No one relishes ripping and replacing major business systems, but sometimes you have to bite the bullet. Brian Tinham looks at recent developments as part of WM's IT Shortlist 2013 guide
|
ERP has grown massively in functionality in recent years.
|
When Hillier Nurseries' existing ERP system started to creak at the seams, it sought out a new solution that would be reliable, flexible and meet its every requirement.
|
We're at the dawn of a new era of business process mapping and automation that promises to put the reins of ERP back in the hands of the business.
|
Reengineering a business's processes can have a major impact on efficiency. But when doing so, too many manufacturers are working in the dark, says Infor's Phil Lewis
|
As 2013 beckons, Brian Tinham examines some of the system choices and issues manufacturers probably should be reviewing, if they want their IT to enable business development, rather than hinder it
|
In times of austerity, summoning the courage to start an ERP project may well be a step too far. But it doesn't have to be like that, says Guy Amoroso, who urges a different kind of boldness
|
Manufacturers are often missing vital business-transforming integration opportunities, warns Neil Rushby
|
Harsh business realities have consigned best-of-breed systems to history, argues Rue Dilhe
|
These trends are impacting how manufacturers leverage IT, explains Antony Bourne. Ignore them at your peril
|
Too many businesses buy enterprise applications not designed for their industry, warns Phil Lewis. And 'Facebook for manufacturing'? You'd better believe it
|
To see where companies' IT priorities lie, look no further than the latest economic statistics, says Gordon Fleming
|
Planning a big IT project? Watch out for the effect on the factory floor, warns Kevin Luxton
|
Received wisdom has it that integrating systems is now a walk in the park, compared to the effort required even five years ago. Brian Tinham introduces our special report by challenging that notion
|
Discard the traditional view of enterprise application integration, urge Mark Spencelayh and Mike Goodwin, and adopt a mix and match approach
|
Manufacturers in the know will win by transforming their data into knowledge and actionable intelligence, says Kevin Luxton
|
Integration for integration's sake is not the best approach – instead, says Phil Nicholls, consider how much value can be gained from linking systems and functionality
|
If you choose your ERP partner well, integration with existing and future systems can be as easy as 1, 2, 3 – and price is not necessarily the determinant. Guy Amoroso explains why
|
Lean thinking is very effective at streamlining shopfloors for efficient and cost-reduced demand-driven manufacturing, but sometimes at the expense of flexibility. Brian Tinham examines the differences IT can make – and what might make sense for your operations
|
There are powerful arguments today for changing the way we think about software – even ERP and PLM systems. Brian Tinham brings us up to date
|
'Vanilla' has been the Holy Grail of system-speak for many years, and nowhere more so than with ERP. Brian Tinham explains that it's now easier than you might imagine
|
Selecting new ERP software is only part of the task; successful system implementations also need re-optimised business processes and workflows. Brian Tinham reports
|
Formulating an IT strategy for any manufacturing company – and that includes SMEs – with a planning horizon of, say, 12 to 36 months, is never going to be trivial. In part, that's due to the sheer scale of imponderables. In today's global economic environment, who among us knows with any certainty what he or she will be doing next month, never mind next year? And, with the continuing pace of today's software, hardware and service developments, there is a sense of shifting sands, rather than solid foundations in the underpinning IT.
|
Using IT for effective health and safety management is a must, but there are several ways to do it. Brian Tinham looks at how to get the most from your compliance software
|
To some, it's a mechanism for providing outsourced IT via the internet; to others, a route to virtualisation. Either way, cloud computing is getting some serious hype. Brian Tinham reports
|