ERP implementation Process

Question

Are there any good resources to develop a good understanding of ERP implementation process. (may be websites,books or case studies)

By the way I have gone through some Harvard case studies and referred to some ERP books but I am not satisfied.

Thanks

Answer 1

...there is always wikipedia for an overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise%5Fresource%5Fplanning

but there are also some open source projects that might be good to looking into (and their documentation) see: http://sourceforge.net/search/?type%5Fof%5Fsearch=soft&words=ERP

Answer 2

I have a copy of ERP: a-z Implementer's guide for success. It is a not a bad overview of the traditional approach to implementing ERP software. Not sure how easy it will be to get hold of this book now though as the Cibres organization who published it seems to have disappeared.

Also, this ERP-select mailing list on IT-Toolbox is a popular place for implementers and consultants to hang out. There is quite a bit of good information hidden between the sales pitches.

Answer 3

I think there is an Open Source ERP called openbravo, check outs its wiki and you will get lot of help. Open Bravo Wiki

Answer 4

ERP ...

1. This subject is huge, complex, and often poorly organized.
2. The available information is mostly market-driven -- written for sales (or the open-source equivalent). This means presentations are incomplete and biased.

If this is for a manufacturing operation, then learn about MRP. The difference between MRP and ERP is cake-frosting.

1. Get a general understanding -- good enough to inform you which aspects of MRP are relevant for your particular operation, and which aren't.
2. Master all the aspects of MRP that are relevant.

If this is NOT for a manufacturing operation, then you probably don't want ERP, even if you have been told you do.

... Implementation

If you take the advice above, you'll know the important aspects of implementation. If you don't, then you can read ten books and fifty white papers without getting the insights you need. There are two reasons, and by now they should look familiar:

1. Enterprises are unique in their systems and processes. An impartial expert would never offer specific advice without some kind of assessment.
2. Almost all how-to resources are written simply for the sale -- in fact, I believe this is true for "implementation" even more than ERP or MRP in general.

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Now having said all of that, how do you get started learning MRP? Apics (http://www.apics.org) is the classic source, but in truth I've never gotten much benefit from their site. I think my best starting point was Internet searches on the topic of Supply Chain Management (SCM). It overlaps conceptually with MRP, and the resources were more understandable.