Andy Latham
Andy Latham is the Group Managing Director for K3’s Manufacturing and Distribution Division.
Andy has spent nearly his whole IT career developing and implementing ERP systems. He is particularly interested in new technologies and specifically the application of technology to business applications. He has spent many years developing integrated manufacturing solutions with SYSPRO at the core and believes passionately that properly integrated and implemented systems should form the back bone of any modern business.
After nearly 30 years working with SYSPRO, Andy knows the SYSPRO product well. Over the years he has worked in many areas from helpdesk, to implementation, from pre-sales to development and brings a wealth of experience to the team.
In his leisure time Andy enjoys DIY, running, and fishing.
I am a great believer in moving with the times and making sure that I use the most appropriate and up to date technology when delivering solutions to my customers. So I read with interest an article that mirrored my philosophy almost exactly.
I para phrase but in essence the article was warning against choosing ERP systems with ageing core technologies and modern flashy front ends. I couldn’t agree more. Where my views differ slightly is that I believe no single technology can cover all aspects of an ERP system and that it is essential to use a blend of technologies applying the most appropriate to the task in hand. I am also very wary of the next “latest and greatest”, our industry is littered with products written to the latest craze only to find the fashion has been dropped a year later.
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Topics:
ERP systems
The other week I was at a friend’s house having a barbeque when his granddaughter ran out of the house clutching my friend’s iPad asking (in a way that only 4 year old girls can) to watch Peppa Pig. My friend’s reaction was to tell her to put the TV on but the demand came back “NO! On my pad, on my pad”. I watched with interest as my friend downloaded a TV App on to the iPad and showed his granddaughter how to watch Peppa Pig in the garden whilst we continued to cook our lunch.
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Topics:
Business software,
Cloud computing,
ERP systems,
ERP for Manufacturing,
Technology (or Enterprise Technology)
A few weeks ago my ageing TV packed up and it was a sad moment when I threw my trusty appliance of many years onto the tip. I am now the proud owner of a flat screen, HD, Internet connected, "you name it my TV has got it" TV and wondering why I didn't upgrade it a long time ago.
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Topics:
Business software,
ERP Implementation,
ERP systems,
Maintaining/Upgrading ERP,
SYSPRO User Tips
The other week my family banished me to the attic with instructions to get rid of all the stuff I had put up there "that might be useful one day." I soon found myself sitting amidst piles of cardboard boxes reminiscing about school days and my early career in the computer industry. I even found my old beer mat collection from the '70s!
As memories came flooding back about my first job on a support desk it struck me just how much more sophisticated systems have become. I also found myself pondering how difficult it must be working on a support desk nowadays and also just how important a good support desk is to someone trying to implement and run a system.
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Topics:
ERP Implementation,
SYSPRO User Tips
I may be turning into a grumpy old man. Last week my family gave me this dubious honour after a week, where I apparently complained about unruly children in my favourite restaurant (why are children allowed to run riot in public). This included the use of mobile phones in the same restaurant (clearly I was not in a good mood) and the use of "reply all" to emails at work (do I really need 10 copies of the same email).
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Topics:
Business software,
ERP Implementation,
seeker of value,
ERP systems,
Education, Training and Certification
