Enterprise Software Selection Case Study

Enterprise software selection case study: Harley Davidson Motor Company

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Enterprise Software Selection Case Study Paper outline 1. Brief background of the company 2. Problem statement 3. Scenario description 4. Process Considerations made A. Technical aspects B. Involved stakeholders 5. Software selection process 6. Considerations in software selection conclusions 7. Conclusion

Enterprise Software Selection Case Study

Harley Davidson Motor Company: Enterprise Software Selection Case Study Having been founded in 1903, Harley Davidson Motor Company has grown to become one of the leading manufacturers of motorcycles globally. The company produces up to 28,000 motorcycles annually, sold by dealers in over 67 countries around the world. The company has an ambitious plan to increase its production capacity significantly. As a result of the companys growth and enlarged global presence, there is management has realized that the future calls for an integrated management system that will not only improve the companys processes but also fit within its budget and enhance its returns growth. This underlay the start of the process to identify the most appropriate information management system for Harley Davidson Motor Company. The process was largely reliant on teamwork, which played a leading role in structuring of the IS function. The organization, rather than have a Chief Information Officer, constituted a team of three directors to offer leadership on information systems integration. The three were cited to play an internal consultancy role to the team engaged in identification the appropriate software to meet the needs of the organization. Additionally, they provide direction regarding how well the technology will fit into the organizations endeavor to create business value. The group was however empowered to be able to make technological investment decisions for the benefit of the organization. The group was considered to have more exposure to the needs of the business considering their day to day interaction with it. Considering the technical aspect involved in integrating the software into business operations, purchasing team is structured to work closely with the engineering department (Thomas, William, Berry, and Clay 56). The case emphasizes the importance of building allinclusive Purchasing operations groups, which was located alongside their manufacturing counterparts at the plants and facilities. Additionally, planning and control group was situated at

Enterprise Software Selection Case Study

the Corporations headquarters, with leadership being derived from the various purchasing managers from the numerous Harley-Davidson sites. Representatives from various departments including: Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO), Original Equipment (OE), Parts and Accessories (P&A), as well as General Merchandising (GM) purchasing activities were also included. The scenario highlights the importance of having all stakeholders on board to ensure that the process is all-inclusive and addresses the needs of all the quarters of the organizations operations. Other than team identification and inclusion of stakeholders in the process, the case defines the whole process necessary in selecting the suitable enterprise software (Escalle and Austin 78). The process is described by the flow chart below:

Figure 1: Process involved in enterprise software selection at Harley Davidson Motor Company

Enterprise Software Selection Case Study

The process began with stage being set for brainstorming of ideas that exposed the organization to greater technological advancement and generally defined the importance of leadership in any change process. Leadership emerges as a crucial step in jump starting the process (Thomas, William, Berry, and Clay 56). The process involved in identification of the right supplier information link software involved the following phases: 1. Project team formation 2. Mapping out the existing processes 3. Projecting the desirable process 4. Identifying the people, the processes and the technology involved 5. Process of selection the software supplier Explaining requirements to prospective suppliers Receiving proposals and presentations Narrowing down the bidders Coming up with the last three Assessing each of last three 6. Making the final decision From the case study, the processes above are identified as those that led the group to coming up a final decision on the most appropriate supplier to provide the software to the organization. The key guiding factors in selection of the final provider was based on three key factors. These are: ability to speed time to market, ability to reduce costs, and ability to improve product quality. Key factors considered in justifying the need for the software

Enterprise Software Selection Case Study

The case also emphasized the importance of coming with factors with factors that justify the need to bring on board the software. These have defined with regard to the people involved, the processes involved, and the technology. With regard to people, it is important to highlight how the softwares implementation will improve the peoples work to a more efficient manner. On the other hand, in relation to processes, it is important to illustrate how the software will improve the process. This is done by answering whether the process will reduce time; reduce costs, and complexity, among others. Finally, with regard to technology, this illustrated how the software will enhance technology. Generally, the case study defines the elements that constitute problem identification and the gap that software needs to fill, the persons involved in the processes and the overall process involved in selection of the software. It offers all the information that a planner may require in order to develop a project schedule. Based on the existing supply processes, the team was able to come up with a proposal for software that would fill in all the gaps. This formed the basis for evaluation and determination of the appropriate software supplier that will meet the needs of the organization in line with its strategic objective.

Enterprise Software Selection Case Study Works cited

Escalle, Cotteleer, and Austin, Ryan. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Report No 9-699020, Harvard Business School, Cambridge, MA, USA, 1999. Thomas, Vollman, William, Berry, L., and Clay, Whyberk. Manufacturing Planning and Control Systems for Supply Chain Management, London: McGraw Hill, 2005.