Running Head: CORE EIMS SOFTWARE 1

Case Study 2: Core EIMS Software

BUS 4200 Enterprise Information Management Systems

Daria Dulan

Notre Dame de Namur University

Dr. Rodney Heisterberg

January 25, 2017

CORE EIMS SOFTWARE

Problem Statement

Information systems knowledge is essential for creating successful, competitive

firms, managing global corporations, adding business value and providing useful

products and service to customers (Filip, 2007, pp. 103). "In many industries survival

and even existence without the extensive use of IT is inconceivable" (pp. 103).

Challenges and Opportunities

An important development the authors, K.C. Laudon and Jane P. Laudon remark

(2007) is the emergence of the digital firm, "where nearly all core business processes

and relationship with customers, suppliers and employees are digitally enabled" (Filip,

2007, pp. 103). Management information systems (MIS) is defined as "the study of

[computer based] information systems in business and management" (pp. 103).

An enterprise application is the phrase used to describe applications (or

software) that a business uses to aid in solving organizational problems. “When the

word ‘enterprise’ is combined with ‘application,’ it usually refers to a software platform

that is too large and too complex for individual or small business use” (Beal, Enterprise

Application). These are the software and systems that the MIS manages. Enterprise

applications are designed to interface or integrate with other enterprise applications

used within the organization, “and to be deployed across a variety of networks

(Internet, Intranet and corporate networks)” while meeting strict requirements

for security and administration management (Beal, Enterprise Application). Some of the

more common types of enterprise applications include: customer relationship

management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and supply chain

management (SCM).

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CRM

Today, companies have access to an abundance of customer-related information

in ways that were unimaginable a couple of decades ago. As a result, “companies are

becoming more dependent on software to convert information into actionable

intelligence, and to communicate that intelligence to customer touch-points in a timely

manner” (Ang & Buttle, 2006, pp. 4). Customer management software is an important

component of both analytical and operational customer relationship management

(CRM) implementations (pp. 4). CRM is a business practice that has been defined as

“the core business strategy that integrates internal process and functions, and external

networks, to create and deliver value to targeted customers, at a profit” (pp. 5). It is

grounded on high quality customer data and enabled by IT.

Operational CRM, like Salesforce Automation (SFA), campaign management,

event-based marketing, opportunity management and product configuration and contact

management solutions, relies on software to automate selling, marketing and service

processes. Analytical CRM is “enabled by engines such as Enterprise Miner from SAS

Institute and 7i Business Intelligence from MicroStrategy” (pp. 5). Analytical CRM

software explores customer-related data to answer questions such as ‘what should we

offer this customer next?’ , ‘what is this customer’s propensity to churn?’ or ‘how can our

customers be segmented for campaigning purposes?’ (pp. 5). In general, CRM software

applications help companies manage their customer relationships more efficiently and

effectively.

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Keeping track of customer and lead information is essential to growing a

business and maintaining a healthy client base (Top Ten Reviews). Customer relation

management solutions, or CRM, are powerful systems that allow access to contact

information from each department and multiple employees. “This means that when the

IT department interacts with a customer, it can see via a company's CRM who the sales

contact is, how customer support has already attempted to help them and any notes

about issues that IT can now help address” (Top Ten Reviews). This cuts down on the

time it would take to place the client on hold while support staff tracks down the right

individual to help them.

CRM is also excellent for following leads as initial contact is made and

relationships are nurtured. “As the lead turns into a potential investor or client, CRM

software allows the organization to follow the client down the sales pipeline, noting each

activity as it occurs” (Top Ten Reviews). These notes will be saved and follow the new

client during the rest of their interactions with the company in the future; this is

invaluable for future sale potentials. “For example, a real estate agent may refer back to

the client notes in the CRM when that client decides to sell their home and purchase

another. Rather than go through the entire get-to-know you process again, agents can

see via the CRM the preferences and tastes of this particular client from the get-go,

eliminating areas to search for and honing in on properties closely aligned with the

personal preferences. Additionally, these notes can be accessed and used by other

agents if the original representative is no longer with the company” (Top Ten Reviews).

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In addition to keeping contacts organized, the best CRM software provides tools

and resources to give attention to investors, pay vendors, track employee workflow and

much more (Top Ten Reviews).

Figure 1: Worldwide CRM Software Spending

(Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2013/04/26/2013-crm-market-share-update-40-of-crm-systems-sold-are-saas-based/#a8082c031f7d)

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ERP

Webopedia defines enterprise resource planning (ERP) as “business

process management software that allows an organization to use a system of integrated

applications to manage the business and automate many back office functions related

to technology, services and human resources” (Beal, ERP). ERP software integrates all

facets of an operation — including product planning, development, manufacturing, sales

and marketing — in a single database, application and user interface (Beal, ERP).

Price Waterhouse Coopers (1999) describes the main benefits derived from ERP

implementation as the following:

Bringing people and processes which traditionally were physically and/or logically

separated together in a collaborative environment

Replacing inventory with information by being able to produce more accurate

forecasts

Relieving users from routine tasks and freeing them up to focus on value adding

activities

Standardizing of business processes across the enterprise on a global basis

Centralized control of system configuration and master data ensuring data

integrity

Eliminating disintegrated legacy systems by replacing them with an integrated

ERP system

Introducing a common business language across the enterprise

Deriving strategic benefits – benefits that typically reflect underlying business

drivers from the improved quality, quantity, access and use of information;

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Reducing costs through greater financial management, both in the personnel and

technology area (tripod)

It is worth noting that the financial investment and savings of ERP (SaaS) are even

better than those benefits associated with investment of traditional ERP.

Figure 2: Expenses with SaaS ERP compared to Traditional ERP

(Retrieved from: http://cmuscm.blogspot.com/2014/02/business-justifications-for-migrating.html)

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SCM

Packowski and Francas (2013) propose that a recent survey of supply chain

managers impressively demonstrates the urgent need to adapt existing SCM concepts

to the new reality: “Three-quarters of top managers consider market volatility to be the

biggest challenge to their supply chains, followed by supply chain complexity” (pp. 131).

Supply chain software refers to the range of tools that are designed to control business

processes, execute value chain transactions and manage supplier relationships. Harris

(2017) explains that while functionality in these systems varies tremendously, common

features include: purchase order fulfillment, shipping, inventory management, supplier

sourcing, and execution-focused applications (e.g., warehouse and transportation

management). Many supply chain management systems include forecasting, “which

helps companies manage the fluctuations in supply and demand by using complex

algorithms and consumption analysis to evaluate buyer histories” (Harris, 2017). Supply

chain optimization software can be an invaluable tool in maximizing production

efficiency and planning for the future.

Business Solution

Heisterberg & Verma (2014), state two key adaptive strategic planning processes

for virtual enterprise integration in a business ecosystem: (1) building virtual enterprise

infrastructures using the Ecosystem Hub architecture; (2) making decisions to optimize

business performance of the virtual enterprise value chain. The Ecosystem hub

architecture, as described in Creating Business Agility: How Convergence of Cloud,

Social, Mobile, Video, and Big Data Enables competitive Advantage, is the force of

nature in the informatics technology (IT) climate – the “Force 5 Tornado”; cloud, social,

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mobile, video and big data; disrupting the business playing field – “bring your own

devices” (BYOD).

Businesses need to be prepared for the storm coming. Heisterberg & Verma

(2014) list actions for enterprises to hit the storm head on:

Produce early warnings to strengthen infrastructure via the cloud;

Collaborate for real-time problem solving in their communities via social

networks;

Communicate vital decision-making information to the right people, place, and

time via mobility solutions;

Provide interactive messages for alerts and instructional information via videos.

These will provide business agility if companies are able to embrace these forces

coming in at warp speed. The Ecosystem Hub architecture is described as an enterprise

information management system (EIMS) consisting of business, applications and

technology; standards-based, secure, shared data platform. It provides the environment

that facilitates digital web services for applications such as inventory visibility, business

process management, and performance metrics displayed in real-time dashboards

(Heisterberg & Verma, 2014).

Implementation of enterprise applications can be long, difficult, expensive

processes. That said, it is important to make a healthy selection about which enterprise

applications fit the organization the most (Alanbay, 2005, pp. 1). Below are criteria,

listed in order of priority, for selecting enterprise applications:

Customization: Since different organizations need different software, they need

to adapt the available software in the market for their own use. But,

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customizations shouldn’t cause difficulties in updating to future software

releases.

Implementability: Different enterprise applications have different requirements,

thus it is important to choose an implementable one. If the organization ventures

infrastructural change, the feasibility problem this change may cause shouldn’t

be disregarded.

Maintenance: The software should support multi-company, multi-division and

multi-currency environments. There shouldn’t be any restrictions to this type of

environment so that whenever an add-on procedure or a patch is available, it can

be updated immediately.

Real Time Changes: The modules should work in real time with online and batch-

processing capabilities, so that no errors would occur because of the system

being not up-to-date and information available to a department wouldn’t be

different than the other departments’.

Flexibility: Flexibility denotes the capability of the system to support the needs of

the business over its lifetime. As the business requirements of the organization

change, it should be able to add extra modules. The enterprise applications

should be flexible in order to suit the organizational culture and business

strategy.

User Friendliness: Most of the time, the end-users of an enterprise application

system are not computer experts, thus their opinions about the software are

highly valuable. The product shouldn’t be too complex or sophisticated for an

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average user since the efficiency of end users directly affects the efficiency or the

organization.

Cost: Cost is an important issue since the implementing organization may be a

small or medium sized enterprise (SME) that may not act as comfortable as a

large, multi-national organization. Enterprise applications can be complex

systems involving high cost, so the software should be among the edges of the

foreseen budget.

Systems Requirements: Technology determines the longevity of the product. It is

important to choose enterprise applications that are independent of hardware,

operating system and database systems. At least, the requirements of the

software should worth changing into. The enterprise application system designs

should also not conflict with the organization’s business strategy.

After Sales Support & Training: The vendor(s) should be providing the training as

well as the after sales support. Also it should be considered that every

department within the organization would have its own piece of software to use,

so a kind of specialized training will be needed for each department.

Back-up System: To obtain the security for highly complex systems with huge

databases, providing a very well-formed network is not enough; the back-up unit

of the system should be more than reliable. Users should be able to schedule

routine and partly back-ups. Besides, the back-up unit should also offer a

solution for restoring the system within the shortest time.

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Reporting & Analysis Features: Besides standard reports, management team

should be able to implement their own reporting and analysis tools and dump

them into the system for alter use.

Vendor Credentials: Vendor’s market share, reputation, number of consultants,

number of installations performed, support infrastructure and demonstration of

previous implementations are critical factors showing the commitment of the

vendor to the product.

Integration with Other Software/Applications: The modules should be integrated

and provide seamless data flow among the other modules, increasing operational

transparency.

Internet Integration: The software should support e-business, e-commerce and

EDI transactions. At least, even if it doesn’t have as built-in modules, Internet

adaptation should be available as add-on modules.

Financing Options: ‘Financing options’ may not be a technical criterion, but it is

very important for an organization how to pay for the investment and how long

pay for it.

Lessons Learned / Business Case

In order for organizations to embed the business strategy into daily operations

and move into digital business intelligence, organizations must integrate data points

from across the business ecosystem to leverage real-time business intelligence in order

to remain competitive and sustainable. This has the potential to be a major change of

processes or philosophy for many organizations. Small decisions made at the top often

have a huge impact at lower levels amongst the operations and these decisions can be

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more informed and fruitful with tools that collect and organize data across the enterprise

in real-time; with access form anywhere and anytime software will be pivotal in nurturing

educated business decisions.

CRM

For the most part, CRM solutions are generic, flexible, and are able to be used

by any company in any industry. However, some solutions are designed to be better for

certain projects or business types. “For example, Infusionsoft is an excellent solution for

retailers with an online store and other web-based customer interactions. It includes

tools for tracking online orders and inventory management once a product is purchased

and sent. Workbooks.com has powerful sales and lead generation tools plus a mobile

app that allows sales teams to enter contact information while in the field that will

instantly update in the office-based system” (Top Ten Reviews).

The top three ranked CRM solutions on Top Ten Reviews (Salesforce, NetSuite

and OnContact), are all part of an all-encompassing suite that includes integrations with

accounting and HR departments so that employees can be tracked and assessed base

on their interactions and follow through with your clients and potential leads. These

programs “are the most engaging, intuitive and easy to navigate through of the software

we reviewed. They also come with excellent customer service and can be access and

used from locations throughout the world” (Top Ten Reviews). This is especially

important for international companies or companies with clients located outside of the

U.S.

When comparing CRM software, it is important to pay close attention to how well

each program connects each aspect of the customer interaction experience, its ability to

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share files between multiple users and departments, the ease of installation and use,

and the overall quality of the customer service experience with support personnel (Top

Ten Reviews). It is also important to evaluate ease of entering contact information and

retrieving it later, after it is saved. Most products are very intuitive in this area, though a

couple applications require extra steps before this can be done. Top Ten Reviews also

encourages analyzing how the program integrates with various email programs. “Those

that made it on our top ten have an email feature within the program itself. After sending

out a message, the trail is saved in both the CRM and the email program integrated with

it. This means contacts and interaction information are instantly shared and saved

between the programs” (Top Ten Reviews).

A very important feature to look for is whether the system includes real-time

sharing or not. “The very nature of CRM software allows multiple users to access

contact information and client portals when needed. However, real-time sharing allows

multiple users to be in the same portal or account at the exact same time. Each can

contribute and have updated information instantly saved. The top ranking CRM

solutions on our review include live chat features in the program so you can

communicate at the same time that you are updating and sharing critical information”

(Top Ten Reviews).

CRM solutions are priced by the number of users that access the program and

through a monthly subscription. For example, Maximizer CRM charges $49 per month

for a single user and $195 per month for five. This amount will increase depending on

additional users that may need to be added (Top Ten Reviews). This price scale is used

primarily because each of these solutions is cloud based, meaning the solution is

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hosted on the developer's secured server and accessed online or through a mobile app.

There are even some free CRM applications, like Zoho, which is good for a single user,

but doesn't include as many additional support tools as most others.

Top Ten Review’s top-ranking CRM software each include the most and best

tools for tracking customer interactions in addition to providing tools for sales and

marketing strategies and following employee activities. “They are also the more intuitive

and easy-to-use applications” (Top Ten Reviews). Buying CRM software is an important

decision that will greatly affect the operations of a company.

ERP

With the help of SoftwareInsider, let’s compare ERP softwares SAP ERP and

Infor ERP. “With more than 40 years of experience and nearly 50,000 customers, SAP’s

market-leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is a proven, trusted

foundation – built to support the world’s largest organizations as well as small and

midsize companies in 25 different industries. Leverage role-based access to critical

data, applications, and analytical tools – and streamline your processes across

procurement, manufacturing, service, sales, finance, and HR” (SoftwareInsider).

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Figure 3: SAP ERP Trailer (video) Retrieved from https://youtu.be/JqCFms6LU4A

Infor ERP solutions deliver functionality and usability specifically for the

manufacturing and distribution industries. Refined and proven through decades of use

by more than 70,000 customers in 200+ countries and territories, Infor ERP minimizes

costly customizations and lets you work smarter and faster.

The average user rating for SAP ERP is 8.0, compared to Infor ERP which is 9.3.

Furthermore, the online reviews say that Infor ERP has a higher ease of use and ease

of doing business score (both 10) than SAP ERP (4 and 3 respectively).

There is an overlap of industries that both of these software support, but there

are a few unique industries supported by each, with SAP supporting more industries.

Below is the complete list for both SAP ERP and Infor ERP. So, depending on what

industry the software shopper is from, this information may determine which is best.

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Figure 4: Industries supported by SAP ERP and Infor ERP

(Retrieved from http://erp.softwareinsider.com/compare/131-218/Infor-ERP-vs-SAP-ERP)

The size of an organization, the commitment to fully integrate all the data, the

investment, corporate culture, maturity, support and leadership all factor into the ROI of

any new initiative.

While SAP ERP is only available in the United States, Infor ERP is available in

12 countries (including the United States. While on the topic of “availability,” it is worth

mentioning that SAP ERP has platforms on iOS, Andrioid, Blackberry and Windows

Phone, while Infor ERP has only Windows mobile platform functionality at the moment.

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Both softwares have some SCM features and Infor ERP aslo has some CRM

features. So, in the event that the software shopper is looking for a suite of enterprise

applications, Infor ERP may be a more efficient option.

SCM

While the supply chain management software market is relatively small

(compared to many other markets), the “vast disparity in functionality between different

SCM programs makes buying decisions much more complicated” (Harris 2017). Some

programs concentrate on business intelligence, others focus on inventory control or

transportation management and there are full-suite systems that do all of the above and

more (Harris 2017).

Fishbowl

With the help of Capterra, let’s compare SCM softwares Fishbowl and 3PL.

Fishbowl is a business automation and inventory management platform for small to

midsize companies (Capterra, Fishbowl). “Fishbowl offers inventory control, material

requirements planning (MRP) and job shop floor control/manufacturing execution, and

can be customized to users’ needs. It is an inventory-centric system, with features for

barcoding, asset management, raw materials management, cycle counting and

customized reporting. The system also automates the quoting, ordering and purchasing

processes” (Capterra, Fishbowl).

Fishbowl is used in just about every industry by companies earning up to $100

million in annual revenue (Capterra, Fishbowl). It offers training and support resources

through its training videos, online tutorials, in-house specialists and more. Fishbowl’s

integration with QuickBooks allows users to integrate manufacturing, sales and

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distribution processes with back office accounting. Fishbowl also integrates with

Amazon, UPS, SolidWorks, PayTrace, Xero and more.

Figure 5: Fishbowl Trailer (video) – Retrieved from https://youtu.be/n876BDJs4TE

This software features inventory management, eCommerce, purchasing and

supports multi-location. “For more than 10 years, Fishbowl has held Intuit’s Gold Partner

status, the highest level of service third-party developers can achieve” (Capterra,

Fishbowl). As far as customer ratings go, on the site, Fishbowl has 4/5 stars which rate

components like: ease of use, functionality, product quality, customer support, and

value for money. The starting price for Fishbowl is $4,395.00/one-time/user, but there is

a free trial available.

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Reviews tell us that customer support is outstanding, the system/software is very

easy to use, it is great for organizing and processing order. However, there could be

more customization available for reports and the price is a bit high (Capterra, Fishbowl).

3PL Warehouse Manager

“Created specifically to enable 3PL providers to manage the unique challenges

that face them every day, 3PL Warehouse Manager gives users the ability to manage

multiple customers, processes and billing schedules. The system enables access to

real-time information and provides turnkey integrations with warehouse management

technologies, including EDI, barcode scanning, e-commerce shopping carts and more”

(Capterra, 3PL).

Flexible and scalable, 3PL Warehouse Manager is designed “to help

3PLs automate processes and bill accurately” (Capterra, 3PL). Features include intuitive

design and 3PL-focused WMS features, and users can easily add and inactivate

customers and warehouses. Users pay for what they use and there are no multi-year

contracts.

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Figure 6: 3PL Trailer (video) – Retrieved from https://youtu.be/1KWDoOBZDC4

This software features inventory management, like Fishbowl, as well as order

management, receiving management, returns management, shipping management, and

barcoding. As far as customer ratings go, on the site, Fishbowl has 4/5 stars which rate

components like: ease of use, functionality, product quality, customer support, and

value for money. The starting price for Fishbowl is $500/month, and there is a 30-day

free trial available.

Reviews tell us that the software is easy to navigate, integration is quick and

easy, the customer service is generally good, there is 24/7 web visibility for customers,

it is simple to exchange data and it is inexpensive. However, upgrade turn-around time

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could be improved, there is no Quickbooks billing integration yet and the shipping

module needs improvement.

Why I Care

Meehan (2015), “Digital business connects not only people and businesses, but

also connects people and businesses with things to drive revenue and efficiency. Digital

business helps to eliminate barriers that now exist among industry segments while

creating new value chains and business opportunities that traditional businesses cannot

offer. It is creating new and disruptive competitive advantages by blurring the digital and

physical worlds. By 2020, more than 7 billion people and businesses, and close to 35

billion devices, will be connected to the Internet.” Electronic Arts has recently hired a

new Chief People Officer (CPO) who returns to our company after a few years away,

leading HR at a completely digital company. She’s taken a few months to learn about

where the HR function at EA sits compared to the rest of the business and one of her

conclusions is that while our business inevitably calls for digitalization, our HR function

has not made that transformation. We still have processes that include long email

threads with approvals, printing, hard signatures and so much more, Ultimately what is

being discussed now is that we, as an HR function, can not serve out “customer” (EA),

without transitioning our processes to digital completely. At this point, we can service

EA by encouraging the use of MIS to align with the business strategy.

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References

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http://www.capterra.com/warehouse-management-software/spotlight/86174/3PL

%20Warehouse%20Manager/3PL%20Central

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Ang, L., & Buttle, F. (2006). CRM software applications and business performance.

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103-105.

Fishbowl Inventory. (n.d.). Capterra. Retrieved from http://www.capterra.com/retail-

management-systems-software/spotlight/123794/Fishbowl/Fishbowl#partner-

reviews

Harris, D. (2017). Supply chain management buyer’s guide. In Software Advice.

Retrieved January 24, 2017, from http://www.softwareadvice.com/scm/#buyers-

guide

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Heisterberg, R., & Verma, A. (2014). Creating Business Agility How Convergence of

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Packowski, J., & Francas, D. (2013). Lean SCM: A paradigm shift in supply chain

management. Journal of Business Chemistry, 10(3), pp. 131-137.

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http://erp.softwareinsider.com/compare/131-218/Infor-ERP-vs-SAP-ERP

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feature=player_detailpage&v=hDJdkcdG1iA

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