Laurent Feltz's Lessons Learning posting (1st day)

As I told when I present myself at the beginning of the class, I am not an IT specialist and to my mind attending an ERP class is something very important to understand the need of companies in terms of information system. I worked on an “old AS400” (as said my placement supervisor) during my last internship. I understood roughly its mechanism with the traceability of the product from the supply (and supply order) to the sale (and the sale order), but my vision was limited to my mission in the company: financial director assistant.

First I would not be honest if I do not say that I know now a lot more what ERP is.

I understood that Enterprise Resource Planning is an ensemble of integrated and modular software that collect and process data from every part of an organization in real-time.

“Integrated” means that ERP relies on a unique system that integrates all data in the same database. This feature brings lots of advantages for organization which used to dealing with a different system for each function and thus different database. It reduces the costs of maintenance. It facilitates management decision making by allowing an immediate transmission of information whatever the department of the organization. It removes data redundancy and multi-processing for each different managers. In conclusion it dynamizes a lot the organization running.

“Modular” means that it comprises different modules: roughly one module for one function in the organization (one for accounting, one for sales, one for supply, one for marketing, and so on). This characteristic allows a better management of demand and supply planning. Which also generates a better order fulfilment and inventories control. The concrete advantages are better customer satisfaction and cost reduction.

Companies use also ERP to compute master production planning and thus monitor more effectively their production process at the operational and business level. This functionality is the improvement of precedent systems: material requirement planning (only deals with operation) and manufacturing resource planning (integrated financial data too).

fter understanding what ERP is, the first question is What ERP to implement?

Indeed there are different providers of ERP system and different level of customization of the finished product.

The major players in this field are companies like Oracle and SAP. They provide more functionality and more support in the use. There are also small players which provide ERP. The main advantage to deal with these companies is that you can more easily influence the design of the finished goods because they are more likely to pamper each of their customers. At last you can find open sources ERP like Compiere or OFBiz. These systems are much cheaper to acquire but the organization can spend a lot of money to adapt it to its specificity. The need for personnel to support -especially in case of upgrades- could be restraint.

A company that implement an ERP has to know that the total customization of the ERP is very complicated, expensive and often impossible. Besides a company can not entirely adapt itself to match the mechanism of the ERP. So a company implementing an ERP must be ready for some change.

In the last part of the class, I learnt some characteristics of SAP. Systems Applications Products is a kind of ERP that has different versions adapted to the sector of the company (bank, service, chemical…). It integrates all core business functions and provides special solutions for organization. It can work with different languages and currencies so it is very interesting for international companies. It has an open-system architecture and can then work whatever the hardware (IBM, HP…) and allows users to add exterior modules like modules specially developed by the company to its own use.

The data integrity is effective in SAP and this is an important advantage.

Elif Turkseven's Profile and Lessons Learned

Today, it was the first day of the “Global ERP systems implementation strategies” course. I was not quite familiar with the subject but I thought that it could be interesting to take this course to learn more about it. Firstly, we have learned the definition and evolution of ERP (MRP and MRP II). I have learned that this system enables companies to integrate information through the whole organization. By the help of this system, companies use only one database by sharing information from different departments of the organization. As a result, the waste of time is eliminated. I have learned that there are major players such as Oracle, small players and open sources. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages. I can say that I have understood this system enables companies to operate better and in a more functional way although it has some implementation costs at first. Because you do not have to create different data sources for each module you use, it is beneficial and efficient for the company as it also provides modularity. Last year, I was having my internship at the finance department of Meteksan Sistem A.S. in Ankara. They were also using Oracle database system. They were putting all the information that they have gathered during the whole day and they were also sharing this information with the accounting department of the company. They have also explained us how it works and why they use this system. The reason was the security. They said that it provides much more security as we have learned today in class. At that time, I did not think the benefit and the working process of the system. Now the things become much clearer and I can understand the benefits, advantages and disadvantages of this issue in an enjoying course atmosphere with efficient team and discussion activities.

Alexis Bouly's Bio and Day 1 Lessons Learned

Good evening,


I found today’s course useful as an introduction to ERP systems. No surprise came from the global architecture and basic definitions of ERP systems; basically it was as I imagine it!
I was quite interested by the different type of ERP on the market and especially about open source ERPs. I found interesting that a community of programmers share their knowledge and competencies about programming. I already knew about Linux and though that open source software was only applicable to it. However I am not sure this concept can bring efficient ERP solutions to companies. I think this concept comes from good feelings but several barriers such as compatibility, cost (employ programmers, huge developments …). So to my point of view it is interesting to know about these open source players but is it really feasible to work with them? Not quite sure…
Finally I was happy to learn a new word “bolt on”, but I don’t see the point in creating a new word if it means “add on”… Perhaps it is the moment to ask for some precision! So what difference is there between a bolt on and an add on?



So now more about me! I am a 4th years student at IESEG specialized in management control and audit. I come from this rainy region of France about 1 hour from Lille. Last year I was studying abroad in Canada, and more especially in Québec at the University of Sherbrooke. This course remind me a lecture I had in IS but hopefully this one is much more understandable even in English! After one year in Québec I decided to do my internship in England I order to improve a little my English… (Québec is a francophone part of Canada!). I was working for a European bank called BNP Paribas and I was responsible for translating an software in English and writing procedures about how to use it.
As I am specialized in management control and audit, I’d like to start my carrier abroad in internal audit. I will appreciate to work on projects in a different subsidiary of a multinational company. That is were ERP systems becomes interesting because it can be from what I learnt today a powerful tool for auditor in order to access to specific information. Then I already looked at job appliances in the audit field and some of them were requiring SAP qualifications and I was interested to know more about this.
I see my future job abroad as a springboard for a future job in France. I think, because of a work experience abroad, I will have more credibility on the French job market. So sacrifice 3 or 4 years abroad can be useful in this perspective…
At the end of this course I’d like to be able to take advantage of what I have learned about ERP, to be efficient on my future job. For me theory is good but practice is to me much more important.
Finally one thing “surprising” is that I play French hunting horn for 8 years now (Trompe de chasse in French)

Best regards

Alexis

PS: This blog is a very modern and interesting way of communicating however I can’t log on! But I love it!