Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software

[CaptainCrunch]

The biggest thing that changes well a lot changes but the automation of work and data flow. And the ability to have enhanced reporting.

Not only do you need to understand what goes into a system and where. But you have to understand what you want to be able to get out of the system and when.

Reporting is everything

[oilyfan]

Agree with CC wholeheartedly. Reporting is the beginning and the end of determining the worth of a good ERP. There is no point putting in reams of data, barcoding, RFID's, transacting on the floor if the reports are hard to find, or a PITA to develop.

[calumniate]

Except that reporting can always be done through the backend if you have the right kind of knowledge and resources.

I find that the reporting modules of ERP's are mostly bandaided on and limiting, especially if you end up going through a certain amount of customization. If the information in your ERP is solid and accurate, it shouldn't be problematic to create reports via different platforms. In my mind a good ERP is one that is designed to capture the info in the best way possible.

[CaptainCrunch]

True enough, its dependent on expectation rather then anything else. For the most part most midlevel ERP's don't have the greatest tool kit for report building, mostly its about modifying one of the several hundred reports in the system that are available.

The old saying garbage in garbage out also comes heavily into play. Understanding the information requirements to get you to an end product is cruicial, and how you gather this information.

Over the last little while there have been some really neat reporting bolt on systems that allow you to easily access any information in your system and turn it into meaningful reportable data. Something like biznet is very cool in being able to generate reports, report automation and workflow via excel.

[CaptainCrunch]

The simplest definition is a enterprise software system that driven by integrated software modules that supports a businesses internal processes while providing less points of entry and advanced business intelligence and automated workflow.

In other words its software that basically tracks and manages every aspect of your software including finance.

[calumniate]

Yep, and to simplify even further it likely captures and houses your hr, finance and core business / transactional data. CRM appears to be somewhat optional with these things, which I find is a little bizarre.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by calumniate

Yep, and to simplify even further it likely captures and houses your hr, finance and core business / transactional data. CRM appears to be somewhat optional with these things, which I find is a little bizarre.

Yeah, for the most part a lot of organizations already have a CRM, which while there are integration paths you never get a proper workflow, or they don't want to spend the extra cost to get a CRM and want to only start the workflow when a sale is made for example.