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ERP Solutions (summary)
What is ERP? ERP software helps integrate management, staff, and equipment, combining all aspects of the business into one system in order to facilitate every element of the manufacturing process. ERP groups traditional company and management functions (such as accounting, HR, manufacturing management, and CRM) into a coherent whole. Manufacturing management also includes inventory, purchasing, and quality and sales management.

ERP Successes (summary)
Hard to get a handle on why projects succeed. Also hard to wade through sales fluff, technical jargon, and buzzwords. Most case studies suggest that success is the result of spectacularly competent software. True?

Selection Failures (summary)
Hershey, Nike, Avis, Grainger… some high-profile selection failures out there. Failure of selection or failure of implementation? Both? “Twenty percent of all IT selection projects end up as shelfware.” How come? Vendors over-promise / under-deliver, managers fail to define specifications?

Organizational Requirements (quoted from TEC material)
To develop your initial list of requirements and help drive consensus, it’s essential to conduct some form of business process modeling (BPM). BPM is a model or description of how a company conducts its business. In other words, it’s a method of documenting business processes. It is a prerequisite for any internal process improvement and can help businesses develop a list of requirements in order to select the software solution that is right for them.

One of the main reason software implementations fail is because companies lack a clear understanding of their business needs. BPM eliminates this problem, as it requires an organization to document its business processes first.

BPM in 3 steps

1. Document business process workflows across all departments and functional areas.
2. Transform your “as is” processes into “to be” processes, reflecting where you need your business to grow.
3. Map your to-be processes onto a software feature and function model that will allow to you clearly communicate your needs to software vendors.

Advantages of BPM

1. Ensure that all functional requirements are included in your request for information (RFI) and eventual request for proposal (RFP).
2. Identify your customization requirements early on, making them part of your decision—not a consequence of it.
3. Map your business processes to features and functions that vendors can understand and accurately respond to.
4. Make sure you are implementing the right software solution—the one that meets your business needs.
5. Save time and money while simplifying the process.

BPM helps you distinguish the relationship existing between business units, identify any unnecessary processes, and assess what needs to be improved.

Other Research
Common Hurdles During the ERP Selection Process And How You Can Avoid Them
How Successful ERP Selections Are Made
ERP Risk Mitigation
11 Criteria for Selecting the Best ERP System Replacement
The ROI of ERP: Proven Implementation Methodology Is the Determining Factor
How to Choose an ERP System for Process Manufacturing
15 Questions You Should Ask Any Potential ERP Software Supplier
Software Evaluation and Software Selection
Evaluating Enterprise Software - Business Process or Feature/Function-Based Approach? All the above, Perhaps? (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3)

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