| The mantra of the modern-day organization is | | | | other large entities. Implementing ERP software |
| innovation. In order to stay competitive in the | | | | systems in any organization is not easy. A wide |
| market, companies require increasing globalization and | | | | range of applications make ERP software systems |
| flexibility. Challenging issues faced by companies | | | | complex and impose changes on staff practices. |
| today are the management of large-scale projects | | | | People generally don't like change, and ERP asks |
| and cooperation among enterprises within | | | | them to change how they do their jobs, thus making |
| geographically distributed networks. Companies | | | | implementation of ERP systems a painful task. |
| desperately need innovations; however, the | | | | Implementing ERP systems generally takes one to |
| inflexibility of legacy-information technology | | | | three years. Before actually jumping to the |
| infrastructure slows down the process. Today, | | | | bandwagon of implementing ERP systems, though, |
| organizations need information technology to support | | | | organizations must check the suitability of |
| flexible business strategies rather than hold them | | | | prospective ERP packages. Every industry is unique, |
| back. In order to survive, organizations must develop | | | | and ERP systems must be designed to cater to the |
| innovative strategies that: • Sense and | | | | industry's specific requirements. To implement ERP |
| respond to real-time customer demands • | | | | systems in cost-effective manners, consultants with |
| Gain market insight by extending processes beyond | | | | expertise in ERP implementation should be employed. |
| the enterprise • Adapt to market changes | | | | ERP vendors provide professional services in |
| • Implement new ways of doing business | | | | consultancy, customization, and support. Some of the |
| Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is the | | | | leading vendors of ERP systems are SAP, Oracle |
| answer to the agility and flexibility required by today's | | | | Applications, The Sage Group, Microsoft Dynamics, |
| organizations. ERP software helps organizations easily | | | | and SSA Global Technologies. Successful |
| manage efficiency, productivity, and cost, thus | | | | implementation of an ERP system by any |
| freeing the human and financial resources to execute | | | | organization requires trained personnel and a |
| innovation and growth strategies. The origin of ERP | | | | corporate policy that will protect the data integrity of |
| can be traced back to its application in the | | | | the ERP system. To train personnel involved with the |
| manufacturing environment; however, today, the | | | | implementation and testing stages of the ERP |
| term "ERP systems" has a much broader scope. | | | | system, adequate funds have to be allocated. ERP |
| Today, Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERPs) | | | | professionals are in demand. For ERP professionals |
| are not just limited to planning resources. Instead, the | | | | experienced in SAP, People Soft, Oracle, Baan, or any |
| purpose of an ERP system is to integrate all of an | | | | other ERP package, there is a booming job market. |
| enterprise's departments and processes into a unified | | | | Companies need them for hardware and software |
| system. It is not easy to develop a software | | | | support. Some of the areas in which ERP |
| infrastructure that simultaneously holds an entire | | | | professionals are in demand are: • Production |
| company together and also supports all of the | | | | • Materials • Accounting • |
| external business processes that the company | | | | Marketing • Human Resource Development |
| engages in. But, if done successfully, the payback is | | | | Some of the industries in which ERP professionals |
| tremendous, and in fiercely competitive | | | | work are insurance, defense and security, |
| environments, enterprises need such integrated | | | | construction, material management, pharmaceutical, |
| approaches to survive. Some of the key traits of | | | | electrical, automobile, and heavy engineering. Pay for |
| ERP system-integrated solutions are: • They | | | | ERP professionals depends on the natures of work |
| address business processes. • They are | | | | they are doing and the experiences they have. For |
| modular. Some of the examples of modules in an ERP | | | | independent consultants, earnings are higher than for |
| include manufacturing, supply chain, financials, | | | | those working for organizations. ERP professionals |
| customer-relationship management, human resources, | | | | work in two areas-implementation and development. |
| warehouse management, and decision-support | | | | Prospective ERP professionals can either work with |
| systems. • They use unified databases to | | | | consultants like Anderson or KPMG, whom software |
| store data for all system modules. • They | | | | providers have certified for developing ERP systems |
| allow companies to reach to their suppliers, | | | | for client companies, or they can join ERP-package |
| customers, and partners. • They address | | | | providers like SAP and Oracle. Companies are |
| almost areas of companies' business functions. | | | | continuously striving to develop the best practices |
| Regardless of the organization's business or charter, | | | | for ERP implementation. One of the factors that will |
| ERP systems are capable of covering all basic | | | | drive the future development of ERP systems is the |
| functions, which make them the preferred choices of | | | | availability of trained personnel, keeping the market |
| just businesses but also non-profit organizations, | | | | for ERP professionals hot. |
| non-governmental organizations, governments, and | | | | |