What Is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)?

Have you been thinking about implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system in your mid-sized company? Are you concerned about what needs to be done? If so, then this article is intended to give you some insights and best practice ideas on what you need to do to ensure a successful ERP implementation and to maximize the benefits.

To help answer those questions, we need to first establish some common ground by defining what ERP is and why companies have been deploying it for the past several years. In today's dynamically changing business climate, mid-market companies are under extreme pressure to be more efficient and effective in serving their customers. Cost pressures are pushing them to find new ways to more efficiently utilize existing assets. Aggressive competition, often from non-traditional players, is changing the game with innovative go-to-market strategies and operating models. Globalization has expanded the playing field, creating many new market entrants. The velocity of change and the increasing customer demands for higher levels of service are straining organizations. Compounding this is the short-term focus and scrutiny from stock market analysts. They have little patience for companies that don't live up to their quarterly ROI and growth expectations. It has been a very challenging business environment. Today, many mid-market companies are looking for technology solutions in the form of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and Web-based applications that will help them to improve their business operations and better serve their customers. ERP systems are software packages, developed and supported by a select set of vendors. The packages are intended to replace existing legacy applications, which were often developed internally or purchased as independent modules to address specific functions, such as warehousing or transportation. NEXT PAGE

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