Description of the ERP system attributes on the processes of SIERRA PACIFIC Company
Emerging technologies have been regarded as the subject of much debate especially in the academic research and a central topic in the policy discussions and the initiatives. The evidence of the increase in the attention, which has been paid to the phenomenon of the emerging technologies, could be found especially to the growing number of the publications that deals with the topic and the news articles, which mention emerging technologies (Duffield & Whitty, 2015). The emerging technologies could be used to refer to the contemporary advances as well as innovations, which concern the various technological aspects. Most of the emerging technologies are essentially based on the concept of the technological convergence of one or perhaps more system, which have evolved for the achievement of the same goals as well as objectives. The technological emergencies are in the development phase or perhaps are currently being in the developing phase for further than 5 year (Jain & Sharma, 2016).
These technologies are helpful in the making of the business to be substantially much healthy as well as efficient for better social and the working environment. There are different kind of the emerging technologies, which are found today such as the information technology, the wireless data connection and any other kind of the customized biotechnology or perhaps formation of the robotic mechanisms. The rise in the living of the standards has been due to the innovation of the organization, this has been the case since the industrial revolution (Al-Jabri & Roztocki, 2015). Currently, the innovative performance has been crucial aspect especially in determining competitiveness as well as the national progress. Innovation has been significant in order to help address the global challenges and sustainable development to many businesses. This report, will examine SIERRA PACIFIC industry who are considering implementing an emerging technology to their business. The emerging technology the company is planning to implement is the ERP system. Due to the advancement in the computer technology in both the software and the hardware, the fundamental on how to design the ERP systems have changed (Jain & Sharma, 2016). The modern approach to the emerging technologies allow for the ground up rethinking on the infrastructure, which are used for the development of the system.
SIERRA PACIFIC Company has been considering upgrading on their technological through the purchase of this new ERP software, which will enable them to enhance on the profits, reduce the overhead, and improve on the ability of the organization to meet on the customer satisfaction and the needs. The implementation of the new technology service could be added with little or perhaps no financial impact (Jain & Sharma, 2016). The management of this organization as well as the staff members within the organization believe that the technological changes is very necessary to help the organization to remain more competitive.
The Enterprise Resource Planning systems usually integrate information across the whole enterprise, both internally as externally in order to allow the seamless flow of the data. The ERP system usually consists of the full end-to-end integrated system depending on the organization. The system will connect to the whole of SIERRA PACIFIC organization from manufacturing, human resource managements, sales and the services as well as the customer relationship management. The connectivity would facilitated on the flow of the data all across the various departments, the business process as well as the functions (Jain & Sharma, 2016). The ERP system will allow this organization to function as a single entity rather than a separate department and the work processes.
Current ERP Architecture
In response to the growing competition from the other organization, SIERRA PACIFIC timber manufacturing has embarked upon the ERP implementation system to their business processes. The use of this software spans a range of the business processes solution, which will enable the organization to gain a holistic view of the business enterprise. It will enable the company to have one database, one application as well as a Unified interface all across the entire interface. The integration of the computer system has been appealing to this organization because it would allow a real time access of the data, reduce on the redundant element of data as well as lower on their cost, which has been associated to maintenance of the multiple systems. The application is intended to increase on the efficiency as well as provide a higher level of the customer service (Gillingham, 2015). The ERP system will enable SIERRA PACIFIC organization to manage the efficient as well as effective use of the resources through provision of the integrated solution for the organization data processing needs. The system will provide two new and the different types of the functionality that are for the transaction processing function, which will, allows the integration of the management of the information through the entire company and the workflow management processes. This function will be for controlling of the various process flows within the organization. Other attributes of the system is that of transformation functions of the organization in to the process oriented. When the ERP system is implemented well it could be able to support the process oriented of the business much effectively (Lurie-Luke, 2014). SIERRA PACIFIC Company has been under economic regime, which has been characterized from the limited competition as well as regulated highly of the environment of the business. Such atmosphere of the business has resulted to a limited focus on the efficiencies of the process, control of a centralized structure and formalized practices in the business.
The ERP systems as it known today started to emerge out of the material requirements planning in the 80s but they have become more emerged over the last five years. The ERP systems were the first systems to be interconnected to the various functional parts in the organization. The extended ERP systems are current known as the Legacy system which SIERRA PACIFIC company want to implement today (Gillingham, 2015). The architecture currently of Legacy ERP systems are essentially located on the premise and they run on the single tenant. This is the organization information that has been stored as well as managed by the software system. The use of the system will help the organization to interconnect all over the world with the clients as well as the partners. The new technologies which have leveraged the internet have been found to have a dramatic benefit to the companies globally, SIERRA PACIFIC will be a beneficially to this.
SIERRA PACIFIC manufacturing Company considering to upgrading technologically has been aimed to enable profits, reduce on the overhead costs as well as improve on the ability of the organization to meet the needs as well as satisfaction of the customer (Brem & Voigt, 2007). Further, the implementation of this emerging technology would help the company to remain competitive, as it will enhance efficiency as well as effectiveness on the business processes and resources (Duffield & Whitty, 2015). The desire of the technological change is the desire to increase in the value as well as make improvement in the processes, which are not doing well in the organization. The implementation of this system has been seen to be the best option to this organization (Schultz, 2009). further, this system has the capacity to hold as well analyze to a great extent of information, make retrieval of the information of the customers more quickly and add value to the value among other benefits from the use of the software. The management of the organization have found out the needs of the customers and other processes to be most important components towards success of the organization (Luo & Bu, 2016). The adoption of the system have been found to be the best business strategy to implement. Moreover, they have identified that upgrading technologically could advance the organization competitive position in the market place. They have identified on all the benefits as well as the cost, which will be brought by the system. The benefits exceed the cost to the company; it will have an input to the project.
Approach of the organization to incorporate the technology
SIERRA PACIFIC company is one of the North America largest as well as the most respected producers of the timber. The company is situated in Sierra Pacific, which owns as well as manages on the nearly two millions acres of the timberland and the manufactures of various products in their state of the art production facilities (Luo & Bu 2016). Moreover, the company it is one of the nation largest millwork as well as specialty wood products manufacturers. The company has been committed towards management of their land in a responsible as well as sustainable manner in order to protect the environment while at the same time providing the quality of the products of woods, the renewable power for the consumers (Al-Jabri & Roztocki, 2015). The products they provide are made from the timber. This come as a manufacturing are paying more attention to the areas they were reluctant to invest especially during the economic downturn. The company has aimed to invest in technology in the modern ERP manufacturing software systems (Michael & Thrush, 2014). The use of this system could help solve some of the problems they have had as well as provide some invaluable benefits to the manufacturer, who are seeking to reduce on the costs, manage the growth as well as streamline on the processes and be able to gain on the competitive advantages (Kim, Suh & Park, 2008). The use of the ERP system will integrate all the areas of the business, which is in the material and the inventory, the production, operations and the sales, and the accounting and the finance. This will enable the business to function and rely on a single database. This information hub would allow for the delivery of the accurate, real time data, which will be important to this manufacturing industry.
SIERRA PACIFIC Company has been facing significant changes over the last few years especially with the rise of the technological advances, which have altered on the way the businesses have been operated (Fichman, Dos Santos & Zheng, 2014). To this date, this company still have many of these challenges to overcome. The failure to overcome could influence in a continued struggle for making the profit to their market. One of the problem the company has been encountering has been the growth of the big data. This manufacturing company has continued to be caught to many years behind their opponent. This has because they have not reacted well to the advancement on the Big Data (Lee, Kim, Lee & Oh, 2014). In order to remain competitive both domestically as well as international adversaries the organization should have an access to and through proper examination of the important information in order to leverage on the challenges (Vasarhelyi, Kogan & Tuttle, 2015).
To solve this problem this company need to have an increase in the inventory management as well as compliance system. These issues have been crucial to fix. One way to help solve this problem would be to implement an enterprise resource management resource planning system in order to be able to organize as well as process this information. Moreover, the use of the ERP solution it could be able to store important materials as well as data in one place, which could be accessed by an authorized person for a given obligation (Duffield & Whitty, 2015). The company solved this problem through implementation of inventory system, which did not cover their daily needs, and the problem of big data still existed. They had the inability of properly utilizing on the Big Data without the use of the right technology (Duffield & Whitty, 2015). It was very crucial for the organization to find the best solution in order to solve this challenge and help the company to succeed in the industry. Another problem has been the product development and the innovation (Lurie-Luke, 2014). We all live in the world that is driven by the consumer and as such, the development of the product and innovation has been moving at a lightning pace in order to stay much relevant. The company need to be able to keep up with the pace. As the other production company had to vie for the market with a new concept, there has been temptation of the company to compromise on the quality in order to survive in the market (Fernies & Sparks, 2014). The management of the company decided to avoid to cutting the corners and continue to produce the best timber products. In a fast time market, it means that the companies needed to become more structured in their approach in order to manage on their innovation since the great product ideas could not be left to chance (Burke, Kendall, Newall, Hart, Ross & Schulenburg, 2003). The company further implemented on the procedures, which were kept a steady stream for the new product ideas as well as innovations in the pipeline that was essential to the success of the company.
Businesses, Products, Services, and Markets Impacted by the Emerging Technology
The ERP system are usually designed in order to integrate on the internal as well as the external information which enhances on the flow of the communication and the decision making across the organization, and focus on the processes of the business as well as the functions (Lurie-Luke, 2014). As a vast in the nature of the ERP, process of the implementation, the following potential risks commensurate on the scale of the ERP project (Vasarhelyi, Kogan & Tuttle, 2015). One of the risk is that of timelines and the project scheduling. Many of the businesses usually underestimate on the complexity as well as the resources, which are necessary for the implementation of effective ERP systems. They usually fail to plan adequately for the unpredictable contingencies, which push back the schedules and the deliverables (Nwankpa, 2015). The effect of not meeting the timelines has been the reason as to why many other risks of the ERP implementation which are influenced by the scheduling and contingency risk. Therefore, this is one of the high-risk areas that has been influenced by the core strategic objectives (Lee, Kim, Kim, Lee & Oh, 2014). Another potential risk is the functional area involvement. This risk in the implementing of the ERP system could be lack of involvement from the cross functional areas. There is a need for the full time process owner who have the responsibility of making of the decision in regards to the business processes, which would ensure there is completion of the process of implementation (Alles, 2015). Another risk is the data management risk. This risk associated with the conversion of the data and the validation is the inadequacy to the planning on the amount of time as well as the resources for mapping of the information structures. In order to manage on the conversion of the data conversion programs, the organization should test thoroughly on the program and should proactively asses on the data risk.
Conclusion:
SIERRA PACIFIC Company considering upgrading their software to the ERP system could help enhance on the profits, reduce on the overhead, and improve on the ability of the organization to meet the customer satisfaction and the needs. The use of this ERP system could help in the improvement of various activities, which would lead to improve of the performance of the organization, and the improvement of the processes in the organization. This report has examined on the implementation of the emerging technology in their business performance since they did not have the best system for the management of their data and other processes. Further, it has explored on the description of the business, challenges the organization faced and discussion as well as the potential risks associated to the implementation of the system.
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