In our previous planning tip, we discussed how to maintain timely and accurate planning data. In this final series of tips, we cover the day-in-the-life planning procedures that flow from the planning engine’s outputs.
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Whether businesses like it or not, they have to be agile to succeed. If managing extreme economic volatility wasn’t challenging enough, businesses also have to contend with shifts caused by natural disasters (e.g., the Japanese supply disruption), faster cycles of technological innovation and obsolescence, and structural shifts in the labour market.
Many companies running Infor Baan ERP software are reaching a crucial juncture. Do they upgrade to Infor’s ERP LNsoftware (now eloquently called Infor10 Enterprise (LN)) , stick with their current software or expand the search to include other vendors.
Syspro (Pty) Ltd develops and markets Syspro, an ERP system designed exclusively for manufacturing and wholesale distribution companies. Syspro targets small to mid-sized businesses with both on-premise and hosted deployment options. Many businesses are compelled by Syspro’s value proposition, which is based on it being a small business serving small businesses.
Syspro – a niche ERP vendor– is like a sniper who won’t let its target out of its sights.
The company is uniquely focused on small to mid-sized manufacturers and wholesale distributors. And, it seems that this focus drives its every move, including: corporate strategy, product development and marketing.
Plex Systems Inc. develops and markets Plex Online, an ERP system designed exclusively for manufacturing companies. Plex only offers its software as a service (SaaS is defined below), in the cloud. In other words, companies don’t have the option to license the software and install it on their own servers. They can only subscribe to it and access it via the internet.
As we close out 2010, I reflect on an ERP system selection project that we’re just now wrapping up in time for the holidays. The client runs a multi-site manufacturing and distribution business. It is a strategic supplier to big-box retailers and leads the market in its product category.
Our client – a mid-sized manufacturer and distributor – recently participated in ERP software demonstrations. From its perspective, these demonstrations collectively constituted the single-most important phase of its ERP selection project. Why? Because it was our client’s only opportunity to test-drive the ERP alternatives before making a purchase.
