In the book Thinking About ERP, the authors suggest ERP is no longer a competitive advantage. It is now a competitive disadvantage not to have an ERP, or to select one that doesn’t operate efficiently and effectively.
Year: 2014
Preparing for change
Since December 2013 a record breaking 200% increase in rainfall in southern areas of the UK has brought about widespread flooding. Low lying areas close to rivers have seen the worst impact, and this has been compounded by increased rainfall on already sodden ground. With temperatures now dropping below freezing (it’s the UK winter months), there is the additional danger of ice, making deadly those areas already flooded.
Seeing the news reports of flooded property and ruined farmland saddens me, but it also reminds me of similar incidents the year before… and I ask myself the question: “why don’t people learn from past flooding events, and why are people not more prepared?”
The Long Game of ERP Projects
2013 ended in tragedy for a couple of my friends when their eldest son slipped away in his sleep. Tom’s condition of Athetoid Cerebral Palsy not only cut his life short, it also severely impacted his everyday activities, but that never stopped him taking enjoyment from life or being “a cheeky young blighter.”
Four tips for starting an ERP project
We have previously discussed how an ERP system can help a business, and also provided some suggestions on how to select an ERP solution. But if you have read some of the stories about ERP project problems you might wonder if it is worth the risk. The answer to this is twofold.
A New Year’s Learning Resolution
My New Year usually begins with commitments to joining a gym, losing weight, and giving up bad habits. Typically, by the last week of January, at least one of them is already in the bin – most probably because I didn’t have an execution plan for it.
The Transitional Period
Born within 2 miles of the K3 Syspro offices in Salford, Manchester, I am also proud to be a staunch Manchester United (soccer) fan (who also play 3.5miles from our offices). In the last 60 years, Man U has been extremely lucky not only to have had just a handful of managers in this time, but to have had a notable two clocking up 52 years’ service between them; with almost identical reigns of around 26 years apiece. This is unprecedented in the world of English football as it is in any other sport you can think of in the world. However, in 2012 our most recent managerial stalwart hung up his boots, so to speak, and we now have a new man in charge.
An Element of Passion
Most of our daily interactions are guided by what we expect from different types of relationships. With family we hope for reliability, security and protection. From friends we ask for loyalty and support. With lovers we demand excitement and intimacy. But it’s the social commitment we form with our colleagues that interests me here, our collective expectation that everyone will “Get the Job Done.”
Taking the little guy into the complex supply chain
It’s encouraging to see we are entering an era in which everyone, no matter how small their business, is able to participate in the global economy. Thanks to mobile and ERP, even smallholder farmers are now being brought into the complex supply chain, allowing them to benefit from more efficient and cost effective channels to a larger market.
Owning Change
As an ERP practitioner I have ranted and raved about change management for longer then I care to admit, and to be honest, I considered myself something of a change junkie: happy to adapt and certainly eager to move forward with new technology and the like.
