ANÁLISIS DE ALGUNAS EXPOSICIONES TEMPORALES

Considering the opportunities and the risks of implementing an EBS solution, executives need to have a well-defined strategy that includes both system selection as well as objectives to be attained. In a 2009 report [12], the Aberdeen Group identified the main drivers (in order of rank) of ERP software acquisition as cost reduction, need to manage growth, need to improve customer experience, need to improve customer response time, and interoperability issues. When contrasted with the 2007 report, which showed managing growth as the most important and reducing cost second to last, the 2009 report reflects how changes in the business climate, such as the recession of 2008–2009, can impact decisions regarding EBS implementation objectives.

Executives today have five alternatives before them when choosing an EBS solution. Deciding on an option is governed by several factors including length of implementation time, cost, flexibility and complexity of software, quality of the solution, fit to the enterprise, and intensity of staff training.

Build

◾ . In this option a company decides to build its own EBS. In the past this option was distinctly unfavorable, but with today’s new composite-applica- tion tools or by engaging an inexpensive, high-quality third party developer, such as Infosys, this option has become viable especially among many non- manufacturing organizations.

Buy

◾ . Today this approach is the most common. According to a recent report, there are available about 52 ERP/SCM software products from 32 vendors, and there are many more out there, with new ERP software packages, ERP add-ons, and utilities appearing regularly. These packages can be divided into Tier 1 (very expensive, complex software for very large companies) and Tier 2 (less complex, or software with special industry functionality) for small- to medium-sized companies [13].

Best-of-Breed.

◾ This option consists in acquiring highly specialized point solu- tion, say transportation management (TMS), and then interfacing it with existing systems. The advantage is that a point solution contains significant depth and agility to handle a special business problem than what is available in a standard EBS. The disadvantages center on implementation and integra- tion costs, upgrade maintenance, and risk of vendor viability [14].

Rent.

◾ In this approach a company does not own the software but rather rents it via hosting or an alternative provider. Today, the emergence of new players and the growth of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) have made this option more attractive. This option enables companies to minimize risk, cut costs associ- ated with IT staffing, leverage deployment flexibility, and enjoy speedy use of the application functionality without long implementation time frames. Outsource.

◾ Some companies have decided to let service suppliers run key pro- cesses for them via business process outsourcing or strategic outsourcing. The goal is to eliminate the cost of IT equipment and overhead. This option is often pursued by very small companies with limited capitalization.

Regardless of the option selected, Chaffey [15] has identified nine major criteria that should be referenced when selecting a software system. They are these:

Functionality:

◾ the array of resident applications and they level of fit to com- pany business processes.

Ease of Use:

◾ the speed by which users can overcome the functional learning curve and the transparency of the applications relative to company processes. Performance:

◾ the processing speeds by which data can be entered, calculated, maintained, and retrieved.

Scalability:

◾ the ability of the user to enable or disable software modules dur- ing implementation and as the company’s demands on the software expand. Interoperability:

◾ the ease with which the software can be interfaced, inte- grated, or networked to other software systems.

Extensibility:

◾ the ease with which modifications or software enhancements

can be made to the base software product. Stability/Reliability:

◾ the software’s basic data integrity and freedom from bugs

or invalid calculations. Security:

◾ capability of restricting access to users, groups of users, or outside- the-organization partners and customers.

Support

◾ : the quality of implementation assistance, ongoing consulting, docu- mentation, and training.

Vendor Viability

◾ : financial strength of the vendor organization to provide periodic system enhancements and ongoing support and services.

To ensure effective due diligence, executives need to ensure a match between the needs of the business and the technical solutions available. Best-in-class busi- ness system project teams should follow the steps below to help contain their proj- ect scope, duration, cost, and overall business risk:

1. Ensure executives outside of IT are involved in the vendor evaluation and planning process. This ensures that the entire executive team will be on board to help identify all of the real benefits and hidden costs of the project. 2. Allocate sufficient time for the evaluation process. Companies should spend

at least three to four months on the selection and planning process. Large organizations should plan to spend even more time on this step.

3. Develop an actionable, realistic business case identifying operational business benefits and key performance indicators during and after the implementation.

4. Develop a realistic project plan and implementation timeframe and the mechanisms to keep it accurate and timely. This is a primary cause of project cost overruns.

5. The organization should be prepared for an EBS. An EBS often obsoletes long-standing manual processes and outdated technologies. Such a shock will necessitate a significant change-management effort comprehensive enough to ensure management and the workforce fully understands the risks and pos- sible impact on the existing corporate culture.