Research Articles Base: Enterprise Systems

Essay on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

ERP impact to organizations The focus of enterprise resource planning (ERP) is to facilitate the exchange of manufacturing and related information and knowledge throughout a company (Thierauf 2001).  Software vendors usually sell it in suites containing modules such as purchasing, point of sale, manufacturing, inventory, job costing, bill of materials, payroll, and audit trail. In essence, ERP can speed up business processes, reduce costs, increase selling opportunities, improve quality and customer satisfaction, and measure results continuously (Thierauf 2001). The modern business enterprise is a complex social and economic organization, operating in a world of uncertainty. ERP is an approach to business planning that attempts to allocate business resources in quantity and time to activities in an effort to produce the best return on value for the business stakeholders (Jacko & Sears 2003).  The ERP system integrates all processes and data of an organization into a unified system.  The ERP system uses various computer hardware and software systems to integrate information acquired from various sources.  Through the ERP system a better business process was made by Adidas and efficient service was given by the organization to its clients. The ERP system helped Adidas provide better services to their clients in a much faster time. The ERP system made sure that proper use of resources was made so that the demands of the clients can be met. On the other hand ERP system was used by Wal-Mart as a basis of its supply chain management system. Wal-Mart made full use of ERP systems to design a supply chain management system that will answer a certain need in a foreign or domestic market.   ERP advantages for management functions Enterprise resource planning technologies integrate all of the information within a single enterprise. Workplaces enable companies to collaborate in value webs that provide better products and services to their customers along the product value chain and, ultimately, to consumers. Integration reduces costs as processes become standardized, predictable, and streamlined (Duray & Vering 2001).  By fusing data to the actions they parallel, enterprise-centric ERP software tightly integrates all of the information and processes within an enterprise. Integrating legacy systems requires comprehensive IT solutions and manual procedures. ERP provides real-time update and verification of company information and seamless integration to critical business processes. It standardizes on one central data model and one central process model and facilitates change through corporate-specific configuration. Implementing ERP may involve many structural changes that can require a huge initial investment (Duray & Vering 2001). ERP systems are used by managers of Sony Corporation to control a project through setting boundaries on costing, billing, time and expense, performance units and activity management. ERP systems help Sony Corporation create the boundaries or limits that will determine if a project goes over the line. ERP systems are used by managers of Dell Computers to set up a good relationship with both the clients and the personnel. ERP systems are be used to create means for customer contact and call center support and communication systems for personnel. This helps in making sure that employees and clients can develop a good rapport with the firm.   References Duray, D & Vering, M 2001, The E-business workplace: Discovering the Power of enterprise portals, Wiley, New York. Jacko, JA & Sears, A (eds.) 2003, The human-computer interaction handbook: fundamentals, evolving technologies, and emerging applications, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ. Thierauf, RJ 2001, Effective business intelligence systems, Quorum Books, Westport, CT.   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Essay on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

ERP impact to organizations The focus of enterprise resource planning (ERP) is to facilitate the exchange of manufacturing and related i...

Value Chain Model

Section 2. Enterprise Systems.  (1)       Value chain model developed by Michael Porter (Porter, 1985), it included two parts: primary activities and support activities.  For primary activities, there were five activities included Inbound Logistics, Operations, Outbound Logistics, Marketing and Sales and Services. All activities were sequentially adding value to the profit margin.  For support activities, it included a firm’s infrastructure: Human Resources Management, Technology Development and Procurement.  All those activities were inter-supportive and sustained to primary activities. In Restoration case, they bought in raw material and storage for making furniture, hardware and home accessories (inbound logistics).  Then, turning raw materials into finished goods (operation) and ready for packaging, storing or shipping to consumers (outbound logistics) by displaying in 103 retail stores across USA and Canada.  Marketing and Sales would create demand by different promotion channels such as eCataglogue and mail-order catalogue. At last, reached the Services stage that included providing after-sale service such as maintenance or warranty services, but Restoration has not provided this kind of service.   For competitive forces model, it also developed by Michael Porter (Porter, 1985). It included five forces in market to analysis a company’s competitiveness.  The five forces included the threat of new competitors; bargaining power of suppliers; bargaining power of buyers; threat of substitute products or services and the rivalry among existing firms in the industry.  Referred to Restoration, their existing competitors included Pottery Barn, Pier 1 and Williams Sonoma.  The bargaining power of Restoration of suppliers was weak as they relied on a single vendor with no contracts to protect their benefits and restrict the risk.  As the loss of the bargaining power with vendors, then the product price would keep in high and lower the company competitiveness from competitors.   By the end of 2003, the revenue dropped unexpectedly and Restoration decided to upgrade management skill, cut off poor selling products and closing shops with poor performance but no improvement to the IT infrastructure.   (2)        Restoration Hardware business was start from merchandise furniture, hardware and home accessories in classic American style.  Its revenue was direct-to-customer ventures by selling their products through several channels: 103 retail chain stores across USA and Canada; print mail-order catalog and company’s website “RestorationHardware.com”. The revenue was mainly come from mail-order catalog and web site operations with 51% and 52% respectively in 2003.  On the other hand, Restoration employed 3,500 employees in which only 1,400 were full time staff, they saved the expenses in employees benefit.  In order to increase the on-line shoppers, Restoration has invested in improving its e-commerce software to maximize the capacity.  In addition, Restoration intended to improve the search engine to be more user-friendly by bought in a One Step natural language and navigation software from iPhrase Technologies.  Moreover, Restoration has also bought in Scene7’s eCatalog solution to develop an advanced image-viewing features and colorizer feature to give consumer a comprehensive product details.   (3)        In view of management and organization, Restoration did not have a comprehensive business plan to provide a full picture of company mission and expectation since most of the top executives were from merchandising background who lack of management skill.  In every year, it should have a year plan to forecast the sales trend in coming year and indicate an action plan in order to achieve the goal.  In the operation with suppliers / vendors, it was necessary to have a contract and purchase order to list out all terms and conditions, product cost, quantity, delivery time etc to protect both parties when dealing business.  Furthermore, Restoration did not have a proper financial control in handling funds, investment and operation expenditure.  In technology part, Restoration has input several software from time to time to improve and upgrade the e-commerce business channel to be effectiveness and increase the market share and sales.  Unfortunately, the large portion of IT investment without planning and in a short period of time, it lowered the company’s revenue and affected the investment in other operation expenses such as inventory control.     (4)        Restoration has no ability to keep its inventory in line according to consumer needs as they did not have a plan to upgrade the logistic software and improve the supply chain control system.  In retail business, a “Just-in-time” inventory control played an important role to satisfy consumer needs, reduce the inventory cost and to strengthen the company competitiveness.    (5)       First of all, Restoration has to upgrade their aging information technology infrastructure.  Adding debit card purchase service to facilitate the payment procedure. Thirdly, to link all retail shops and warehouse of inventory status to reduce manpower, resources and time saving in stock checking. To forecast the consumer trend in making appropriate arrangement of stock control.  To evaluate and cooperate with one software company for IT infrastructure system improvement as they could fully understand to provide service what the company actually needs, avoid wasting manpower and reduce cost.  The system should gather all sales, inventory and pricing data for related parties in analyse, forecast and control purpose. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Value Chain Model

Section 2. Enterprise Systems . (1) Value chain model developed by Michael Porter (Porter, 1985), it included two parts: pri...

Multi-National Enterprise

EFFECTS OF CULTURES AND GOVERNMENT LAWS ON GLOBAL EXPATRIATE STAFFING STRATEGIES OF MULTI-NATIONAL ENTERPRISES by:       Introduction               Multinational enterprises (Manes) are the engines of globalization and the key actors in international business.  An MEN is defined as a firm with production and/or distribution facilities in two or more countries.  (2001, pp.3,7). The Manes play a vital role in globalization through worldwide investments, global business transactions and exchange of skills and knowledge across national boundaries. Since Manes conduct business in several countries through its headquarters and subsidiaries, its operation faces complex issues.    Cultures, government laws, human resource management policies, politics are just some of the entities that Manes have to deal with in its operation and sustainability.  According to Briscoe and Schuler (2004) government policy and the integration of cultures and values through the impact of global communication are two of the more specific drivers of globalization.  These two factors also have their implications in many facets of MEN operation including its human resource management activities.     (pp. 14-15).      Human Resource Management in Multi-National Enterprises     When businesses internationalize, human resource concerns, such as staffing, executive development, compensation, and labor relations require globally savvy International Human Resource Management professionals to facilitate international business success.  Some internationalization concerns faced by an MEN include how to merge the cultures, languages, and general work expectations of employees from different countries, and how to respond to employees who bring to their new work situations sometimes very different attitudes toward supervision and have very different expectations related to the practice of management.  The different communication and business practice styles, motivation philosophies, and organizational structures and frequent lack of understanding of the host-country cultures, markets, employment laws and practices, and language, by the parent company, can cause difficulty for the local human resource manager. (Briscoe and Schuler 2004, pp. 15,23-24). Studies suggest that the host country’s legal, cultural, social, economic, and political environment are major external factors which have an impact on Manes’ approach to the management of labor.  In doing so, it is suggested that despite the growing phenomenon of globalization and the international economy, the nation state continues to exert sovereignty over its people and territory.  Manes are said to be faced with a “think global”, “act local” paradox.  While multinationals are pursuing global expansion and integration, they are forced to be responsive to the demands in each area in the countries and regions within which they operate.  Furthermore, types of government policies and the nature of legal and labor conditions influence Manes’ strategies and policies by either encouraging or impeding certain industrial relations practices.  Examples of this are setting quotas in hiring and giving priority to certain nationalities.                         (Bandar nod.).  According to (2001) many of the largest Manes have been observed to act within the parameters of regulations and rules set by governments and international organizations.  (p.7). Furthermore, many people working abroad lack knowledge or sensitivity to cultural differences which often results in mistakes during interactions on the job and privately.  The cultural issue makes the interaction with people from other cultures a challenge for those working abroad.  It is therefore important to learn about other cultures or at least understand and pay attention to the fact that there exist different cultures.  (Tran and Wong 2006, p. 22).   Learning languages is also very helpful.  Manes need to learn to cope internationally with issues like selecting and preparing people for working and managing in other countries, negotiating and conducting business in foreign locales, and capitalizing on and absorbing that learning throughout their international operations. At the core of success in these endeavors is the need for cultural awareness and understanding of effects of culture on day-to-day business operations. (Briscoe and Schuler 2004, p. 115). Maybe (2000) wrote that other societal institutions and characteristics, the legal system, and government policies, could also exert influences on Human Resource Management (HRM) strategies and their implementation. (p. 129). Many multinational firms dispatch expatriate managers and other senior staff to their subsidiaries in order to maintain their integration into a coherent whole.  The ways in which multinational firms manage their expatriates, in terms of pre-assignment preparation, and post-assignment support, are different from one another. And there appears to be a home-country imprint on differences between companies in this regard, which may also have implications for their performance.  (Maybe 2000, pp. 141,143-144).   Since expatriation is still a primary method of staffing in most multi-national enterprises, the expatriates need to be prepared.  The most valuable preparation tool is training.  However, training of expatriates takes on a whole new meaning in light of the diverse social, cultural and political environment involved.  Briscoe and Schuler (2004) said that training for cross-cultural adjustment should focus on three things: to become aware that behaviors vary across cultures, different than what they are used to, and work at observing these differences quite carefully; to build a mental map of the new culture so they can understand why the local people value certain behaviors and ideas and how those behaviors and ideas may be appropriately reproduced; and to practice the behaviors they will need to be effective in their overseas assignments. (p. 280).  There are also seven imperatives as key to global organizational learning and training and development.  The seven imperatives are the following: ·         Think and act globally – A global enterprise must think about and prepare for a presence in all the critical markets in the world, not just its home region. ·         Become an equidistant global learning organization – Learning from all cultures anytime, in any manner possible, must be facilitated. ·         Focus on the global system, not its parts - Development programs need to focus on breaking down the silos of departments and even the boundaries between countries and those that separate customers and suppliers and focus on the “big picture” of global organizational system. ·         Develop global leadership skills – Global leadership requires competencies different from those needed in the domestic marketplace. These should be the focus of global training and development programs. ·         Empower teams to create a global future – Multinational and cross-border teams should be increasingly used and empowered to perform critical organizational projects and problem-solving activities.  In addition, multinational teams can be a major tool in the development of cross-cultural competencies. ·         Make learning a core competence for the global organization – The global organization needs to become a global learning organization, where learning and development permeates all that the organization does; and  ·         Regularly reinvent yourself and the global organization – Constant self-development must become the cornerstone of strategies for success for both individuals and organizations in today’s highly competitive global economy. (p. 263). Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Multi-National Enterprise

EFFECTS OF CULTURES AND GOVERNMENT LAWS ON GLOBAL EXPATRIATE STAFFING STRATEGIES OF MULTI-NATIONAL ENTERPRISES by: Introductio...

Australia’s Biggest Enterprises

The introduction of a regime of financial reporting standards is making its mark on the accounts of Australia’s biggest enterprises, and surprising many.  Speak to chief financial officers of companies on the BRW 1000 list about the new international accounting standards and you will see a lot of hand-wringing and hear a lot of complaints about how difficult the transition was this year. But what they do not often mention is that they had a lot of scope to minimise the effect of the new Australian equivalent international financial reporting standards on their accounts. On average, companies were able to adjust their net profits up under the new rules -some by more than 100 per cent.  All listed and most private companies had to adopt AIFRS for their first full-year accounts after January 1, 2005. Last year, they were also required to provide figures compliant with AIFRS to compare with their figures under the old regime, the Australian generally accepted accounting principles (AGAAP).  An analysis of both figures for the top 50 listed companies on the BRW 1000 finds that their net profits were restated up by 5 per cent on average under AIFRS in 2005. IBISWorld’s analysis also reveals many companies had to make some big adjustments to their figures under AIFRS: their revenues and net profits were adjusted (both up and down) by 10 per cent on average and assets restated by an average of 12 per cent.  Two academics, Professor Kamran Ahmed of La Trobe University and Dr John Goodwin of RMIT University, undertook an analysis of the 1387 companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange to see how they coped with the transition. Their research found that companies adjusted their profits up under the AIFRS rules by 5.9 per cent to .79 million, on average, in their 2005 annual accounts.  An audit partner of the accounting firm BDO, Wayne Basford, says he is surprised by the results produced by IBISWorld and the academics. He expected that AIFRS would have forced most companies to mark their profits down. “Everything in IFRS is set up to recognise costs earlier and delay the recognition of revenue. So it is really strange [to see] statistics that say profit has gone up.”  But Goodwin says further analysis shows most companies had to reduce their reported net profit under the new rules. However those that adjusted up, did so by amounts that more than outweighed the majority of companies adjusting down.  Listed property companies marked up their profits substantially in 2005, because under the new rules, changes in the market value of their properties are now reflected in their profit-and-loss statements. Beneficiaries included Centro Properties Group (whose profit increased by 331 per cent), Westfield Group (216 per cent) and CFS Gandel Retail Trust (146 per cent).  There were also, in many cases, big increases in profits under AIFRS because goodwill is no longer amortised over time. The biggest beneficiaries for this reason were Ansell (377 per cent increase in net profit), DCA Group (223 per cent), Symbion Health (120 per cent) and Babcock & Brown Infrastructure Group (108 per cent). Under AGAAP, goodwill bought in from an acquisition was written down over a 20-year period, which was counted in the company’s profit-and-loss statement.  Accountants say it should not be underestimated how much companies were able to minimise any negative effects on their accounts during the move to IFRS. Basford says property developers had a “lucky one-off windfall” by being able to count some of their sales twice during the transition. He says developers always try to sign big deals shortly before the end of the financial year to boost revenue. But when the rules changed, they were able to restate the property sales in their 2005 accounts for deals signed at the end of 2003-04 that were already recorded in their 2004 accounts. Adjustments were made in the 2005 accounts by reducing the retained earnings in the balance sheet, which would have gone unnoticed by many.  “Analysts would have to be aware of the underlying trends. You could definitely have that revenue in twice [if comparative figures from the previous year's accounts are not checked],” Basford says.  Another way companies could benefit from the transition was to enter expenses in their balance sheets under AGAAP and then write them off under the new rules, Basford says. For example, the start-up costs for new divisions would be recorded as assets under AGAAP. But in the 2006 accounts under AIFRS, those costs would be restated in the 2005 income statement. The profit results in 2006, and the following years, would be boosted because the start-up costs were recorded in the past rather than in future years. “There are lots of presentation issues that would lead you to believe that IFRS has improved the P&L (profit-and-loss statement),” Basford adds.  Exemptions during the transition phase to AIFRS also gave companies opportunities to improve their profit results and balance sheets. “It is going to take two or three years before we clear the decks of these exemptions,” a partner of Ernst & Young’s AIFRS on-call advisory group, Mark Seddon, says.  For example, companies were allowed to choose whether to apply the rules on recognising goodwill for acquisitions made before July 1, 2004. “The broad principle of IFRS is you apply them as though you always had those rules,” Seddon says. “But [some exemptions on transition] allowed companies to do some cherry-picking. Some would have gone back and applied IFRS to an acquisition they did two years before [the transition date] so they could get a better-looking balance sheet or result.”  Another area of AIFRS that companies might look to exploit is when revenue is recognised for bundled contracts. Andrew Archer, an audit partner at accounting firm Grant Thornton, says the AIFRS standard on this issue is vague compared with the equivalent in the United States. He believes the AIFRS standard leaves ground for companies to record revenue earlier than they should. For example, an information technology company that wins a contract to deliver a software product may try to book revenue in the current year’s accounts for providing support in subsequent years. “More aggressive companies may look to argue that it is all part of delivering the contract to bring forward the timing of the recognition of that income,” he says. “There is not the same level of detail within IFRS on revenue. It is a little bit looser and that gives people the latitude to argue a more aggressive policy.”  A question of interpretation  Shifting to the new international financial reporting standards was not easy for the accountants at Australia’s biggest company, BHP Billiton. The company’s manager of policy and governance, Brett Rix, in an address to the Institute of Chartered Accountants’ conference on AIFRS, described the transition as “an experience he would rather forget”.  In the end, BHP Billiton’s net profit for the 2005 financial year was adjusted down by $US2 million (.6 million) and its net assets reduced by $US427 million (or 2.4 per cent of its total). The three-year project to move to AIFRS cost the company about million.  Rix said one of the biggest problems was obtaining guidance about how to apply the new standards to the accounts. Under IFRS, the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee in London is responsible for issuing interpretations of how the standards should be applied. Its track record has been to issue very few compared with the requests it receives.  Rix says when he sought guidance from IFRIC on whether royalties and similar arrangements were captured under the accounting standard on income tax, the committee responded that it could not form a conclusion based on the principles in the relevant standard.  BHP Billiton was left to devise its own policy. It classifies petroleum resource rent tax as an income tax, a decision endorsed by the Australian Accounting Standards Board, but different to all other Australian companies paying the same tax.  Rix comments that if his company – and others, such as rival Rio Tinto – are interpreting the rules differently, then it defeats the purpose of international reporting standards because it becomes difficult to compare their accounts.  BHP Billiton is not alone in its frustration with IFRIC. Ernst & Young’s Mark Seddon says: “The IFRIC, more often than not when asked to consider a particular issue, has been somewhat unhelpful by saying, ‘the standard is quite clear’, but yet not providing any great insight into why they think the standard is clear.”    Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Australia’s Biggest Enterprises

The introduction of a regime of financial reporting standards is making its mark on the accounts of Australia’s biggest enterprises, a...

EXPLAIN AND EVALUATE THE CONVENTIONAL PRODUCTION STRATEGIES USED BY TRANSNATIONAL ENTERPRISES (TNEs): ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS

EXPLAIN AND EVALUATE THE CONVENTIONAL PRODUCTION STRATEGIES USED BY TRANSNATIONAL ENTERPRISES (TNEs): ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS

These courseworks should include references, word count………..please use relevant text Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Factors that Impact on the Acceptance and Performance of ERP System

Factors that Impact on the Acceptance and Performance of ERP System The current trend in globalisation makes it harder for products and services of various companies to compete. Due to the integration of economies in the world an organisation must provide the best services, at the same time reduce the costs of operations and degree of inventory in order to gain competitive advantage against its competitor. ERP Systems or the Enterprise Resource Planning Systems is application software that incorporates all processes and data of a company into a uniform system (2005). Over the past years with the rapid changes in technology a number of organisations have utilised information technology in order to make the tasks easier. According to   (2002) a number of firms around the world have purchased application software such as the ERP Systems and managers regard the system as the most strategic platform in computing and integrating the data of the company, however ERP and the process adaptation are only efficient when the organisational fit of ERP is relatively low. In addition, in the study of  (2005) discussed that ERP Systems have its significant benefits such as enhanced customer service, reduced cost of manufacturing, and better production scheduling, but the success in implementing it in China is extremely low. For successful implementation of ERP Systems in China (2006) determined that an organisation must strategically plan its information technology capabilities, support by the management and leaders of the company, have the appropriate skills on the information technology section of the organisation, enhance the abilities of business processing and learning abilities and transform the capabilities of management. Moreover,  (2004) discussed that culture is also considered one of the most important factors in the success of the ERP systems and suggests that the national culture has an impact on the ERP system usually in developed nations and focuses on the stage of implementation. In the implementation of the ERP system in an organisation   there are 11 critical success factors and these are: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> The support of the top management- the support of the management plays an important role in the success of the ERP system if the commitment is positive as well as enthusiasm on the project most likely the workers will be motivated to do their job well. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> External expertise: the help pf the external consultants also contribute to the success of the program.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Balanced project team: the team must include business people as well as individuals who have knowledge on information technology. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Data accuracy: the existing systems must have an accurate data loaded and must be of high quality.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Clear goals: the project must have clearly defined goals.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Project management: there must be clearly defined goals.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Change management: organisations and management must be careful in change management because the implementation of ERP involves business process changes.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Education and training: the business and IT people involved in the project must have the technical knowledge in the ERP systems in order to ensure the success of the project. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Presence of a champion: the project must have an individual if not a manager that advocates the benefits of the ERP systems on the company.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Minimal customisation: customising ERP to fit the organisation must only be minimal as well as the scope of implementation of the ERP system. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Best people full-time: the members of the project team must be focused only on the implementation of the ERP project and must be released from the other duties within the organisation. </li> </ul> In addition, (2002) discussed that the continuous development of the ERP Systems is regarded by a number of researchers and IT practitioners as one of the major innovation in the sector of information technology, the ERP systems  integrates and streamlines the processes of the business and the associated work flows and information, it also increases the capability to incorporate with the most advanced technologies on commerce and electronics. In the study of  (2005) it revealed that ERP systems have improved the profitability of the corporations however not in the return of the stocks and the early adopters of the ERP systems have stronger improvements on profitability than others. ERP system is an application that is beneficial to a number of firms around the world. According to (2005) the perceived benefits and gains from ERP system could be measured in two levels and these are in the enterprise level and the specific Information Technology module level. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Factors that Impact on the Acceptance and Performance of ERP System

Factors that Impact on the Acceptance and Performance of ERP System The current trend in globalisation makes it harder for products and ...

A Framework to Enhanced ERP Systems Modification Process: Based on Milk Products Manufacturers

A Framework to Enhanced ERP Systems Modification Process: Based on Milk Products Manufacturers   Propose Project Manufacturing company is facing a problem in ERPs of handling and managing their resources specifically with their equipments. In any new project, a clear and established propose project through a proposal must first be developed.This propose project can be achieved through the development of the project’s aims and objectives. Manufacturing Company must be able to create a visual picture of what the IT/IS project will be and how it will be done. With clear aims and objectives, the project team will be able to understand the different processes necessary for the successful execution of the project. An outline of activities, along with the aims and objectives, can be of help in ensuring that the team is moving towards the project goal. Kimber (1996) has noted that in this phase, the management of Manufacturing company must be active in assuring that all efforts are going according to the plan.             The importance of developing specific project aims and goals for IS/IT systems had been exemplified in other cases. In this case, the company is in need of improving its systems of handling valuable resource planning. In order to replace its manual operation of encoding, sorting and storing resource planning, the organization thought of having an enterprise resource planning system. Basically, the function of this information system is to do record activities via electronic means. In order to promote the function of this new system as well as gain the insights of the different employees working for the agency, the task management group develops specific goals of the project (Young, 2005).   Here, the agency aimed to create resource planning retention schedules which can contain paper and electronic documents, to design and implement an ERP system that would be of use to the business units, and to provide a sense of resource planning management procedures and policies ownership among the business units. These objectives had been distributed to the organizational members through electronic mail. By means of these developed aims, the different units of the agency were able to understand the significance of having an ERP system in the resource planning department and applied a collaborative approach for its implementation (Young, 2005). From this example, the development of objectives in an IT project is significant not only in creating a propose project but also in promoting project comprehension among the organizational members.   Resource Management Techniques Resource management techniques are important for the management of Manufacturing companys as these will allow them to ensure that all resources to be used for the IS/IT systems are allocated according to plan. Without the specific technique for resource management, it is likely for the project team to use inappropriate programs or go beyond the designated budget for the project. Resource management techniques are basically used in order to manage different needs of the project such as people skills, time and finances. As these are important aspects of the project, management of Manufacturing companys must then employ certain resource management techniques for better project outcomes. There are several ways on how a management of Manufacturing company can employ resource management techniques for IS/IT projects. One of which is through the use of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Also referred to as the waterfall model, SDLC serves as an efficient guide for both management of Manufacturing companys and system developer during the designing and implementation of an IS/IT system. Aside from guiding the project process, it is also helpful in ensuring the quality of the project outcome. For instance, this model stresses the significance of testing and evaluating the system before its actual implementation; the management of Manufacturing company on the other hand, can utilize various available tools for this purpose such as tests for correct function, correct response, non-functionality, performance and configuration. With the rise of technology, readily available computer programs and software can be used by the management of Manufacturing companys in order to manage the project resources. In order to achieve the project outcomes required by the customers, management of Manufacturing companys can make use of software products or information systems to manage various task activities. The use of this resource management technique may be a key to project success particularly in minor organizations. One one hand, The SDLC model is a tried and tested technique; thus, it can be considered as an effective resource management technique. Specifically, SDLC is good for managing project resources as it promotes effective communication among the project staff members. This model also ensures that the project staff has the necessary knowledge to be able to generate the record management approach needed by manufacturing company..   Reference Young, J. (2005). Electronic Resource planning Management on a Shoestring: Three Case Studies. Information Management Journal, 39(1), 58-60.           Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

A Framework to Enhanced ERP Systems Modification Process: Based on Milk Products Manufacturers

A Framework to Enhanced ERP Systems Modification Process: Based on Milk Products Manufacturers Propose Project Manufacturing compa...

End User Adoption of ERP Systems: Investigation of Four Beliefs

End User Adoption of ERP Systems: Investigation of Four Beliefs   The paper studies the impact of the end users’ beliefs about ERP on its adoption. The researchers examined four end user beliefs – perceive usefulness, ease of use, expected capability and expected value.             ERP or enterprise resource planning is starting to be widely-used by organizations around the world. However, there is a growing concern about the high rates of failure in the implementation of ERP systems. One of the most cited reasons for this is the low rate of acceptance among the end users of the ERP systems. The researchers investigated on the impact of the beliefs of the end users on the success of institutionalizing ERP systems. The researcher conducted the research in developing country, namely Saudi Arabia. In order to measure the acceptance of the end-users of ERP systems, the researchers used technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The original TAM used by previous researchers measured perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. The researchers designed a TAM that included two more constructs – expected capability and expected value. A field survey as employed to test the research hypotheses. The survey was administered online by the use emails, which were sent to the personnel of the participating department. There were a total of 58 responses. The results show that both perceived expected value and perceived ease of use are strong predictors of attitudes towards ERP acceptance. This implies that organizations should enhance the users’ belief structure by emphasizing the value of the ERP system for both the end users and the organization itself. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

End User Adoption of ERP Systems: Investigation of Four Beliefs

End User Adoption of ERP Systems: Investigation of Four Beliefs The paper studies the impact of the end users’ beliefs about ERP on its ...

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