needs of millions of
customers, deliver time-lines in a 24X7 basis - would have been impossible without such
enterprise software. Undoubtedly ERP represents one of the most complex and demanding
application software in the corporate environment. ex-: SCM, CRM, Manufacturers, Service
sectors, Marketing Researchers.

1.1.2 What is ERP?

ERP is a package software solution that addresses the enterprise needs of an organization by
tightly integrating the various functions of an organization using a process view of the
organization.
A. ERP software is ready-made generic software; it is not custom-made for a specific
firm. ERP software understands the needs of any organization within a specific
industry segment. Many of the processes implemented in an ERP software are core
processes such as order processing, order fulfillment, shipping, invoicing, production
planning, BOM (Bill of Material), purchase order, general ledger, etc., that are
common to all industry segments.

B. ERP does not merely address the needs of a single function such as Finance,
Marketing, Production or HR; rather it addresses the entire needs of an enterprise that
cuts across these functions to meaningfully execute any of the core processes.

C. ERP integrates the functional modules tightly. It is not merely the import and export
of data across the functional modules. The integration ensures that the logic of a
process that cuts across the function is captured genuinely. This in turn implies that
data once entered in any of the functional modules (whichever of the module owns
the data) is made available to every other module that needs this data. This leads to
significant improvements by way of improved consistency and integrity of data.

D. ERP uses the process view of the organization in the place of function view, which
dominated the enterprise software before the advent of ERP.
PLAYERS-: JD EDWARDS, ORACLE, SAP

1.1.4 Need for Enterprise Resource Planning

Organizations today face twin challenges of globalization and shortened product life cycle.
Globalization has led to unprecedented levels of competition. To face such competitions,
successful corporations should follow the best business practices in the industry. Shortened life
cycles call for continuous design improvements, manufacturing flexibility, super-efficient
logistics control and better management of the entire supply chain. All these need faster access to
accurate information, both inside the organization and the entire supply chain outside. The
organizational units such as finance, marketing, production, human resource development etc.
need to operate with a very high level of integration without losing flexibility. ERP system with
an organization-wide view of business processes, business need of information and flexibility
meet these demands perfectly. One of the developments in computing and communication
channels is providing right integration among them.

1.1.5 Definition of ERP

Kumar et al. (2000) define enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems as “configurable
information systems packages that integrate information and information-based processes within
and across functional areas in an organization”

Nah et al. (2001) defines ERP as “An enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is typically
defined as a packaged business software system that facilitates a corporation to manage the
efficient and effective use of resources (materials, human resources, finance, etc.) by providing a
total integrated solution for the organization’s information- processing requests, through a
process-oriented view consistent across the company.”

1.4 Evolution of Enterprise Resource Planning

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) has evolved as a strategic tool, an outcome of over four
decades. This is because of continuous improvements done to the then available techniques to
manage business more efficiently and also with developments and inventions in information
technology field.

1.2.1 Pre Material Requirement Planning (MRP) stage

Prior to 1960s businesses generally relied on traditional ways of managing inventories to

ensure smooth functioning of the organizations.
ERP system has evolved from the Material Planning System of 1980’s. The various phases of
development of resource planning system in relation to time and evolution of concept of ERP.

Figure 1.1
Stages of ERP Evolution

1.2.2. Material Requirement Planning (MRP)

MRP was the fundamental concept of production management and control in the mid-
1970s and considered as the first stage in evolution of ERP. Assembly operations involving
thousands of parts such as automobile manufacture led to large inventories. The need to bring
down the large inventory levels associated with these industries led to the early MRP systems that
planned the order releases. Such planned order releases ensured proper time phrasing and
accurate planning of the sub-assembly items, taking into account complex sub-assembly to
assembly relationships characterized by the Bill of Materials.
 A typical automobile plant with hundreds, if not thousands of parts, has to face problems that are
in order of magnitude even more difficult. MRP systems address this need. Using the processing
power of computers, databases to store lead-times and order quantities and algorithms to
implement Bill-of-Material (BOM) explosion, MRP systems brought considerable order into the
chaotic process of material planning in a discrete manufacturing operation.

1.2.3 Manufacturing Resources Planning II (MRP- II)

MRP II that addressed the entire manufacturing function and not just a single task within
the manufacturing function. MRP II systems could determine whether a given schedule of
production was feasible, not merely from material availability but also from other resource
point of view. MRP II systems would include production facilities, machine capacities and
precedence sequences. The increased functionality enabled MRP II systems provided a way
to run the system in a loop. First it was used to check the feasibility of a production schedule
taking into account the constraints; second to adjust the loading of the resources, if possible, to
meet the production schedules; third to plan the materials using the traditional MRP II systems.

1.2.4 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

The nineties saw unprecedented global competition, customer focus and shortened product life
cycles. To respond to these demands corporations had to move towards agile (quick moving)
manufacturing of products, continuous improvements of process and business process re-
engineering. This called for integration of manufacturing with other functional areas including
accounting, marketing, finance and human resource development.

Activity-based costing would not be possible without the integration of manufacturing and
accounting. Mass customization of manufacturing needed integration of marketing and
manufacturing. Flexible manufacturing with people empowerment necessitated integration of
manufacturing with the HRD function. In a sense the 1990s truly called integration of all the
functions of management. ERP systems are such integrated information systems build to meet the
information and decision needs of an enterprise spanning all the functions ofmanagement4.

1.2.5 Extended ERP(E-ERP)

Further developments in the enterprise resource planning system concept have led to evolution of
extended ERP (E- ERP) or web - enabled ERP. With globalization on one hand and massive
development in the internet technology on the other, need for web based IT solution was felt.
Thus E- ERP is development in the field of ERP which involves the technology of Internet and
World Wide Web (WWW) to facilitate the functions of an organization around the web.

1.2.6 Enterprise Resource Planning II (ERP-II)

ERP II is the advanced step of E-ERP. It is the software package which has strengthened the
original ERP package by included capabilities like customer relationship management,
knowledge management, work flow management and human resource management. It is a web
friendly application and thus addresses the issue of multiple officelocations.
1.3 Benefits ofERP:
(a) Business Integration: The reason ERP packages are called integrated is the automatic data
up gradation between related business components.
In the case of ERP packages the data of related business functions is also automatically updated at
the time a transaction occurs. with this reason, managers at different roles and designations are able
to grasp business details in real time, and carry out various types of management decisions in a
timely manner and with more accurately based on thisinformation.

(b) Flexibility: Diverse multi functional environments such as language, currency, accounting
standards and so on are covered in one system and functions that comprehensively managed
multiple locations of company branches can be implemented automatically. To cope with
company globalization and system unification, this flexibility is essential, for development
and maintenance, but also in terms of management.

(c) Better Analysis and Planning Capabilities: By enabling the comprehensive and unified
management of related business and its data, it becomes possible to fully utilize many types
of decision support systems and stimulation systems. It becomes possible to carry out flexibility
and in real time the feeling and analysis of data from a variety of dimensions, decision makers able
to the information what ever they want in time, thus enabling them to make better and informed
decisions.

(d) Use of latest Technology (IT). The ERP vendors were very quick to realize that in order to
grow and to sustain that growth: they have to implement the latest developments in the field
of information technology. So they quickly adopted their systems to take advantages of the
latest technologies like open systems, client server technology, internet/ intranet, computer
aided acquisition and logistics support, electronic commerce etc. It is this quick adaptation
to the latest changes in information technology that makes the flexible adaptation to changes
 to future business environments possible. It is this flexibility that makes the incorporation of
the latest technology possible during the system customization, maintenance and expansion
phases.

(e) Reduced Inventory and Inventory Carrying Cost: ERP system allows customers to obtain
information on cost, revenues and margins, which allow it to better, manage its overall
material cost structure and lead to inventory reductions to the order of 20 per cent or better.
This provides not only a one time reduction in assets (cost of the material stocked), but also provides
ongoing savings of the inventory carrying costs, costs of warehousing, handling, obsolescence,
insurance, taxes, damage andshrinkage.

(f) Reduced Manpower cost: Improved manufacturing practices lead to fever shortages and
interruptions and to less rework and overtime allows 10 per cent reduction in direct and
indirect labor costs. By minimizing rush jobs and parts shortages, less time is needed for
expediting, material handling, extra setups, disruptions and tracking splits lots odd jobs that
have been set aside. Production supervisors have better visibility of required work and can
adjust capacity or loads to meet schedules. Supervisors have more time for managing,
directing and training people.

(g) Reduced Material Costs: Improves procurement practices lead to better vendornegotiations
for prices, typically resulting in cost reductions of 5 per cent or better. Valid schedules permit
purchasing people to focus on vendor negotiations and quality improvements rather than spending
their time on shortages and getting material at premium prices. ERP systems provide negotiation
information, such as projected material requirements by commodity group and vendor performance
statistics. Giving suppliers better visibility of future requirements help them achieve efficiencies that
can be passed on as lower material costs.

(h) Improves Sales and Customer Service: Sales people can focus on selling instead of
verifying or apologizing for late deliveries. In custom product environment, configurations
can be quickly identified and prices, often by sales personnel or even the customer rather
than the technicalstaff. Taken together, these improvements in customer service can lead to fewer
lost sales and actual increase in sales, typically 10 per cent or more. Corrective actions can be taken
early such as determining shipment priorities, notifying customers of changes to promise delivery
dates, or altering production schedules to satisfy demand.

(i) Efficient Financial Management: Improves collection procedures can reduce the number
of days of outstanding receivables, thereby providing additional available cash. Credit
checking during order entry and improved handling of customer inquires further reduces the
number of problem accounts. Improved credit management and receivable practices
typically reduce the days of outstanding receivables by 18 per cent or better. Trade credit
can also be maximized by taking advantage by supplier discounts and cash planning, and
paying only those invoices with matching recipients. This can lead to lower requirements for
cash-on- hand.
 The benefits from ERP come in three different forms i.e. in the short-term, medium-term and
long-term.
Ø This benefit is in form of ‘automating’ the transactions which promises accuracy, reliability,
availability and consistency of data.
Ø Gives Accounts Payable personnel increased control of invoicing and payment processing and
thereby boosting their productivity and eliminating their reliance on computer personnel for these
operations.
Ø Reduce paper documents by providing on-line formats for quickly entering and retrieving
information.
Ø Improves timeliness of information by permitting posting daily instead of monthly.
Ø Greater accuracy of information with detailed content, better presentation, satisfactory for the
auditors.
Ø Improved cost control.
Ø Faster response and follow-.up on customers.
Ø More efficient cash collection, say, material reduction in delay in payments by customers.
Ø Better monitoring and quicker resolution of queries.
Ø Enables quick response to change in business operations and market conditions.
Ø Helps to achieve competitive advantage by improving its business process.
Ø Improves supply-demand linkage with remote locations and branches in different countries.
Ø Provides a unified customer database usable by all applications.
Ø Improves International operations by supporting a variety of tax structures, invoicing schemes,
multiple currencies, multiple period accounting and languages.
Ø Improves information access and management throughout the enterprise.

1.4 Related Technology of ERP:

When it comes time for your organization to evaluate ERP systems, whether you are replacing a small
business accounting package or an aging ERP, It is important to clarify the components. Each piece (often
called module) of the ERP system delivers different value for your organization. To get the most from the
full system, make sure your evaluation team understands the fundamentals.

BUSINESS PROCESS REENGINEERING

3.1 Introduction
BPR is known by many names, such as ‘core process redesign’, ‘new industrial engineering’ or
‘working smarter’. All of them imply the same concept which focuses on integrating both business
process redesign and deploying IT to support the reengineering work.

Ø BPR involves discovering how business processes currently operate, how to redesign these
processes to eliminate the wasted or redundant effort and improve efficiency, and how to
implement the process changes in order to gain competitiveness.

Definition
The aim of BPR, according to Sherwood-Smith (1994), is “seeking to devise new ways of organising
tasks, organising people and redesigning IT systems so that the processes support the organisation to
realise its goals”.
UNITII- ERP IMPLEMENTATION 10
Implementation and Product Life cycle, Implementation Methodology, Planning Evaluation and
selection of ERP systems, Organizing the Project Management and Monitoring. Case Study on
Manufacturing.

ERP IMPLEMENTATION LIFECYCLE:

1. During the pre-evaluation phase, ERP vendors available in the market are screened based on
business requirements. ERP packages that don’t suit the business requirements areeliminated.
2. During the package evaluation phase, selected package is evaluated against requirements across
departments.
3. A detailed requirement analysis is done, involving different managers from across the
departments. Requirement analysis helps list down all the functionalities required to ensure
efficient processes across theorganization.
4. Based on the analysis of requirements and functionalities, a detailed project plan is laid out. This
involves senior management team and ERP experts. Designs are finalized; key resources to be
involved in the project are identified in various departments; special arrangement is also made to
tacklecontingencies.
5. Once the planning is done, business process re-engineering takes place. Implementing ERP will
impact through increasing roles and the job responsibilities of lot of employees. So, new roles
and responsibilities are to be assigned to employees. Processes are to be re-structured and
integrated with ERPtools.
6. Post implementation and integration, staff and managers are to be trained properly so that they
get good practice. Consultants will help employees to get hands on experience of the ERPtools.
7. At last, the tools that are implemented are tested rigorously. Issues arising during the testing
phase are fixed and required changes aremade.
Thus ERP Implementation process can be explained.

ERP Implementation Lifecycle

l ERPImplementation
l The different phases of ERP implementationare:-

Ø Pre-evaluationScreening
Ø PackageEvaluation
Ø Project PlanningPhase
Ø Gap-Analysis
Ø Re engineering
Ø Configuration

ERP Implementation
Ø Implementation TeamTraining
Ø Testing
Ø Going Live
Ø End-usertraining
Ø Post –implementation

3.2.1 Pre-EvaluationScreening
Vendors profile analysis- Rating vendors in market on Previous customer feedback, Reliablity
and goodwill of company, after sales service, Technical strengths, Financial stability and relevant
agreements and MOU’s.

3.2.2 PackageEvaluation

Ø The objective of this phase is to find the package that is flexible enough to meet the company’s
need or software that could be customized to obtain a ‘good fit’.
Ø Once the packages to be evaluated are identified, the company needs to develop selection
criteria that will permit the evaluation of all the available packages on the same scale
Ø To choose the best system, the identification of the system that meets the business needs, and
that matches the business profile.
Some important points to be kept in mind while evaluating ERP software include:
a) Functional fit with the company’s businessprocess.
b) Degree of integration between the various components of the ERPsystem.
c) Flexibility andscalability
d) Complexity
e) Userfriendliness
f) Quickimplementation
g) It is better to have a selection committee that will do the evaluationprocess.

3.2.3 Project Planning Phase

a. This is the phase that designs the implementation process. Time schedules,
deadlines, etc. for the project are arrivedat.
b. The project plan is developed in thisphase.
c. In this phase the details of how to go about the implementation are decided. The
project plan is developed, roles are identified and responsibilities areassigned.
d. The organizational resources that will be used for the implementation are decided
and the people who are supposed to head the implementation areidentified.
e. The implementation team members are selected and task allocation isdone.
f. The phase will decide when to begin the project, how to do it and when the
project is supposed to be completed.
g. The phase will also plan the ‘What to do’ in case of contingencies; how to
monitor the progress of theimplementation;
h. The phase will plan what control measures should be installed and whatcorrective
actions should be taken when things get out ofcontrol.
i. The project planning is usually done by a committee constituted by the team
leaders of each implementation group headed byCIO.
3.2.4 GapAnalysis
This is the most crucial phase for the success of the ERP implementation.
Simply it is the process through which companies create a complete model of where they are now, and in
which direction they want to head in the future. The trick is to design a model which both anticipates and
covers any functional gaps.
Some companies decide to live without a particular function. Other solutions include:
a. Upgrade
b. Identify the third party product that might fill thegap
c. Design a custom program
d. Altering the ERP source code, (the most expensive alternative; usually reserved for
mission-criticalinstallation)

3.2.5 Re-engineering

This phase involves human factors.

a. In ERP implementation settings, reengineering has two connotations. The first
connotation is the controversial one, involving the use of ERP to aid in
downsizingefforts.
b. In this case ERP is purchased with aim of reducing the number ofemployees.
c. Every implementation will involve some change in job responsibilities as
processes become more automated andefficient.
d. However it is best to regard ERP as investment and cost-cutting measure rather
than a downsizingtool.
e. ERP should endanger business change but not endanger the jobs of thousands of
employee.
f. The second use of the word ‘reengineering’ in the ERP field focus on the
Business Process Reengineering(BPR)
g. The BPR approach to an ERP implementation implies that there are two separate,
but closely linked implementations on an ERPsite.

3.2.6 Configuration

It is important for the success of ERP implementation that those configuring the system are able
to explain what won’t fit into the package where the gaps in functionality occur. ERP vendors are
constantly make efforts to lower configuration costs. Strategies that are currently being done
include automation and pre – configuration.

ERP Implementation

3.2.7 Implementation TeamTraining

Ø Synchronously when the configuration is taking place, the implementation team is being trained.
Ø This is the phase where the company trains its employees to implement and later, run the system.
Ø For the company to be self-sufficient in running the ERP system, it should have a good in-
house team that can handle the various solutions.
 Ø Thus the company must realise the importance of this phase and selects right employees with
good attitude.

3.2.8 Testing

Ø This is the point where you are testing real case scenarios.
Ø The test cases must be designed to specifically to find the weak links in the system and these
bugs should be fixed before going live.
Ø GoingLive
Ø This is the phase where all technicalities are over, and the system is officially declared
operational.
Ø In this phase all data conversion must have been done, and databases are up and running; and the
prototype is fully configured and tested.

3.2.9 Going Live

The implementation team must have tested and run the system successfully for some time. Once
the system is ‘live’ the old system is removed and the new system is used for doingbusiness.

3.2.10 End-UserTraining
Ø This is the phase where the actual users of the system will be trained on how to use the
system.The employees who are going to use the new system are identified and their skills are
noted.Based on their skill levels are divided into groups.
Ø Then each group is given training on the new system.
Ø This training is very useful as the success of the ERP system is in the hands of end-users. The
end-user training is much more important and much more difficult than implementation team
training since people are always reluctant to change.

3.2.11 Post –Implementation

Ø This is the very critical phase when the implementation phase is over.
Ø There must be enough employees who are trained to handle the problem that might
occurred when the system is running.
Ø There must be technical people in the company who have the ability to enhance the
system when required.
Ø Living with ERP systems will be different from installing them.
Ø Projects for implementing the ERP systems get a lot of resources and attention.
Ø However an organisation can only get the maximum value of these inputs if it successfully
adopts and effectively uses the system.

3.1 ERP implementation, Methodology and Frame work-Training

Implementation of ERP system is a complex exercise, involving many process alterations and
several legacy issues. Organizations need a implementation strategy encompassing both pre
implementation and implementation stages. The fallout of a poor strategy is unpreparedness of
employees, implementation not in conformity with wider business strategy, poor business process
redesign and time and costoverrun.
Following issues must be carefully thought before going to actual implementation:

Business Process: Hypothetically, company insiders should know best about the processes of their
organization. But employees often constrained to work in departmental silos and overlook wood for the
tree. Under most circumstances, prevailing business practices are not properly defined and no”as is” flow
charts, documenting existing processes, are available.

An ERP implementation could be a great occasion to assess and optimize existing business processes,
control points, breaking points between departments, and interfaces with trading partners. But, often, due
to resistance to changes and departmental clouts, ERP implementation is comprehended as an exercise to
automate legacy processes.

Automating existing manual processes peculiar to a company necessitates, significant source code
customization, as even a best fit ERP product match to a maximum of 85% to 90% of legacy processes.

For more and more customization, the exercise of Business Process Mapping and Gap Analysis is taken
up during implementation.

Implementation Methodology: Selection of implementation methodology constitutes an important

component of implementation strategy. All users move to the new system and manual / legacy systems
are discontinued.

Another major implementation strategy is “phased implementation”, where roll out is done over a period.
This method is less focused, prolonged and necessitates maintenance of legacy system over a period of
time. But, phased implementation is less risky, provides time for user’s acquaintance and fall back
scenarios are less complicated. There are various choice of phasing such as i) phased roll out by locations
for a multi location company ii) phased roll out by business unit e.g. human resources iii) Phased roll out
by module e.g. generalledger.

Methodology of implementation should form an important constituent of implementation strategy, which

should be formulated after considering availability of resources, state of preparedness, risk perception,
timeframe of implementation and budgetary provisions.

Other important strategy issues:

§ Legacy data: Gathering, cleaning and removing of duplicatedata.

§ Hardware and software: Addition and updating of existing resources. Compatibility with
existing Operating system andDatabase.
§ Project structure: Project champions and competencycentre.

3.2 DataMigration:
Data migration is the process of moving required volume of data from existing systems to new systems.
Data migration encompasses all the necessary steps to cleanse, correct and move data into a new system.
Technological changes, change in providers, software updates or data warehousing/data mining projects
make such delicate and critical operations necessary. A good data migration should allow one to:
Reduce risk: Data being an organization's most critical business asset, it is essential that any
manipulation be carried out without any disruption to achieve maximum flexibility and quality.

Lower operational expenses: Data migration is a one-off activity triggered by certain circumstances.
The data migration tool or solution reinforces the organization's resources which can remain focused on
its ongoing continuous core activities.

Improve data quality: The cleansing and correction solutions ensure perfect data integrity after it has
been migrated. From a user and development perspective, the migrated data results are completely
optimized.

3.3 Planning Evaluation and Selection of ERPsystems:

For most enterprises, the decision to implement ERP functionalities will require buying a software
package from one of the more popular vendors on ERP market like SAP and Oracle.
Evaluating and selecting an ERP system can be a very complex process on the other hand, but it should be
a 'fact-based' process that will bring the enterprise to the point where comfortable & well-informed
decisions can be made.

To adopt a thorough evaluation and evaluation process before adopting any ERP solution. They are
Ø Planning
Ø RFP
Ø Solution
Ø Evaluation
Ø Negotiation
Ø Selection and Agreement

Ø ERP Software & Hardware (Solution) Evaluation and Selection Steps

Ø Define Requirements
Ø Shop Round for Product
Ø Clarify Requirements
Ø Evaluation Vendor
Ø Inquiry Interact with Vendors
Ø Negotiate Agreement Action Agreement

Define business case/need and spell-out required values.

Ø Be specific. Ensure the business sponsor is willing to push through business case forchange.

Ø Look round the market for what product is available. Identify vendors that operates and their general
approaches to technologies the take. Discuss with others in the same industry as you are etc.

Ø Clarify your requirements and be sure of what you are looking for in line with you business case.
Refine requirements if possible and be specific too.

Ø Find out what product is looking promising in line with the business need and from which vendor.
Identify which vendor and their products and invite interesting ones for demo etc. Request for proposal
(RFP).
Ø Invite each shortlisted vendor over for a chat and find out more about the product. List out
expectations based heavily on business requirements.

Ø At this point evaluate this approach. Can you afford to change your current process? Can you afford
the change the new product will bring and many more?

Ø Initiate Negotiation for the selected product with the selected vendor. Agree on who does what, when
are they to be done. Negotiate deliverables, timelines, cost & payments schedules and terms, support
inclusive.

Ø Review all legal terms, finalise the contract and select product for onward implementation.

Ø Alignment of business requirement to what the software/hardware can provide. This is the core of the
whole exercise else stop theevaluation.

Ø Evaluate the product capabilities in line with the business requirement. Evaluate the impact of this
product on the business requirement.

Fig. 2: Detailed flowchart for ERP Software, Hardware Evaluation and Selection Processes Analyse Gaps
For effective ERP Solution evaluation and selection process, the above steps are categorised into 5 phases as
explainedbelow;

Stage 1 - PlanRequirement
Ø Business need is defined, along with areas in business that required technical approach.
Ø Develop a specific business case with business value for a solution.
Ø Ensure that the project sponsor is willing to articulate the business case for change.
Ø Indentify vendors that operate in the line of products you are looking for.
Ø Get familiar with the software and hardware infrastructure presence for the solution seeking.
Ø Get general view of investment needed, considering software, hardware, other related
infrastructure and ongoing support.
Ø Based on the survey, evaluate the organisation readiness for the investment and decide whether to
continue ornot.
Ø Now define priorities under "must-have" and "nice-to-have" accordingly.

Stage 2 - Request for Proposals (RFP)

Ø Shortlist interesting vendor based on the outcome of market survey for products. Invite interesting
vendors for interaction/demonstration of their products.

Ø Collects facts/functionalities in line with the business need from various products demonstrations for
the developments of unbiased RFP for vendors.
Ø Set-up a neutral body to develop RFP using all facts gathered during products demonstration aligned
to the business requirements.
Ø Distribute out RFP that addresses the vendor as a company and the products they offer.
Ø Generate basic expectations from an ideal proposal in line with the business need for onward selection
of the ideal software vendor.
 Stage 3 - Solution Evaluation
Ø Identify and prioritise remaining gaps between software capabilities as demonstrated and business
requirements.
Ø Identify how the gaps will be bridge in terms of configuration, configuration, process change or
combination of all these.
Ø If the gaps can be bridge consider reengineering of those affected business processes affected and
continue with theevaluation.

Stage 4 - Contract Negotiation

Ø Negotiate with each vendor.
Ø Establish software, hardware and other infrastructure agreement requirements, which include version,
components, maintenance and support. Also negotiate participation in user groups, license costs,
maintenance fees and many others.
Ø Establish service provider agreement which also include deliverables, timelines, resources, costs and
payment schedules.
Ø Establish other legal requirements.

Stage 5 - Selection and Agreement

Ø Upon successful negotiation with the right vendor;
Ø Review all legal terms on privacy protection, operation guidance and data manipulation etc. Approve
agreements with the selected vendors.
Ø Agree on implementation plan.

Product Life Cycle Management (LCM)

• LCM is a framework to analyse and manage the sustainability performance of goods and services.
•LCM is a business management approach that can be used by all types of business (and other
organisations) in order to improve their sustainability performance.
• A method that can be used equally by both large and small firms, its purpose is to ensure more
sustainable value chain management.
• LCM can be used to target, organise, analyse and manage product-related information and activities
towards continuous improvement along the product life cycle.
• LCM is about making life cycle thinking and product sustainability operational for businesses that are
aiming for continuous improvement. These are businesses that are striving towards reducing their
footprints and minimising their environmental and socio-economic burdens while maximising economic
and social values.

3.5.1 ERP CONSULTANTS &VENDORS:

Key Market Players
· SAP , Oracle Corporation, -Sage Software Solutions Pvt. Ltd., INFOR, IFS, WORKDAY
Microsoft Corporation , EPICOR, ABAS, DELTEK
Company ERP HCM ATS
Walmart SAP S/4 HANA Workday HCM Workday Recruiting
Apple SAP S/4 HANA SAP HCM (HR) In-House ATS
Amazon.com In-House ERP Workday HCM In-House ATS
UnitedHealth Group Oracle E-Business Suite Oracle HCM Cloud Oracle Taleo
Company ERP HCM ATS
Ford Motor SAP S/4 HANA Oracle HCM Cloud IBM Kenexa BrassRing
General Motors SAP S/4 HANA Workday HCM Oracle Taleo
AT&T SAP ERP ECC 6.0 Workday HCM Oracle Taleo
Features—Productivity--Security & Regulatory Compliance--Collaboration
Scalability--Forecast & Tracking--Cost Savings

Focus 9 - The Ultimate Cutting-Edge ERP Software-Clients

ERP project management is key to a successful enterprise software implementation.

Inadequate project management has played a major role in failed implementations. A
qualified, dedicated project manager is rule number one for a successful ERP
implementation.

The PMBOK, “Project Management Body of Knowledge” is a solid resource in ERP project
management methodology and describes this process group in the following: “The
Monitoring and Controlling Process Group consists of those processes required to track,
review, and orchestrate the progress and performance of a project; identify any areas in
which changes to the plan are required; and initiate the corresponding changes.”
Ø Determine the level of project scope, software capabilities and staffing issues are just a
few of the tasks the ERP manager must handle.
Ø Successful Project Manager Characteristics
1. is flexible
2. is disciplined
3. is a quick learner
4. is a good decision maker
5. has ERP experience
6. has business experience
7. has political clout
 8. has a good formal education
9. is well liked
10. motivates staff

1. ERP Project Management Methodology: The Monitoring & Controlling

Process Group
Keeping an eye on project performance and reacting quickly and appropriately to issues is key to successfully
pushing your project forward. Tasks in this process group includes the following:

Monitor and Control Project Work

· This includes tracking, reviewing, and reporting progress to meet the performance objectives
defined in your ERP project management methodology.
· Regularly assessing progress related to scope, benchmark goals, timeline, and budget, which will
help ensure there are no unpleasant surprises as the project unfolds.
Perform Integrated Change Control
· Even well-planned projects are going to require change from time to time. Therefore the
following processes are essential: reviewing all change requests, approving changes, managing
changes to the deliverables, and organizing process assets, project documents and the project
management plan.
·
· Verify Scope
· Verifying the scope includes monitoring the status of the project and managing changes to the
scope baseline.
· This phase also requires a re-visiting to other process groups to be sure all objectives have been
met. If this is not the case, reflecting any changes is part of the follow-through needed as the
project continues toward completion.
· Control Scope
· If there have been adjustments to budget, timeline, or the desired end-product, it is important to
re-visit the documentation related to scope and mitigate any unresolved challenges.
· Controlling the scope also entails maintaining effective communication with stakeholders and
related stakeholders, which will keep everyone updated and engaged in the project’s success.
2. Control Schedule
1. Schedule control involves controlling project progress adjustments and addressing any
unforeseen circumstances in relation to the project schedule baseline.
2. Monitoring the project properly to decrease the chances of schedule issues becoming major
setbacks.
iii. Control Costs
· Since there is the potential for many factors to affect cost throughout the project timeline,
this group must keep track of any changes in budget so communication around cost
control is clear and accurate.
1. Perform Quality Control
1. This group must quantify and report any and all quality control issues. This action is necessary
and ongoing to support the accuracy and responsiveness of the project.
2. Make process adjustments based on findings during monitoring.
· Report Performance
· It is imperative this group collect and report performance data in order to complete
proper forecasting with regard to timeline and phasing.
· To support positive relations, it is necessary this project group keep stakeholders aware
of team progress toward benchmark goals.
 · Monitor and Control Risks
· Tracking risk, responding to documented risk, and evaluating response to risk is all part
of ensuring the project progresses effectively through each phase of the timeline.
· Administer Procurements
· Because team needs will change throughout the project, additional items may be required
while other items and services may not be needed at all.
· In order to deliver the project within or as close to budget as possible, it is necessary to
keep track of all paperwork that documents any changes in contracts.

The Right Staff

· Since it's difficult to transition ERP team members on and off projects, it's a good idea to identify staff
members that are critical but are high turnover risks early in the project. A project manager can develop
recognition programs that help retention. Another trend is to implement flextime to allow employees
greater flexibility in setting work hours within limits to improve productivity.
Interfacing With Other Systems
The project manager can prioritize interfaces so that mission critical systems engaged in daily
processing can exchange data when the ERP software is implemented. Interfaces to systems that do
periodic processing- monthly or year-end-can be completed after the initial implementation. Interfacing
with legacy data may involve connections to all mainframes, Unix, Windows NT, and other systems. The
interfaces must have the ability to handle complex data sources and legacy data types. Other
client/server systems must also exchange data with the ERP system. The ERP software may interface with
external business partners via electronic data interchange (EDI) or electronic funds transfer (EFT)
protocols.
Typical ERP Interfaces
Interface Typical Data Types Exchanged
Legacy Mostly historical financial data not converted
Client/server Sales automation and reporting data
Other ERP/MRP/MRP II Transaction data from specialized systems (e.g. manufacturing)
Data Warehouse Large volumes of historical reporting and decision support data
External - Business Partners Transaction data including purchasing/sales, EDI, EFT
External - Web Customer information, web-enabled databases

Managing Chaos
Managing an ERP project is unlike any other effort because of the huge number of variables, people and
risks involved. The complete replacement of an organization's information systems has a tremendous impact on
the people especially emotions, expectations in the organization, the company, its suppliers and even its
customers. An ERP project manager must guide the project with a firm, practiced hand that both encourages
project team members to find new ways to innovate, and at the same time, ensures that everyone and everything
is moving in the right direction.

The following make up Ultra’s project management services:

· Project planning
· Organizing roles and responsibilities
· Scheduling
· Reporting requirements
 · ERP data conversion plans
· Communication and reporting
· Weekly meeting management
· Issues log
· Project budget
· Project reports
· Steering committee meetings
· Project monitoring
· Issue resolution
· Budget
· Vendor performance
· Core team performance

UNIT IIIERP MODULES 10

Business modules in an ERP Package- Manufacturing, Human Resources, Plant Maintenance,
Materials Management,Supply chain Management (SCM), Sales and Distribution.
Case Study in Banking Sector.

3.6 Functional Modules of ERPSoftware

Common ERP modules include modules for product
planning,partsandmaterialpurchasing,inventorycontrol,productdistribution,ordertracking, finance,
accounting, marketing, and HR. Organizations often selectively implement the ERP modules that are
both economically and technically feasible.
FIGURE:2.2 FUNCTIONAL MODULE
 ERP Production PlanningModule
In the process of evolution of manufacturing requirements planning (MRP) II into ERP, while vendors
have developed more robust software for production planning, consulting firms have accumulated vast
knowledge of implementing production planning module. Production planning optimizes the
utilization of manufacturing capacity, parts, components and material resources using historical
production data and sales forecasting.
ERP PurchasingModule
Purchase module streamline procurement of required raw materials. It automates the processes of
identifying potential suppliers, negotiating price, awarding purchase order to the supplier, and billing
processes. Purchase module is tightly integrated with the inventory control and production planning
modules. Purchasing module is often integrated with supply chain managementsoftware.

ERP Inventory ControlModule

Inventory module facilitates processes of maintaining the appropriate level of stock in a warehouse.
The activities of inventory control involves in identifying inventory requirements, setting targets,
providing replenishment techniques and options, monitoring item usages, reconciling the inventory
balances, and reporting inventory status. Integration of inventory control module with sales, purchase,
finance modules allows ERP systems to generate vigilant executive level reports.

ERP SalesModule
Revenues from sales are live blood for commercial organizations. Sales module implements functions
of order placement, order scheduling, shipping and invoicing. Sales module is closely integrated with
organizations' ecommerce websites. Many ERP vendors offer online storefront as part of the sales
module.

ERP Market inModule

ERP marketing module supports lead generation, direct mailing campaign and more.

ERP FinancialModule
Both for-profit organizations and non-profit organizations benefit from the implementation of ERP
financial module. The financial module is the core of many ERP software systems. It can gather
financial data from various functional departments, and generates valuable financial reports such
balance sheet, general ledger, trail balance, and quarterly financial statements.

ERP HRModule
HR (Human Resources) is another widely implemented ERP module. HR module streamlines
the management of human resources and human capitals. HR modules routinely maintain a
complete employee database including contact information, salary details, attendance,
performance evaluation and promotion of all employees.

Supply Chain Management (SCM):

SCM can help you transform a traditional linear supply chain into an adaptive network with the following
benefits.
 · With the increased visibility into the supply chain and adaptive supply chain network,
you can be more responsive. You can sense and respond quickly to changes and quickly
capitalize on newopportunities.
· By offering a common information framework that supports communication and
collaboration, SCM enables you to better adapt to and meet customerdemands.
· You can track and monitor compliance in areas as environment, health andsafety.
· Information transparency and real-time business intelligence can lead to shorter cash-to-
cash cycle times. Reduced inventory levels and increased inventory turns across the
network can lower overallcosts.
· With SCM, you can lower operational expenses with timelier planning for procurement,
manufacturing and transportation. Better order, product and execution tracking can lead
to improvements in performance and quality - and lower costs. You can also improve
margins through better coordination with businesspartners.
· Tight connection with trading partners keep your supply chain aligned with current
business strategies and priorities, improving your organization's overall performance and
achievement of goals.

Case Study in Banking Sector.

UNIT IVPOST IMPLEMENTATION 8
Overview of ERP software solution. Maintenance of ERP- Organizational and Industrial impact;
Success and Failure factors of ERP Implementation.
Case Study of Success Story and Failure of Processing Sector.

4.0 Maintenance of ERP:

ERP maintenance presented a key definitions. First, we offered definitions for traditional business
systems maintenance. We defined maintenance of a traditional business system as consisting of (at least)
enhancement (changes to the functionality/requirements of the system) and correction (changes made to
correct errors in the system).

Then we offered comparable definitions for the ERP setting. We defined maintenance of an ERP system
as consisting of the following:

· Customization (changes made to ERP functionality via internal configurationswitches)

· Extension: changes made via ERP system "exits"to...
o Custom-code"add-ons"
o Third-party vendor"bolt-ons"
o Legacysystems

· Modification (changes made to the code of the ERP itself--either by the user or thevendor)
The underlying concern here was that, with the large level of maintenance/enhancement needed by
traditional information systems, it might not be possible to perform comparable changes to an ERP. If that
were the case, the longevity of use of an ERP could be severely compromised.

We asked whether the respondents had made changes to their ERP's functionality since implementation

Everyone had done "customization" (using configuration switches); all but one had done "extensions"
(half of those had done "add-ons" and/or "bolt-ons" and/or linking to legacy code); a third of the total had
used the vendor-supplied language to build extensions. Two-thirds of the respondents had had
modification performed (changes to the ERP code itself), largely done by the users themselves or (to an
extent half that for user changes) by the vendor of the ERP. (Note: User package software modification is
generally considered to be a very badpractice.)

We then asked the respondents to compare the ease of ERP changes with comparable changes to a
traditional, custom-built information system. A third of the respondents chose not to express an opinion
on this matter (likely coming from the user community instead of a traditional IS background).

4.1 ERP SYSTEM CAN MAKE IMPACT ONORGANIZATION:

With the fast developing of industries and the need for managing procedures and resources, it has become
very important to have a tool which can help you coordinate several activities, and the best one is ERP.
The advantages of having ERP are many. It gives you the opportunity of integrating every procedure of
your business while improving the quality of several areas simultaneously. These areas include human
resources, accounting and operations. In addition, ERP helps to increase your production levels and to
control your costs more efficiently, and this means that you will be able to control the whole enterprise
more efficiently.

A very important facility of the ERP systems is that they increase the availability of the information,
helping companies to have information in real time to make decisions and accurate prognostics regarding
the organization. It is important to mention that ERP systems are a very powerful tool when it comes to
processing and organizing financial data. It improves the development of the commercial activity in the
short and long term.

In the enterprise management module you can perform integral strategic planning, keeping an eye on the
daily activities and having fluent communication with the investors. The human resources module allows
you to make decisions and optimize the company's investments regarding employees. With all of this one
can see that an ERP system brings visibleadvantages.

Another important consideration to make is that the implementation of ERP takes time and generates deep
changes in the way you do business. But the important thing to remember is that every enterprise can see
the benefits of the ERP systems, although for the first period it may only seem like an investment. The
benefits indeed are really bigger than the costs, and it is very valuable l to invest in an ERP system.

4.2 SUCCESS FACTORS OF ERPIMPLEMENTATION:

Not quite. In order to keep your ERP solution working at peak efficiency – and providing the business
advantages you’re paying for – you need to have a plan for maintenance or you risk having your ERP
system eventually become obsolete. Without a maintenance plan, the efficiency of your system will
decline and its lifespan will be shortened. However, this kind of maintenance isn’t so much nuts-and-bolts
as it is figuring out how your company uses the ERP solution and figuring out ways to enhance its
performance for yourcompany.

Stay Up-to-date: Of course, one of the primary components of ERP maintenance is keeping abreast of
upgrades from your vendor. Not only do these updates contain important bug fixes and increase your
security, they also keep your solution from getting stale since many upgrades improve the functionality of
your solution or add features. This is one way you can ensure that your ERP solution continues to meet
your company’s needs. You may feel that some upgrades aren’t necessary for your company, but many
need to be done sequentially. If you fall too far behind on the updates, it may be too difficult to catchup.

Changing Business Operations: Your business is constantly changing and so are your needs. If you
don’t have regular maintenance and support your ERP solution is likely to become static. The longer that
goes on, the less it will fulfill your requirements. You may have added new customers, new services, or
new technology – all of which can have an impact on how your run your organization. If your ERP
solution can’t keep up with these changes, employees will develop ways to get their desired results by
working around it, thus diminishing the efficiency of the system. You should have an annual review of
your business, its needs, and how it has changed so you can ensure that your ERP solution is keeping up
with thetimes.

Training: Remember that people are an important component of ERP success. Yes, you had them trained
when you installed the system, but do they remember everything they learned? Brush up training can help
them use the system more efficiently, learn about the system’s new functionalities, and get rid of bad
habits that impede efficiency. Not to mention that you probably have new employees who have only
learned the system through on-the-jobtraining.

Improving the System: You will probably want to make adjustments to the system as the employees get
used to it. They will use it differently after a year than they do when they’re newly trained. Ask your
employees for suggestions on how to enhance thesystem’s

functionality. You’ll get more out of your solution if it can adapt to more knowledgeable users.
Equipment: Hardware can decrease in efficiency or wear out. Look at your equipment’s metrics to see if
there’s been a drop off in performance. Sometimes the technology needs maintenance or such declines
point to where you need maintenance on your ERP solution. Or there might be new technology on the
market that can really improve your ERP solutions efficiency or effectiveness. You owe it to yourself to
review your hardware needs and capabilities on a regular basis.

A true Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system integrates both internal and external information
flows used by the organization within a single, comprehensive solution. An ERP solution
incorporates the practical systems used by organizations to manage the basic commercial functions of
their business, such as: planning, inventory/materials management, purchasing, manufacturing, finance,
accounting, human resources, marketing and sales, services etc. The objective of the ERP solution is to
drive the flow of information between all internal business functions while managing connections,
or"touchpoints.

ERP solutions run on a variety of computer hardware and network configurations, including "on
premises" (i.e. client/server) or hosted (i.e. "cloud-based" or Software as a Service). ERP solutions use a
common database to hold information from the various business functions that's accessible in some form
or another by various users. The use of an integrated database to manage the solution's multi-module
application framework within a common information system is one of the primary ERP benefits of this
kind of system over "point solutions.

Unlike point solutions (historically used by small to midsize businesses) that rely on multiple (sometimes
duplicating) databases which strain IT resources, ERP solutions standardize the use of one application to
run an entire business. This not only increases efficiencies, but also decreases the overall total cost
of ownership (TCO), thereby reducing operational costs and improving the company'sprofitability.
 Key benefits of ERP software:

1. Scalability: An ERP system is easily scalable. That means adding new functionality to the
system as the business needs change is easy. This could mean easy management of new
processes, departments, andmore.
2. Improved reporting: Much of the inefficiency in operational work stems from improper
reporting. With an ERP system, this possibility is eliminated as reporting follows an automated
template system, allowing various departments to access informationseamlessly.
3. Data quality: As compared with manual record-keeping or other traditional approaches, an ERP
system improves data quality by improving the underlying processes. As a result, better business
decisions can be reached.
4. Lower cost of operations: An ERP system introduces fundamental innovations in managing
resources, which eliminates delays and thus reduces cost of operations. For instance, use of
mobility allows real-time collection of data, which is indispensable to loweringcosts.
5. Better CRM: A direct benefit of using a good ERP system is improved customer relations as a
result of better businessprocesses.
6. Business analytics: Having high-quality data allows businesses to use the power of intelligent
analytics tools to arrive at better business decisions. In fact, many good ERP systems have built-
in analytics functionality to allow easier dataanalysis.
UNIT V EMERGING TRENDSONERP 9
Extended ERP systems and ERP add-ons - Customer Relations Management (CRM),
Customer satisfaction (CS), Business analytics - Future trends in ERP systems-web enabled,
Wireless technologies.
Case Study in Service Sector

5.1. EXTENDED ERP SYSTEMS AND ERP ADD-ONS :

Businesses often employ two systems to make sure business processes run efficiently - a Client
Relationship Management (CRM) system and an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. SAP,
Oracle, Salesforce.com and Microsoft offer on-premise as well as Software as a Service (SaaS) CRM and
ERP solutions to businesses of all sizes. A CRM system deals with frontend information - managing
valuable customer data and enriching it through interactions with marketing and customersupport.
This helps businesses understand prospects and clients, manage relationships and sales pipeline, and
upsell and cross-sell products. An ERP system handles critical backend information - generally managing
customer information that is required once orders have been placed.
This can include purchase history, billing and shipping details, accounting information, financial data, and
supply chain management details. Both client relationship management and enterprise resource planning
systems independently offer substantial benefits to businesses.

5.2 CRM:
The Integration Challenge Generally, ERP and CRM systems tend to remain siloed as their contrasting
architectures make it difficult to streamline integration. Those who try to create seamless connectivity
between the two often turn to custom point-to-point integration. This method is fragile, expensive, and
difficult to maintain. With point-to-point connections, a developer needs to manage connectivity and
implement changes. Moreover, changes impact the entire system, leaving room for errors. These point-to-
point integrations deliver a short-term solution, but become overly complicated as businesses grow.
Another method businesses many times resort to is “swivel chair” data entry.
This method requires an individual to manually retrieve data from one system and enter it into another.
Such a procedure is error-prone and takes an extensive amount of time and human resources. Some
businesses simplify the task by employing data loaders such as Dataloader.io for Salesforce.com. When
working with CRM systems offered by a vendor other than Salesforce.com, however, a different solution
is required. With two different systems unable to communicate with one another, it becomes nearly
impossible to track all customer interactions and obtain information through one interface. Sales reps
spend time jumping between applications to create a 360 degree view of their customers, slowing down
sales processes. As a lack of integration creates an inefficient workspace, businesses need a robust CRM
and ERP integration solution in order to streamline their businessprocesses.
5.2.1. Benefits of CRMModule:

1. Consolidated Sales Processes

One specific challenge that manufacturing firms face is supporting two modes of selling: a direct sales
team and a distribution channel. Not only are you focused on appealing to your distributors so they push
your product, you're managing your direct sales team and their relationships with your clients. So what
happens when your direct sales team goes head-to-head with your distributor on the same project? Are
you even aware of the overlap before it's too late? A well- implemented CRM system is flexible enough
to support the two different modes of selling and get your teams the information they need to ensure you
aren't engaging yourself in a bidding war.

2. Increased Visibility and ImprovedForecasting

In our experience, we've found that a majority of sellers don't have access to their ERP systems. This is a
problem! If you don't have a CRM system and you're storing valuable client and product information that
your sales force needs, you have a problem. Because of this lack of access and information, any hope for
accurate forecasting goes out the window. When integrated, ERP and CRM systems can give your team
real-time visibility into the business data so they can properly sell and have compelling conversations
withcustomers.

3. Cleaner Quote to CashProcess

This is a conversation we have with almost every one of our manufacturing clients. The concept of having
to create accurate quotes off of complicated product configurations is an extremely difficult task. But with
increased visibility comes an improved quote to cash process (hallelujah!) We know that the product
configurations that you create can be very complex because you build to order. Every choice impacts the
next and without a deep understanding of the product configuration at the beginning of the project you’re
setting yourself up to fail. Unfortunately, we've found that the beginning of the sales process hasn’t paid
enough attention to product configurations and how this impacts the entirety of the project’s lifecycle.
When CRM and ERP systems are integrated, your sales team can access the information they need at the
beginning to accurately quote and deliver.

4. Mobility

Now that you’ve addressed the two modes of selling, determined who is responsible for the sale, and
integrated your CRM and ERP systems properly, your team is ready to hit the ground running. Or are
they? Your field team is on the road having dynamic conversations with customers and they must be able
to update content at the point of interaction, not at the end of the day. You have to have a mobility
strategy that allows you to update pipeline and quote information on the fly. Mobile CRM applications
allow you to capture and document this information, ultimately helping you to engage and make better
decisions for your customers
based off of order information, historical purchases, and current production schedules; all
accessible with just a swipe and a tap.

5. The DistributorPortal

A trend that we are currently seeing in manufacturing is an increased focus on keeping existing
customers, rather than winning new business. This means that once you’ve made the sale, you have to
pivot your attention to keeping the conversation going. Manufacturers, repeat after me: cross-selling is
your friend. And how can your team cross-sell more effectively? Through portals updated with
information from both ERP and CRM systems. Portals allow you to see where in the manufacturing
process an order is, check the status and delivery of past orders, and see the account in real-time. All of
this information gives you valuable insight that can help you make the next sale while keeping your
existing customers in the know.

CRM is no replacement for ERP and ERP is no replacement for CRM, but the integration between these
two systems is essential to increasing collaboration between departments. If you're considering integrating
a CRM tool with your existing ERP system, remember this: the key is to create two systems that are
tightly integrated and designed in a way that creates a customer- centric environment

5.4. WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY USED INERP:

Advancement of wireless technology in ERP has given it a boost that has made ERP a big
solution provider to the companies working in different sectors. Today the effect of ERP on the
market is immense due to the use of wireless technology that gives it the reach beyond
geographical locations and has made data communication and integration faster and reliable in
real time.

With the advent of wi-fi internet connections and offices, web enabled mobile devices and
laptops ERP application and its features can be used and accessed from any where.
Manufacturing companies working from many locations with their head office, manufacturing
units, warehouses and sales offices at different locations ERP application alone would have made
a little difference in reducing the pile of problems they faced, but with the use of wireless
technology in integrating ERP applications, the data transfer and its availability to all the
concerned departments with in the organization and outside organization has solved chunk of
their problems. Manufacturing company management is now aware of the stocks in the
warehouse, production status of any product, shipping details, deal status and various other set of
information, crucial for decision making, at their laptops with out any delays due to farlocations.

Compliance of best practices and company policies are much easier today with
 advancement of wireless technology in ERP. Sales force of any company of any sector gets
access to relevant data and status of the customer from any where which helps them in closing the
deals faster. Distribution companies whether small or big can have 24x7 working with e-
commerce feature only possible with wireless technology in ERP. Maintenance of web store can
be automated with out any human intervention to avoid delays and wastage of man power. Self
service options provided to customers or possible customers not only improve customer
satisfaction but save valuable man hours of the front office which can be utilized for more
productive work than simply providing price and warranty details.

Today large organizations have global headquarters working with many headquarters in different
countries connected by servers through wireless technology. These organizations rely for their
decisions on their ERP which provides them with updated data to give real picture irrespective of
the geographical location of the point of data entry. The advancement of wireless technology only
has made ERP application capable of providing such facilities to itsusers.

Like any other technology wireless technology also has some problem areas which are to be taken
care of. With the use of wireless technology privacy becomes of utmost significance, whenever
the real data is brought under the public domain it becomes literally impossible to maintain
privacy from the third party. More security features are desired, to maintain privacy of the
companies using ERP with wireless technology. More and more alternates shall be used for data
transfer and integration as they may be helpful in the case of emergency when any system crashes
down. But there are no two opinions on the fact that advancement of wireless technology has
taken ERP applications few steps ahead in providing solutions to their users.

5.5. FUTURE OF ERPTRENDS:

· To analyze the future trends of ERP it is first important to look at the current state of ERP
Software industry. ERP software is used for CRM (customer relationship management
and SCM (supply chain management). Presently ERP companies are trying to expand the
capacity of their product that is why many of them are catering to SMEs (small and
medium enterprises) instead of largeorganizations.
· Internet and e-commerce combined have both played an important role in evolution of
Enterprise Resource Planning. Companies are trying to combine their supply chain
management functions with the internet so that suppliers can also have easy access to
information from anywhere in the world. ERP software is integrating the business
processes within a company; vendors are working to merge the collaboration of suppliers,
customers and employees that work withthem.
· Many ERP companies have started to focus on SME, they are providing tailor made
products and services vertically by reducing the cost and complexity of implementation.
The technologies continue to change, and companies must be able to adapt to new
technologies if they wish to remain competitive. Due to an inevitable constant advance in
technologies it can be difficult to judge which direction certain vital business resources
are going. Fortunately, enterprise resource planning is relatively easy to project and can
be predicted with some measure ofclarity.
· That's because the basic tenets of ERP systems are well-established and only need to be
converted to other kinds of devices to keep up with advances in technology. In fact, while
the underlying science behind ERP systems might be above the heads of most of the
population, the concept is relatively simple – the more information that companies have
at their disposal, the more educated their decisions in the future will be. Here are some of
the ways that data recording and prediction will improve goingforward.

· Customization
The type of customization that's on the horizon leans more towards the scope of the systems,
rather than the capabilities of enterprise resource planning applications. In other words, no matter
what the size and shape of a company is, it will be able to affordably record whatever data is vital
for its operations. Many small and medium sized businesses already have the possibility to get a
better handle on the materials that make them function, but soon almost any company might be
able to log important information.

· Social mediaintegration

In the case of ERP systems, social media deems very important. Companies at which employees
aren't often face-to-face or familiar with one another might have trouble sharing information and
being more collaborative, the way that the additional data ERP systems provide might require.
However, when live chat, video conferencing and business intranets are combined, it becomes a
simple matter for different departments to work together to use the data that ERP programs
provide to improve company operations. Every company needs to maintain the ability to manage
their ERP no matter what direction it may leadto.