Last Minute Discounts Available for the Upcoming ERP Vendor Shootout™

Register between now and Wednesday, September 9, 2009 and save BIG!

• Register 1 attendee for $300
• Register 2 attendees for $500
• Register 3 or more attendees for $250 each

Why Attend?  Why Now…

Previous Attendees had the following to say…

• 90% of all past attendees felt that the scripted demos were the most useful to their selection process. It gave attendees the ability to get a true comparison of the products presented.
  
• “Viewing functionality of different software for the same scenarios was very useful to our selection process.” – Past Attendee, Fuel Processing Company
  
• “It was a great first step for our organization to begin ERP introductions.” – Past Attendee, Furniture Manufacturing Company
  
• “I thought the event was excellent.  Good size, not so large that it was impersonal.  The opportunity to interface with vendors and ask questions was very helpful.  Thank you!” – Past Attendee, Chemical Manufacturing Company
  

For more information or to register, visit www.erpshootout.com or call 1-877-907-2702.

World’s Top ERP Software Resellers Team Up for the 5th ERP Vendor Shootout™ in Baltimore, MD on September 23-25, 2009

An event for mid-sized companies with manufacturing, distribution, and project-oriented requirements to determine “short list” when evaluating Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software

GREENSBORO, NC – July 1, 2009 – The ERP Vendor Shootout™, moderated by Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC) of Montreal, Canada, is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for companies to see the best in Enterprise Resource Planning Software Solutions all in one place, all at the same time!

For the 5th time now, the top ERP packages will be presented by resellers in a side-by-side comparison.  Past ERP Vendor Shootouts™ have included product demonstrations from Oracle, Microsoft, Infor, Epicor, SAP, IFS and others.

The targeted audience for this event is mid-sized manufacturing, distribution and project-oriented companies who are considering an ERP software selection or upgrade.  The goal of the event is to simplify the ERP software selection process. This event alleviates some of the painful inefficiencies of the selection process by coordinating onsite software presentations and delivering them in a one and a half day event. End-user attendees will participate in a series of scripted demos from resellers, gaining a side-by-side, comparative view of product functionality, user interfaces, and overall usability. Attendees can also visit unscripted breakout sessions that will cover additional topics and key functionality specific to each product.

Building on the success of four previous events, the ERP Vendor Shootout™ will not only allow you to compare today’s industry leading enterprise software products, but will also provide you and your team with the foundation for understanding the process integration of business-wide functions required and supported by an ERP system and its benefits by attending the APICS Course “Understanding, Justifying, and Implementing an ERP System”.

Event sponsors include IBM, Toolbox.com, Manufacturing.Net, and Manufacturing Business Technology.

For additional information, sponsorship opportunities or to register for the ERP Vendor Shootout™ visit www.erpshootout.com or call 877.907.2702.

The Next Generation of ERP Software

The next generation of ERP and the new standard designed for the new manufacturing economy harnesses the technology required to optimize performance in the globally extended manufacturing enterprise. Learn how this new class of software is your key to gaining a leadership position in the manufacturing economy of today and tomorrow.    Read More

10 Fundamental Strategies for Choosing the Right ERP Finance and Accounting Solution For Your Company

By Jennifer McAdams

For a midsized company, finding the right Finance, Accounting and ERP system is a tall order, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Descending upon the midmarket enterprise-resource-management space are big-name vendors now hawking ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solutions. Oracle Corp., Microsoft and to some degree SAP are now barreling down on smaller companies that are contemplating an ERP move. Naturally, vendors that have long catered to midsized enterprises are reacting to the entry of these giants. With a little savvy, midsized companies can make this new market dynamic work to their advantage. To leverage new realities of the midmarket ERP sector, customers might want to bear in mind the following 10 strategies when shopping for a midsized ERP solution, including tips for getting the best ERP deals and advice on how to roll solutions out quickly.    Read More

13 Things a Customer Can Do to Avoid an ERP Implementation Failure

Have you ever wondered why every time you hear a story about an enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation failure, the vendor gets the blame? The customers did everything they could to avoid it, but the vendors either provided inappropriate training and support, or simply a poor quality product.

Frankly, I do not think that an ERP implementation failure can possibly happen without at least some contribution from the customer. As a customer, no matter what the vendor does to influence you during the selection process, the final decision is yours and you have to make sure you make the right one.   Read More

Online Training Helps Companies Select and Implement ERP Systems

A series of webinars based on courseware developed by APICS, the Association for Operations Management, seeks to help companies better prepare themselves for the ERP software selection and implementation process.

GREENSBORO, NC – July 1, 2009 – The “Understanding, Justifying and Implementing an ERP System” course presents the training material from the “Introduction to ERP” course developed by APICS, the Association for Operations Management (www.apics.org), in webinar format.  Sponsored by brij Image & Information, Inc. (www.brij.net), and led by an APICS instructor, Tim Lyons, CFPIM, the course uses lecture, exercises and a case study to provide a foundation for selection and implementation of ERP software within an organization.  Participants will learn how to develop a business case for an ERP implementation, manage business process and organizational changes during implementation, and properly structure an ERP implementation.

Originally designed for classroom-based delivery, the course has been adapted for delivery over the web.  “Too often companies approach an ERP selection or implementation without understanding some fundamentals of ERP software, best practices, what criteria to use to select software or how to approach an implementation” notes Lyons.  “This is not surprising.  Business people don’t select and implement ERP software on a regular basis—their job is to manage aspects of a company’s operations, and they just aren’t armed with the skills they need to make sure they are getting the most value from their ERP software purchase and implementation.”

While the “Introduction to ERP” APICS course has been available for years, the people that need it most are usually key company individuals identified to participate in an ERP software selection and/or implementation process.  These individuals already bear significant responsibility within a company and are the least likely to have large blocks of time available to travel to a classroom based course.  To address this need, the course has been adapted to a series of shorter sessions delivered over the Web.  Students can attend sessions and interact with the instructor live over the Internet or they can view sessions that have been recorded.  The course also includes personal mentoring sessions to help students adapt the lessons they learn to their own specific organizations.

For additional information on this course, customized company training, or to register for the “Understanding, Justifying and Implementing an ERP System” course, visit www.brij.net or call 877.907.2702.

Strategic Acceleration – Change Your Thinking to Change Your Results

From changethis.com – a manifesto from Tony Jeary.  “As the public perception of the economy worsens, it is possible we may worry ourselves into an even worse reality. The greatest threat to our economy right now is the cumulative effect of businesses failing to take action they need to take, as they “wait” to find out what is going to happen. If all businesses slide into a “wait” posture, the ripple-through effect could be a serious problem on the entire economy. Unfortunately, the early signs of this “waiting” syndrome are already on the horizon!  Prudence is one thing. The fear of doing what needs to be done is quite another. There are actions that need to be taken now to position your business to survive and thrive. This manifesto is a challenge for specific action that will require you to change your thinking, if you want to change your results!”

Click on the image below to download and learn

7 Things to Do NOW to Change Results.

Tony Jeary is coach to many of the world’s top CEOs and high achievers. His clients include the Presidents of Wal-Mart, Firestone, Shell, Samsung, New York Life, and the United States Senate. An advisor to many, Tony Jeary has invested his life and career in helping others discover new clarity for their vision, develop focus on direction, and create powerful execution strategies that strategically impact achievement and results. His latest book is Strategic Acceleration: Succeed at the Speed of Life. Tony is happily married and blessed with 2 great daughters.

It Ain’t Easy Being Green

Going green in the small business world is a popular desire, but investing now for future savings is proving to be more challenging during the economic slowdown.  Read More…

The State of Green IT

Green IT is a new focus which has gained importance with the high cost of energy and desire to reduce greenhouse emissions. Generally speaking, for Green IT initiatives to have much effect, they need to target larger data centers.  However, it is just smart business to keep an eye on IT energy consumption.  Read More…

Dashboards or Scorecards: Which Should You Use?

Although many people use the terms “dashboard” and “scorecard” synonymously, there is a subtle distinction that is worth understanding. Dashboards and scorecards are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the best dashboards and scorecards merge elements from one another. Read More…