ERP System of the future: Database, Business Logic and Interface
By Andrew Karasev
1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918
Alba Spectrum Technologies
We will base our
prognosis on our Microsoft Business Solutions ERP consulting practice: Microsoft
Great Plains, Navision, Axapta, MS CRM. Also weve analyzed Oracle products:
Oracle Financials, JD Edwards, PeopleSoft, and IBM Lotus Notes Domino. The
trends could be seen in both: so-called functional consulting, dealing with
overall system implementation and user training and customization
customization tools, open vs. proprietary technologies, etc. Our ideas are
addressed to large corporate business IT departments, because in our opinion
these professionals are under the highest pressure to foresee the future and
make proper selection decision today.
- No more new ERPs.
The best time to launch software
development company with the aim to create new ERP was 1980th.
Those days we saw the dominance of Hardware & OS (UNIX, Solaris, DOS, Mac
OS). Each platform was selfish and usually non-compatible with the others
(somebody may point out to EDI interfaces yes, this was probably the only
way of making different platforms talk to each other)
- Existing ERP
transformation. Consider
Project Green from Microsoft for example. The plan is to introduce standard
business suites: Microsoft Financials, Microsoft Logistics, Microsoft
Manufacturing, Microsoft Human Resources, etc. Currently Microsoft owns
several ERPs: Great Plains, Navision, Axapta, Solomon. If it succeeds in
integrating the best pieces of each application under one recognizable and
intuitive interface the goal would be reached. Microsoft already got
substantial success moving all its ERPs on one DB platform Microsoft SQL
Server
- Java vs. Windows.
We dont think that you have to
worry about OS platform anymore. XML is excellent mediator and it will make
it possible to allow each platform to concentrate in its business niche.
- Database &
Business Logic should stay. Yes
why would we need to reinvent double entry the fundamentals of General
Ledger accounting, invented by Luca Pacioli in 16th century? Well the
dilemma of large business is in its uniqueness. In our opinion it will be
resolved by simplification of the ERP customization
- Interface.
This is where you should expect the fight. Forbes Magazine predicts that
future employees in your accounting & AR departments will come from nowadays
computer gamers and for gamers intuitiveness of the interface is everything.
We agree the nicest features of user friendly ERP interface could be easily
outsourced to offshore software development companies in India, China,
Philippines, Russia
Good luck with implementation and customization and if you have issues or
concerns we are here to help! If you want us to do the job - give us a call
1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com
Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba
Spectrum Technologies USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization
company, serving clients in Illinois, California, Texas, Florida, New York,
Georgia, Arizona, Minnesota, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple
states and internationally (
http://www.albaspectrum.com ),
he is CMA, Great Plains Certified Master, Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal
Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer. You can contact Andrew:
andrewk@albaspectrum.com