Managing an Enterprise Resource
Planning System in a Dynamic
Business Environment
Steve Savis
IT Team Leader, PeopleSoft Project
Monsanto Company
Enterprise Resource Planning
• What Is Enterprise Resource Planning
(ERP)?
• The Evolution of ERP
• ERP at Monsanto
• Challenges of Managing the ERP System
• The Future of ERP
• Questions
What Is ERP?
• multi-module application software that
helps organization manage its core business
• product planning, inventory maintenance,
supplier interaction, order tracking,
financial and HR management
• relational database system, client/server
distributed architecture
• business process analysis and retraining
• rich functionality across all areas
The Evolution of ERP
• 1960s: Inventory Control
• 1970s: Material Requirement Planning
(MRP)
• 1980s: Manufacturing Resources Planning
(MRP-II)
• 1990s: Enterprise Resource Planning
(ERP)
ERP at Monsanto
• PeopleSoft project began in 1991
• First major company to implement
PeopleSoft
• HR, Payroll, and Benefits
• Oracle platform
• Team of 20 developers
• U.S., Canada, Asia/Pacific, Latin America
North
ERP at Monsanto
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
U.S. Salaried and Wage Payrolls
Center for Employee Services
Total Compensation
Employee Stock Purchase Plans
Position Management
EEO/AAP
External Vendor Interfaces
Challenges of Managing the ERP
•
•
•
•
•
Application Development
Upgrades
Globalization
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Divestitures
Communicating IT Value
Application Development
•
•
•
•
•
Change Control
Impact Analysis
Testing and Documenting
Training and Support
Demand Management
Upgrades
• Development Freeze
• Dealing with Customizations
• Hardware Requirements of Other
Applications
• Beware of New Features
• Intrateam Communication
• Client Commitment
Globalization
•
•
•
•
•
Requirements Definition
Language Barriers
Data Integrity
Client Resistance
“Follow-the-sun” Support
Mergers, Acquisitions, and
Divestitures
•
•
•
•
•
Understanding the Business
Asking the Right Questions
Collecting Data
Clarifying Roles and Responsibilities
Holding Debriefing Meetings
Communicating IT Value
•
•
•
•
Budgetary Crosshairs
Quantifying the Benefits
Providing Realistic Estimates
Linking to New Technology
The Future of ERP
• move from client/server applications to
Internet-based applications
• “Enterprise applications for the Internet
economy”
• electronic commerce, sales force
customization, and customer relationship
management software
• self-service applications; Web-based order
entry
Questions