Home > Articles > Software Development & Management

Case Study: Enterprise Resource Planning

Today's most successful companies understand and practice enterprise application integration through innovative approaches and techniques. This case study shows how such companies would apply integration models to packaged software that is provided by ERP vendors such as PeopleSoft and SAP.
This chapter is from the book

Today's most successful companies understand and practice enterprise application integration through innovative approaches and techniques. A composite story, drawing from experiences applying Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software with companies in the employment services sector, provides an example of how such companies would apply integration models to ERP objectives.

The packaged software that is provided by ERP vendors such as PeopleSoft, SAP, JD Edwards, and Baan delivers improved enterprise application integration by offering an integrated suite of applications to perform standard business functions. Back-end functions such as accounting, inventory, and shipping are supported, as well as front-end functions such as call-center and sales-force automation. ERP packages are used in conjunction with business process reengineering techniques to upgrade big chunks of a company's supporting systems.

Until recent years, packaged-software vendors concentrated on one application or a suite of applications that they automated without regard to other applications that a company might have in its systems portfolio. Consequently, large corporations that purchased and installed packaged applications found themselves with islands of data and processing that must be bridged to other islands. As these bridges grew, the maintenance of a system and its interfaces also grew to take up more and more resources. In response to this dilemma, software vendors expanded their offerings to include all or many of the related applications that a company would require, delivering them pre-integrated by the vendor.

Companies undertake ERP implementations when they need to integrate multiple systems quickly. Sometimes business competition forces companies to undertake ERP initiatives when competitors, because of tight integration of their own systems, can offer more desirable services and product features. At other times, technological advances require that a company upgrade all its systems to keep up with new opportunities. Yet another reason companies install ERP systems is when outsourcing initiatives have failed and they want to reinstate their own information technology systems support. When bringing this function back inside a company is a good time to overhaul the systems and make sure they're integrated and maintainable.

Background

The new Chief Information Officer's charter was to replace obsolete computer systems with current packaged systems, providing a competitive advantage through technology. This meant using advanced systems to bring more resources to market (that is, filling jobs more quickly with their temporary employees) while at the same time slashing prices by reducing operating margins. The goal was to implement improved business processes by configuring and installing packaged ERP systems according to the results of an enterprisewide reengineering effort.

The sales and service delivery team would be able to fill jobs more quickly with temporary employees by using sales support applications that were configured based on best practices identified and propagated throughout the organization's distribution network. New business acquisition and retention of existing customers would be enhanced through customer management software and customer information reporting.

The field offices would be able to reduce operating margins by using packaged applications that support field office functions such as billing, payroll, time accounting, and collections. The definition of core business processes, flow of activities and decision support needs would ensure the proper configuration of the packaged software to take advantage of reengineered processes with the latest technologies.

The pre-integrated nature of the ERP packaged software would provide a new baseline for all of the company's systems, including those that would not be involved in the initial installation. Those included isolated systems without integration requirements, systems that were not included in the available ERP functions and unique in-house applications and customized applications. Systems would be converted into the new order on a scheduled basis, and new development would target the standards established by the ERP implementation. As all applications migrated into the new systems environment, integration would increase and the company would begin to develop sophisticated knowledge management at the corporate level to be used for decision-making.

The CIO's main problem was the seemingly insurmountable gap between what he knew (the fragmented puzzle of the company's current systems) and what he needed to know (business requirements for the new systems). He had very little information about how the existing systems were actually being used to conduct business. His technical managers, field managers, and the headquarters staff that supported them all wanted the package installation to succeed. All held a piece of the information needed to make it a success, but none could see the whole picture. Without the crucial understanding of the use of current systems as a basis for defining future business requirements, the implementation project risked missing the mark.

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020