Where do you Start with SAP Return on Investment or SAP ROI?

By |July 19th, 2010|

See Part 1 - SAP Implementation Is an Investment Not an Event How much is it going to cost, and how long is it going to take? That is the classic approach to SAP implementations. However, this approach is not enough today, as the marketplace is demanding more from their IT dollars. Now the marketplace has questions about measuring cost reductions, process improvements, and customer retention/acquisition. These are all important discussions. Your money has to work for you in your business-- and [...]

Customer Relationship Management or CRM

By |June 13th, 2010|

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a core business practice that almost everyone reading this post is familiar with at some level. You have likely read about CRM, attended workshops and seminars on the subject, and perhaps even believe you have implemented a CRM initiative. While customer relationship management is certainly not a new business practice, it is also not a practice that most executives understand or leverage to its maximum capabilities. In today’s post, I will provide an ov [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Striving for a Customer Focused Approach to Innovation 3 of 3

By |April 5th, 2010|

In the first two parts of this series, we looked at the current innovation paradigm. That paradigm consists mostly of two primary approaches: namely incremental innovation that looks more like continuous improvement, and a free-for-all that is more like chaos. We also looked at a third approach to innovation: leveraging existing marketing infrastructure to produce a future state narrative. That narrative acts as a future state blueprint for product or service development to move toward. Innovat [...]

Striving for a Customer Focused Approach to Innovation 1 of 3

By |March 26th, 2010|

If your company does any kind of innovation, how would you describe it? Stoic – slow, plodding, methodical, and generally consisting of small incremental improvements (minimalist). Stretch – evaluating current as well as future needs and wants of the customer with some structured framework for achieving a future state (striving). Maelstrom – creative “free-for-all,” sky’s the limit, and a “no holds barred” barrage of brainstorming and chaos (directionless). The Common Approach to Innovation, Ge [...]