Before implementation of a process it is very important to identify your ERP requirements. All ERP systems have different strengths and weaknesses and thus a package must be chosen which minimizes the business weaknesses. It is necessary to choose a system which lets us pay only for the functions needed now and easily adds modules in the future. Even scalability plays a crucial role as some ERP packages are designed in such a way that it is easy to scale by adding users or functions. The level of support provided needs consideration as ongoing support is required once the system is in operation. Training provided to staff members also plays an important role. Thus the consultant or the vendor must be able to provide the required training. The growth and prosperity of the business depend on the soundness of the decision made about your ERP requirements. To read more follow:-http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/inside-erp/identifying-erp-requirements-74112

Analytics has become much easier with the introduction of ERP. ERP nowadays includes a large no. of analytical and business intelligence tools. So this has made analysis much advanced as the emphasis in the modern ERP system is on practicality rather than comprehensiveness. But it is important to note that the businesses have to provide training to obtain the full benefits of these software. Another important thing is that business analysis must be introduced to people before the tools. Business intelligence must be an essential part of the corporate culture as BI tools gives better and more accurate information and solutions rather than a simple Excel spreadsheet. Introducing the managers to an environment of dashboards (which supplies enormous information at a glance) can simplify the analytical business culture. To read more follow:- http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/inside-erp/business-analytics-and-erp-74058

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a good long term choice as it encourages business growth.

1. It optimizes business processes: - it minimizes or eliminates redundant business processes by using identical business processes for a particular task. This increases efficiency as the business can now focus on more strategic job duties.

2. It replaces robust manual back office processes by fully digital back-office functions.

3. Data driven decision making processes are important for a business to prosper.

4. Security provided by ERP solutions will minimize intrusions and data breaches

Thus we can say that ERP solutions helps to gain long-term position and the business will grow in leaps and bounds.

To read more follow:- http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/inside-erp/5-ways-erp-solutions-encourage-business-growth-74045

The most common hurdle for healthcare organizations with data analytics programs is consistent information from unique sources. An enterprise resource planning (ERP) can manage operational staff data, but cannot store patient-care related data, and therefore conducting a financial analysis of a patient care requires some imagination. If the analysis involves a nursing unit, the study may include clinical, operational staff data captured from the ERP such as shift worked, number of shifts worked for the current pay period, temporary or permanent resource status, educational background and professional credential levels. Linking this data to patient care data may require the shift date, patient bed assignment and other data elements. This type of analysis would only be possible on second- and third-generation data systems that can process different data languages for analysis and research. Read more at : http://healthitanalytics.com/news/goals-and-guidance-are-key-to-healthcare-big-data-analytics

Manufacturing industries have been taking advantage of cloud and cloud based applications a lot lately to improve their operations. The focus is on ERP or enterprise resource planning tools that can help them. ERP increases efficiencies and reduce costs. In addition to this, here are some other ways by which manufacturing can grow using ERP:

·         Gain Control of Your Inventory

·         Access Real-Time Information

·         Multilocation Management

·         Access to Big Data

Read the complete article here: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/inside-erp/4-ways-cloud-erp-enables-manufacturing-growth-73260

Manufacturers are slowly beginning to appreciate and accept the idea of putting portions of their ERP systems onto the cloud. Although most still shows resistance to the idea, but they are keeping an eye on the cloud market, maybe for potential future use. There can be various approaches which manufacturers can adopt. One can be use a hybrid combination of cloud based ERP and traditional ERP.  Others can use a private cloud for ERP.  Reports state that in certain scenarios, cloud based ERP would really make sense for manufacturers.  In situations where - Global companies want a two-tier ERP strategy; smaller organizations that can't afford on premise cloud; new manufacturing business   that start from scratch and many more. Read the complete article here: http://www.computerworld.com/article/3043778/enterprise-applications/manufacturers-resistance-to-the-cloud-is-weakening.html

Companies which have process manufacturing as an activity to do on their list, face potential challenges with ERP. Process manufacturers need highly customized ERP packages as every process has its own special features. If the ERP package that you choose doesn't have all the functionalities to handle your needs and wants, then it can result in an expensive customization which will result in a significant hike in your costs. Traceability is a very important aspect as well. Manufacturing ERP systems need to be robust for effective tracking. Documentation is another important factor which should be kept in mind. In addition to this, process manufacturing ERP must have features for quality assurance and quality management. Read the complete article at - http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/inside-erp/process-manufacturing-erp-71400

It is found that more efficient your supply, the more profitable is your business and ERP plays a vital role in keeping your supply chain running at the top. Nowadays, many ERP systems come with built-in supply chain modules. The supply chain begins when the customer decides to purchase and ends when the customer is satisfied with the purchase. ERP system can give an insight into all the things that happen in the supply chain and helps to manage the process better by giving you better information. The information obtained is invaluable only if you can integrate it into your supply chain management. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/inside-erp/tuning-your-supply-chain-with-erp-70287

We know that Electronic data interchange or EDI is a method of standardizing the exchange of electronic data between systems. Some people think that enterprise resource planning or ERP and EDI are same. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. EDI and ERP are actually separate technologies that don’t often gel well together unless one puts thought and planning into their integration. One of the barriers is integrating EDI and ERP. Data are formatted differently for each technology, so a large part of integration is finding a way to make each system see data the same way. It’s often expensive and time-consuming. Organizations that make that investment, however, increase the value of their ERP. Jerri Ledford (author of business technologies) writes in her article about the benefits of investing in the EDI–ERP integration process. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/inside-erp/3-ways-edi-can-add-value-to-your-erp-implementation-70222

Integration of e-commerce and ERP are gaining importance. But, some organizations are not giving importance as integrating ERP and e-commerce can be time-consuming and expensive. However, the benefits of the integration are much greater than the cost and time investment. When approached properly, an ERP and e-commerce integration can go well and end with excellent results. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/inside-erp/2-strategies-for-integrating-erp-and-ecommerce-70221

Nowadays software industry around the world is focused on the cloud. Workday Inc. is a human capital management and financial management software firm that joined the cloud bandwagon recently. HCM which falls in the domain of ERP solutions is becoming more and more acceptable ever since ERP solutions are available over cloud. The global SaaS-based ERP software market will grow at CAGR of 14.21% from 2011 to 2105. The major factor for this ERP growth as SaaS model is due to the lower cost of ownership.

Read more about this aspect, visit the following link: http://www.gurufocus.com/news/255442/workday-growth-continues-with-erp-as-the-saas-application-market-is-booming 

Few years ago, Internet marketing in India would have meant designing On-Premise solutions for activities such as CRM or ERP. Products and tools from global software vendors were available, but integration and customization often meant huge expenditure. Today, with the SaaS delivery model, software and related data are centrally hosted on the cloud and can be accessed through a Web browser, resulting in better operations with significantly less expenditure. Migrating to a SaaS model makes sense for an e-commerce company, but it is also relevant for a company which deals in the age-old business like auto loans. A principal reason for such industry-wide demand of SaaS is its ability to make decisions faster. Sunil Padmanabhan, research director for Gartner in India had said recently that "SaaS is extremely real in India and there is a large critical mass in adoption”.

To read more, visit reputed journalist Rajiv Rao’s article by clicking on the following link:

http://www.zdnet.com/in/reaching-for-the-cloud-indias-saas-journey-7000023820/

The benefits of cloud-based ERP systems are well known. These solutions involve far less upfront investment, can be implemented in weeks instead of months or years & can be treated as operating expenditure rather than capital expenditure. Scalability is another advantage of cloud based ERP systems. However, if cloud based ERP solutions had no snags, then premise-based solutions would have disappeared years ago. As this is not the case, it’s worth examining the drawbacks of the SaaS model in ERP, which translate to the strengths of the premise-based model.

For a detailed view on this debate, please visit Tracey Schelmetic’s article link as given below:

http://www.thomasnet.com/journals/techtrends/articles/enterprise-resource-planning-better-on-premise-or-cloud-based