12-22. Mar-Bal's New ERP System (Analyzing an ERP Study and Implementation)

Access the full case story of Mar-Bal Company (the AIS-at-Work for this chapter) at www.iqms.com. Then, respond to each of the following requirements:

Requirements

Review the items in Figure 12-10, which lists indicators that a company may need a new or upgraded processing system. For each item, provide a specific example from the case description. If the case does not address a particular item or it does not seem to apply, simply state NA.

Late payment of vendor invoices, which means late fees and lost cash discounts.

Late deliveries to customers.

Growth in inventories, accompanied by an increase in stockouts.

Slowdown in inventory turnover.

Increased time in collecting receivables.

Late periodic reports.

Increasing length of time to close out books at the end of a period.

Managers concerned about cash flows and financial picture of organization.

Manager complaints about lack of information needed for decision-making.

Owner worries about cash flows, taxes, and profitability.

Review the items listed in Figure 12-9, which lists possible measures of the value of an ERP. For each item, provide a specific example from the case description. If the case does not address a particular item or it does not seem to apply, simply state NA.

Determine how you will measure success.

Set up specific metrics based on your industry.

Perform regular postimplementation audits.

Analyze your performance numbers.

Set up universal processes.

Create a continuous learning loop.

Prepare for inevitable security failures