Consolidation of an ERP system on a global standard to enhance visibility - Research Proposal Example

Another pointer to the need for an ERP is when the existing system is unable to support the needs of the organization or when many resources are required to maintain and support the organizational activities. Growth of an organization leading to incompatibility of the various information systems used is also a driving force towards adoption of ERP. Lastly, when organizational employees are unable to respond to questions from their key suppliers and customers, it is time to implement an ERP system (Awad and Nassar 3).

In the current world, the main question is not whether to implement an ERP system, but what system they should implement (Awad and Nassar 2). Consequently, once an organization has decided to implement an ERP system, the next step should be deciding on how such project would be undertaken and the goals of such a venture. At this stage, the organization determines the functionalities and modules to be included into the new system. According to Awad and Nassar, installation of ERP system demands that companies be able to match its business process to the functioning of the ERP systems (3).

Additionally, in implementation of ERP there is a need for the organization to fully understand all the requirements which come with such an initiative. The top management must be willing to support the installation of ERP even after completion of the project by offering education to all employees (Carter et al. 23). According to Jitpaiboon, consolidation of the enterprise resource plan in an organization is critical for its global strategy (2). Consolidation of enterprise resource planning is critical in automating all the functions needed for managing the various local operations.

The most critical activities supported by ERP include customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (CRM) and accounting systems. Data stored in ERP system is critical in enabling the employees to gain visibility into consolidated and accurate information about business performance (Fawcett and Magnan 24). Furthermore, a well implemented ERP system is a key performance indicator (KPIs) needed by organizations to ensure achievement of the corporate objectives. Moreover, Awad and Nassar explain that an ERP solution can enhance transactional interoperability (3).

Organizations can choose to implement ERP solutions for each business division or the entire business can adopt a single ERP system to standardize and centralize its key operations. The chosen configuration can have a significant impact on the ability of an organization to enhance visibility and ensure that they achieve all the operation functionalities envisioned during its development. For globalized organizations such as Thermo Fisher, it is critical to consolidate their business operations into a fewer ERP systems.

Problem Statement Thermo Fisher is an international organization dealing with scientific equipment and reagents required for research, diagnostics, analysis and discovery. The company has annual revenue of around 11 billion USD and has about 37,000 employees (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.