Archive for the ‘ERP’ Category
ERP in Manufacturing 2011: Defining the ERP Strategy
venerdì, aprile 27th, 2012Five Ways ERP Can Help You Implement Lean
venerdì, aprile 27th, 2012The Rise of an Underground CIO
venerdì, aprile 27th, 2012
Photo courtesy of Joy Global
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared as a blog in Forbes on March 21, 2012. It is republished here with permission of the author.
Before Mark Shaver became Chief Information officer for Joy Global, a $4.5 billion leader in high-productivity mining solutions, he literally spent 20 years underground.
As a service engineer, Shaver demonstrated how to operate the Joy equipment product line, around the clock, amidst common hazards in coal mining such as gas explosions, fire, or roof collapse.
“The job obviously demands that discipline to safety processes are adhered to,” said Shaver. “When you are miles underground at the mining face, your hope is that everyone around you is disciplined to the processes assigned to them.”
Shaver says his time served in this role shaped his view of what it means to deliver real service. A proactive approach to service meant the equipment remained productive and able to mine coal. A reactive service view only produced challenges. Shaver believes the same is true with most every industry.
“One must always be contemplating excellence in service that delivers the highest return.”
A Turning Point
Following his stint providing service on Joy Global’s equipment, Shaver dabbled in sales, IT implementations and global processes. A turning point in his career came in the form of Director of Operations Australasia, where Shaver embraced the discipline of the company’s SAP systems to transform activities on the shop floor instead of adopting work arounds. It was exactly the type of across-the-board discipline that kick-started Joy Global’s desire to graduate from being good to great, as outlined by Mike Sutherlin, CEO of Joy Global. In the last 10 years, Sutherlin and his senior leadership team have achieved an organic CAGR of 17% while operating margin went up by a multiple of 26, and EPS is 48 times higher.
As a result, Shaver was earmarked as the one to transform the company’s IT group from an IT service provider to a first-rate organization aimed at delivering cutting edge business solutions.
Mark Shaver, CIO Joy Global (Photo: Joy Global)
Bringing Quality to a Fast-Paced Market
giovedì, aprile 26th, 2012
SAP partner Neusoft ensures quality implementations in a rapidly developing market. (Photo: istockphoto)
As SAP extends its reach into the Chinese market, competition is heating up for partner firms doing business in the region. Beijing Neusoft Huiju Information Technology Co., Ltd, already an established player and SAP partner, has become one of the leading domestic companies providing specialized ERP consulting services to Chinese enterprises across multiple industries. Founded in 2007 as a subsidiary of the Neusoft Group, China’s largest IT solutions and services provider, Neusoft Huiju is headquartered in Beijing and now has more than 350 employees.
Yang Wang, senior project manager at Neusoft Huiju, provides insight into the market when he says, “Now SAP business is moving very fast in China and competition is intense. You can see a lot of new partners in the market every year.”
Wang also notes the unique demands of doing business in China, adding, “On the other hand, Chinese customers request more. They ask for better solutions to fit their business with lower costs and shorter implementation cycles.”
Why Focus on Quality
Given the current rapid development in the market, Neusoft Huiju knows that it is important to enhance quality processes both in the bid cycle and the delivery cycle to improve customer satisfaction and expand its business. That’s why the firm joined the SAP Active Quality Management (AQM) partner program, offered by the SAP Partner Service Delivery – Partner Quality Hub. By working closely with SAP through the program, Neusoft Huiju successfully achieved SAP’s AQM partner accreditation earlier this year as recognition for its ongoing commitment to quality management.
The SAP AQM program fits well with the business ambitions of Neusoft Huiju, as one of the requirements of this program is for the partner organization to establish a robust quality framework by creating a detailed annual quality plan. At the beginning of this program, Neusoft Huiju set up an internal AQM project team, which was led by the technical director and staffed by a senior project manager as a full-time position to run the program actively. Within Neusoft Huiju, the AQM program had very high visibility across all lines of business and received strong support in terms of resources and authorizations.
Companies turning to enterprise social business for collaboration, integration
mercoledì, aprile 25th, 2012
Choosing the Right ERP Solution to Support a Global Business
mercoledì, aprile 25th, 2012Preview: SAPPHIRE NOW 2012
mercoledì, aprile 25th, 2012
A preview of the highlights at the upcoming SAP technology conference in Orlando (Collage: grasundsterne)
It’s coming up again soon: Between May 14 and 16, SAPPHIRE NOW will be held in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Traditionally, the English-speaking SAP user group ASUG also uses the event to meet up – and this year is no exception. As at every SAPPHIRE NOW, the three days will be filled with numerous keynotes, demo sessions, and panel discussions. What’s more, over 240 exhibitors and SAP partners will be presenting their new products.
SAPPHIRE NOW is divided into five areas: Analytics, Cloud, Database and Technology, Mobile, and Run Better. Analytics comprises business intelligence, enterprise information management, GRC, the line-of-business solutions (LoB), and collaboration software. On the Cloud campus, visitors can watch demonstrations of on-demand applications and solutions from SuccessFactor, and also have the opportunity to find out more about cloud technology. In the Database and Technology area, test drives with SAP HANA as well as application platforms and middleware can be seen. On the Mobile campus, SAP will be presenting mobile platforms and applications, in addition to new business apps and rapid deployment solutions (RDS). The Run Better area devotes itself to the topic of sustainability and special industry solutions.
In the Meet our Customers Pavilion and the Executive Meeting Center, visitors can take part in panel discussions with customers and SAP experts.
But, like every year, the highlights are the SAP CEO keynotes. SAP Co-CEO Bill McDermott kicks off on Monday at 8:30 am. In the afternoon, Michael J. Stoko, ASUG vice chairperson, Anthony J. Bosco, ASUG chairperson, and Bridgette Chambers, ASUG CEO take the stage from 4:30 to 6 pm.
On Tuesday, SAP Co-CEO Jim Hagemann Snabe will be speaking between 8:30 and 10:30 am. More technology news is expected on Wednesday. Hasso Plattner, chairman of the SAP Supervisory Board, will be making an appearance at 8:30 am. Vishal Sikka will also be present then to hold his keynote.
On the evening of the last day of the conference, visitors can expect a special finale. At 9 pm, SAPPHIRE NOW participants will be treated to an exclusive concert by the hard rock band Van Halen in the Amway Center.
You can register for the conference on the SAPPHIRE NOW Web site. That’s where you’ll also find all the detailed information about keynotes, sessions, and the demo center.
http://www.sapandasug.com/index.html
On the following pages, we’ve summarized the most important sessions and panels from Monday through Wednesday.
This year, as in previous years, SAPPHIRE NOW will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando (Photo: Frank Voelkel)
Most initial Oracle Fusion Applications customers going with cloud deployment
mercoledì, aprile 25th, 2012Epicor Retail: Behind the Counter
martedì, aprile 24th, 2012Glossary: SAP HANA
martedì, aprile 24th, 2012
A lexicon of the most important SAP HANA terms. (Graphic: grasundsterne)
When SAP unveiled its in-memory platform SAP HANA for the first time at SAP TechEd 2010, a veritable explosion of innovation was sure to follow. SAP HANA is based on in-memory technology, which enables the platform to analyze even large volumes of data in seconds flat by storing it directly in server memory, instead of on hard drives like more conventional applications do. One look at the list of our five most popular articles is enough to see that this has generated a great deal of interest in SAP HANA.
There are now plenty of products that bear the SAP HANA name, from SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse 7.3 and other applications to the SAP HANA database itself. Essentially, SAP HANA is an overarching term for a series of applications and other products categorized according to the following integral elements:
- SAP HANA platform, the basis for developing applications that run on SAP HANA
- SAP HANA appliance software, which includes the SAP HANA database
- SAP HANA database (formerly known as IMDB or NewDB)
- SAP HANA studio, a toolset for admins
Another source of quality insight on all SAP HANA products and frequently asked questions concerning in-memory technology is the blog maintained by Bluefin Solutions, which deals with the business performance of SAP’s offerings.
Next Page: Terminology explained: From SAP HANA appliance to the platform