Rapid growth is changing the professional service sector (PS) with increased emphasis on vertical industry knowledge, business process change, and quality execution against a backdrop of skilled workforce shortages. Read about the challenges PS executives face as they continue on their path toward expansion, higher revenue, and profit, and the cloud-based business applications they rely on to transform their operations.
Read More
|
Because enterprise resource planning (ERP) came from the world of materials planning for repetitive manufacturing, these applications cannot address the more anecdotal, complex, and dynamic requirements of real-time enterprise project management. Even tier one ERP products cannot meet the needs of some companies—engineer-to-order manufacturers, engineering procurement and construction contractors, and even process manufacturers. Read this white paper to learn more.
Read More
|
When implementing and running solution landscapes that drive mission-critical business processes, solution integration can be complex and challenging. Implementation work, typically distributed across many teams and many stakeholders, may include custom-built and third-party software. This paper discusses how you can make sure your solutions are integrated correctly so they run smoothly, without technical interruption.
Read More
|
Surveys show that enterprise architecture (EA) programs often lack support from business and information technology (IT) stakeholders for several reasons, including the lack of business support for aligning business goals with IT strategy. The Enterprise Architecture Best Practice Survey was launched to examine the impact of EA initiatives on business performance around the globe. Read this white paper to understand how this survey can bring an outside perspective to your company as you build business cases for change and design a road map for EA maturity.
Read More
|
Most ERP products have been designed from repetitive manufacturing, and thus lack the powerful asset management and project management functionality that mining companies require. But ERP is becoming a higher priority for these organizations. This white paper offers tips on selecting ERP software for the mining industry. Learn how you can you select ERP that can handle the entire mining project and asset lifecycle.
Read More
|
Organizations worldwide are incorporating mobile devices into their arsenal of work gadgets, using devices such as smartphones for tasks ranging from checking e-mails and text messages to accessing enterprise systems. In this report, TEC research analyst Jorge Garcia examines the benefits and challenges of mobile solutions and provides guidelines for a successful mobile app deployment for the organization's lines of business.
Read More
|
The successful and timely implementation of a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution is not a process to be taken lightly. A highly-skilled team of application specialists has gathered together in this whitepaper key advice and best practices for your implementation process. Learn how to keep your implementation on time and on budget from specialists who triumph every day on the implementation front lines.
Read More
|
If you want to maximize project and company profitability, you need to examine your current resource utilization processes to identify profitability “leakage” in your labor utilization management. Review the Labor Utilization Scorecard to determine where you currently experience gaps and see how a business automation system can help you close those gaps and maximize project and company resource and services profitability.
Read More
|
A growing number of organizations are moving toward having more pervasive business intelligence (BI) by turning to evidence-based decision making supported by a range of BI and analytics technology and processes that enable decision makers to have the best possible intelligence about customers, finances, operations, suppliers, and the market. This white paper addresses several questions that BI customers are facing.
Read More
|
PROMYS (version 4.9) is now TEC Certified for online evaluation of project portfolio management (PPM) for professional services automation (PSA) solutions in TEC's Evaluation Centers. Download this report for product highlights, competitive analysis, product analysis, and in-depth analyst commentary.
Read More
|
Cloud services will be a leading driver of productivity for manufacturers over the next decade. Businesses focused on reducing costs and improving the quality of manufacturing solutions will increasingly turn to the cloud for SaaS solutions. Read this white paper by president and CEO of inKumo, Inc., and find out how this new era of technology will dramatically improve productivity and cost savings in the industry.
Read More
|
In the coming years, a new Internet protocol, IPv6, will gradually succeed IPv4. The two Internet protocols aren’t interchangeable or compatible, so organizations will have to run them both in parallel on their networks for some time. This checklist offers five steps as a phased, cost-effective approach to move to the next-generation Internet protocol.
Read More
|
Selecting the right software provider for your business can be a daunting. The last thing any person or company wants is to invest in the wrong technology and choose the wrong partnership. This white paper identifies five common mistakes distributors make when embarking on the software selection process and provides tips for keeping your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system replacement on track.
Read More
|
Semiconductor manufacturers can work more closely with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and expand into new markets by using Web 2.0 technologies. Infosys' experts reveal "white spaces" in semiconductor marketing strategies that can be addressed by digital and mobile capabilities. They demonstrate how best practices in information and customer experience embedded in Infosys' Semiconductor Digital Engagement Maturity Model can deliver a competitive advantage.
Read More
|
Tenrox Project Workforce Management is now TEC Certified for online evaluation of PPM solutions in the Project and Process Management 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.
Read More
|
Over 190 companies were surveyed regarding their challenges within demand-supply networks and the top priorities for managing these networks. This paper is based on an analysis of that survey and highlights the need for companies to focus on intelligent response management strategies that bridge planning and execution.
Read More
|
Establishing the right metrics framework as part of an overall performance management strategy means companies can break down enterprise-level goals—such as order fulfillment and forecast accuracy—into department-level metrics such as on-time delivery and plant utilization. Read about a model that makes it easier to identify, communicate, and replicate the most effective practices.
Read More
|
While new technology trends are invading the business intelligence (BI) space, technology shifts and hype do not necessarily equate to the ability to exploit the best tools for enhancing business performance. To select a best-fit BI solution, an organization needs to be able to realistically assess the maturity of its BI infrastructure. This allows them to discover where they are, what their BI requirements are, and how to determine the best BI solution or strategy. Download the full report now.
Read More
|
Retailers today need to acquire ability to quickly adapt to changing market conditions or customer trends. They also need to plan for the future. One technology that can assist retailers is wireless. Wireless technology can be used not only to address business problems such as quick price changes, but can also help retailers make internal operations more efficient. They need a comprehensive wireless strategy that supports all aspects of the retail organization, from store operations, to warehouse or distribution centers, to corporate offices. Download this white paper to learn more.
Read More
|
Organizations usually rely on historical data and transactions to determine their pricing strategy. However, this data is typically insufficient to arrive at a competitive price. Moreover, customers these days are well informed about the value of products they want to purchase. That's why organizations need to arrive at their pricing strategy only after taking into consideration external intelligence and competitive data. E-procurement systems and price comparison websites have put customers in the bargaining position with the availability of real-time information. This is the type and speed of data organizations need to obtain. Leveraging such information can help an organization counter the threats of new entrants, competitive rivalry, and substitutes with a strong pricing strategy.
Read More
|
Is your organization getting the most out of its enterprise software systems? Answering that question can be tricky. Inadequate documentation or missing in-house knowledge can make it difficult to determine how well your current systems support your company’s business processes. And that can make it nearly impossible to know what changes, if any, are required. A software capabilities assessment project from TEC can help. Learn more now.
Read More
|
This primer is designed to provide business decision makers and other potential buyers with basic knowledge about the exploding market of the virtualization industry—its evolution and the current landscape, along with a glossary of terms. It also includes a checklist of signs that your data center needs virtualization.
Read More
|
The network, once only a component of the business, is now the fundamental backbone by which business is conducted. Most organizations cannot maintain productivity if their network is unstable. But cost-effective network management is an elusive goal. This paper defines network automation, outlines how to select a network automation solution, and identifies the benefits of good network automation
Read More
|
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects are more complicated than other information technology (IT) initiatives because they involve connecting departments across an organization. The value of ERP lies in bringing together data from the entire company, which means ERP implementation involves multiple departments and functional areas. This paper addresses five dimensions of ERP implementation for business success.
Read More
|
This guide to networking for small to medium businesses (SMBs) is designed to help decision makers quickly identify their specific needs and includes a discussion of buyer types, product requirements, cost considerations, and vendor relationship needs for several areas of networking technology, including server hardware and operating systems, routers, backup, network management, and client security.
Read More
|
Enterprise asset management (EAM) software is a mission-critical tool for asset-intensive industry. These tips from some of the world’s most prominent EAM experts will help you select the right EAM solution. The importance of usability, the ability to manage outside contractors, and other important considerations are covered here.
Read More
|
Forward-looking wholesale distributors are evolving from just inventory managers to information managers. This white paper reviews how these companies are leveraging enabling technology to break down the silos that exist within the enterprise and extend themselves beyond their company’s four walls to collaborate with trading partners and drive business value, in addition to increasing productivity and profits.
Read More
|
Wholesale distributors face two fundamental challenges. The first: to create an environment where processes and services can be rapidly tailored to the changing needs of customers and suppliers. The second deals with technology. To stay competitive, distributors must view their business models from a customer perspective, and build a technology stack that enhances their trading partners’ performance as well as their own.
Read More
|
Engaging in conversation with consumers through new social media channels is helping retailers strengthen customer relationships and enhance their brand. To manage this conversation effectively, you need solutions that help you capture and analyze a massive amount of social media data and prepare an appropriate, individualized response. This white paper explores the ideal social media solution.
Read More
|
Organizations today are looking for low-risk solutions that provide immediate value. This paper introduces a set of solutions that offers a range of processes to address major phases of the customer life cycle. These rapid deployment customer relationship management (CRM) solutions give companies a live, preconfigured CRM environment that leverages CRM best practices. They also include a unique implementation methodology.
Read More
|
Information technology (IT) projects tend to run late, over-budget, or do not meet planned goals. Implementation risk is a critical factor. Packaged solutions modularize the implementation process into smaller, well-defined units that are easier to manage and less expensive to deploy than traditional methods. This white paper discusses why enterprise software customers should consider packaged solutions.
Read More
|
Chief financial officers (CFOs) and other senior managers are under tremendous pressure to maximize profitability, reduce operational costs, minimize risk, and improve stakeholder confidence. Read about an application that can help you streamline operations, instill confidence, and reduce risk. The solution provides planning, budgeting, and forecasting and supports financial consolidation and reporting operations.
Read More
|
This paper examines the imperative for midsize companies to not only move away from the use of spreadsheets but ensure they use unified solutions in the core performance management disciplines of financial consolidation and planning. Unified planning and consolidation refers to systems that are specifically architected to use a common platform and data structure with a common user interface.
Read More
|
Your company’s focus has been on streamlining operations, acquiring customers, increasing revenues and profitability, and outpacing the competition, instead of analyzing what’s going on and planning for the future. Further, you need to know where to concentrate your efforts. This white paper offers guidance on how to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your company with business intelligence.
Read More
|
Due to the wide range of size, scope, and complexity within the extended enterprise, different units often have different functional requirements for the business management software they use. The different demands can become a barrier to future growth, profitability, and agility. So how do you coordinate resources and activities to get everybody on the same page within an extended enterprise?
Read More
|
Innovation has many dimensions. For a long time, innovation referred to new-product development. Business model innovation is broader and impacts the enterprise holistically. It doesn’t necessarily mean doing new things, just doing things differently. Read about the adaptive enterprise and the importance of information technology (IT).
Read More
|
Pervasive business intelligence (BI) results when organizational culture, business processes, and technologies are designed and implemented with the goal of improving the strategic, operational, and tactical decision-making capabilities of a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. Read about creating a BI strategy and improving your BI competency.
Read More
|
The three themes of governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) have been central to the management agenda for a decade. But whereas years ago it was the “C” in GRC that kept executives awake at night (and indeed was the impetus behind the development of GRC in the first place), in the post-crisis world it is the “R” that has risen to the top of the agenda. Learn about a more efficient approach to managing risk and compliance.
Read More
|
Best-in-class retailers are turning to pervasive business intelligence (BI) to increase consumer-centric data accessibility. This report examines how retailers are incorporating BI tools into their standard processes to establish a company-wide view into constantly changing customer buying trends, and how internal departments are using this data to make processes more efficient and effective throughout the enterprise.
Read More
|
SAP's acquisition of Sybase foreshadows a revolutionary change in the enterprise mobility space. John Chen, CEO of Sybase, discusses what the company has to offer as a new member of the SAP family, including exciting technology developments that position Sybase and SAP to lead this mobile revolution.
Read More
|
By developing, communicating, and implementing an actionable yet flexible enterprise mobility strategy, an organization can unlock new business value from its investments. Having a mobility strategy enables the organization to quickly adopt state-of-the-art, innovative mobile technologies and transform itself into a “mobile enterprise” in a sustainable and secure manner—now and in the increasingly mobile future.
Read More
|
Increased regulatory requirements, the need for transparency, and the desire to better manage and mitigate risks together make governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) top of mind for both business and information technology (IT) executives. Business managers and IT security managers must work collaboratively to control access and authorization to guard against fraud and mistakes, while ensuring profitability and compliance.
Read More
|
Project-based solutions (PBS) is a new type of enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for complex, engineer-to-order companies and companies facing rapid change. And these days, most companies do face change, and their legacy ERP systems strain to keep up. Is PBS a better choice for you than traditional ERP?
Read More
|
Promoting band image, improving overall business performance, and keeping customers happy is a main concern of many businesses. This paper demonstrates how the Extended Enterprise platform can help specific verticals to promote and sell their products to external audiences. Know the value of the Extended Enterprise solution in financial services, insurance, government, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and associations.
Read More
|
The administration and management of printing can be time-consuming, often relying on manual processes. Many businesses are rethinking their approach to managing the print environment, by either adopting a managed service or implementing centralized print management tools. This can ensure the high availability, reliability and manageability of printing resources, while leaving IT staff free to focus on core activities.
Read More
|
Successfully meeting today’s business challenges requires effective project management. How well your organization manages projects, tracks costs, and identifies and addresses project-related issues can have a big impact on your bottom line. But if your company still relies on traditional, stand-alone project management applications, most likely you lack the end-to-end process support you need to ensure success.
Read More
|
The model of software delivery is in the midst of transition from traditional on-premise server−based software to software deployed over the Internet. This is in interplay with the emergence of new mobile technologies; a business environment where companies have to work in a distributed network of teams, partners, and clients; and changed end user needs and expectations. Read here to see how these changes can impact you.
Read More
|
Universities and other higher education establishments have to address the need for savings across the board. One area is expenses from faculty members and other associated with faculty. The complex mix of expense types needs a flexible yet solid means of managing spend as close as possible to the point of expense that encourages the individual to participate in the process without it being seen as an imposition. Know how.
Read More
|
The case company decided to carry out an information technology infrastructure library (ITIL) implementation, and in so doing hoped to make production in IT more visible, increase customer satisfaction, and maintain or increase employee satisfaction in IT. Implement Consulting Group facilitated the process selection and design and managed the requirement collection, selection, and implementation phases of the project.
Read More
|
The case company implemented an information technology services management (ITSM) system to support information technology infrastructure library (ITIL)–inspired processes. Implement Consulting Group had the project management responsibility during the entire process—from the preliminary requirement collection to selection and implementation to testing and go-live.
Read More
|
Our global study of small and medium-sized discrete manufacturers worldwide revealed the industry is struggling with increasing complexity, global competition, rapidly changing business environments, and volatile raw materials prices. While manufacturers worldwide face similar challenges, this study clarifies how strategic initiatives and priorities vary by sector, geography, and job description.
Read More
|
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) provides the necessary infrastructure that forms the operations and transactional system of record for manufacturers of all types and sizes. Now decades old, as it has become more pervasive, there is risk in perceiving it as a given and neglecting to measure its business benefits. This research explores best-in-class approaches to realizing the greatest business benefit possible from ERP.
Read More
|
Rapid implementation is key to achieving rapid benefits. How can an industry that expects a slow return on investment speed up the process? Centric believes that customers should expect to see meaningful returns on product lifecycle management (PLM) investments within a product cycle, or four to six months. Learn the principles behind Centric’s rapid implementation methodology and how one customer reaped rapid benefits.
Read More
|
Loss of strategic vision and leadership can pose a greater threat to organizations than dramatic economic downturn. Companies that invest in technology wisely will gain a competitive advantage and even prosper during hard times. Achieving financial results hinges on finding a product lifecycle management (PLM) solution that delivers business benefits not only in the short-term but also long into the future. Read how now.
Read More
|
A simulation project is much more than building a model. And the skills required go well beyond knowing a particular simulation tool. This paper discusses some important steps to enable project success and some cautions and tips to help avoid common traps.
Read More
|
When it comes to business process management (BPM), it makes sense to “look before you leap.” Organizations considering using BPM to automate or streamline business processes should step back and understand what is at the core of each process. Is it a well-defined workflow? Does it have a set of related tasks or steps? Find out how answering these questions can help you define the right BPM solution for your organization.
Read More
|
Today’s project management offices (PMOs) must optimize their project plans while managing complex projects concurrently, respecting delivery dates, and reducing resource costs. Decisions made based on the construction and interpretation of these plans have crucial consequences for the projects themselves, for the people involved, and for profits. Discover eight strategies to improve your project plans.
Read More
|
For managed services providers (MSPs) aiming to serve small and medium-sized businesses, the ability to capture and retain lasting customer relationships is a determining factor for long-term profitability. Only by clearly and consistently communicating your value to your customer can you hope to attain the role of trusted advisor—a position that will help protect you from losing business to lower-priced competitors. Learn how an integrated, offline reporting solution can help ensure that your customers perceive your value in the ways that matter most to all managers within the customer organization.
Read More
|
A business' success delivering managed services depends on its ability to improve the delivery of effective and efficient services to its customer base. Learn about ways that managed services providers (MSPs) can develop a higher-value business by improving their ability to attract and retain high-quality customers and provide IT services in an effective manner.
Read More
|
Service companies that want to thrive need to find a better way to deliver services and run their business. Automating IT services is the answer, and it should be the immediate goal of any company that aims to stay in business as market pressures increase. Looking beyond basic automation, becoming a managed services provider (MSP) should be the long-term goal. Discover ways to ensure your service company's survival in today’s competitive IT services market.
Read More
|
For all but the smallest companies, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system promises big gains, by helping to grow revenue, increase productivity, improve efficiency, and manage costs. Right now, ERP for the midmarket is a hot topic. More and more midsized companies are replacing outdated ERP software or are jumping into ERP technology for the first time. Find out about what midmarket ERP buyers need to know.
Read More
|
Business process management (BPM) and process improvement support the management and continuous improvement of business processes, both cross-departmental and enterprise-wide. How can you empower the transformation to lean and manage business operations in the various stages of its transformation, and manage the transition to lean? Learn about a BPM solution that employs lean Six Sigma for faster process improvements.
Read More
|
As you begin a customer relationship management (CRM) initiative, software selection is only one facet of a successful project. You may consider implementing your new CRM system with internal resources. But even in providing a simple CRM solution in your company, a number of steps need to take place, including requirements gathering, configuration, and more. Discover the benefits of selecting a CRM implementation partner.
Read More
|
Business process management (BPM) is an approach to administering business processes that involves people, organizations, and technologies—and can be carried out using varying levels of automation. Sadly, BPM often falls short of what it is intended to achieve. But there’s a fresh evolution of current BPM: goal-oriented autonomic BPM. Learn about the ideas, techniques, and benefits of autonomic and goal-oriented BPM.
Read More
|
Change management is an inherent part of software implementation. Ideally, you want new business processes and the software to support them. However, companies still often compromise, due to their implementation approach and technology limitations—resulting in needless expense. There is a more rapid approach to implementation and change management, with reduced risk, greater value, and lower total cost of ownership (TCO).
Read More
|
Sales at F.J. Westcott began to grow, placing a greater demand on its legacy enterprise resource planning (ERP) system’s inventory capabilities. Unrelieved inventory and other challenges led Westcott to seek a new ERP system—and a software evaluation and comparison methodology within the company’s budget. See how Technology Evaluation Centers’ Software Selection Services provided the resources for a confident decision.
Read More
|
This may be a challenging economic period, but smart companies will use it as an opportunity to examine operational efficiency and best practices to reap benefits once the market improves. Your warehouse management system (WMS), a vital component of the supply chain execution suite, should be a key contributor in the search for cost-saving efficiencies—as well as the integration of your global supply chains. Learn more.
Read More
|
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are the reporting standards developed by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). IFRS is now required or permitted in nearly 100 countries, while others plan to adopt or align with IFRS soon. In the US, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) will soon be aligned with IFRS. Find out how this will affect your company, and what you can do about it.
Read More
|
The implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to automate business processes is a strategic investment. Buying the right system and choosing the best vendor for you are critical to a successful ERP implementation. As a decision maker, you need to quickly identify your ERP requirements, effectively communicate these needs to vendors, and successfully compare various product alternatives. Learn how.
Read More
|
Is a total ban on workplace social networking a good idea? Companies should take more calculating points of view and look at how to turn the negative effects of social networking into positive effects. Employers can manage employee social networking to maximize the positives. The strategy combines employee education, well-thought-out acceptable use policies (AUPs), and—critically—effective Web filtering technology.
Read More
|
You know your organization’s need for stronger IT security can’t wait any longer. Regulatory compliance and the risk of a data breach are forcing you to implement more stringent security procedures. But password problems still consume time and money. Though the benefits of single sign-on (SSO) and strong authentication are significant, deploying an IT security solution can be daunting. Get tips on how to go about it.
Read More
|
The idea that tier-one systems are difficult to maintain and upgrade is based on outdated notions about their complexity and flexibility. Although tier-one systems are more complex internally than tier-two or tier-three systems, tier-one systems are often easier to maintain: for one thing, one enterprise system is easier to maintain than several. Learn more about this and other reasons for upgrading to a tier-one system.
Read More
|
Sole-sourcing business intelligence (BI) software from enterprise resource planning (ERP) vendors is an alluring option for many companies. But in addition to the benefits, there are drawbacks. A study of 100 enterprises from the United States and the European Union that have deployed BI and ERP from the same vendor investigates whether customers are experiencing what sole-sourcing promised to deliver. Learn more.
Read More
|
Many successful midsized companies reach a point when transitioning to a tier-one enterprise application system is necessary. Transitioning to a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is a challenge—but it may not be as complex as you think. Learn common myths about tier-one ERP systems, as well as how ERP solutions can help you manage regulatory compliance and track performance with key performance indicators.
Read More
|
Everything manufacturing executives thought they knew about project management and operations management is changing. Now, project managers may be connecting elements of an ongoing enterprise with a project in order to achieve certain defined goals, or use projects in a recurring way. Discover the many benefits manufacturers can realize by adopting a management-by-project approach with project-centric ERP software.
Read More
|
To drive improvements in operating profit and customer service, you need to use business intelligence (BI) dashboard tools both tactically for operational visibility—and strategically for more forward-looking analysis. But you also need to ensure the use of BI is pervasive across the enterprise. Get insight into three discrete datasets that can help you examine the value of pervasive BI and drive business improvement.
Read More
|
In today’s competitive global business environment, nearly all firms work hard to analyze alternatives and create strategies that enable competitive advantage. But 9 out of 10 companies fail to implement strategy effectively. How can you communicate the strategy effectively and assure that the entire company is aligned behind it? Discover how business performance optimization systems can help you make better decisions.
Read More
|
Financial pressures can strain even the most efficient and lean company. So forward-thinking companies should now turn to the chief financial officer (CFO). The strategic CFO is equipped with the tools, plans, and fiscal philosophy that can transform the CFO’s role into a strategic business asset. Discover the processes that allow the CFO to break away from the old paradigm toward better financial and risk management.
Read More
|
Part one of the “Lean Simplified” series looked at manufacturing wastes, lean principles, and the benefits of lean manufacturing. Here, in Part two, you’ll be taken through the action stage of lean practices: implementing lean. Understand the “5S” program toward implementing lean and begin laying the foundation of a discipline that is necessary for effective implementation of more complicated lean tools such as kanban.
Read More
|
In today’s demanding project delivery environment, meeting contract deadlines is paramount. Companies are under pressure to rapidly establish plans, isolate deliverables, and deliver quality products. Learn about a project delivery management system that can help you streamline collaboration between business units, ensuring each step is monitored and controlled so you can deliver your project on time and on budget.
Read More
|
The first role of the corporate controller has been to ensure corporate financial controls and—as a distant second—make strategic business contributions. But the installation of on-premise enterprise resource planning (ERP) and accounting software meant that controllers’ roles now involve financial software know-how. To achieve financial transformation, controllers need guidance and practical strategies. Learn more.
Read More
|
In today’s challenging economic environment, companies require effective IT executive leadership. As part of the executive team, the chief information officer (CIO) develops and executes strategies that create competitive advantages for revenue growth. But knowing which tools to use—and when and how to use them—to protect current assets is key to a CIO coach’s success. Learn more about making better IT decisions.
Read More
|
The term program management office (PMO) has been around for some time. Its core concepts, methods, and benefits have remained constant, while resources and tools have changed somewhat over the years. But not understanding what a program office is and when it should be leveraged is a common pitfall and reason for failure. Find out more about the program office, and its roles, processes, and responsibilities.
Read More
|
During a recession, successful businesses change their approach to managing information technology (IT) sourcing. The challenge is to become more efficient and invest in IT so the return on investment (ROI) is realized quickly and business competitiveness is improved at lower cost. IT vendor management allows you to build a mutually beneficial relationship with your suppliers and service providers. Find out how.
Read More
|
In 2006, Poudre Valley Health System (PVHS) was about to open a new hospital in Colorado (US). PVHS’s human resources (HR) department saw the need to change some existing processes, including the method of referencing job candidates. After one year of using a new HR hiring process solution, PVHS was able to predict supervisor evaluations of new hires and had the potential to save over $850,000 (USD). Learn more.
Read More
|
Unfortunately, leaders often lack the visibility to predict workforce needs in difficult times, and human resources (HR) professionals often lack the business acumen to answer detailed data-driven workforce questions. As a result, many companies are currently operating in crisis mode, reacting to economic turmoil by downsizing their workforce. Find out how you can use workforce analytics for strategic workforce planning.
Read More
|
Most enterprises have accumulated a surfeit of workforce and employee data. Only leading-edge companies are making extensive use of data to drive human capital management (HCM) decisions the way most companies use financial and marketing data to make strategic business decisions. Learn more about why—and how—you should be making fact-based workforce planning decisions that will help you survive the current recession.
Read More
|
To succeed in ever-changing market conditions, you must manage and navigate an information network of business partners. Though you may have long focused your IT efforts on automating internal processes to save money, now you need to rethink how technology can support and transform the way decisions are made and business is conducted—both within and across your boundaries, focusing on key business processes. Learn more.
Read More
|
Large enterprises have different warehouse management and inventory management needs than do small and mid-market companies. Find out about the key factors to success for mid-market companies, identify big-picture trends and needs that can help you overcome barriers to enjoy inventory management as a true strategic advantage—and learn about an inventory management solution specially designed for the mid-market.
Read More
|
There’s no magic bullet for compliance success—even the most experienced organizations use a combination of reliable processes and proven technologies to get the job done. But identifying, designing, and executing the right internal controls to meet compliance standards in a large, global company can be arduous and expensive. The systems you use to support compliance efforts must be implemented well. Find out more.
Read More
|
To many managers, the words “business process management” (BPM) conjure up images of complexity—months of planning, meetings, and more meetings. While BPM can be complex, it needn’t be. You can move quickly to implement process automation for your company. Learn what to consider and act on as you contemplate how to automate your business processes and increase competitive advantage and customer loyalty.
Read More
|
The US and world markets are facing dramatic economic challenges. You may be questioning whether the business practices that worked for you before will continue to provide the same levels of profitability. To improve your operations or profitability, you need to take advantage of new technologies. But to get started, you need to know where you stand, and in which direction to move. Find out more about leadership strategy.
Read More
|
As the economic downturn deepens, there’s no shortage of advice on how your company is to survive—where to cut costs and how to retrench the business. But despite the natural inclination to spend as little as possible, a recession might actually be a great time to use market conditions to your advantage. Find out why now is the time to invest in talent, increase your market presence, perk up your processes, and more.
Read More
|
As time passes, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems drift further and further into misalignment with enterprise goals, strategies, and tactics. Eventually your legacy ERP system begins to interfere with your company’s ability to operate efficiently. Examine ERP evaluation criteria and techniques, and equip yourself with the tools and knowledge you need to measure your current ERP system’s effectiveness.
Read More
|
Survey data shows that companies want to improve their strategic business partnerships. Reflecting on lessons learned from past business relationships, 60 percent of respondents say that in future they’ll place more emphasis on developing personal relationships and setting expectations with business partners. Find out how these companies are creating collaborative networks that include business partners and consumers.
Read More
|
Better. Faster. Cheaper. Every company is grappling with these concepts today as economic uncertainty spreads. Though many are focusing on what to eliminate in their operations, leading firms are redoubling their efforts to find new ways to execute with greater efficiency—to achieve operational excellence without sacrificing the value their customers expect. Learn more about improving your strategic competitive advantage.
Read More
|
IT has long been one of the best ways to address business challenges. Yet significant obstacles at the level of IT infrastructure stand in the way. Siloed IT operations and rigid IT management processes can impede business agility. When IT partners with the business to act less as a technology provider and more as a service provider, business objectives can be achieved more efficiently and cost-effectively. Find out how.
Read More
|
Many small to medium businesses (SMBs) do not have experience with software as a service (SaaS), but are looking to adopt SaaS solutions soon. According to studies, 2009 will be the tipping point, with a majority of companies aiming to adopt SaaS this year. But these companies must be cautious, as the old rules for on-premise software analysis and purchase don’t apply. Discover the new rigorous criteria you should use.
Read More
|
Issues of governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) affect nearly everything life sciences companies do. But you shouldn’t approach GRC in an ad hoc manner—implementing point solutions one after another in response to regulatory demands as they arise. This is inefficient and costly—and may result in non-compliance, due to lack of transparency. Learn how an enterprise-wide GRC approach to compliance management can help.
Read More
|
For years, utilities have seen a growing need to enable a smarter electric grid, promote cleaner power sources, and replace aging structures. These issues came into sharper focus when US President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This legislation provides funding for many energy initiatives—however, strict compliance guidelines come with the stimulus plan. Find out more.
Read More
|
You needn’t be a seer or sage to perceive risk—it’s as predictable and devastating as a Florida hurricane and as far-reaching as a corporate scandal. But you do need to be a visionary to see the underside of the risk coin. This side represents opportunity, competitiveness, and growth. Find out why insight into managing two types of risk, rewarded and unrewarded, can help you explore opportunities for growth and profit.
Read More
|
Many companies have used lean principles to move from a decentralized corporate management mode to a hybrid model—recognizing that different functions require different levels of centralized management to be efficient and effective. An effective lean transformation eliminates more than the most obvious areas of wasted time and resource. Find out how lean must address the unique requirements of various business processes.
Read More
|
Driving sustainable growth requires profitability-focused planning and performance management. Most companies have some type of profitability reporting—but many are investing a lot of effort to produce this information. And the limitations to the information companies currently compile may have a significant impact on decision making. Learn how automating profitability reporting can help your company improve decisions.
Read More
|
Business process management (BPM) is an attempt to provide a holistic view of a company’s workflows and automate processes. It provides a new management discipline, a new suite of software tools, and a new IT implementation style based on concrete links between strategy and execution. Learn more about SAP’s place in the BPM landscape and what its new BPM tool—NetWeaver BPM—can do to help you better manage your company.
Read More
|
A benchmarking survey shows that most organizations have a reactive method to governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) management, channeling resources and management attention to address specific regulatory mandates independently and in isolation from each other. The result: fragmented GRC activities and data sources that increase costs and hinder business agility. Find out how your company can become less reactive.
Read More
|
As modern enterprises grow in complexity and scope, managers struggle to keep pace. Business process management (BPM) is increasingly seen as a way to master the swelling complexity of modern corporations and coordinate the work of thousands of people by focusing on well-defined processes. Find out how BPM, applied the right way, can fulfill the promise of IT to automate business processes and directly support strategy.
Read More
|
The current global economic instability means firms have to quickly adapt to business conditions. This uncertainty may increase companies’ reliance on business alliances to provide as-needed skills, services, and products. To optimize these alliances, finance should enter the discussion as early as possible. Find out where finance’s true value lies when realigning strategic objectives to include business collaboration.
Read More
|
While different business strategies have been used to insulate firms from change, chief executive officers (CEOs) are beginning to see that their companies need to become more agile in making changes to strategy, operations, and products. But turning agility from a buzzword into a business capability means measuring and managing your ability to change. Find out how CEOs can take the lead in defining what agility means.
Read More
|
Growth—whether organic or acquisitive—is challenging executives today from a strategic as well as an operational perspective. Studies estimate that 50 to 80 percent of deals fail to reach their projected results. Discover the challenges inherent in three common growth models, and find out how to implement a solid, flexible, and adaptive foundation that can support your company’s corporate growth strategies.
Read More
|
Businesses of all sizes and in all industries are finding it difficult and costly to update and modify enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems after installation. The question isn’t whether a typical ERP solution supports change, but rather at what cost? Learn what midsize companies are doing about maintaining, modifying, and updating their ERP systems post-implementation, and what you could be doing better.
Read More
|
Most strategies for dealing with e-mail deluge involve getting more power out of the e-mail solution: greater storage or better spam filters. But what if you’ve got the problem all wrong? The purpose of technology, including e-mail, is to enhance employee productivity. Find out how online collaboration tools can help you reduce the e-mail deluge, streamline information management, and increase overall productivity.
Read More
|
The IT landscape has grown into a complex system of servers, networks, locations, products, and processes. Making all these systems work efficiently and securely has become an enormous task. This four-chapter e-book can help you identify the issues surrounding the design, control, and management of jobs, and give you insight into best practices for an efficient, maintainable job scheduling and workload automation system.
Read More
|
The global economic downturn is impacting the way we do business. Many companies are looking to optimize costs. The best way to ensure your company’s survival is through strategic planning. High-level managers face many challenges that can be overcome by managing risks and tracking project progress and budgets. Find out why the key to success involves having the right information at the right level at the right time.
Read More
|
Taleo, provider of software as a service (SaaS), was reaching $120 million (USD) and had more than 600 employees. Yet, in finance, the company was not quite so dynamic. The new director of finance recognized the need to move to a financial reporting system that featured technology advances. Find out about the online analytic processing (OLAP) server Taleo chose as part of its businessModify performance management strategy.
Read More
|
Best practices for reporting have often been overlooked. Most of the time we focus on eye candy—such as dashboards—and overlook report generation and report production, which are crucial concepts at the heart of business intelligence (BI). Learn more about the current reporting situation, and learn about ways to use reporting tools to improve the reporting processes in your company and make them more efficient.
Read More
|
Many companies recognize the need for project portfolio management (PPM) and implement a solution, but encounter cultural resistance to the initiative. Yet other companies can integrate PPM with virtually no resistance. The difference is the readiness for and acceptance of change in the company. Learn how to avoid the pitfalls, adhere to proven best practices, and realize the benefits and huge return on investment (ROI).
Read More
|
IT spending is often an issue for companies, but in difficult economic times it’s even more important to see what benefit IT can bring to the business. But IT investments are most effective when they improve business performance. Find out the degree to which organizations in the United Kingdom (UK) understand what IT is doing for their businesses, and in particular how some companies measure this and benefit from it.
Read More
|
The automation of traditional paper-based processes with technology can lead to unnecessary complexity. This leads to increased costs and other challenges which can be avoided if solutions are simple and fit closely to the business task in hand.
Read More
|
Global demand for food and beverages continues to rise, and the market will pay a premium for partially prepared healthier choices. Food and beverage manufacturers with innovative solutions for these niche markets are in a position to gain brand dominance, resulting in higher revenues, profits, and market share. Discover tactical and strategic innovative practices that can help support changes in your business processes.
Read More
|
Project portfolio management (PPM) software can provide a dynamic decision-making process for assessing projects such as portfolios, prioritizing projects, and allocating limited resources to meet key organizational objectives. Using PPM can also help you better align and manage your people, projects, and processes—giving you the ability to react quickly to change and minimize risk in the current declining market.
Read More
|
IT service delivery departments today need to keep spending under control without compromising service quality—running a very tight technical and operational ship is vital. Achieving this involves at least three components of application management. Find out what they are, and how you can reduce costs and maximize staff productivity while managing the change process for the Oracle E-Business Suite.
Read More
|
In hard economic times, IT organizations can maintain operational excellence and sustain service quality while still reducing costs. Achieving this objective involves at least three aspects of application management: managing change, managing technical performance, and managing user performance. Learn more about managing the change process in your PeopleSoft environment, and the value of an integrated change solution.
Read More
|
Embarking on an operational excellence strategy should not be undertaken lightly. As with most company-wide initiatives, success requires planning, commitment, measurement, and continuous follow-up. Find out what senior executives from around the world think about how to achieve operational excellence, and the questions you need to ask to develop a winning operations strategy and achieve sustained growth.
Read More
|
Perimeter computer-room air handlers and central air-handling units have been used to cool data centers since the launch of the mainframe. But as rack power grew, air delivery and heat removal challenges appeared. Row-based designs address issues of proper heat removal and cold air supply—and bring energy-efficiency advantages. Learn more about row-based solutions and the benefits they can deliver to your data center.
Read More
|
Increased global competition and rising costs place continued pressure on all midsize companies to optimize resources, meet tighter delivery schedules, and improve overall responsiveness. When looking at the pressures driving the top performers of midsize companies, however, the story is different. Find out why—and how these drivers affect the enterprise resource planning (ERP) strategies of these best-in-class companies.
Read More
|
Within large companies, there are an increasing number of activities and people to manage, including suppliers and third-party agencies. These activities are often supported by underdeveloped IT systems—but marketing is always “too busy” with campaigns, web content, and other activities to do anything about it. Learn how marketing resource management systems can help manage marketing activity and accountability.
Read More
|
People—that is, talent—are at the heart of any strategy to master the business challenges of high-tech companies. For best results, human resources (HR) organizations must transform from taking the role of service provider to that of strategic business partner. Find out about the four imperatives a successful HR organization must address in order to develop a competitive HR strategy and win the war for talent.
Read More
|
North American process manufacturers face increasing challenges related to heightened security, pricing pressures, global competition, and rising costs. Thus, continuous improvement of processes is imperative to remaining competitive. How close is your company to world-class? And how focused are you on process improvement? Find out how get started on a process improvement strategy that will have long-term benefits.
Read More
|
To close the gap between strategy, risk, and execution, companies need to build strategic alignment across all aspects of the business. Learn how your company can benefit from deploying strategy management software as part of a larger corporate performance management solution—encompassing business planning and consolidation, profitability and cost management, spend analytics, and governance, risk, and compliance.
Read More
|
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems now support many organizations’ most important business processes, and house their most sensitive corporate data. As a result, senior management needs to fully understand both the timing and project plan before proceeding with any ERP upgrade. Learn how to plan and manage your next ERP upgrade project, and develop an overall corporate strategy for maintaining your ERP system.
Read More
|
Relevant to the current economic recession, find out about key challenges faced by the retail industry, such as multichannel integration. Get an introduction to a process excellence and governance approach specific to retail, for radical cost reduction and organizational agility and visibility. You’ll also find a case study about business performance management (BPM) in the food and beverage industry.
Read More
|
Today’s executives have more challenges and concerns than ever, from compliance to use of technology. To thrive and ultimately excel within a competitive landscape, an organization must have a technology framework capable of meeting today’s marketplace requirements while positioning the company for future growth and challenges. Find out how to better leverage technology investments and become a best-run business.
Read More
|
Want to know more about distributed agile best practices for software development projects? Find out about the challenges and lessons learned from this implementation of distributed agile for teams distributed across US, Europe, and India. Discover how this large, globally distributed project for a large telecom vendor realized such benefits as better collaboration, higher quality product, and on-time delivery.
Read More
|
Today, business is driven to change per customers’ needs, and IT organizations must be strategic partners with the lines of business. Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best practices are gaining popularity as one way to manage change. However, implementing ITIL best practices in an IT organization is not without challenges. Learn about the approaches that can be used for successful ITIL implementation.
Read More
|
The strength of a company can be traced to the value of its brands. Brand marketing managers seek to create and develop brand value by converting consumer insights into consumer loyalty. How can you overcome the challenge of developing effective marketing campaigns that convert consumer information into revenue and profit? Leverage the value of your brand with an integrated approach to brand management. Find out how.
Read More
|
In a global survey of senior managers in various functions from 17 industries, 61 percent say IT’s primary mission today is that of reducing costs and boosting productivity. But the IT mission is changing: nearly 70 percent of the same executives say that within three years IT’s main role will be to enable revenue growth. Learn more about how this shift is expected to happen, and how to manage it in your organization.
Read More
|
Best practices in technology can help manufacturers of complex products and equipment get their offerings to market more quickly and profitably by enabling them to become more cost effective and efficient. But there are still challenges to be overcome, due to product life cycle complexity. Discover the best practices that can help you make the product and make it right, on time, and within budget—while making a profit.
Read More
|
The Delphi technique—drawing wise counsel from senior and experienced software developers—can help you prepare estimates for software development projects. With this method of software estimation, project specifications are given to a few experts, depending on their availability. Learn about the essential steps involved in this software estimation methodology for more accurate estimates of software development effort.
Read More
|
In the corporate world, the word “excellence” is used a lot, but what does it really mean? One way to answer that question is to examine what companies that are considered to be excellent have in common. Learn the common characteristics that allow excellent companies to lead in their markets while continuing to innovate, and find out how your company can measure, achieve, and sustain organizational excellence.
Read More
|
In the wake of the subprime meltdown, many financial services firms are coping with huge write-downs and high market volatility by cutting staff and budgets. But even in uncertain times, smart financial firms can find ways to grow. Learn how you can use customer-centric strategies and customer relationship management (CRM) tools to maximize the value and loyalty of your client base and gain insight into new opportunities.
Read More
|
It’s no secret that winning and retaining customers is the key to growth and success. But that’s no small feat, with ever-increasing customer demands, as well as the difficulty of implementing and enforcing processes to support your interactions with prospects, customers, and partners. Eight proven customer relationship management (CRM) best practices can help you create a customer retention strategy. Learn more.
Read More
|
Most businesses are impacted by the slow economy, but recessions and economic slowdowns don’t last forever. Smart companies will be able to manage the challenges and emerge stronger and more vital for the experience. Discover how business process automation, a renewed focus on customer service, new tax opportunities, and other best practices can help your company shine in these tough economic times.
Read More
|
By automating and optimizing business processes, companies gain the efficiency, clarity, and flexibility they need to support the creative development of products and services. Employees in such an environment spend less time on mundane business tasks, focusing instead on generating new ideas and innovative products. Learn how integrated software solutions can help you invest and innovate to sustain your company’s growth.
Read More
|
System planning is the Achilles’ heel of a data center physical infrastructure project. Planning mistakes can propagate through later deployment phases, resulting in delays, cost overruns, wasted time, and a compromised system. These troubles can be eliminated by viewing system planning as a data flow model, with sequenced tasks that progressively transform and refine data from initial concept to final design. Learn more.
Read More
|
Data center commissioning requires tight coordination between vendors, facilities, IT departments, engineers, the commissioning agent, and others. Managed properly, commissioning can deliver an unbiased evaluation of whether a new data center will succeed or not. Managed poorly, it can lead to problematic data center performance issues. Learn 10 common data center commissioning mistakes, and find out how to avoid them.
Read More
|
In data center design projects, flawed management frequently leads to delays, expense, and frustration. Effective project management requires well-defined responsibilities for every manager, tight coordination among suppliers, well-defined procedures for managing change, and consistent terminology. Learn how enforcing these requirements can help your company achieve an efficient process with a predictable outcome.
Read More
|
As the complexity of security threats increases, so do the security measures needed to protect networks. Data center operators, network administrators, and other data center professionals need to comprehend the basics of security to safely deploy and manage networks today. Find out what you need to know about the fundamentals of secure networking systems, including firewalls, network topology, and secure protocols.
Read More
|
For today’s small to medium manufacturers, increasing the bottom line while optimizing efficiency poses an increasingly difficult challenge, especially in our current economic crisis. This, coupled with competition in a global environment, puts manufacturers in a tight spot. Discover the key challenges facing small to medium manufacturers, and the on-demand solutions you can leverage to sustain and win business.
Read More
|
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are facing new challenges and opportunities. By linking people, processes, and workflows from inside and outside your company, business management software can help you drive success. Learn about key drivers in the “extended enterprise vision” strategy and how to integrate newer concepts, such as service-oriented architecture (SOA) and Web 2.0 capabilities, with existing applications.
Read More
|
Microsoft recently researched the experience of nearly 200 companies with more than 250 PCs that have deployed one or more of the applications in the Microsoft Dynamics line of business management solutions. Among these companies, a common issue was growth via mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Find out about the pain points, and how Microsoft Dynamics can help support growth via M&A to drive business success.
Read More
|
Organizations preparing to meet globalization head on face a complex set of business and technology challenges—from the supply chain complexity of entering new markets to the need for global visibility and standardized business processes. Learn how globally implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and integrated business processes are helping companies exploit new markets and lower manufacturing costs.
Read More
|
Demand for knowledge workers is building even as their experience, skills, and abilities are in ever shorter supply. And, the needs of this diverse talent pool are shifting. Rather than focusing on acquisition and retention, you should focus instead on what employees care most about. Discover strategies that enable you not only to hire the best talent, but to develop it by connecting employees to what matters to them.
Read More
|
Chief financial officers (CFOs) are moving beyond administrative and transactional tasks and becoming catalysts to improve business performance. In collaboration with business units, they are developing the metrics and data required to track and meet business goals. Find out how they’re capturing and disseminating the information needed to make operating and management decisions, and provide decision support to finance.
Read More
|
With increased mergers and acquisitions at the global level, organizations have started recognizing the benefits of upgrading to a modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform and a service-oriented architecture (SOA). Learn how different approaches to ERP system and architecture upgrades can help your company drive down costs, raise employee productivity, and produce meaningful business process improvement.
Read More
|
Compliance with regional and international standards, such as the Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) or Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directives, has made it more complicated for companies to deliver innovative products to customers. Learn how focusing on product innovation, data integration, and process optimization can help your company satisfy customer needs while meeting compliance standards.
Read More
|
Has your organization truly embraced the message of the incident management process, as part of the practices recommended in the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)? If your efforts have centered on the service desk, then you may be missing out on a lot of what incident management in particular and ITIL in general can offer. Learn more about the core principles of ITIL, and how you can use them to improve service management.
Read More
|
Companies can reduce operating costs and improve the ways they do business by using customer relationship management (CRM) systems that support real-time decision making. But you must ensure you deploy applications that can leverage industry best practices while retaining the competitive differentiation from a well-honed business process and strategy. Learn about the benefits of using CRM with industry best practices.
Read More
|
The common perception is that top-tier enterprise software takes years to implement. This is true for more complex solutions. But other applications, when combined with effective project management by capable professionals, can be rolled out rapidly when it counts—like after a merger or acquisition. Get tips for a speedy enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation, from a company that lived to tell the tale.
Read More
|
As companies come to grips with current fiscal realities, choices may result more from reaction than the use of sound judgment. Removing vital resources and reducing services can create an even lower return on investment (ROI) than existed before downsizing. Outsourcing may offer a solution. Learn about the effects that the present financial situation will have on the outsourcing community, including buyers and suppliers.
Read More
|
As countries frequently increase and revise border security protocols, participating in global trade has become increasingly complex. Compliance and supply chain managers can no longer solely rely on personal knowledge and paper-based processes to effectively plan and manage global trade. You must have real-time access to critical trade information and the ability to automate global trade management processes. Learn more.
Read More
|
Midsize companies engaged in manufacturing, trade, or services need innovative solutions they can implement quickly to help them manage changing customer demands, government regulations, and market requirements. Online tools can speed the configuration, control costs and scope, and tailor the solution to your company—and you’ll have the agility and support you need to grow, while staying within budget. Find out how.
Read More
|
A failed software implementation can cost companies millions in wasted time and money. To ensure your software selection project isn’t a sorry statistic, use the right metrics to gauge your success. Time, budget, and functionality aren’t enough--focus your efforts on requirements analysis and definition. Take measures to ensure your software meets your needs, and discover how to perform accurate requirements analysis.
Read More
|
Chief information officers (CIOs) must provide timely, accurate, and consistent enterprise-wide information, to support business goals and stay competitive. But with data in multiple disparate applications, this is a challenge. Learn best practices for developing an information management strategy that can help you gain a comprehensive view of data and processes—to enable real-time visibility and better decision making.
Read More
|
Recent EquaTerra market research finds a consensus among western business leaders that increased globalization is inevitable—and that it will generally be beneficial. Quickly and efficiently leveraging opportunities created by globalization is the best way to avoid being overwhelmed by its challenges. Learn how to compare buyer and service provider data and get insight into developing a responsive global strategy.
Read More
|
Here's an all-too typical scenario. Management at a multinational company decides to implement a standardized enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. Everyone expects to cut costs and improve core end-to-end processes. But 13 months later, vital key performance indicators (KPIs) don’t improve as planned. Discover how a company focused on user performance to bring its ERP reality back into alignment with its vision.
Read More
|
Ping Identity provides software for the computer security and identity management industry. Ping wanted to facilitate rapid, high-end development and accelerate time to market for its leading Web security product. When its first outsourcing choice didn’t offer enough Agile development expertise, Ping found another solution that helped reduce costs by 46 percent and doubled in-house performance in key areas. Learn more.
Read More
|
The requirements of the engineer-to-order (ETO) environment create special challenges for capital equipment manufacturers. Traditional material requirements planning (MRP) techniques don’t account for these manufacturers’ needs. Before you invest in manufacturing software, you should carefully consider 10 questions to ensure that software vendors are focused on your business and can deliver the solution you need.
Read More
|
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software can facilitate business improvements. But it can also create new challenges, including obsolete technology, lack of flexibility, and high support costs, to name a few. There’s a way to keep your current ERP system while extending its capabilities to remote manufacturing sites, service centers, and supply chain partners: a service-oriented architecture (SOA) approach. Learn more.
Read More
|
A fast-growing robotics product manufacturer needed to track an extremely large inventory of individual products. A daily expanding product line presented even greater hurdles for inventory management, and meeting on-time delivery goals. The company’s old enterprise resource planning (ERP) system wasn’t keeping up, so the company moved to a system that allows more options for product customization and more. Learn how.
Read More
|
Because “Generation Y” will soon make up the bulk of the workforce, companies need to evolve their human resources (HR) programs and services to deliver to Gen Y, and focus on recruiting and retaining this next generation of workers. For HR programs to be successful, you need to know the issues surrounding Gen Y in the workplace, including why Gen Y behaves differently from Generation X and the Baby Boomers. Learn more.
Read More
|
The one thing you can count on today in business is change, whether it’s customers, business models, or the pace of business. To manage change, companies rely on technology. But the most effective management control and optimization of company performance can be achieved only if you have the right systems. Discover how an integrated system can help you manage data and make better decisions, for a more successful company.
Read More
|
Growing demands on storage management system requirements can run counter to your need to lower costs. With Database 10g, Oracle introduced new features that can simplify database storage management to offer significant savings in both deployment cost and ongoing management overhead. Find out about best practices for deploying Oracle with Pillar’s Axiom storage system, with benefits to performance and management.
Read More
|
When your quality control plan is complex because there are many features to control—and it involves many people—you need to pay special attention to your quality control process. Also, a complex plan places high demands on your software solution. Discover how an online integrated factory information system can work across production, job tracking, spoilage, and quality to support all of your quality control processes.
Read More
|
Escalating health fears, new global policies, and a highly competitive market means that traceability is an issue food and beverage companies cannot afford to ignore. All this has led to a need for information on quality and food safety that companies must live up to. Explore the key issues surrounding traceability in the food and beverage industry, and find out why you might need to consider a new traceability system.
Read More
|
The results of a recent industry survey shed light on the latest trends, challenges, and solutions in software product development for 2008. If you are involved in the planning and development of products, software applications, or systems, this report can help you gain insight into the biggest challenges in innovation, the top barriers to success, which metrics matter most when measuring success, and more.
Read More
|
In today’s changing, competitive world, companies must adopt a continuous improvement methodology to support sustainable and profitable business models. Processes must be seen as a lever for analyzing and optimizing the way firms works. Before you initiate any project involving process automation and management, discover five key points that can help you make continuous improvements in the life cycles of your processes.
Read More
|
En el presente documento no vamos a hablar de los múltiples beneficios que aporta la gestión y automatización de procesos, ni de la importancia que tiene para mejorar la competitividad y productividad empresarial, ni de suites o aplicaciones de software, sino de las claves genéricas que deben tener en cuenta todas aquellas organizaciones, de cualquier sector, que se embarquen en un proyecto de mejora de procesos de negocio.
Read More
|
IT organizations struggle with the challenges of shrinking budgets, ever-changing technology, compliance pressures, and more. For greater efficiency, many IT organizations are turning to information technology service management (ITSM) to help improve processes. But there’s still too much focus on technology and not enough on business outcomes. Learn key strategies for changing your approach to delivering IT services.
Read More
|
Customers and users see the value of IT services only after they’re in operation. Unfortunately, preparation and due diligence doesn’t always mean that you end up providing the IT services those users are expecting. With the automotive industry used as an analogy, get key tips on how to better define and document IT operations design and transition—so ultimately, your customers and users get the services they demand.
Read More
|
Financial services organizations are always looking for ways to improve business processes to implement tighter control—and improve the bottom line. But finding new ways to boost efficiency is challenging. One strategy for success is to improve the use and allocation of resources in order to eliminate errors from duplicate data entry. Discover more about this strategy and two others, as well as how they can benefit you.
Read More
|
An estimated two-thirds of IT projects aren’t completed on time or budget, while 15 percent are cancelled entirely. But your IT project doesn’t have to be a gamble. By knowing the most common causes of project failure, your company increases the potential for a successful project outcome. Learn more about how inadequate initial project planning can be one of your greatest obstacles to success—and how you can overcome it.
Read More
|
Software as a service (SaaS) is known for its relative speed to deployment and low up-front cost. Less well known are the business advantages of SaaS for enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, especially for small and midsized businesses. Learn how a fully integrated SaaS solution can help you improve your business operations, as well as better meet the challenges of growth, competition, and regulatory compliance.
Read More
|
Companies in the Americas should lead the world in growth through operational excellence—but they don’t. A 2008 survey shows that less than half promote insight into operations by investing in enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) software. Companies in the Americas also lag behind Asia-Pacific firms in revenue growth and customer satisfaction. Read more of the survey results.
Read More
|
A residential and commercial junk removal company with a toll-free call service was using an industry-specific customer relationship management (CRM) solution that couldn’t be customized. The company needed a CRM system that could capture, share, and use customer data specific to its operations, to acquire and retain more customers. Discover how the hosted CRM solution helps ensure business continuity and other benefits.
Read More
|
SumTotal Systems recently surveyed 10,000 directors of training from primarily US-based companies to learn how they’re pushing outside their corporate walls to their partners and customers. Over 35 percent are currently training customers and partners with learning management systems (LMSs). Find out why they’re using LMS functionality to help drive their business globally while maintaining performance standards.
Read More
|
IFS co-founder Ulf Stern and senior advisor Anders Wilhelmsson discuss how project management functionality that is tightly integrated with enterprise asset management (EAM) and asset lifecycle management (ALM) tools is essential to executives of asset-intensive industries. Lacking this integration, valuable asset data is lost and asset utilization cannot be maximized.
Read More
|
Small and medium businesses (SMBs) often don’t know how to engage and manage outsourcing initiatives. Both outsourcing provider and seeker should together address several questions when starting a project to outsource business or technology processes. What’s the cost benefit? What are the risks involved? Find out the customer and the vendor perspectives, and how to achieve cost savings and service-level improvements.
Read More
|
Software-as-a-service (SaaS), also called on-demand software, can be a convenient and profitable business model for vendors. And for clients, SaaS can provide greater processing efficiencies than a company’s own internal systems. As a result, human resources, customer relationship management, or accounting process costs decrease when handled by an SaaS vendor. Learn about the benefits—but also the challenges—of SaaS.
Read More
|
Of all the points that you should focus on when planning ISO 9001 standards projects, corrective action and root cause analysis should rise to the top of your priorities list. Learn how to improve your approach to ISO 9001, how to implement a system that can help you ensure that your approach is feasible and effective, and about the one tool that you need help ensure your company becomes ISO 9001 2000 certified.
Read More
|
No doubt about it: the project manager is essential for the successful completion of any project. But supporting the project manager—and the goal of reaching the target within the defined time and budget frame—is a solid project management system. Discover the vital elements of project planning and management, and how you can optimize communication by standardizing information formats in a project management system.
Read More
|
Great service is the number one reason customers are loyal and recommend companies to friends and colleagues. But on the flip side, 80 percent of customers say they stop doing business with a company because of a bad service experience—and that they’ll never do business with the company again. Find out how you can gain the essential service capabilities, both online and at the service center, to keep your customers loyal.
Read More
|
When choosing a change management tool for your business environment, you need to consider several important factors. First is the number of database platforms in your data center, and whether to get a solution that supports multiple platforms. Find out the other factors, and how the right tool can reduce training and software costs, increase productivity, and ensure database availability, security, and performance.
Read More
|
Customer relationship management (CRM) solutions can help you achieve success by managing your company’s customer-facing processes and implementing a customer-centric vision. But to make the most of CRM’s benefits, you should weigh and consider the options by answering key questions about your processes and CRM solutions’ capabilities. Find out key CRM principles, and how to best mitigate the cost of CRM implementation.
Read More
|
Increasingly, success depends not only on how fast manufacturers can act, but how fast they can react—and the effectiveness of the actions they take. But fast and effective reactions depend on having the information you need when you need it. Is your response management strategy efficient enough? Do you have enough control over key supply chain processes? Find out how to better manage your response to volatile markets.
Read More
|
Customer and commercial demands are changing the way manufacturers manage their positions in the supply chain. The financial impact on a company that is unable to respond to change can be crippling, especially in a global market. Learn about the benefits of using a response management process, so you can access live data from multiple systems across various locations—for more intelligent and empowered decision making.
Read More
|
Progressive companies are discovering that they can optimize processes and assets to make the best use of resources, reduce negative impact on the environment, and strengthen business results—all at the same time. Improving enterprise asset management (EAM) processes provides opportunities for you to create less waste, reduce resource use, and decrease emissions. Find out how you can take advantage of EAM’s benefits.
Read More
|
Although IT outsourcing can result in cost savings of up to 60 percent, you’re not as likely to see that return if you don’t have an offshore development center (ODC). This team of programmers and developers, hand picked to complement your skill-set and culture, works on your behalf at the service provider’s site, and can be a seamless extension of your IT department. Learn more about the benefits of setting up an ODC.
Read More
|
Even the best “best-of-breed” enterprise resource planning systems don’t give business stakeholders enough real-time visibility. And without that, you can’t ensure performance improvements. Are employees using the right transactions for business processes? Are employees efficient, or are they making huge errors? Help identify inefficiencies in your company with an end-user experience and performance management solution.
Read More
|
The impact of globalization on human resources (HR) functions shouldn’t be ignored. When each function, such as maintaining a database or determining compensation, must be managed on a global scale, the complexities are vast. Learn about the myths and misconceptions that might be keeping your HR team from embracing new technology—and how HR can be your strategic partner in making your company a global competitor.
Read More
|
Software developers need a powerful tool to control and plan the quality of their software applications. With a solution that offers project analysis, testing, and bug administration, you have options that can help increase the quality of your software products. Read about a software test tool that has administrative functions to help you more effectively plan, control, and evaluate your software as it’s developed.
Read More
|
Georg Fischer, a global provider of fluid-handling systems, was using a simple database to manage customer contact information. But the company couldn’t effectively track the progress of customer relationships, opportunities, and projects, and so key data was often lost. By implementing an integrated enterprise application, the company now has centralized customer contact information, and improved customer relationships.
Read More
|
Oil and gas industry leader MODEC was already using Microsoft Dynamics SL for core financial activities. But as the company faced rapid growth, it began to look at how the technology could be used to improve other vital business processes. Discover how MODEC worked with the NexTec Group to hone those processes, identify areas for improvement, and propose and direct the technology initiatives to effect the needed changes.
Read More
|
The basic spreadsheet and accounting programs you’ve relied on ’til now won’t help your growing business eliminate decision-making bottlenecks, reduce IT costs, increase productivity, or improve the customer experience. To do all that requires an enterprise-wide, integrated software system. Learn how an integrated system can help take your business to the next level, and how to ensure you get the right system for you.
Read More
|
Server virtualization isn’t a new concept. But the benefits of extending server virtualization to the desktop may not be common knowledge. A virtual desktop solution can allow companies to run virtualized PCs and computer desktops on servers located inside the data center. Besides allowing centralized management, this setup can improve security and deliver new capabilities to the user. Learn about other benefits.
Read More
|
The number of mid-market manufacturers and other businesses using electronic data interchange (EDI) is expanding—and with it, the need to integrate EDI data with in-house enterprise resource planning (ERP) and accounting systems. Unfortunately, over 80 percent of data integration projects fail. Don’t let your company join that statistic. Learn about five key steps to buying and implementing EDI to ERP integration software.
Read More
|
Statistics show that nearly one-fifth of IT projects make it to the finish line—so project planners need to be aware of the primary factors that can ruin a project, and how to prevent them from happening. One of the biggest obstacles is poor team communication, even when you have the best talent and a good work environment. Learn about the top three techniques that can help you get your people working together as a team.
Read More
|
An online American bank, providing various financial services, needed to replace its legacy script-driven batch job processes with a job scheduling solution that could handle the bank’s growth. The bank’s IT team, however, faced two major hurdles affecting growth: both batch job processes and script-writing were manual and inefficient. A job management solution helped the bank achieve new levels of growth. Learn how.
Read More
|
Simulation software can give you valuable insights into the forecasted outcomes of your business processes and decision making. But if you don’t have the type of simulation software than can develop and analyze the types of models made for your particular industry or service offering, you won’t get insights that really help. With this concise list, learn about the functions of three types of computer simulation software.
Read More
|
Successful strategic planning relies on your ability to develop and evaluate alternative strategies to identify the most viable approach. But when the outcomes are dependent on complex systems that are difficult to predict, you might conclude that the unknowns are insurmountable. Avoid making decisions based on intuition—develop models using computer simulation for clearer pictures of the outcomes of your strategies.
Read More
|
To promote fast growth, small businesses often sacrifice process control for creativity. But sooner or later, unstructured creativity compounded by fast growth leads to the inability to make fact-based business decisions. Learn about four steps to developing a business strategy that can help you run your business more effectively by applying better control over your cost structure, minimizing risk, and anticipating change.
Read More
|
Contrary to popular belief, requirements discovery and elicitation are processes—not deliverables. And in fact, companies that focus on both the process and the deliverables of requirements are far more successful than those that focus on documentation quality alone. After all, it’s the quality of the document development process that creates an economic advantage. Find out what you can do for immediate and tangible benefits.
Read More
|
According to an IAG survey, 70 percent of companies lack the fundamental competencies within business requirements discovery to consistently bring in projects on time and on budget. Why do so many fall short in properly diagnosing their requirements failures? Discover how placing a greater focus on the combined aspects of business requirements—people, process, and tools—can provide better project outcomes.
Read More
|
Organizations need to control who has access to enterprise resources, what level of access individuals have, and who is authorized to grant access. But you may not know that identity management involves more than your organization s operations side—you must also align your infrastructure to maximize security. Find out key considerations and best practices for developing a user provisioning and access management strategy.
Read More
|
Some managers have concluded that strategic planning is nothing more than an exercise in futility, to be taken out and dusted off at annual meetings. However, strategic planning can still help direct your company and improve earnings. The trick is strategizing well—which means having all the information you need, when you need it. Find out how to hone your competitive edge with integrated business planning capabilities.
Read More
|
Although information technology service management (ITSM) is not a new discipline, many organizations have yet to adopt it as a part of their IT service improvement strategy. To be successful, businesses must start by building a custom road map. Read about how focusing on long-term, strategic objectives—including a realized return on investment (ROI)—can greatly improve your IT service delivery and support.
Read More
|
In the public sector, where it’s often more about process than the business case, recompeting a current outsourcing relationship doesn’t always make the most sense for ensuring continued value. Due to the cost and time investment in the recompete process, it can often cause more problems than solutions. In many cases, outsourcing agreements simply need to be updated to meet changing business requirements. Find out how.
Read More
|
In the past 10 years, business process and IT outsourcing markets have become globalized, raising some key issues for outsourcing buyers. How can you develop a service delivery model for your business that fully exploits global sourcing opportunities while supporting overall corporate strategies, goals, and principles? By developing a set of integrated capabilities and processes as part of your core competency.
Read More
|
Empirical evidence demonstrates that the benefits of a distributed IT services model are considerable—yet many companies still resist the change. If IT professionals took the time to fully understand the positive impact of distributed services models on both cost and value, they’d be better equipped to fight organizational resistance and develop a road map for successful change. Find out how you can build yours today.
Read More
|
A contact center is a mission-critical component of any organization’s operations—regardless of who they service. Yet stakeholders often remain dissatisfied with its performance. In the past, contact centers benefited from advances in information and technologies, yet many companies struggled to determine how they could take advantage of these benefits. Find out how embracing both old and new technologies today can work.
Read More
|
Senior finance executives in all industries recognize the long-term benefits of transaction-processing automation on resource allocation. Transaction automation frees time and resources that can be allocated for decision support and financial planning and analysis. The result: sustained, profitable top-line growth and risk reduction. Find out other benefits of improving your back-office processes through automation.
Read More
|
To effectively serve their customers, operations managers need to have visibility as well as control of the delivery and quality of their outsourced components. And because supply chain management is such a critical part of the manufacturing process, it’s important to have the right tools to optimize performance. Find out how real-time collaborative manufacturing is now helping to solve some key manufacturing problems.
Read More
|
In today’s Internet-connected global economy, the market doesn’t allow for companies to sit back and relax into a comfortable niche. Customer loyalty is ever harder to maintain, and you risk losing your business to competition if you can’t respond quickly to market change. Before you lose any more ground, find out how to replace your disconnected, redundant business processes with flexible and efficient ones integrated by IT.
Read More
|
Service excellence alone is not enough to ensure future growth and profitability in today’s challenging market. Streamlining IT processes is essential to your business workflow. Whatever your professional services software needs—from customer relationship management (CRM) to human capital management—it’s time to learn your lessons: find out key strategies and best practices that can help your company grow profitably.
Read More
|
Aligning your business plans with your method of execution requires more than a peek at financial metrics. Initiatives, tasks, people, and metrics must be aligned with corporate goals. Find out how strategy management software, alone or as part of a performance management solution, can provide clear visual links between individual initiatives and broader goals, and ultimately enhance your business’s overall performance.
Read More
|
You’re planning to upgrade your business intelligence (BI) solution and can’t wait for implementation. But are you sure of how to take advantage of its key value drivers, or which functionalities are best for your organization? And can you anticipate—and minimize—implementation risks? Find out how an upgrade assessment done by experienced professionals can help you develop a proven upgrade plan and lower associated costs.
Read More
|
The rules for success in today’s fiercely competitive market are constantly changing. Through service delivery innovation, a company can differentiate itself. But how do you change your service delivery methods to keep existing clients and entice new ones? A networked organization is one of six characteristics of successful service delivery innovation. Find out how you can put them into practice and attain the benefits.
Read More
|
Changing business practices, especially those that consolidate business and IT functions, requires careful research and decision making. For companies needing to move beyond traditional enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, enterprise service applications (ESA) can help reduce the complexity of having disparate IT systems. Find out about the benefits of ESA and how it can help you achieve operational excellence.
Read More
|
Euromadi was looking to automate its business processes and increase effectiveness. With hundreds of suppliers all over the world, it needed a system that could help manage the relationships of more than 220 associate companies. By integrating business process management (BPM) with an enterprise content management (ECM) system, Euromadi has increased productivity and reduced data input and maintenance by 30 percent.
Read More
|
Customer relationship management (CRM) is being adopted by businesses worldwide. But the key question for many executives as they create their CRM strategy: how can they gain strategic advantage if their competitors are implementing these same CRM systems? The answer: through integration. Find out how leveraging your existing information assets can turn CRM from a tactical project into a key strategic initiative.
Read More
|
Sant Joan de Déu Hospital is one of the most important hospitals in Spain, and specializes in pediatrics and women’s medicine. Because of its status, it needed to find a way to automate its internal processes and develop a corporate portal for patients and health professionals. Since deploying a business process management (BPM) solution, Sant Joan has increased accessibility and created autonomy within its departments.
Read More
|
To address evolving market demands, companies must take new approaches to marketing activities and integrate all company functions. Customer relationship management (CRM) can empower your marketing organization to support growth and demonstrate value to customers. Find out six factors that can allow your company’s marketing team to make intelligent decisions and drive effective end-to-end marketing processes.
Read More
|
Canadian manufacturers are getting squeezed. Challenged by a rising Canadian dollar, forced to hold the line on prices in the US market, pressured by customer demand for lower prices, better quality, and quicker service, these manufacturers need a way to retain their competitive edge and increase bottom-line profitability. Find out why product data management (PDM) is a solution you can turn to in these challenging times.
Read More
|
Construction companies often use a combination of outdated, paper-based, and software tools to manage their projects—which puts them at a severe disadvantage. Online project management, however, can provide you with a more efficient method to manage projects. Find out why these businesses are shifting to owner-centric solutions, and discover what main factors you should consider before implementing a web-based tool.
Read More
|
Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) helps ensure that projects are delivered on time and within budget, and creates a system for improving accountability. Once KPIs are established, there needs to be a way to easily track this data—otherwise it will become an arduous task that may be done improperly. Learn how leveraging integrated project management software can help drive your business process improvements.
Read More
|
The competitive nature of the financial services industry today and the changing landscape of the customer approach to investing puts an onus on suppliers to consider how well they are dealing with customers’ business transactions. In order to provide better customer service—while at the same time improving operations—these organizations must invest in a system that allows real-time visibility of the entire process.
Read More
|
The divide between strategy development and strategy execution can be overcome by creating balanced scorecards. Prioritize your objectives to determine which are most critical. Then cascade objectives and metrics down and across the organization, creating linked and related—but not identical—scorecards for each critical area. These and five other tips for scorecarding success will move you in the right direction.
Read More
|
It’s not enough to develop a strategy for your enterprise; real success comes from effective execution of that strategy. Prioritization, improvement, and control are the key steps involved in enterprise strategy execution. But before leaping right into deployment, you might need a few more details. Learn how planning your objectives and fixing performance gaps gives you control of improvement gains—now and in the future.
Read More
|
Implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system—even for small to medium businesses (SMBs)—is a smart move. But depending on the type of business, there can be many different processes to integrate—making it difficult to know what type of system to choose. For growing project-based companies faced with the challenge of managing many complex projects, the ideal ERP system should be customizable yet scalable.
Read More
|
Web analytics has never been an exact science—which can make the process extremely frustrating. How can you be 100 percent certain that the data you’re working with is always accurate? To deal with this and many other questions that will arise, businesses must gain a better understanding of how well their analytics tools work with their existing data integration solutions, and how using testing platforms will help.
Read More
|
If you’re dealing with increasing demands on your server storage by adding servers one at a time, the number of servers is growing hand in hand with management complexity, while stretching your IT budget. Make sure your data assets are covered—find out how server and storage consolidation storage systems can simplify storage management, increase flexibility, and advance data protection and disaster recovery.
Read More
|
Read this white paper to learn about the areas of potential legal liability and exposure that arise not only through the purely internal activities of your employees, but when inappropriate material makes its way into the corporate e-environment from the outside—and learn about the legal exposure that may arise when you permit employees to be exposed to spam containing pornographic or other inappropriate content.
Read More
|
Joshen Paper & Packaging needed to update its enterprise resource planning (ERP) distribution system. Joshen partnered with Vormittag Associates Inc. (VAI) and found a solution that consolidates its financial reporting and provides its sales team with real-time inventory information access. The result: faster inventory turnaround and order fulfillment—and to date, about 100 new clients in its customer base.
Read More
|
As pressure increases to reduce costs and improve customer service, many companies are outsourcing outside the US. Although India and Malaysia are the least expensive options, companies that want to build strong long-term partnerships with a call center—while taking quality, political climate, and cost into consideration—should look north of the border. Canada builds a solid case for any company’s outsourcing dollars.
Read More
|
Small to medium businesses (SMBs) often face the same challenges as large businesses—just on a smaller scale. One such challenge is finding a business solution that manages expansion and addresses complex reporting and compliance issues. Many SMBs are now adopting enterprise performance management (EPM) solutions—complete with tools to help them meet the current and future needs of their growing business.
Read More
|
In any organization, people remain one of the largest sources of value when it comes to business processes. But providing them with tools that can be easily accessed and used has its challenges. As we move into the era of service-oriented architecture (SOA), portal and collaboration software now delivers the essential people-focused capabilities businesses need, while adding significant value to the organization.
Read More
|
Industry today demands more quality of manufacturers, and as such, ISO 9001—the yardstick by which quality products and services are measured—is forcing more and more companies to become ISO-certified. However, companies can use a browser-based tool to help bridge any information gaps they may encounter during the process—and to give them the head start they need to intelligently manage their ISO certification.
Read More
|
For a lot of companies, making the decision to replace an existing business software system can be a difficult one. The process can be so unpleasant that many organizations may be reluctant to even get started, coming up with a number of reasons why they could probably get by with the systems they already have. If your company is struggling with this tough decision, you may want to ask yourself these ten basic questions.
Read More
|
Any organization that deploys multiple same-application servers with regularity could benefit from virtual appliances. Virtualization solutions eliminate the need to copy an operating system (OS) and application into each virtual environment, by creating a single, centrally installed master copy instead. It saves time on installation and enables greater levels of efficiency, manageability, flexibility, and resource use.
Read More
|
Traditional business intelligence (BI) solutions are becoming a thing of the past. Companies today are moving toward business solutions that can help maintain a competitive edge while empowering business executives across the enterprise. Operational BI is an approach that incorporates traditional BI best practices with the benefits of real-time information flow, resulting in more user-directed initiatives.
Read More
|
Point of sale (POS) software was designed to speed up sales checkout processes. However, it has evolved to include many more features, and is now more commonly referred to as retail management systems (RMS). The benefits of implementing RMS are clear—they can help increase profits, improve marketing strategies, automate manual processes, manage inventory, and—most importantly—make the customer experience more memorable.
Read More
|
As a business employing IT, you may have encountered situations where the software application you purchased didn’t come with a help file. With no time to write complete documentation yourself and no budget to hire a professional technical writer to do it for you, what do you do? By applying the basic principles of cost-effective documentation, your business can develop impressive documentation quickly—for a minimal cost.
Read More
|
The most effective project managers know that accounting for the effort, cost, and profitability of each person or project is the best way to succeed—and doing so is not as hard as you might think. The process will take you from where you probably are right now (the state we affectionately term “chaos”) to a prosperous state of order—and will also save your organization financial resources and valuable employee time.
Read More
|
Keeping track of your key business indicators is the difference between a thriving business concern and a business on life support. But even with this knowledge, one-third of chief executive officers (CEOs) feel they don’t spend enough time reviewing financial and operating numbers. But is spending more time agonizing over piles of data really the best solution?
Read More
|
It has been estimated that two-thirds of all complex te |