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ERPandmore.com is excited to announce that we have updated our ERP Vendor directory to include a lot more features and functionality.
This directory is a great resource for discovering ERP, CRM, and other enterprise software for your selection, or for other research. It is searchable and very fast. We will continue to be building the listings out over time, so continue to check back!
The directory includes listings for many common Enterprise Software:
- Business Intelligence Software
- Customer Relationship Managemen
- Enterprise Resource Planning
- Human Resources Management
- Product Lifecycle Management
- Professional Services Software
- Supply Chain Management
- Time and Attendance
Some of the key features that you will find:
- Social media login
- Demo Requests and Pricing links on many of the listings (where available)
- The ability to search by category or location
Additionally, there are listings for Implementors and Service Providers.
If you are a software vendor, please claim your listing and update it with the latest software. If it doesn’t exist, please add it! We have listed many of the common providers in the United States, but we welcome any non-USA providers as well.
Further, we ask everyone who is familiar with these software companies and providers to provide a rating and review.
Ultimately, we would like this to be a very useful tool for the Industry, especially for those who are doing research, or wanting to find the latest software available.
View the ERP Vendor Directory here!
ERP Vendor Directory – Updated! is a post from: ERP and More!
Process Manufacturing Software – Process manufacturing is a unique vertical market that is unlike traditional manufacturing as a company in that companies in this niche process liquids, chemicals, and fine blended ingredients. Usually the inventory is combined in a batch based on a recipe or a formula, the inventory is not assembled, but rather blended. This results in some unique properties, including yield factors and re-blended waste products. Because of these unique factors, traditional manufacturing software does not fit these manufacturers. As such, we have listed below our Top 10 Process Manufacturing ERP Software solutions (in no particular order):
1. Batchmaster Software
About | Demo | Pricing
2. JD Edwards
About | Demo | Pricing
3. Syspro
About | Demo | Pricing
4. Infor Process Manufacturing Essentials
About | Demo | Pricing
5. SAP Business All-in-One
About | Demo | Pricing
6. Ross Enterprise
About | Demo | Pricing
7. Microsoft Dynamics AX
About | Demo | Pricing
8. PRIMS
About | Demo | Pricing
9. Deacom
About | Demo | Pricing
10. Sage ERP X3 Process Suite
About | Demo | Pricing
The Top 10 Process Manufacturing ERP Software is a post from: ERP and More!
17
ERP Software Demos – 7 Things to Watch Out For
0 Comments | Posted by Chris in Contributors
When evaluating ERP Software, a key step in the process is the vendor’s software demonstration. This is usually performed by the software provider, but sometimes it is the value added reseller who demonstrates the software. There are usually two software demos provided by each vendor during the process.
The first is an high-level demonstration of the overall look and feel of the software and it shows general functionality. This is usually to help you narrow down your list of prospective vendors.
The second demonstration is very detailed and speaks directly to your unique software requirements. Ideally, you have provided a list of requirements and even better a demonstration script to the vendor that explains step-by-step what you want to see from the software.
We’ve compiled a list of seven items that you should watch out for when evaluating ERP software. These are common things to tune into when watching the software demonstration to ensure that you are getting to see the real software functionality in action.
6 Things to Watch Out for in ERP Demonstrations. Click Image to schedule your free ERP demos
1. Tell, but no show
Vendors tell you, but do not show you
One of the most often used tricks in demos is where the vendor discusses a requirement and yet does not show how the system works. You should enforce a demonstration of the methods that the software uses to fulfill the requirements. Often this maybe on oversight on the person demonstrating the software, but many times this could be a very difficult process that they don’t want to show you.
2. Unnatural fit to requirements
Vendors spend time working on getting your requirements to work in the demo but, does it feel natural that it can be done in “real life”?
Often a complex requirement can be done by the system, but it takes a number of “unnatural acts” to make it work in real life. This is a red flag for a process problem. There are two solutions, one is that you adapt the business process of the software, or two, you live with the complex processing in order to fit your business method. If you think you can live with the software process, then mark this down as a good function. If you cannot live with the software’s best practice and you must use your process, resulting in a work around method in the software, then consider this feature as a negative response to your requirement.
3. The “herky jerky” demo
The speed of the demo changes with certain functionality
This can be related to number 2 above. This is more a feeling to the flow of the software. An unaturally paced demonstration usually means that there are some features that the software does not do well. Sometimes it relates to your evaluating user’s questions. Be aware of the pace and determine if the unnatural flow is due to software issues or some factor in your demonstration script.
Many times the vendor will ask if they change the order of the demonstration script to fit the flow of the software. This is usually okay, so long as they have hit upon all the areas that your script requires. If you limit them to sticking strictly to your script, then you may end up with an unusual flow to your demonstration.
4. “Its in the next release!”
Vendors offer solutions that are they are not able to show
This is a classic demonstration maneuver. Your requirements cannot be fulfilled by the current revision of the software, but the vendor assures you that it is slated for the next release. According to them, this will be available by the time you go live on the software. This is often true, but keep in mind that new release features often bring bugs with them and are not as polished as older functionality. Further, you may end up being the first ones to use this new functionality. Just keep this mind and consider using this as a point of negotiation, or simply document these features for your reference so that during the implementation you can keep track of when these items will actually be released. It is not uncommon for something that is slated for next release to be bumped and postponed until a later release.
5. How can I get there from here?
Vendors fly around the screens, but there is little sense to how they are navigating
Many systems have shortcut keystrokes. You sometimes can type in a short code and the screen will jump to another window. Or, the code is a numeric value representing the screen you want to go to. So the real question is how useful is this to the typical user within your company? Will they be able to grasp the jumping around shortcuts or will they rely on the navigation menus. Are the menus cumbersome? Often these shortcuts are implemented in systems where the navigation is not so straightforward. Test a few use cases out on how a typical clerical person might get around in their daily work. Good systems allow you to create custom menus for individual users.
6. Great feel getting data in, but can’t get data out
Overall feel to the software: is it efficient, can you see yourself using it on a daily basis, and does it provide the information you need?
Often you will run across a great ERP software. The look and feel is good and your users will really like it. But the question is, can you get the information you need out of it? How are the lookup screens? How are the data views (information providing screens)? You need to be careful of systems that require all data inquiries in the system to be only output as a report. Ask the vendor to demonstrate things such as an A/R or A/P account information screen, or Supplier/Customer profile screens. How easy is it to see on-screen the data you need to run your business? How easy will it be to answer customer inquiries?
7. The mystery reporting system
Input screens, Output screens and Reports
This is closely related to number 5 above. There are some ERP systems that don’t have a native reporting system and require you to use Crystal Reports, or some other tool to get at your data. Be aware of this and be sure to have a demonstration of the reporting system. Don’t look solely at the reports themselves, but find out how easy or hard it will be to create and organize custom reports. This is especially true of financial reports as they often have their own report writer separate from the main system report writer.
Lastly, if you are in the process of looking at vendors and deciding who you should have demo, you should look at this free vendor analysis tool from SoftwareAdvice.com that helps you evaluate the best vendors for your company.
Any other useful Demo tips? Please post your comments below.
ERP Software Demos – 7 Things to Watch Out For is a post from: ERP and More!
Starting an ERP selection and Implementation seems like a huge undertaking. It can be, but it can also be straightforward if you do things properly.
Where to Start with your ERP Selection and Implementation
If you are a small to medium sized company, here are some tips to get you going:
1. ERP Vendors – who should you look at? There are many different ERP vendors. The easiest way is to use a free evaluation service such as SoftwareAdvice.com. Their advisors ask you some questions to profile the type of business you are in and then from that they can give you a short list of candidates to focus on. One good article you should examine is to help you understand how ERP vendors are categorized is “ERP – What Tier are you in?” You can also reference our ERP directory for a listing of various ERP vendors.
2. What questions should you be asking the ERP vendors? This is really a questions of how well do you know what you do. Take a look at “How to determine your ERP Evaluation Criteria” to learn more about how you should self examine your company to then have the criteria for evaluating the vendors. You can also get some free templates that will help you in evaluating erp vendors here on our site.
3. ERP Negotiation – How to reach a successful outcome? Negotiation can be stressful, but really it doesn’t have to be. It is a dance that the vendors go through everyday, so they know how to work it and how to make you come to their desired decision point. You can learn more about negotiation through various books, or you can start with this article on ERP Negotiation.
4. ERP Implementation Planning – There are a lot of details to implementing an ERP solution. Here are the Top 20 ERP Implementation tips. Find out also What makes for a successful ERP Implementation. You can also learn about four corners stones to any successful implementations with this article on RICE. Here is a great article on the 12 Steps to a better ERP Launch. Lastly, here is a tongue-in-cheek look at implementations.
We hope these links and articles will help you sort out resources as to where you can start with your ERP project. For more information, please also see our ERP Bookstore where we have a lot of useful books on ERP Selections and Implmentations.
ERP – Where to Start? is a post from: ERP and More!
RT @168fengshui Finding your Best Feng Shui Directions http://www.168fengshui.com/articles/finding-your-best-feng-shui-directions
4
2010 Two Weeks Intensive Feng Shui Classes with Master Sang
0 Comments | Posted by Chris in Contributors
Two Weeks of Intensive Feng Shui Classes
with Master Sang in September 2010
The American Feng Shui Institute is pleased to announce its sixth annual intensive class. This year, we have two weeks of classes. These two week classes are a unique opportunity for all our students, both near and far, to study in person with Master Sang and his senior instructors at the American Feng Shui Institute in Monterey Park, California. The AFSI classroom is located a few miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
The first week is our basic series of Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Feng Shui Classes, plus half day class of Stems & Branches and Question & Answer Session with Master Sang.
The second week will contain case study classes featuring a class that’s based on a recent site readings in Asia. These classes are not available on-line.
All classes are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The classes will be held at the American Feng Shui Institute’s classroom or a nearby location.
Here is the schedule of classes.
WEEK 1: MONDAY – FRIDAY
Sept. 13: Beginning Feng Shui Class
Sept. 14: Intermediate Feng Shui Class
Sept. 15: Advanced Feng Shui Class, Day 1 (theory)
Sept. 16: Advanced Feng Shui Class, Day 2 (theory + half day field trip)
Sept. 17 [morning]: Stems & Branches and the Chinese Calendar
Sept. 17 [afternoon]: Question & Answer Session with Master Sang
The Stems and Branches Class – AS101 is a prerequisite for some classes in the second week. This class is also available on line.
WEEK 2*: MONDAY – FRIDAY
Sept. 20: New Building Site Selection (New Class)
Sept. 21: Advanced Case Study 15
Sept. 22: Advanced Case Study 24 & 25 (New Class)
Sept. 23: Advanced Case Study 22 & 23 (New Class – offered in February 2010)
Sept. 24: Advanced Case Study 26 & 27 (New Class)
* Topics & class location are subject to modification. Classes in Week 2 are not available online.
The cost for each week is US$750. Due to limited seating capacity, reservations are necessary and seats are on a first come first serve basis. To reserve your seat, a $350 deposit is required per week. There is a $50 cancellation fee. Register on-line, mail a check, or call us with a credit card to reserve your seat. The balance is due on the first day of class. Classes may be canceled if there is insufficient enrollment. Please contact the office for any questions or concerns.
Students may attend one section of a week (for example, only the Advanced Feng Shui Class) for the standard price of that class. However, if a class fills up, priority is given to students who attend all five days of an intensive week.
Students who have already taken the same class before, may repeat it for $45 per day if seating is available. Please contact the Institute regarding this. Priority is given to new students.
To register online, click: REGISTER ONLINE or you can call us for a credit card deposit: (626) 571-2757
For more information on hotels in the area, click HOTEL ACCOMMODATION
For more details about the classes being taught during the intensive, please continue reading below. Thank you.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
WEEK ONE: CLASSICAL FENG SHUI
Learn step-by-step how to position yourself in the natural order of the Universe to generate good health, wealth and peace of mind. Build a solid foundation for the practice of Feng Shui by studying its underlying theories. Develop the profound ability to analyze the unique “energy blueprint” of your home to reveal its past, present and future potential. Learn what remedies or enhancements to prescribe for your home or environment as it progresses throughout its nine-cycle life span.
Beginning Feng Shui – FS101 (also available on line)
History of Feng Shui
East West Theory
Yin/Yang
The Nine Flying Stars
Five Elements
The Environment
Eight Trigrams
The Solar System
Date: Monday, September 13th
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Fee: $150
***
Intermediate Feng Shui – FS102 (also available on line)
The Internal Environment
The External Environment
The Luo Shu
The Xuan Kong Method of Feng Shui
Date: Tuesday, September 14th
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Prerequisite: FS101 Beginning Feng Shui
Fee: 150
***
Advanced Feng Shui – FS201 (also available on line)
Advanced Xuan Kong flying stars method
Analyzing and remedying the four house types
What ‘locks’ a house for a certain time period
Advanced interpretation of the calculations
Wednesday & Thursday, September 15th & 16th
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Prerequisite: FS102 Intermediate Feng Shui
Fee: $150 per day (total: $300)
***
Stems and Branches and the Chinese Calendar – AS101 (also available on line)
You cannot understand the finer points of Chinese studies such as Feng Shui, Yi Jing, Astrology, Day Selection, etc. without understanding the Stems and Branches. The Stems and the Branches are some of the oldest Chinese characters. They were found often on the oracle bones, making them more than 4000 years old. They represent the cycles of the energies of heaven and the energies of earth, and have a profound effect on our well-being. They are based on yin and yang and the five elements, but have many other aspects to them. A good foundation in the Chinese calendar is also necessary. Most Westerners do not know that the Chinese had a solar calendar as well as a lunar one. In Feng Shui, we use the solar calendar, and serious Feng Shui students need to understand how this calendar works. Zi Wei Dou Shu astrology uses the lunar calendar, so this will also be discussed. This class will enable the student to understand the information presented in other classes so that they can apply those techniques accurately.
Date: Friday morning, September 17th
Time: 10 am to 1 pm
Fee: $75
***
Question & Answer Session with Master Sang
After a whole week of intensive classes, students have an opportunity to ask questions with Master Sang.
Date: Friday afternoon, September 17th
Time: 2 pm to 5 pm
Fee: $75
***
WEEK 2: MORE ADVANCED FENG SHUI CLASSES
These two weeks will be Feng Shui Case Study Classes. In these classes, Master Sang shares some interesting and informative cases from his files. Case studies are important to show the real-world application of Feng Shui and to illustrate certain circumstances that tend to bring about a particular outcome.
New Building and Site Selection
Study next to Master Sang as he takes you on an overview of two major cases he recently worked on in China. These are ambitious, innovative, and up-scale commercial projects.
One case is a street with commercial buildings in Shanghai. It was developed by a public figure but was not very successful. Master Sang was asked to improve its Feng Shui.
The second case is a resort that will be built on undeveloped land near Beijing. One of the attractions will be an orchard, where people can buy cherry or peach trees or grape vines. After that, all the fruit from the plant belongs to the owner, but the trees will be cared for by the resort. The site plans also include a restaurant and hotel. Master Sang will share how he chose the entrance for the property and laid out the buildings and orchard.
Photos and floor plans will illustrate the principles used by Master Sang. Besides Flying Star charts for the buildings, Master Sang will share other more advanced techniques for development of large commercial projects.
Learn:
* Practical experience in reading a lot (plot/space)
* What to look for on the site
* How to chose an orientation based on the environment
* How to modify a floor plan based on the house’s chart
* How to make use of the Pre Heaven and Post Heaven in a big commercial building
Date: Monday, September 20th
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Prerequisite: FS201 Advanced Feng Shui
Fee: $150
***
Advanced Feng Shui Case Study 15 (not available on line)
Learn a special technique called City Gate (chengmen):
* How to bring prosperity to a home, business, or from a grave site
* How to use the facing to bring money luck
* More details on how to use the wang number
* How a bridge near your house can affect it
Date: Tuesday, September 21st
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Prerequisite: FS201 Advanced Feng Shui
Fee: $150
***
Advanced Feng Shui Case Study 24 & 25
This class has two main topics:
* Topic 1: In the first part of this class, we will extend the reach of common Feng Shui practice by learning how to use a site’s entrance of Qi (Qi Mouth). This method goes beyond use of the Flying Stars and one can select the best entrance for immediate financial success, long term gain, promotions, or even peach blossom.
* Topic 2:
This part of the class compares two types of Feng Shui:
East-West (Eight House) Feng Shui is the body (? ti), and Xuan Kong Flying Star Feng Shui is the application (? yong). Body and application are a way of analyzing things based on Yi Jing studies. Body meas the pre-heaven attributes of something which cannot be changed and application is the way you use that thing. Application can be changed and has flexibility. For example, a body of wood may be used as a table, sculpture, fuel for fire, or even paper. We will see how this concept is used to analyze these two styles of Feng Shui.
Date: Wednesday, September 22nd
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Prerequisite: FS201 Advanced Feng Shui
Fee: $150
***
Advanced Feng Shui Case Study 22 & 23
This class has two main topics:
* Topic 1: Having a successful pregnancy: There are many Feng Shui techniques to help couples achieve a healthy pregnancy. This one involves picking the right day to place the bed, along with arranging things inside the house and inside the bedroom. We use the East-West system and the annual stars.
* Topic 2: Creating a water road to bring in money: You can do this inside and outside of the house. There are differences for each of the eight typles of house.
Date: Thursday, September 23rd
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Prerequisite: Advanced Feng Shui – FS201 and preferred Stems and Branches – AS101. This is available online.
Fee: $150
***
Advanced Feng Shui Case Study 26 & 27
This class you will learn:
* How to select the best entrance for a residential property based on the compatibility of the entrance with the house.
* What feedback, auspicious or inauspicious, will the different entrances give, according to different house trigrams?
* Benefit wealth by selecting an entrance that is compatible with the house.
* Benefit marriage relationships or aid in successful pregnancies by selecting an entrance that is compatible with the house.
Date: Friday, September 24th
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Prerequisite: FS201 Advanced Feng Shui
Fee: $150
***
The cost for each week is US$750. Due to limited seating capacity, reservations are necessary and seats are on a first come first serve basis. To reserve your seat, a $350 deposit is required per week. There is a $50 cancellation fee. Register on-line, mail a check, or call us with a credit card to reserve your seat. The balance is due on the first day of class. Classes may be canceled if there is insufficient enrollment.
Students may attend one section of a week (for example, only the Advanced Feng Shui Class) for the standard price of that class. However, if a class fills up, priority is given to students who attend all five days of an intensive week.
Students who have already taken the same class before, may repeat it for $45 per day if seating is available. Please contact the Institute regarding this. Priority is given to new students.
Students are responsible for their own hotel accommodation & transportation.
For more information about airport + hotels in the area to obtain AFSI student discount rate, please go to: Hotel Accommodation
American Feng Shui Institute
111 N. Atlantic Blvd. Suite 352, Monterey Park, CA 91754
Tel: 626.571.2757 * Fax: 626.281.0042
www.amfengshui.com * fsinfo@amfengshui.com
Dear Students,
We are in the process of upgrading our emailing list to a better, faster technology called AWeber.
You will be receiving an email to confirm your subscription for AFSI through AWeber.
Please help us to confirm your subscription so that we can continue to be in contact through AWeber. To confirm is as simple as clicking on the link embedded in the email.
We apologize for any inconvenience. Please bare with us during this transition.
We look forward to re-cyber-linked with you again.
Regards,
AFSI Staff
Does Feng Shui require a Compass?168 Feng Shui Advisors | 168 Feng Shui Advisors: http://bit.ly/abjgUX via @addthis
ERP Software done correctly can be a great tool for improving a business. Done badly, it can demoralize employees and drive down business results.
Case-in-point:
ERP Software should enable business processes, not torture the employees.
“My experience with SAP was of an all-purpose integrated business solution. At the beginning of the day, I clocked in using an SAP applet. Next, I would go through a set of SAP generated planned-production orders, direct work orders, or reported directly to my supervisor. After looking through the routing information (generated through SAP), I would complete the specified task. When the task was complete, I would “clock-off” on the job, which entailed bringing the PPO to a computer, scanning it into an SAP applet, and entering my badge number (employee ID). Another thing I found interesting was the request to clock off on all activities. Even if I had only swept or scraped tape off the floors (it was a slow summer), I was asked to clock off on something called “lean labor.” I found this curious, though I suppose from an efficiency standpoint it was very important. To refer back to these “value-chains,” it is important to know exactly what every employee, piece of inventory, and work order are doing at any given time. Whether it is benig worked on, working on something, or finished, this real-time updating system allows everyone company-wide to see which projects are in progress, which are complete, and which have not been touched. Also from a managerial standpoint, it is important to see how much work each individual employee is doing and how well they are performing, not to mention that employee’s ID will always be attached to that job if future concerns arise.
Now from a business standpoint this is all well and good. But what about the employee? A lot of days, clocking and clocking out I felt as though it did not matter whether or not I was even there. There were simply no jobs to be done for entire weeks at a time, but that did not change that I had to “clock out” for certain jobs. Of course, a business wants to make sure that all of its employees are being as productive as possible, but clocking out on cleaning out the same area 3 times during a week seemed redundant and absurd. Not to mention clocking out on an activity such as “material handling” or “lean labor” is fairly arbitrary. This of course necessitated a manager to scold me when my productivity levels fell (ie playing Frisbee with a cardboard box in the back). It is important to note that I was simply summer-hired as well. Working full time at a job as a number would eventually get fairly tedious. As one of my co-workers noted to me, they had simply clocked in and clocked out for a couple of weeks and clocked off on none of the jobs they were doing. No one said anything to him. So who’s checking these jobs?” - Andrew Mellino
Implementing technology to collect data is one thing, but ERP should not be just about the numbers. ERP ideally should be “process improvement enabled by technology.” It should not be a tool to harass the employees. This is a key concept to understand when implementing and going through the design phase. Which processes are broken and which processes are working fine. Once you have defined that, then see where the ERP software can enable best business practices. It is essential that the employees have a buy in and provide feedback to this step.
If you get the employees to buy into the implementation and how it will change their jobs, you will gain the benefits of higher utilization of the system and overall better adoption. If you fail this step, you will have a failed ERP implementation. There is a saying that you should “drive data collection to the source.” This means that you should have the person who is directly responsible for the source of that data be the one who is entering it. When the ERP system is not implemented with the employees in mind, the employees will be unmotivated to use the system, ensure that the data is accurate, or even bother to put in correct information.
With the help of your line employees, design in best practices and work with them to build a system that they will use and will benefit not only them by making their jobs easier, but also benefit the whole company by driving positive results.
How not to implement and use ERP software is a post from: ERP and More!
Defining your ERP Evaluation Criteria is essential for paring down the vendors and getting to the final choice. There are two focus areas for determining your selection criteria:
1. ERP Process Evaluation Criteria
Process Criteria is the evaluation tool you would use to determine the flow of data through the system and how it would follow along your established or to-be business processes. For example, following a process flow of quoting an order, receiving the order, manufacturing or purchasing the product, shipping, and finally invoicing the order is known as an order-to-cash process flow.
By mapping out these processes in a visio diagram or even on a whiteboard, you will have a good understanding of how your business operates. With this knowledge, your evaluation of various business management software will be a lot easier. Further, you can see how closely the software’s process flow mirrors your company’s or how disjointed the software is when it comes to your business.
2. ERP System Functional Evaluation Criteria
System Functional Criteria is the detailed list of all of the things you need the system to do, from processing purchase orders, processing a sales order, to invoicing a client and producing financial reports. These are the nitty gritty things that your system should do. A good place to start is to evaluate your current system. What are the functions that the current system does well? Include these in your list. What are the things that your system does poorly, include the desired functionality in your list.
Your list should not be 10,000 lines, but rather it should look at those items that make your business unique. For example, most every business has to cut A/P checks. So most systems can do that. So do not list as a requirement that the software should be able to cut A/P checks, rather make your requirement specific to your company, such as “System should be able to cut 3 copy laser checks, with reprint capability.” That very specific requirement will help you distinguish the vendors from one another.
A good place to start is with an ERP Evaluation Criteria Template. ERPandMore has many different templates to assist you in evaluating various ERP software venders and have best practices built in. In using these as a starting point, you will save yourself countless hours in both preparing these criteria templates as well as in differentiating the vendors your are looking at.
How to determine your ERP Evaluation Criteria is a post from: ERP and More!
