Maximizing Return on Investment Using ERP Applications

THE NEXT STEP

What we have presented in this book takes another look at the role of integrated ERP systems in the enterprise. Our recommendation is that just as we have learned a different way of viewing and using the personal technology tools, we also need to take a different view of integrated systems and how they relate to developing a vision for our businesses and establish a new paradigm for how to use them. The new knowledge of logical relationships that has resulted from designing, implementing, and operating these systems has provided us with this opportunity. Essentially, we conclude that the following five cognitive shifts are required:

1. Return on Investment should be viewed as an undiscovered asset of the corporation that should be pursued and recovered. This view of potential returns turns the view around from developing projects and then looking for potential benefits to cataloguing the benefits that are logically possible. This view also helps the business organize a strategic approach to managing ERP work to achieve the benefits over time. A corollary that results from this cognitive shift is that ERP projects should produce tangible benefits that are well defined, are fully supported by management, and have the expectation that the results will be achieved.

2. Business process management should be viewed as being package enabled. This means that business process designs are created through rigorous investigation of current state problems and a detailed analysis ...