To succeed in their tasks, planners and schedulers rely on materials resource planning (MRP) software to make recommendations and send signals. To make meaningful suggestions, MRP requires a steady diet of accurate, relevant, and timely data. This guide breaks down two critical MRP project success factors: 1) tips to select the right MRP software, and 2) best practices to extract meaningful value from MRP solutions.
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The U.S. manufacturing industry is more productive than that in many countries, and jobs are growing. But for these trends to continue, U.S. manufacturers will have to keep their edge by investing in technologies that allow them to do what they do better, faster, and more efficiently. One of the key components of enterprise resource planning (ERP) packages is called manufacturing resource planning (MRP-II) or, as it is also known today, sales and operations planning (SOP). Download this paper to find out how MRP-II can help you manage change.
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Your business is in good company if it is considering big data, mobility, and/or green information technology (IT) solutions. Before making an investment decision, however, it should evaluate its options relative to actual business strategies and operating requirements. Only then will it put itself in a position to make a well-informed investment decision. Download this article to learn more.
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This report gives an overview of current considerations for organizations seeking to purchase a supply chain management (SCM) software solution. Based on aggregate data collected from more than 1,400 SCM software comparisons performed using Technology Evaluation Centers’ (TEC’s) TEC Advisor software selection application during 2012, the report details what TEC data reveals about your peers' requirements for SCM solutions, including functionalities, delivery models and access, customization and integration, server and database platforms, and budgeting.
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There are significant advantages to outsourcing freight bill audit and payment (FBAP), not the least of which is the potential for reduced costs. And while nothing can be outsourced without some risk, there are a number of steps that can be taken to ensure a successful relationship and minimize the financial risk to the outsourcer. Know what steps your company can take to ensure you get the most out of outsourcing FBAP.
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Collaboration is becoming more and more critical to managing the supply chain process. Collaboration can take many forms in the supply chain, such as visibility, data sharing, collaborative forecasting, outsourcing, sharing resources, or joint processes. Context is needed to understand what is meant by collaboration". In this report, TEC Research Analyst Bob Eastman looks at collaboration and how it relates to demand planning and forecasting, sales and operations planning, vendor-managed inventory, and logistics, and gives important milestones marking the development of the use of collaboration in the supply chain over the last 50 years.
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Spend analytics and performance management software can deliver valuable insights into savings opportunities and risk management. But to make confident decisions and take the right actions, you need more than just software—you also need the right data. This white paper discusses a solution to help ensure that your applications process reliable data so that your spend analyses and supplier risk assessments are accurate, trustworthy, and complete.
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SYSPRO is global enterprise resource planning (ERP) software vendor focused on small to medium business (SMB) manufacturers and distributors that many observers had not heard of until a few years ago. In his latest report, TEC principal analyst P.J. Jakovljevic reveals how the vendor has come out of obscurity and become “simply smarter.” Read the report and see how SYSPRO is injecting a bit of Einstein genius into its products.
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Today's always-on mobile and digital lifestyle has put consumers in the driver's seat. Customers are more empowered than ever before, with immediate access to up-to-date pricing and deep product information and peer reviews thanks to the latest smartphones and Internet-enabled devices. See how this has impacted the retail industry and how retailers are responding to get customers to buy into their products. Get the highlights from NRF 2013.
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Compliance is crucial in establishing new grounds for business. It is important to leverage governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) initiatives toward corporate growth, and to define GRC management in terms of enabling new marketing opportunities. To ensure success in managing GRC, one must provide decision makers with processes and tools that allow visibility and access to critical compliance and risk data. Download this white paper to learn more.
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As the global economy continues to struggle, procurement teams continue to be tasked with looking for ways to control costs. Other recent global events such as natural disasters and commodity price volatility have also left procurement grappling with increasing supply risk. The research presented here examines how many purchasing organizations have already changed their strategies or plan to do so over the next two years.
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This whitepaper is a guide for distributors on implementing and integrating lean practices into their businesses. Lean is not just a tool, but also is a culture, philosophy, process, and methodology. A main goal in becoming more lean, to become more efficient and profitable at every iteration, can be brought about in ways such as analyzing end-to-end processes and determining how to deliver more with less and becoming more organized. Improved results from lean distribution can include increased profits, improved delivery performance, better customer satisfaction and supplier relations, and shorter lead times.
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The recent recession has forced distributors and manufacturers to pay closer attention to their bottom lines and to the financial factors that contribute to profitability. Gross margin is a popular measure of a company’s financial condition; but using gross margin without understanding how it affects profitability and business strategy can be misleading. An understanding of the relationship between the financial components of gross margin is essential for formulating sales and product strategies, and to implement techniques enabling an increase in net profit and maximization of return on investment.
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Traditionally, enterprise resource planning (ERP) served as a system of record and managed common tasks, transactions, and disparate business processes across the organization. However, the role of ERP has expanded to consider new technology forces that impact the way users interact with systems and new models for software deployment. Likewise, as businesses look to establish themselves as preferred trading partners, strive to cope with economic uncertainty, or extend services and products to new markets, greater demands are now placed on ERP software. Therefore, the role of the ERP system has had to expand. Download this white paper now to learn how today's ERP systems cope with current supply chain challenges.
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This report is based on aggregate data collected from more than 600 SCM software comparisons performed using Technology Evaluation Centers’ TEC Advisor software selection application. Although the characteristics that SCM customers are looking for vary according to the specific SCM software segment being evaluated, TEC data show that at the supply chain suite level organizations are mainly seeking these characteristics: collaborative capabilities, cloud deployment, analytics, adaptive solutions, and in-memory computing.
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K8 is TEC Certified for online evaluation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) for distribution solutions in the ERP Evaluation Center. The certification seal is a valuable indicator for organizations relying on the integrity of TEC research for assistance with their software selection projects. Download this report for product highlights, competitive analysis, product analysis, and in-depth analyst commentary.
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Kronos, a software vendor that helps organizations of all sizes in various vertical industries better manage their workforce, revealed its latest workforce management applications at its recent user conference. Get TEC principal analyst P.J. Jakovljevic’s insight of these recent Kronos releases and how they can help you realize a multitude of benefits by taking a strategic and comprehensive approach to managing your workforce.
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To satisfy customer requirements profitably, food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers must work at the pace of change, which has accelerated in regulations, consumer buying patterns, and the needs of retail, restaurant, and industrial foodservice customers. Know the three major challenges facing F&B manufacturers today and what they need to do to streamline their operations for greater efficiencies and waste reduction in order to survive.
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For ERP markets, what traditionally has been known as the “meat industry” has expanded into “the proteins industry,” which includes many non-meat sectors. This is because consumer demand for meat has expanded to all sorts of protein-based products that represent alternatives to beef. Know the top ERP features that are necessary for proteins and meat processing companies to run their businesses efficiently and effectively.
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Organic supply chain (OSC) companies that dissemble organic raw material (beef, pork, poultry, and agricultural products), have very specific requirements that generic process ERP systems cannot address, and ERP vendors have not taken the time to develop a solution with the flexibility to manage the variability needed by an OSC company. This paper presents the unique issues and requirements found in this special market.
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Consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers face pressures from fickle consumers, powerful retailers, globalization, and more. The CPG manufacturing industry is large and thriving, but margins are slim and competition is furious. There are hundreds of product categories, and to compete, firms must constantly innovate. See how small-to-medium CPG manufacturers can survive in the face of these external pressures and fewer resources?
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Many organizations struggle to make sense of their big data owing partly to product proliferation. Traditional analytics and data management tools simply do not provide visibility into the sheer number of product variants and options available as well as customer buying trends. See how Emcien’s pattern-based analytics enables analysis of customer buying patterns so that companies can improve the customer experience and increase profits.
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In today’s fast-paced world, companies and their supply chains need to outperform their competitors and remain in business. Logility’s focus on supply chain X-factors can help them do just that. In this latest article, TEC principal analyst Predrag Jakovljevic gives a rundown of the vendor’s recent user conference and how Logility’s broad supply chain management (SCM) solution suite provides the capabilities to enhance your business.
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Working with mass merchandisers is having a significant impact on how food processors and distributors run their businesses. With greater revenues increasingly coming from these giant retail customers, food companies need to find ways to ensure the greatest efficiencies and the lowest costs, without sacrificing quality control or food safety. This white paper outlines best practices for food companies and how an integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) system can help manage every aspect of the business.
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The food industry today is fraught with certification and standards that require third-party audits into traceability processes and the speed of product recalls. Technology can be your best friend when it comes to doing farm-to-fork traceability in the most efficient and effective way. This white paper explains why the old system for lot tracking and recall won’t make the grade in the new world of compliance.
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Most enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is not designed to effectively capture cost in a project-based environment, such as engineer to order, engineer procure construct, or services. This white paper covers organizational and technology barriers to capturing project cost, along with criteria for selecting the ideal ERP for effective project costing for your organization.
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Battery Venture's investment in Consona Corporation was one of the last decade's best returns on investment (ROIs) by any private equity firm investing in enterprise software. And there has been a vehement denial of any presumed trade-off between Consona’s research and development (R&D) investment and making money. TEC principal analyst P.J. Jakovljevic takes a look at how this deal might’ve been a winning proposition for all parties.
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Most strategic sourcing software solution vendors nowadays offer spend analysis, contract management, and supplier performance management tools within their solution suites. CombineNet is unique in its status as a specialist, with a laser focus on strategic sourcing optimization and bid evaluations. CombineNet products provide the mechanism to negotiate the best deal that satisfies overall supply chain and the master company requirements.
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Global fashion supply chains face a “perfect storm” of risk factors, ranging from volatile materials prices and skyrocketing shipping costs, to uncertainty about the outcome of legislative trade initiatives such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Download this white paper to find out how NGC’s Web-based Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Global Sourcing system can help.
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Managing your company's financials is the backbone of your business and is vital to the long-term health of your company. But without the right financials tools to support rapid growth, critical financial processes can become a huge productivity drag. This paper outlines the 10 essentials of a complete financial management system and how the right solution can help you keep up with the rapidly changing business world.
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To increase profits, companies are searching for ways to reduce costs or sell more at the highest possible price. Many companies are turning to imported goods and materials due to lower manufacturing costs, but this can involve many hidden costs. In this paper, PM War Stories and Pronto Software examines how to effectively track the total cost of goods shipped to aid executives in making faster, better sourcing decisions.
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For most companies, chief procurement officers (CPOs) need to maximize savings, focus on sustainability, manage supplier performance, and minimize supplier risk to ensure supply chain continuity. To do all this, CPOs are turning to procurement analytics—to identify areas of low performance, optimize procurement functions, and reduce costs. Know a four-step process to help you deploy and configure a procurement analytics program.
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Many business executives have realized that an operating environment that values cash, profit margins, and risk mitigation plays to the skills and capabilities of a procurement operation. This report draws on the experience, performance, and perspective of nearly 250 chief procurement officers and other procurement executives to provide a comprehensive industry-wide view into the current state of the procurement world. Read more.
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With the growing popularity of the cloud, the concept of software as a service (SaaS)–based digital signage platforms has been gaining traction, depending on the nature of the business and the degree of control needed over the data. This paper covers the fundamentals of cloud computing and on-premise hosting models to help users determine the type of digital signage deployment best suited to their business needs.
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The tools exist to build smart digital signage systems that can deliver an appropriate message to a certain audience based on a set of rules. Being able to offer sophisticated capabilities without a lot of manual intervention may help networks grow faster. This paper considers some of the long- and short-term requirements in building a digital signage network.
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There are three phases of evolution to technological advances, each with its own priorities, issues, competitors, and customers, which once identified can set expectations and provide direction. This paper discusses digital signage and explains the short- and longer-term ramifications of implementing a digital signage communications strategy through the use of historical examples of other technological breakthroughs.
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Organizations seeking the services of a value-added reseller (VAR), channel partner, implementer, vendor, or consultant require an evaluation of what this service provider has to offer. This report assists organizations looking to determine the best-fit service provider for their needs. Based on information provided to TEC by Scalable Data Systems, this report focuses on real-life implementation projects delivered by the service provider to three of its existing clients.
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Download this report for an overview of ERP technologies and innovations, the three components of an ERP selection business justification, and the three critical success factors for keeping your business on the right path to ERP selection success.
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Most manufacturing enterprises use enterprise resource planning (ERP) as their main business system. It has always been assumed is that companies strive to have one single ERP system to unify all their parts and processes, but a survey shows that the average manufacturing company has 1.9 separate and distinct systems. This paper looks at how overall ERP strategy relates to companies’ performance.
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