The Solution of Current ERP Programs
The architecture of most ERP systems may be termed the “total package approach”. All customer-specific functionality must be included in the “main” single-layer package. A “customizer” is provided to “tailor” the package to the customer’s needs out of the massive “main” package. However, the “customizer” is limited in the scope and type of modifications that can be offered. Any functionality that requires “add-ons” of tables, columns and -- more importantly -- logic, has to be incorporated by the vendor’s development team into the “main” package.
Obviously, meshing the specific needs of thousands of customers into a single coherent package is a nightmare even for the most talented system analyst. That scarce resource of system analysts who can do the job becomes a real bottleneck for customer requests. Implementation processes could drag on for months and years as customers “wait their turn” for their own modifications to “clear” the vendor’s development team.
Complexity also prevails during the implementation process at a customer site. It takes a top quality expert to sift through a mature “main” package incorporating a massive volume of functionality so as to “tailor” processes as required by the customer. Although some vendors have invested heavily in trying to simplify that process, it still takes a large amount of time and effort to do the job.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Problem of ERP Implementation
The Problem of ERP Implementation
Because of the need to adapt the generic software to the specific needs of the firm, ERP vendors were required to provide tools and utilities that will allow the firm’s in house IT personnel or independent consulting firms to customize the software. Actually, customization and implementation of ERP software became an industry on its own. AMR Research Inc. estimates that 75% of the ERP market size relates to programming and consulting services for the implementation of ERP in the organization. The customers also spend several times more money on ERP associated services compared to the purchase of the software license. The industry standard is 3 to 5 between amount spend on software purchase versus amount spent on software customization and implementation services.
With the evolution of the “Active ERP” systems, the customization issue becomes even more critical. Active ERP systems incorporate workflow, triggers and alerts as an integral part of their logic. These processes are more susceptible to be customer specific and dynamic over time (and within the same organization). The current ERP programs do not provide an adequate solution to this problem.
Because of the need to adapt the generic software to the specific needs of the firm, ERP vendors were required to provide tools and utilities that will allow the firm’s in house IT personnel or independent consulting firms to customize the software. Actually, customization and implementation of ERP software became an industry on its own. AMR Research Inc. estimates that 75% of the ERP market size relates to programming and consulting services for the implementation of ERP in the organization. The customers also spend several times more money on ERP associated services compared to the purchase of the software license. The industry standard is 3 to 5 between amount spend on software purchase versus amount spent on software customization and implementation services.
With the evolution of the “Active ERP” systems, the customization issue becomes even more critical. Active ERP systems incorporate workflow, triggers and alerts as an integral part of their logic. These processes are more susceptible to be customer specific and dynamic over time (and within the same organization). The current ERP programs do not provide an adequate solution to this problem.
Active ERP
Active ERP
“Active ERP” refers to the incorporation of triggers, alerts and workflow procedures into the logic of the ERP system. These differ significantly from one customer to another, and even among different departments of the same customer. Therefore, their effective incorporation into the ERP program is critical in a true customization of the software to the customer’s needs.
However, eventhough workflow and business rules have become almost mandatory for ERP systems, yet, all ERP systems on the market today require users to hard code (in the source code) triggers, alerts and workflow procedures that are not predefined. This forces them to recode the triggers and procedures when installing the next release (upgrade).
The unique architecture of Eshbel’s SUPERset technology (see below) enables this customization to be carried out in a most cost-efficient manner, and to preserve such triggers from one version to the next.
“Active ERP” refers to the incorporation of triggers, alerts and workflow procedures into the logic of the ERP system. These differ significantly from one customer to another, and even among different departments of the same customer. Therefore, their effective incorporation into the ERP program is critical in a true customization of the software to the customer’s needs.
However, eventhough workflow and business rules have become almost mandatory for ERP systems, yet, all ERP systems on the market today require users to hard code (in the source code) triggers, alerts and workflow procedures that are not predefined. This forces them to recode the triggers and procedures when installing the next release (upgrade).
The unique architecture of Eshbel’s SUPERset technology (see below) enables this customization to be carried out in a most cost-efficient manner, and to preserve such triggers from one version to the next.
ERP The Customization Issue
ERP The Customization Issue
ERP vendors are well aware of the need to tailor (or retrofit) their packages to the specific requirements of industries and customers. A single vendor who wishes to serve many vertical markets (industries) has three options: * To support different brands of the package – a costly and cumbersome option which was abandoned by most ERP vendors. * To mesh all brands into a single package, where “branding” for a specific industry or customer is done by parameters which are selectively flagged to adjust for their “unique” needs. This option is used by most ERP vendors. However because the vendors need to mesh the needs of different industries within a single, tightly integrated SW package, this “flagging process” makes the customization process complex and expensive. Furthermore, tailoring to a specific customer that is not answered for within the given parameters is harder still. * To provide an integrated package that permits on-site tailoring which meets specific needs. Only Priority, with its SUPERset technology, provides this option.
ERP vendors are well aware of the need to tailor (or retrofit) their packages to the specific requirements of industries and customers. A single vendor who wishes to serve many vertical markets (industries) has three options: * To support different brands of the package – a costly and cumbersome option which was abandoned by most ERP vendors. * To mesh all brands into a single package, where “branding” for a specific industry or customer is done by parameters which are selectively flagged to adjust for their “unique” needs. This option is used by most ERP vendors. However because the vendors need to mesh the needs of different industries within a single, tightly integrated SW package, this “flagging process” makes the customization process complex and expensive. Furthermore, tailoring to a specific customer that is not answered for within the given parameters is harder still. * To provide an integrated package that permits on-site tailoring which meets specific needs. Only Priority, with its SUPERset technology, provides this option.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Virtual Lead Generation: CRM in Virtual Events
With the recession eroding travel budgets, the traditional trade show is in trouble. The trend started five years ago, as the expense of events caused cost-conscious managers to eliminate attendees from their companies who didn’t have a well-defined reason for attending shows. In the last two years, even tighter purse-strings have tamped down attendance even further — and as the events’ attendees dwindle, the number of exhibitors also begins to fall, precipitating a vicious death spiral that has already claimed a number of big-name events.
Of course, the need to meet, learn and engage with others in the same industry still exists. Stepping in to fill that void are companies like Unisfair that provide services to create and host virtual events. Arslaner understands the various aspects of trade events, from the information gathering at booths to the lead-hunting by sales reps; he was vice president of product strategy at Kana Software and held a management role at PeopleSoft before coming to Jamcracker as vice president of marketing. Now, in a similar role at Unisfair, a full-service provider of virtual events, he’s working to show that a virtual show has the same virtues for everyone involved — including sales staff — as a real-world event.
Arslaner talked to Inside CRM about virtual events’ adoption, what they mean for sales reps, and how far a sale can progress in virtual space.
Of course, the need to meet, learn and engage with others in the same industry still exists. Stepping in to fill that void are companies like Unisfair that provide services to create and host virtual events. Arslaner understands the various aspects of trade events, from the information gathering at booths to the lead-hunting by sales reps; he was vice president of product strategy at Kana Software and held a management role at PeopleSoft before coming to Jamcracker as vice president of marketing. Now, in a similar role at Unisfair, a full-service provider of virtual events, he’s working to show that a virtual show has the same virtues for everyone involved — including sales staff — as a real-world event.
Arslaner talked to Inside CRM about virtual events’ adoption, what they mean for sales reps, and how far a sale can progress in virtual space.
Siemens Announces OpenScape Voice V4
Siemens Enterprise Communications Announces OpenScape Voice V4 with OpenScape Branch for Seamless Voice Across Branch Offices -- Latest version of standards-based voice offering also includes OpenScape Concierge, the industry's first UC-enabled attendant console application
Boca Raton, Fla., February 3, 2010 -- Siemens Enterprise Communications Group (SEN Group), a premier provider of enterprise Relevant Products/Services communications Relevant Products/Services solutions, today announced the availability of OpenScape Voice V4, the next release of SEN Group's award-winning software-based voice solution. The new version features OpenScape Branch and OpenScape Concierge, two capabilities designed to provide new flexible deployment Relevant Products/Services options and improve the customer Relevant Products/Services experience. The complete unified voice solution is designed to lower the total cost of ownership and increase efficiencies across the enterprise by leveraging its data Relevant Products/Services center approach to ease administration and increase scalability.
OpenScape Branch helps deliver scalable, feature-rich communications for cost-conscious customers with multiple branch offices. It allows customers to streamline business communications by extending seamless voice services across all company offices with a SIP Proxy for survivability and a Session Border Controller (SBC) for local SIP trunking connections. It provides for management integration Relevant Products/Services on a common portal for faster and easier installation and integration, and can help reduce audio conferencing costs, call charges and power Relevant Products/Services consumption.
OpenScape Concierge is the industry's first true unified communications (UC) Attendant Console application Relevant Products/Services. OpenScape Concierge extends the benefits of UC beyond desktop users to also support telephone attendants, such as switchboard operators, with real-time UC-based presence status information for contacts across both OpenScape Voice and HiPath 4000 systems. It also supports call queue and corporate directory integration, allowing telephone attendants to more easily direct incoming calls to anyone in the organization.
"Customers such as those in the financial and retail verticals, with multiple branch offices, are looking for ways to upgrade legacy systems to enterprise class, open, IP-based software solutions to improve business processes and stay competitive in the marketplace," said Eve Aretakis, executive vice president of voice and application platforms. "And as enterprises also work within limited budgets, a data center approach like the one offered with OpenScape makes perfect sense. As an open, pure IP solution, it protects the customer's existing investments by overlaying onto existing architecture. It not only takes advantage of industry standards such as SIP and SOA to provide the most innovative voice solutions in the market today, but with almost one million users world-wide, it has been field proven in real customer deployments."
Boca Raton, Fla., February 3, 2010 -- Siemens Enterprise Communications Group (SEN Group), a premier provider of enterprise Relevant Products/Services communications Relevant Products/Services solutions, today announced the availability of OpenScape Voice V4, the next release of SEN Group's award-winning software-based voice solution. The new version features OpenScape Branch and OpenScape Concierge, two capabilities designed to provide new flexible deployment Relevant Products/Services options and improve the customer Relevant Products/Services experience. The complete unified voice solution is designed to lower the total cost of ownership and increase efficiencies across the enterprise by leveraging its data Relevant Products/Services center approach to ease administration and increase scalability.
OpenScape Branch helps deliver scalable, feature-rich communications for cost-conscious customers with multiple branch offices. It allows customers to streamline business communications by extending seamless voice services across all company offices with a SIP Proxy for survivability and a Session Border Controller (SBC) for local SIP trunking connections. It provides for management integration Relevant Products/Services on a common portal for faster and easier installation and integration, and can help reduce audio conferencing costs, call charges and power Relevant Products/Services consumption.
OpenScape Concierge is the industry's first true unified communications (UC) Attendant Console application Relevant Products/Services. OpenScape Concierge extends the benefits of UC beyond desktop users to also support telephone attendants, such as switchboard operators, with real-time UC-based presence status information for contacts across both OpenScape Voice and HiPath 4000 systems. It also supports call queue and corporate directory integration, allowing telephone attendants to more easily direct incoming calls to anyone in the organization.
"Customers such as those in the financial and retail verticals, with multiple branch offices, are looking for ways to upgrade legacy systems to enterprise class, open, IP-based software solutions to improve business processes and stay competitive in the marketplace," said Eve Aretakis, executive vice president of voice and application platforms. "And as enterprises also work within limited budgets, a data center approach like the one offered with OpenScape makes perfect sense. As an open, pure IP solution, it protects the customer's existing investments by overlaying onto existing architecture. It not only takes advantage of industry standards such as SIP and SOA to provide the most innovative voice solutions in the market today, but with almost one million users world-wide, it has been field proven in real customer deployments."
Noble Systems Shows Expanded Market Position
Noble Systems on Track to Double Revenue in Five-Year Span -- Contact center solution provider's growth driven by innovation, acquisitions
Atlanta, GA, February 4, 2010 -- Noble Systems Corporation, a global leader in innovative contact center technology solutions, today announced a projected 2010 revenue total marking a 100 percent increase over 2006 levels. The landmark five-year period points to the company's continued financial stability and expanding market position.
"Our success in recent years has paced the industry and positioned Noble as a true market leader," says Chris Hodges, Senior Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at Noble Systems. "Noble's focus on customer Relevant Products/Services-specific solutions has earned long-term relationships with SMB Relevant Products/Services and enterprise Relevant Products/Services customers. At the same time, our investment in technological innovation such as SIPhony, Noble's newest generation SIP platform, has acted as a catalyst for growth."
The announcement comes at a time when analysts and experts look to the contact center industry as a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy economic landscape. Analyst firm Frost & Sullivan says United States contact center revenue could exceed $29 billion by 2014 while the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts the customer service Relevant Products/Services representative sector will account for the third-highest number of jobs in the country by 2018.
While the revenue statistic reflects Noble's robust financial growth, the company has also recorded significant gains in market share through organic expansion and the recent acquisition of assets and intellectual property from former competitors Touchstar and TDI/Teledirect.
About Noble Systems
Noble Systems Corporation (NSC) is a global leader in contact center technology solutions, providing innovative products since 1989. Every day, millions of customer contacts are made by agents at 4,000+ client installations worldwide using the award-winning Noble platform for inbound/outbound/blended communications Relevant Products/Services. The scalable, integrated Noble Solution includes advanced ACD and predictive dialing; unified contact processing; and integrated IVR, recording, messaging, quality/monitoring systems, scripting, and real-time reporting and management tools. Based in Atlanta, GA, Noble Systems was the first vendor to offer an open, scalable, fully-distributed platform.
Atlanta, GA, February 4, 2010 -- Noble Systems Corporation, a global leader in innovative contact center technology solutions, today announced a projected 2010 revenue total marking a 100 percent increase over 2006 levels. The landmark five-year period points to the company's continued financial stability and expanding market position.
"Our success in recent years has paced the industry and positioned Noble as a true market leader," says Chris Hodges, Senior Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at Noble Systems. "Noble's focus on customer Relevant Products/Services-specific solutions has earned long-term relationships with SMB Relevant Products/Services and enterprise Relevant Products/Services customers. At the same time, our investment in technological innovation such as SIPhony, Noble's newest generation SIP platform, has acted as a catalyst for growth."
The announcement comes at a time when analysts and experts look to the contact center industry as a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy economic landscape. Analyst firm Frost & Sullivan says United States contact center revenue could exceed $29 billion by 2014 while the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts the customer service Relevant Products/Services representative sector will account for the third-highest number of jobs in the country by 2018.
While the revenue statistic reflects Noble's robust financial growth, the company has also recorded significant gains in market share through organic expansion and the recent acquisition of assets and intellectual property from former competitors Touchstar and TDI/Teledirect.
About Noble Systems
Noble Systems Corporation (NSC) is a global leader in contact center technology solutions, providing innovative products since 1989. Every day, millions of customer contacts are made by agents at 4,000+ client installations worldwide using the award-winning Noble platform for inbound/outbound/blended communications Relevant Products/Services. The scalable, integrated Noble Solution includes advanced ACD and predictive dialing; unified contact processing; and integrated IVR, recording, messaging, quality/monitoring systems, scripting, and real-time reporting and management tools. Based in Atlanta, GA, Noble Systems was the first vendor to offer an open, scalable, fully-distributed platform.
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