ERP White Papers and Demos

Although a fair amount of information is available on the Internet about the actual software packages themselves, there is little advice on how to develop a good, simple strategy to evaluate and choose the right ERP package for your company. This article is intended to provide some of that much-needed guidance.

In the business world, customers are faced with an overabundance of enterprise software choices. The selection of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution is a critical decision that could provide numerous benefits or be less than an optimal selection. As ERP sales professionals, it is our job to offer potential customers the expert guidance needed to ensure that the right ERP solution is determined and selected based on the client’s needs.

In response to the many highly publicized large scale food recalls that have occurred over the last few years and diminishing consumer confidence, both regulators and the industry are responding with stricter guidelines and policies to ensure the safety of the U.S. food supply. As a result of this increasing scrutiny, along with the growing complexity of the food supply chain, many food company executives are re-examining their ability to ensure the safety and quality of their products.

In the years leading to 2000, many manufacturers realized it was necessary to prepare for a potentially disruptive transition in the IT functions when the turn of the century arrived. With thoughts of internal systems not functioning properly - or even stopping the manufacturing processes altogether - action was required.

Today's enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are challenged to provide the architectural agility necessary to support businesses in a high-change, global environment (e.g., to accommodate merger and acquisition [M&A] activity, new financial or regulatory requirements, organizational restructuring, or new business processes). A recent IDC survey shows that the negative impact of business disruptions attached to ERP modifications is simply too high: a 20.9% decline in stock price, a 14.3% revenue loss due to delayed product launches, and a 16.6% decline in customer satisfaction.

So the world probably doesn’t need another whitepaper detailing the benefits of a warehouse management system (WMS) – which, by the way, are increased productivity, real-time access to information, up to 99+ percent inventory accuracy, faster shipping, better collaboration with partners and improved customer service, to name a few.