Enterprise Resource Planning - Transforming the Enterprise

>Transportation, Stock Management, and Warehouse
management.
What is ERP? Do you need ERP? The answer is yesManufacturing - This module tracks the flow of
if you want to stay at the leading edge andproducts through the manufacturing process,
competitive in this fast-moving and dynamiccoordinating what is done to what part at what time.
environment.Order Fulfilment - This module monitors the entire
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is an integratedorder fulfilment cycle, keeping track of the progress
suite of information technology applications thatthe company has made in satisfying demand.
support the operations of an enterprise. It providesHuman Resources - This module handles all sorts of
organisation with transaction processing models thathuman resources tasks, such as scheduling workers.
are integrated with other activities of theSupplier Management - This module monitors supplier
organisation and coordinate complicated, multifacetedperformance and tracks the delivery of
operations.suppliers’ products.
The main value ERP systems provide is theBesides the above-mentioned standard features, ERP
opportunity to integrate an entire organisation. ERPvendors are offering several “bolt-on” products
systems promise to solve the problem ofthat provide specialised functionality to augment the
fragmented information in organisations by providingcore, such as Customer Relationship Management
seamless integration of all the information flowing(CRM).
through the organisation across the differentCRM is a strategy used to learn more about
functional and business units across the world. End tocustomers' needs and behaviours in order to develop
end business processes that were traditionallystronger relationships with them. These relationships
disjointed, now share information through a commonare critical to business and mission success.  The
database.more useful way to think about CRM: Processes that
ERP systems work in real-time, meaning that thewill help bring together pieces of information about
exact status of everything is always available. Whencustomers, sales, marketing effectiveness,
data such as a sale becomes available at one point inresponsiveness, and market trends.
the business, it courses its way through theThe logic behind the idea of CRM is that it helps
software, which automatically calculates the effectsbusinesses use technology and human resources to
of the transaction on other areas, such asgain insight into the behaviour of customers and the
manufacturing, inventory, procurement, invoicing, andvalue of those customers. Organisations effectively
booking the actual sale to the financial ledger. Theimplementing CRM will be able to: provide better
information flow is much more efficient as there arecustomer service, make call centres more efficient,
clear lines of business processes across thesimplify marketing and sales processes, and discover
enterprise.new customers.
The basic modules and their brief features of ERPDo you need ERP? The answer is yes if you want to
systems are as follows:stay at the leading edge and competitive in this
Finance - This module tracks financial information suchfast-moving and dynamic environment. ERP is able to
as revenue and cost data through various areascontribute to your organisation’s general
within the company.pursuit of internal visibility, flexibility, excellence in
Logistics - This module is often broken into severalquality, and the capacity for inter-organisational
sub-modules that cover different logistics functions:extension.