Enterprise Resource Planning System - Assignment Example

BIT Australasia (BITA) ERP systems analysis Name Date Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 1- Introduction 3 2- Business background 4 3- Vantage from Epicor 4 4- Ax from Microsoft 7 5- Nav from Microsoft 10 6- Product selection and recommendations 12 8- Conclusion 12 Bibliography 13 1- Introduction Modern and up-to-date tools and techniques of information technology have transformed the activities of businesses and facilitate to perform and handle business operations in a more enhanced way. With the passage of time overall ways of working and business handling have completely changed. A business sale, inventory, HR and other resource handling is the main competence of business. The technology based systems offer the enhanced services and operational management facility for the enhancing the management and handling of these operations in a better way. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are main technology in any business no matter organization is medium or large in size. The report presents the selection and suggestion of one of the best ERP tools for enhancing the business and operations management of the BITA (BIT Australasia). BIT Australasia desires to transform the previously operational technology and incorporate a better and enhanced technology for the effective business and its operations management. This business and technology analysis report will analyze the three ERP systems that are: Vantage from Epicore, Ax from Microsoft, Nav from Microsoft. The assessment criteria of these systems are the main essential business needs of BIT Australasia. These essential needs will be assessed and analyzed against the ERP system and most excellent and best technology will be chosen regarding the effective and enhanced business management and operations handling of the BIT Australasia business. 2- Business background BIT Australasia (BITA) is the Australia based business of the BIT GmbH. The BIT GmbH is a German engineering corporation. Presently the business of the BIT Australasia is operating in three main areas: BIT Imports (BITI), BIT Engineering (BITE), BIT and Sales and Marketing (BITS). The present yearly sales of the BIT group are at AUD 50 million. With regard to the business technology the BIT, BIT Australasia, BIT Imports (BITI), BIT Engineering (BITE), BIT and Sales and Marketing (BITS) are operational through highly customized version of Micro Extensions Pty Ltd (MXP) software. Micro Extensions Pty Ltd (MXP) is offering facility for basic sales, inventory management and financial reporting. This system is operational in departments of BITA; however there are several operational errors and handling difficulties in this system. For instance the new versions of Microsoft Office programs would not be able to import XMP data so the entire data for periodic as well as sales, special financial and inventory, sales reports are uploaded straightly to BITA where the IT workers manually transfer the business data to the new version of the MS Access databases and Excel spreadsheets that are processed afterwards for the reports for management. 3- Vantage from Epicor Epicor Vantage ERP software is a way out from meeting the requirements of the business that are taken as mixed-mode manufacturing business. Vantage Epicor is ERP system implemented with ‘out-of-the-box’ facilities as well as by means of built-in workflow procedures that facilitate manufacturers to control the whole order cycle: such as sales and marketing, in the course of planning and production, procurement and sourcing, service and installation, as well as lastly financial recognition (Epicor-Vantage, 2008). Vantage Epicor ERP system as well presents us a variety of supply chain management and distribution facilities those are delivered inside a single company platform, developed on a factual SOA (service-oriented architecture) by means of Web-services and Microsoft .NET, Vantage facilitates permanent performance ideas, real-time linking among supply-chain applications plus partners, as well as superior business pace (Epicor, 2009). Now I will assess the Vantage Epicor ERP system regarding the new business system implementation. In scenario of the analytics and reporting we have the essential need of the financial reporting and analysis that is effectively supported by the Vantage Epicor ERP system, for instance it offers the facility of the regression analysis. In second aspect of multi-company financial consolidations the Vantage Epicor ERP system fulfills these requirements. For instance Vantage Epicor offers the reports across multiple companies and multi company ownership consolidation at the same time (Epicor-Vantage, 2008). The next essential criteria regarding Vantage Epicor ERP system is the customer relations management. For example the initial factor in this consideration is customer or account management that is effectively offered by this system and handles the customer account with excellent efficiency and security. Vantage Epicor ERP system has integrated CRM (own) facility that offers the greater opportunity for the customer service automation and any marketing campaign management. This facility is incorporated to confirm a better business customer management (Epicor-Vantage, 2008). The Epicor ERP system fulfills the essential factor that is accounting and financial management. It offers a better support and management against all aspects of the accounts and other management issues in the business. The next essential factor is budgeting and forecasting that is not facilitated by this system in this situation Epicor ERP system takes the support of the third party solutions. The next essential factors fully supported by this system are support for the multiple currencies, handling of the multiple companies, handling basic financial consolidations, performing the bank reconciliations and dealing with the intercompany transactions all completely supported through this technology. Besides this cash management, national accounts receivable and national accounts payable and invoicing also fully supported by this technology (Epicor-Vantage, 2008). The function regarding the financial management is the main factor of the BITA business for the implementation of the new ERP technology. The main essential factors mentioned by the BITA’s business are the fixed asset management that is not supported by this system. Here we will require the third party solutions regarding incorporation of this technology in the system. Inventory and sales order processing is main power of any business. The effective management and handling of these processes makes the business more effective and powerful in overall competitive and business market. Epicor ERP system has offered and incorporated solid and more effective management and handling of the Inventory and Sales Order Processing for the BITA business. Here the main essential criteria fulfilled by this technology based system are sales order processing, sales forecasting, credit limit checking (including stop credit procedures), inventory control and stock levels, warehouse management third party, available to promise and sales order quotation. All these essential factors mentioned by the BITA business are fully supported by this ERP technology system (Epicor-Vantage, 2008). Microsoft Nav ERP system is most powerful in case of the materials planning and manufacturing. It offers incorporated facilities of all BITA outlined essential factors. In case of Epicor ERP system we have no effective management and handling and controlling of the business materials planning and manufacturing processes. The outlined essential factors are missing and presenting not such effective support and quality of working regarding business materials planning and manufacturing process management. For example the biggest main aspects of materials planning and manufacturing is the “material requirements planning” that is supported by the ERP system of the Epicor ERP system. Here we are some well supported areas such as manufacturing WIP tracking that is well and more effective as compared to other two systems. However some essential features outlined about this filed can be found in this system those are manufacturing accounting, manufacturing job costing, bills of material and routings management. These are the some essential factors can be seen in the Epicor ERP system (Epicor-Vantage, 2008). The next main factor that each business is requiring in this advanced age of the Internet and remote technologies is remote access. The Epicor ERP system offers the web based remote access regarding the handling of business and maintaining of the business resources. Here main essential factors fulfilled by the Epicor ERP system are remote access to financials from external locations and off site sales order quotations (Epicor-Vantage, 2008). 4- Ax from Microsoft Microsoft Dynamics AX is an integrated, flexible business management handling, controlling solution intended for midsize and bigger corporations that would be able to facilitate people make informed business decisions with confidence. Microsoft Dynamics AX works similar as well as through well-known Microsoft software like that Microsoft Office system (Microsoft-AX , 2007). Analytics and reporting factor is supported by the Microsoft Ax. In this scenario Microsoft Ax offers essential facilities regarding the financial reporting and analysis. Then in case of the multi-company financial consolidations the Microsoft Ax ERP system is excellent in presenting the facility of the accomplishment factors of reporting facility all through multiple companies and multi company ownership consolidation (Microsoft-AX , 2007). Customer relations management is the factor which we have to analyze for the Microsoft Ax system. Here the essential factor is customer account management. However, this system is fully supportive and offers the greater efficiency and facility regarding the better handling of the customer accounts management. The next CRM related essential factors fulfilled by this system are customer service automation and marketing campaign management via integration of Microsoft AX CRM, MS Project/Project Server. These system offers the greater facility to confirm these above mentioned criteria however these system need to separately operational and installed and not integrated in the Microsoft Ax ERP system (Microsoft-AX , 2007). Microsoft Ax ERP system covers most of the financials factors presented by the BITA’s business. The essential factors that are needed in case of financials management are accounting and financial management that is fully supported and handled by BITA business. This system does not offer better support is case of another financial facets budgeting and forecasting that is incorporated only through the third party solutions. The next essential factors outlined by the BITA business are fully supported by the Microsoft Ax ERP system. These essential factors comprise multiple currencies, handling of the multiple companies, handling basic financial consolidations, performing the bank reconciliations, and dealing with the intercompany transactions, cash Management, national accounts receivable and national accounts payable and invoicing also fully supported through this technology (Microsoft-AX , 2007). In scenario of the financial function management the business of BITA has outlined an essential factor that is fixed asset management that is not supported by this technology based system. Here will need to adopt a third party system for the effective and enhanced management for the BITA’s business. As I have already discussed that the inventory and sales order processing is main pillars of the business and offers a greater facility and power for the enhanced business and operational management. In this scenario all essential factors mentioned by the business of BITA should be fully accomplished except warehouse management essential factor that requires the third party business system solution. This system is fulfilling these factors: credit limit checking, sales forecasting, warehouse management third party, inventory control and stock levels, sales order quotation and available to promise (Microsoft-AX , 2007). Similar to Epicor ERP system the Microsoft Ax ERP system is not offering so much effective materials planning and manufacturing support. This factor can be attained through the third party system contribution to the Microsoft Ax ERP system. The services and facilities outlined can effectively be achieved through the implementation of third party solution. The outlined essential factors of materials planning and manufacturing support are completely supported by this technology using the third party solution. Here another factor that needs the third party solutions is the production scheduling (Microsoft-AX , 2007). According to the BITA’s outlined business factors Microsoft Ax ERP system offers all the facilities of the remote technologies incorporation and remote access. The Microsoft Ax ERP system fulfills all the essential factors of BITA that are off site sales order quotations and remote access to finances from external locations. 5- Nav from Microsoft Microsoft Dynamics NAV is a new and more advanced business management solution that facilitates small as well as medium size businesses to make simple as well as modernize extremely dedicated business procedures (Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5., 2008). Microsoft Nav ERP system is a most excellent technology and offers the greater facility regarding the business analytics and reporting. However, this system presents facility for the financial reporting and analysis. Here we also meet the essential criteria of the multi-company financial consolidations. Microsoft Nav ERP system offers the facility of the enhanced reporting about the diverse business as well as multi company ownership consolidation at the same time (Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5., 2008). Here essential factor we need to analyze is the customer or account management that is extensively handled through this system. However the two other essential factors regarding this system customer service automation and marketing campaign management can be obtained through the integration to Microsoft Dynamics CRM. This is a separate allocation that incorporates all the necessary facilities in the system that is a negative factor of this system (Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5., 2008). Microsoft Nav ERP system is most excellent in case of financial management as compared to other two ERP systems. The overall mentioned essential criteria of finances are completely supported by this technology. The factors that are completely supported by this technology are financial management, budgeting and forecasting, handling of the multiple companies, support for the multiple currencies, performing the bank reconciliations, handling basic financial consolidations, cash Management, dealing with the intercompany transactions, national accounts payable and invoicing and national accounts receivable are effectively supported and offered by this technology (Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5., 2008). Microsoft Nav ERP is a complete system for the handling, management and controlling of the inventory and sales order processing in the business of BITA. Here I have analyzed all the BITA’s outlined essential factors that are completely supported and handled by the technology of the Microsoft Nav ERP. These essential factors I have already mentioned in above ERP system case so all essential factors completely supported by this technology (Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5., 2008). Microsoft Nav ERP system is most powerful in case of the materials planning and manufacturing. It offers incorporated facilities of all BITA outlined essential factors regarding the materials planning and manufacturing can be attained through Microsoft Nav ERP business solution. This system offers all the essential factors of the BITA business system requirements list. These factors are requisition procurement and purchasing (shipping), discrete batch processing, manufacturing accounting, manufacturing job costing, material requirements planning, finite/infinite capacity planning (capacity requirements planning), multi site manufacturing, cost rollup, bills of material, routings, manufacturing WIP tracking and production scheduling (Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5., 2008). Microsoft Nav ERP system has offered support for all aspects of the business system technology and corporate management the essential factors of the remote access like off site sales order quotations and remote access to financials from external locations (Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5., 2008). 6- Product selection and recommendations In the overall analysis of the three ERP systems (Vantage, Ax and Nav) I have assessed system regarding the BITA’s outlined business factors that are divided into essential and desirable categories. This report has concentrated on the essential factors and analyzed each ERP system against each business essential factor. Here I have tried to analyze and concentrate on each business and corporate aspect. As a result I have found some strong and weak points in each system. However one system has always shown strong performance and business support against all outlined factors of the BITA’s business. As a result it is accessed that “Microsoft Nav system” is most excellent as compared to other two ERP technologies. As we go through the analysis report then we will came to know that this system has offered the support for each of the business and corporate aspects and presented support for the entire business essential factors of the BITAs business. Therefore I will recommend this system for the business of the BITA. 8- Conclusion In this business report I have presented detailed analysis of the three business technology systems. These systems are Vantage, Ax and Nav. In this research it is assessed that the business technology system can offer a great opportunity for the making the business successful in the market. I have selected the “Microsoft Nav system” for the business management, handling and controlling of the BITA’s business. I hope this analysis report will offer a deep insight into the overall business concepts and analysis of the ERP system implementation. Bibliography Epicor. (2009). Epicor Vantage. Retrieved 11 24, 2009, from http://www.epicor.com/PRODUCTS/Pages/Vantage.aspx Epicor-Vantage. (2008). Introducing the next generation global enterprise resource planning software. Vantage. Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5. (2008). Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 Quick Reference Guide; INSIGHT. Microsoft . Microsoft-AX . (2007). Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 Quick Reference Guide; SOLUTIONS. Microsoft . Read More