ERP systems are complicated, and the executive has asked that you, the warehouse manager, to join the decision-making team for selecting the appropriate software. Who else from the company should be on the selection team? Please explain your answer.

I have given 2 example answer below that should give information where you can build an original answer

Please use the information below to formulate your original answer

Example answer 1

When a company is planning on implementing an enterprise resource system, planning on how it will be implemented, who it will impact, and how employees will be trained on it need to be considered. An enterprise resource system (ERP) is a system used by a company to manage and integrate different aspects of the company's business (Labarre, 2020). They are also used in resource planning by integrating all process needed for the company into a single software system (Labarre, 2020). Smitheford Pharmaceuticals needs to plan and implement an ERP system that meets both the company and employee needs. To do so, employees who will be utilizing the software need to be included on the decision for which software will better suit the company. Below is a list of people Smitheford Pharmaceuticals needs to include in the ERP software decision.

• Warehouse manager- will utilize the software to manage supplies, orders, and processes. They can provide insight to what will be the best streamlined software for the company's management needs and be a voice for warehouse employees software needs.
• HR Manager- will utilize the software to manage time sheets of employees. They will be able to find the most user-friendly software for both keeping and processing timesheets.
• Senior Management- will utilize the software to manage material, product, and customer relationships. They will be able to provide insight on the best layouts and management processes for the company.
• IT manager- will utilize the software to manage production processes and equipment. They will also help install and implement the software and training for the ERP system. IT will be able to provide realistic expectations on storage requirements for the company and can provide insight on the easiest software to manage and troubleshoot production equipment.
• Supply chain manager- will utilize software to manage supplies, production, and shipments. They will be able to provide insight to supply and shipment management needs for the company and help select the most user-friendly software all employees will be able to use with minimal issues after training.
• Finance manager- will utilize software to manage all company finances and will also manage ERP implementation finances. They will be able to provide insight into finance requirements for the company and can set a realistic budget for ERP implementation.

It is highly recommended that the company also get feedback from employees in all departments (HR, finance, IT, supply chain, finance, and production) to hear their opinions on what features and functionality preferences the new ERP software should contain. This can help the company in the transition process because employees will feel like they had a say in the new software system and the company can select a software system that meet employee needs.

Expanding the decision-making team for selecting the new ERP software will benefit the company by including different views on what the software will need to include based on each department. It will allow the company to select the best product for their needs and help reduce resistance of employees by making them feel included.

Example answer 2:

The leadership team at Smitheford Pharmaceuticals has opted for the implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. With so many system options available in the market it is important to first understand what it is and how it can help. An ERP system is like the glue that binds different computer systems or in this case departments in the organization. Without one each of the departments would have their own system that they work with for their specific tasks. Companies become more self-aware as it links information from the production, finance, distribution, human resources, IT, and other departments (LaBarre, 2020). In some cases, it even integrates stock control systems, accounts payable, order-monitoring systems, and customer databases. We can see how beneficial this can be for any company which is why it is so important that we select the right one that fits the needs of the organization. One key initial step in that process is to bring together all stakeholders for their input and feedback about what is needed and what would work (Colorado Technical University, 2020).

One key group of individuals that is important to include in the decision making is those that have the most political power. This would include the Chief Executive Officer that includes senior leadership as they will be the ones to give the green light for approval. Another group of people to include are those that have the most to gain. This can be from the production department for example as they handle all the order that are coming in and juggle different requests from different departments (Miller, 2015). It is important to note that we are not referring to ever employee in the departments that will be included, but key representatives of each. This can be a member of management for that department and even a key employee that is influential within their department. The influences will help as the changes are taking place with the fears and doubts to help promote the benefits of integrating the new ERP system.

A member of finance will play a role of explaining what is available in terms of budget and how this will help reduce costs in other areas. Human resource is another key stakeholder as changes bring people challenges and we need to ensure we are compliance with laws and regulations. The IT department is another stakeholder that can help explain the technical aspects in more understandable language for the rest of the team. Supply chain partners would be included as we will now integrate the communication to make it easier and faster for raw materials and transportation. One department that often gets forgotten in getting their input or feedback about how the changes will impact is the Operations team that work in the production line. It is important that we have at least one employee and one member of management in that group. All of this will ultimately help keep everyone informed of the decision, benefits, and timelines. All of the key stakeholders that have been mentioned will be the change agents also known as the influencers for each of the departments. This at the same time ties in to Deming's 14 points for management with removing fear, embracing a new philosophy, and many more.

References

Colorado Technical University. (2020) MGMT640 Live Chat 5 [unit 5: Multimedia

presentation]. Retrieved from Colorado Technical University Virtual Campus, MGMT640-2004B-01:https://studentlogin.coloradotech.edu/UnifiedPortal/3/6#/class /226170/livechat

LaBarre, O. (2020, July 7). What Is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)? Retrieved December

18, 2020, from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/erp.asp

Miller, T. (2015, May 27). 3 key stakeholders for your ERP requirements analysis. Retrieved

December 18, 2020, from https://www.erpfocus.com/three-key-stakeholders-for-your-

erp-requirements-analysis-3385.html