Major ERP V endors and their Products:
notes 10.4 faster implementation methodologies
10.8 Business models and Business application programming interfaces (Bapis)
SAP has attacked the notion that the R/3 system is not open by releasing the specifications for some 170 business application programming interfaces (BAPIs), which help third-party applications interact with R/3 directly.
BAPIs are simply, sets of methods that allow external applications to collaborate with specific R/3 business objects, such as customers, accounts, or employees.
The fact that the R/3 data is addressable through these callable methods, (BAPIs) gives the third party application vendors a lot of flexibility to build supporting applications for the R/3 system.
Unit 10: ERP Future Directions
notes In a similar manner, BAAN provides an offering called OrgWare that is based on the use of a
tightly integrated business-modeling tool, combined with business-specific templates that help to automatically configure the software to suit specific operational needs.
BAAN is currently in the process of enhancing this tool with new setup wizards to accelerate software implementation on the Windows NT platform.
Task BAAN is working to deliver a Java-based Web interface to all its products. Discuss the features of Java based application.
Case Study
Building the it infrastructure
A
lfred is a do-it-yourself entrepreneur who built up his fortune in trading. He traded in anything and everything, and kept close control of every activity. That was how he had grown rich enough to indulge in his one dream — to build a college in his hometown. A college that would be at par to the ones in the better cities, the ones in which he could not study himself.Work started a year back and the buildings were coming along well. He himself did not use computers much and became hooked to the Internet and e-mail only recently. He was determined to provide a PC with Internet connectivity to every students and faculty member. He was currently engrossed in plans for the 100-seater computer lab.
What was confusing him was the choice of Internet connectivity. He had about a dozen quotes in front of him. Recommendations ranged from 64 kbps ISDN all the way to 1 Gbps leased line to Guwahati, which was almost 200 km away. Prices ranged from slightly under a lakh all the way up to ` 25 lakhs and beyond. He did not understand most of the equipment quoted firewall, proxy server, cache appliance. Nor was he sure what the hidden costs were. Although it went against his very nature, he would have to identify a trustworthy consultant who would help him make sense of the whole thing.
Questions
1. In the context of the given case, what managerial issues need to be addressed by Alfred? Why is it important for managers to be tech savvy?
2. What is the importance of a ‘systems consultant’ to an organization? What skills should he/she possess?
10.9 summary
To solve the problems of “information-glut” arising from the evermore affordable z
l
information and communication technologies that provide for evermore high-capacity, fast, long-distance transmission, organizations would need to introduce methods for “selective dispersion of information” to their various parts.
Work tasks would be grouped in organizational units created around a common program z
l
for information processing.
Improvements in telecommunications will make it easier to control (which will be primarily z
l
a matter of information exchange) organizational units dispersed over different parts of the world.
notes lz Advances in telecommunications (such as videophone), coupled with diminishing costs, would result in increased distance-communication.
Indirect communication would be preferred for well-structured information for routinized, z
l
“preprogrammed” decision processes.
Transaction processing systems are responsible for capturing, storing, and providing access z
l
to the basic data of the organisation.
The goal is to capture the transaction data as soon as possible. z
l
Common collection methods include point-of sale services, process control, electronic data z
l
interchange, and electronic commerce websites.
Because data is the foundation for all other decisions, TPS must maintain data integrity and z
l
minimize the threats to the data.
10.10 keywords
Enterprise Network: A network that connects multiple subnetworks across an entire firm. Often, the networks use different protocols and different computer types, which complicates transmitting messages.
Online Analytical Processing (OLAP): A computer system designed to help managers retrieve and analyze data. The systems are optimized to rapidly integrate and retrieve data. The storage system is generally incompatible with transaction processing, so it is stored in a data warehouse.
UNIX: A popular operating system created by Bell Labs. It is designed to operate the same on hardware from several different vendors. Unfortunately, there are several varieties of UNIX, and software that operates on one version often must be modified to function on other machines.
10.11 self assessment
Fill in the blanks:
1. Oracle also introduced a faster implementation methodology called ... 2. BAPIs stands for ...
3. ... is the most popular operating system in the world forcing all ERP vendors to offer their products on its platform.
4. The ERP vendors offer central platform management tools alongwith ... of application modules.
State whether the following statements are true or false:
5. ERP vendors focusing on providing improved decision support applications.
6. PeopleSoft is going to include closer integration between PeopleSoft applications and both, the client based Congos Corp.
7. JD Edward provides most expensive versions of the OneWorld suit. 8. SAP has introduced a program called Accelerated SAP.
9. Vendor delivers java based application for web enabling software.
Unit 10: ERP Future Directions
notes
10.12 review Questions
1. Explain why the ERP vendors are trying to improve their products and offering. 2. Explain faster implementation methodologies used in ERP implementation. 3. Write a short note on OLAP.
4. Which are the new markets and channels explained by ERP vendors? 5. Write a short note on Convergence on ‘Windows NT’.
6. What is the impact of internet and www on the ERP products? 7. Write a short note on web enabling the software.
8. ‘Business Model 4 BAPI’. Write short notes.
9. Write a note of faster implementation methodologies? 10. What do you mean by new business segment?
answers: self assessment
1. Fast-forward
2. Business Application Programming Interfaces 3. Windows NT 4. comprehensive suites 5. True 6. True 7. False 8. True 9. True 10. False
10.13 further readings
Books Alexis Leon, ERP Demystified 2/E, Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi. Alexis Leon, Enterprise Resource Planning, Tata McGraw Hill, 2009.
Bhatnagar, S.C. and K.V. Ramani, Computers and Information Management, Prentice Hall of India Private Ltd, New Delhi, 1991.
Daniel E. O’Leary, ERP Systems: Systems, Life Cycle, E-commerce, and Risk, Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Ellen Monk, Bret Wagner, Concepts in Enterprise Resource Planning, Course Technology, Second Edition, 2005
Hanson, J.J., “Successful ERP Implementations Go Far Beyond Software,” San Diego Business Journal (5 July 2004).
notes Millman, Gregory J., “What Did You Get from ERP and What Can You Get?,” Financial Executive (May 2004).
Murrell G. Shields, E-Business and ERP: Rapid Implementation and Project Planning, Wiley, 2001.
Olinger, Charles, “The Issues Behind ERP Acceptance and Implementation,” APICS: The Performance Advantage
Pankaj Sharma, Enterprise Resource Planning, APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 2004.
Online links www.en.wikipedia.org www.web-source.net www.webopedia.com
Unit 11: ERP-II