4. Choose a familiar Web Site, such as Dell, Amazon, and so on. Describe the order – to – cash process from the customer’s perspective as illustrated by that site.

Getting used to SAP, I would highly recommend that the owner of a custom furniture manufacturer use SAP over other ERP systems. However, I would introduce him to other ERP systems so that he can have other options that would best suit his budget and the scale of his company. I would be asking his budget allocation for the SAP project and convince him that while SAP can be costly, if he sees his business or businesses run long term, then so will the ERP system under SAP.

I would then gather around some data, perhaps more on the business processes and evaluate if his business is ready for ERP. I would ask him how many departments his business have as well as the transactions and relationship of the departments to one another. I would schedule meetings wherein I could explain to him the turnarounds of SAP and how it would greatly impact his business.



I would also tell him the risks and ways to avoid the most common mistakes in the implementation of SAP. I would one by one tell him the other benefits and drawbacks of ERP system so as to become transparent. I would be needing more data from him to further the study in the implementation of SAP to his company.

On a business standpoint, if I were to be an actual SAP or ERP Professional, then like in the funny image above I would strike a deal and make the most out of the project and call my client Wallet. Just kidding! :-)

5. Imagine that you are conducting a field based research project for your ERP class in a small local business. Assume that the business is a custom furniture manufacturer. In the course of your project, you tell the owner that you are using SAP B1 in your ERP class. The owner asks if he should be using SAP or some other ERP system in his business. What would be your response? What questions would you ask or what information would you need to answer that question?

Connecticut Microsoft Dynamics has compared Microsoft Dynamics GP to SAP and came up with 5 reasons which involved modules that relates to employee productivity, profitability, scalability, low cost of ownership and industry-leading vertical partner ecosystem.

These edges of Microsoft Dynamics GP over SAP means that the ERP should only be implemented based on the needs of the company. They would have to weigh in which areas they could maximize using their chosen ERP system. And start from there.

Using the ERP Software of FindTheBest.com, an unbiased data driven comparison tool, I have personally compared Microsoft Dynamics GP vs SAP.



And here's the result.

While have proprietary lincences and they greatly differ on the business size the can cater. Microsoft Dynamics can only cater small to mid size companies while SAP can do so much for they can cater to the needs of any business size.

Out of the 30 listed products or services under SAP's Industries module, Microsoft Dynamics GP only have Finance, Manufacturing, Professional Business Services, Services, and Wholesale Distribution.

The comparison goes on with SAP reigning over Microsoft Dynamics GP. Other features include customer relationship management, Financial features, human resource, project management, supply chain management, manufacturing and training services.


You can check the link below to find out the comparison this article is based from.


http://erp-software.findthebest.com/compare/165-218/Microsoft-Dynamics-GP-vs-SAP

SAP fails in the comparison chart for their supported platform. Apparently, SAP does not support Windows and Windows OS but Miscrosoft gets even by not being able to support iOS (obviously) and surprisingly via Web.

When compared to SAP, Microsoft Dynamics may fail in terms of being fully functional to large scale businesses. Microsoft Dynamics is actually a good management system for its affordable scalability engineered to cost-effective support the changing requirements that are frequently necessary for costumers to adapt, grow and maintain competitive edge in their business.

3. Conduct research on an ERP package, such as Microsoft Dynamics GP or Microsoft Dynamics NAV, for small – to – medium sized (SME) organizations (between $30m and $ 1b in revenue). Compare that package for available modules, functionality, and so on to the SAP system.

SAP and Oracle differ in modules however they share some functions where we can base our assessment and comparison. But before that here's a little biased image comparing SAP and Oracle as far as technology is concerned.



Both have Supply Chain Management or Advance Planning, Maintenance, Costing, Treasury Management, Materials Management, Production Planning and Control, Localization , Project Systems, Payroll, Transactional Reporting and ESA Open Architechture.

In the Advanced Planning, SAP has a very strong advanced planning solution while Oracle has recently changed the Architecture of ts Demand planning module which requires significant testing and stabilization. In maintenance, Oracle is less superior because of their history in supporting the use of 3rd party solutions.

As costing is directly linked to the production process, SAP's costing solution is more tightly integrated compared to Oracle. Treasury module is a recent addition to Oracle suite so it's a work in progress unlike SAP having established this over time.

Batch Traceability of raw materials, in Materials Management module, is strong and integrated in SAP. In Production Planning and Control, Oracle supports a combination of the process and discrete manufacturing solution the same instance in SAP.

Localization is not an integrated part of the core Oracle application thus an add-on. In Project systems, Oracle does not have a comprehensive project monitoring tool as part of its Projects module and has to be integrated with 3rd Party products. Sap, on the other hand, has it as an integral part of the projects business cycle from the project procurement to cash budgeting etc in case of rescheduling on the project timelines.

This leads us to the conclusion that SAP product support is better managed as its MySAP suite has far less number of batches compare to Oracle.

2. Conduct research on an ERP package other than SAP that would be suitable for a large organization (Php 1 billion in revenue) and compare the modules that it has to SAP modules.

The people who are bound to work under ERP and its web of business processes must also spun a thread of web to each other to achieve success. The most common failures in Enterprise resource planning implementation happens when circumstances are shifted. In Martha Heller's article "5 ERP Errors CFO's Can Avoid" she coined out, by experience, that the planning stages in ERP is very essential to the success of its implementation whether circumstances are shifted or tested over the course of time.

"If you don’t set them up from the start with the right people, product, partners, and expectations, you may as well not start at all.", Heller stated in her article. The failure in the story or situation the author has established started when the ERP project had run amok and all they have is a newly hired CIO to take care of the problem because the former CIO, who was there at the start and knows the system very well, has already retired from the job.

Instead of digging deeper into the problem, the author simply learned from the story and came up with a helpful list of 'Do Not's'. The reason why we can never solve the problem in the story, by analysis, is that the mistake has already been done and there is nothing the new CIO can do about it. The new CIO would only have to evaluate the impact of the mistake to the company and think about leaving the company the next day.

 In effect, the company had to start over from scratch and the CFO, who is by the way responsible of hiring a new CIO, was held accountable for the damage ergo he's dead. From this, we can conclude that the successes and failures ERP Implementation greatly depends on how much you've worked hard for it at the start. This means perfection is mandatory in ERP and as CFO, you need to watch out for CIO's who has already plotted out their escape plan conveniently after hell breaks loose in an ERP Project.

1.Conduct research on the Web Sites of either CIO Magazine or CFO Magazine for stories about ERP implementation successes and failures. Using specific examples, describe the reasons for the successes and failures. What conclusions can be reached?