The busiest knowledge bases in our Web site are those that contain information on enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.

I analyzed the profile of business users who visit our Web site to create mixed-mode ERP selection projects, and examined how that profile has changed over time Read the rest of this entry »

Part 1 of this blog series explained IQMS’ ebullience and growth despite a hostile and depressed environment, especially in manufacturing. IQMS attributes its continued success to its strategy of being the single source for virtually everything a target customer might need, including software development, sales and implementation services, training, and customer service and technical support.

Before delving into the flagship suite’s comprehensive functional footprint, it might be important to describe EnterpriseIQ’s [evaluate this product] technical foundation and performance, which IQMS touts as important parts of its value proposition. Read the rest of this entry »

Food production and distribution is a serious and strategic business, and I am not aware of anyone in my surroundings that takes it lightly; food can not only delight us, but can also make us quite sick and indisposed. While my inner circles (pets included) have luckily not been casualties of recent salmonella, E.coli, and whatnot outbreaks from tainted chilly peppers, tomatoes, spinach, pet food, or most recently peanut butter, the 2008 year-end holidays were not much fun for my family.

Namely, the “G.I. bug” that our 18-month-old likely got in her playgroup spread so quickly and violently to anyone who was in contact with her (including the broader family members that stopped by to just traditionally exchange holiday gifts). Sure, viral gastroenteritis might likely have had nothing to do with what we ate at the time, but the feeling of being listless and other unpleasant (and unspeakable) G.I. bug symptoms were quite similar to those that food poisoning outbreaks can “treat” us to.

Food processing and distribution are not be the only market with burning product safety issues, since similar issues can also apply to the drug and pharmaceuticals sector or consumer packaged goods (CPGs); remember lead-tainted toys or antifreeze-laced toothpaste coming from China? Still, we all seem to be the most sensitive about food-related breaking news, possibly due to the likelihood of those hitting home (perhaps even in a willful way by bio-terrorists).

Thus, some food processing market experts have lately been frustrated by companies’ focus on location and lot control, serial number tracking, and traceability as the panaceas to solve product safety issues. Read the rest of this entry »

Just wanted to thank all the readers who voted and gave us this shortlist of ERP vendors for TurtleSpice:

Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to Week 8 of TurtleSpice ERP! We’re following one company’s software selection process, from beginning to end—with a twist: It’s up to you to make sure comptroller Mike Chelonia stays on track and selects the right ERP system for the company. Cast your vote at the bottom of this post, and next week I’ll move the scenario forward based on the winning answer. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to Week 7 of TurtleSpice ERP! We’re following one company’s software selection process, from beginning to end—with a twist: It’s up to you to make sure comptroller Mike Chelonia stays on track and selects the right ERP system for the company. Cast your vote at the bottom of this post, and next week I’ll move the scenario forward based on the winning answer. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to TurtleSpice ERP! We’re following one company’s software selection process, from beginning to end—with a twist: It’s up to you to make sure comptroller Mike Chelonia stays on track and selects the right ERP system Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to Episode 5 of TurtleSpice ERP, our virtual ERP selection simulator!

We’re following one company’s software selection process, from beginning to end—with a twist: Read the rest of this entry »

The story so far: Mike Chelonia, TurtleSpice’s comptroller, has been tasked to select an ERP system by his CFO. Facing pressure from his VP Wade Sharkey to short-circuit the selection process and select Big Gun Software, Mike gets a reprieve when Wade Sharkey is over-ruled by the CEO.

Now Mike has to decide how to handle TurtleSpice’s business process documentation. When we asked you what you’d do in Mike’s shoes, you voted Read the rest of this entry »

The story so far: Mike Chelonia, TurtleSpice’s comptroller, has been tasked to select an ERP system by his CFO. Swamped by phone calls from software vendors and consultants, and facing pressure from his VP to short-circuit the selection process, Mike faces some tough choices. When we asked you what you would do in Mike’s shoes, Read the rest of this entry »

One of the biggest challenges (or business pain points) for pharmaceutical manufacturers (or life sciences companies) is the long cycles that are required for research and development (R&D) and product approval. This is particularly a challenge for manufacturers of generic drugs, for which cycle times can average 20 months or more (and the full time-to-market period upwards of 12 years).

Why are long cycles a problem?

Read the rest of this entry »

The story so far: Mike Chelonia, TurtleSpice’s comptroller, has been tasked to select an ERP system by his CFO. When we asked you what you thought Mike should do next, you voted overwhelmingly Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to TurtleSpice ERP, our new series on software selection!

We’ll follow one company’s software selection process, from beginning to end—with your help. Read the rest of this entry »

Puzzled by process? Dazed by discrete?

First, let’s understand who should use a discrete ERP application.

Read the rest of this entry »

Maybe just for the sake of change (or some fun), let me start this blog post as a quiz question. It could go like this:

Can anyone name the mid-market incumbent manufacturing and distribution-oriented enterprise resource planning (ERP) vendor that has a global presence (through regional territory distribution centers and a global reseller network in the United States [US], Canada, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Australia and the United Kingdom [UK]), an install base of 12,000 companies in over 60 countries, and the channel consisting of a few hundred value added resellers (VARs) that contribute to about 85 percent of its revenues?

As some helping tips, the privately-held vendor was incorporated in 1978 in South Africa, and has since grown organically (with no major acquisitions thus far) to about $60 million in revenues. Well, for those (rare few I suspect) that have guessed we are talking here about SYSPRO, may I boldly suggest an audition for the “Jeopardy” (or like) quiz show?

In any case, for nearly 30 years, SYSPRO has been offering a broad range of extended-ERP solutions for small and mid-sized manufacturing and distribution organizations (the sweet spot being the companies with US$10 million to US$250 million in revenues).

I believe that SYSPRO has survived largely unscathed through all the mayhem and carnage in its market via the right combination of product and technologies, plus a successful “partner-dominant” go-to-market strategy that can (and should) be leveraged more aggressively going forward. Read the rest of this entry »