ERP vs. ERP II vs. ERP III Future Enterprise Applications

By |May 31st, 2010|

ERP I, ERP II, & ERP III Abstract ERP applications integrate enterprise operations within and across enterprise legal entities, or company codes. ERP ii (or ERP 2) applications extend supply functionality to external enterprises (generally vendor-affiliated companies or enterprises) to reduce cost, improve supply chain efficiency, and perform collaborative innovation. ERP iii (or ERP 3) enterprises go to the next level as they integrate the ERP and ERP ii functionality to include customers [...]

Leading Change (and Change Management)

By |May 17th, 2010|

“Leading Change” is clearly more difficult than realizing that change is needed. If you want to validate the prior statement reflect back on all of the “change agents” that have crossed your path over the years, ask yourself the following question: "How many of them have truly succeeded?" While we’ve heard a lot about change of late as it relates to our current political landscape, the power of real change is trivialized when it becomes little more than a political sound-bite. Whether in busine [...]

Process Execution of Business and IT Innovation

By |May 3rd, 2010|

The idea of innovation in business or IT is generally an aspiration to most. Leaders and managers occasionally mention the need to innovate, but when they stop to consider what that means, many of them abandon it as an impossible dream. They wait for some strange spark, some odd occurrence to somehow spark the flame of new beginnings. Execution of the Innovation Process Inspiration for innovation or creativity can come from anywhere. Frequently, the innovation problem isn't a lack of good ideas [...]

Aligning SAP Scope to Meaningful Business Requirements

By |April 13th, 2010|

I am always amazed at how many projects miss one of the most important (and relatively simple) scoping requirements. The worst part is that projects don’t just miss it, but they get it completely backward! After doing SAP projects since 1994, I still cannot believe SAP’s customers don’t use the old “Seven Habits” step of starting with the end in mind. What do I mean by that? Start Your SAP Project with Reports and Business Requirements Why do so many projects wait until they are live with some [...]

IT Outsourcing, Off Shore Support, Cost Cutting and IT Department Changes

By |March 23rd, 2010|

Businesses everywhere are looking to shore up their bottom lines by cutting costs. As a result, cost centers such as IT departments are prime targets for outsourcing and offshore maintenance. The typical business script is that as the IT organization moves into maintenance mode, cost centers with high overhead become a prime target for reducing costs. However, despite how things might appear, cost is not the real driver of IT outsourcing. The real driver of IT outsourcing is function. IT departm [...]

Social Media Fads and the Risk to the Enterprise

By |March 17th, 2010|

Today's IT landscape is filled with hype around Web 2.0. While collaboration is a key forward-looking initiative for any organization, social media requires a specific purpose and goal. Without a clear direction and purpose for social media initiatives, they are at best a distracting fad, and at worst an enterprise disaster. When I look at today's social media applications, I see them as a fad. Popular today, and they will be around for a while, but like all social outlets they are waiting for [...]