Blog Region Test

In my last blog I mentioned my home make-over and my feelings about it that range from jubilant to wretched, depending on which day you catch me. This process has once again reinforced my belief that solid relationships are paramount to the success of any endeavor.  I learnt that one of the most important considerations when choosing a contractor is their clear understanding of your vision and your required outcome. The ‘personal touch’ should never be underestimated. 

Renovations can be exhausting and frustrating but oddly exhilarating at the same time. During my recent home makeover, as I bounced between building suppliers, sanitary ware outlets and roof truss manufacturers, I got to thinking about service levels that stand out. It struck me that the difficult decisions, inconveniences and stresses of any project can be minimized by excellent service.

When asked to think about sustainable energy within a business environment, I’m sure that integrated databases, Business Intelligence dashboards, web design and cloud computing are not the first thoughts that come to mind. Instead you are probably picturing recycle bins, wind turbines and solar panels.

Some people like cars, some have an affinity for sport, while others can discuss the sheen of their pet’s coat for hours on end. We all have our own weaknesses … or strengths depending on where you stand on dog fur. My passion is food. Sometimes healthy, occasionally cholesterol-inducing, butter soaked sheer indulgence.

A few weeks ago, myself and one of my colleagues travelled to Johannesburg to catch up with the Emerging Technologies team at SYSPRO.  Our primary goal was to get up-to-speed with the latest developments in SYSPRO Workflow in SYSPRO 7 and gain an appreciation of how SYSPRO’s implementations of Workflow in South Africa are significantly impacting their manufacturing and distribution businesses for the better.

In my previous blog on Architecting your business I discussed the broader benefits that can be gained from applying an architectural approach to your business, the information, the processes and technology.

But the benefits will not be realized if your architecture does not take into account the people in your business, as well as the workflows.

Architecting for people.

We have all heard it before, ‘Sustainable Competitive Advantage’, ‘Return on Investment’, ‘Increase sales by x%’. Terms often bandied about by ERP vendors in a generalist manner citing studies and research in these areas. However, if we unpack these terms and how organizations view them vs. how ERP vendors use them, there is often little congruence between the two and mistrust and skepticism is often created.

Should an ERP system be customized? That is a question asked by many companies. Although some people say it should never be done, in almost every ERP project one of the first user requests is for customization.

If you accept that customization is a fact of ERP life, then what criteria should the project owner use to select and prioritize customizations? One objective framework for deciding on customization has been provided by consultant and author Geoffrey Moore. In his book ‘Dealing with Darwin’ Moore proposed the concept of 'core' and 'context' as a way to prioritize growth strategies, but the concept can also be extended to ERP customization.

Successful manufacturing today hinges on reacting quickly to changes in market trends by accessing information for business-critical decisions. Because of this, never before has ERP been more mission critical for manufacturers.

Recently, a colleague’s daughter travelling between South Africa, England and the US bought, a return train ticket for £48 but missed the departing train due to a flight delay. The result: she was charged the full price of a new ticket (£65), even though she was still going to be catching the return train – and even though the train was almost empty.