Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits

(Book ID: B1324)

NAME

Kunal Mhatre

ROLL NO.

581111279

LEARNING CENTER CODE

DATE OF SUBMISSION

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)

1) Why are ERP systems said to be flexible? Explain with an example.

We need to know that setting up an ERP system has many advantages both direct and indirect.
The direct benefits include improved efficiency, information integration for better decision
Making, faster response time to customer queries, and so on. The indirect benefits comprises
Better corporate image, improved customer goodwill, customer satisfaction, and so on. The
Following are some of the direct benefits of an ERP system:
Business integration
Flexibility
Better analysis and planning capabilities
Use of latest technology
Flexibility
One of the advantages of ERP packages is their flexibility. Different languages, currencies,
Accounting standards, and so on can be covered in one system, and functions that systematically
Manage multiple locations of a company can be packaged and implemented automatically. To
cope with company globalization and system unification, this flexibility is essential, and we can
Say that it has major advantages, not simply for development and maintenance, but also in terms
of management.

2) Briefly explain the functionalities of CRM sub modules. List out the
benefits of CRM Systems.
Sub Modules in CRM
We already know that CRM is the process of managing relationships with customers by capturing,
analyzing, and storing customer information. The functionality of a CRM system can be studied under
three sub modules. They are Marketing, Service and Sales. All these modules are Operational,
Collaborative and Analytical.
1. Marketing module
The functionalities of marketing module of CRM comprises short term execution of marketing related
activities and long term planning within a company. It also helps in activities like campaign
management, lead management, and planning. Marketing module enables your company to run
marketing campaigns using different communication channels. This targets potential buyers using a

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
product or a group of products as a message. It generates sales related opportunities which then can
be converted into sales.
2. Service Module
The service module of CRM focuses on managing planned and unplanned customer service. This
module helps in activities such as Service Order Management, Service Contract Management, Planned
Services management, Warranty Management, Installed Base (Equipment) Management, ServiceLevel Agreement Management, Resource Planning and Scheduling and Knowledge Management
3. Sales Module
The sales module of CRM focuses on managing and executing the pre-sales process of the company
by making it more organized. The sales teams in most companies are responsible for capturing
opportunities and customer interaction. The CRM helps the sales team in processing this data and
following-up it in the future. The CRM also helps in organizing all relevant data received and captured
for a deal, into one place. Some of the captured data can include expected budget, total spending,
prospective customers, key players, products interested in, important dates and expected closing dates
of a deal.
Each of these modules can be stand alone applications depending on organizational need. It is
important that the right software is selected and implemented correctly. Then only any CRM can be
effective.
Benefits of CRM
An excellent CRM is the heart of every business success. With CRM, you can easily understand
customer requirements, meet those needs effectively, predict market trends and enhance your
business bottom line.
A properly implemented CRM system can bring significant benefits to your organizations. System
means, the complete consortium of 3 P's, People (employees, culture), Procedures (way of doing
business), and Programs (supporting applications and not just an application running on a computer).
The advantages that a CRM can bring are:
Shared or distributed data: Customer relationships are happening at many levels and not just through
customer service or a web presence. They start to understand the need for sharing all available data
throughout the organization. A CRM system is an enabler for making decisions and follow-up at levels.
Better customer service: All data concerning interactions with customers is centralised. The customer
service department can greatly benefit from this because they have all the information they need. And
through the use of push-technology, customer service representatives can lead the customer towards
the information they need. The customer experience is greatly enhanced.
Increased customer satisfaction: The customer feels that he is more "part of the team" instead of just a
subject for sales and marketing. Customer service is better and the needs of the customer are

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
anticipated and addressed. Many companies believe that more satisfied customers means a good
predictor for repeat business.
Better customer retention: If a CRM system can help to fascinate customers, it increases customer
loyalty. Customers keep coming back to buy again and again. Hence, higher customer retention is
assured
More business: If you are delivering the ultimate customer experience, this seeds the word-of-mouth
buzz, which brings in more new business.
More profit: More business at lower cost equals more profit.
Customer relationship management tools have also been of great help to companies in attaining their
business objectives.
The CRM systems help in collecting data that help in enhanced customer satisfaction. The types of
data CRM systems can collect are:
Responses to campaigns
Shipping and fulfillment dates
Sales and purchase data
Account information
Web registration data
Service and support records
Demographic data
Web sales data
Business Benefits of CRM
Implementing a CRM solution might involve considerable time and expense. However, there are many
potential benefits. A major benefit can be the development of better relations with your existing
customers. This can result in:
Increased sales through better timing by anticipating needs based on historic trends
Identifying needs more effectively by understanding specific customer requirements
Cross-selling of other products by highlighting and suggesting alternatives or enhancements
Identifying profitable customer companies
This in turn can lead to better marketing of your products or services by focusing on:

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
Effective targeted marketing communications aimed specifically at customer needs
A more personal approach and the development of new or improved products and services in order to
win more business in the future
Ultimately this could lead to:
Enhanced customer satisfaction and retention, ensuring that your good reputation in the marketplace
continues to grow
Increased value from your existing customers and reduced costs associated with supporting and
servicing them. This increases your overall efficiency and reduces total cost of sales
Improved profitability by focusing on the most profitable customers and
Dealing with the unprofitable in more cost effective ways
Once your business starts to look after its existing customers effectively, efforts can be concentrated on
finding new customers and expanding your market. The more you know about your customers, the
easier it is to identify new prospects and expand your customer base.
Customer needs change over time, and technology can make it easier to find out more about
customers and ensure that everyone in an organization can exploit this information.

3) Differentiate between Open Source and Commercial ERP. Briefly explain

the key principles to a proper ERP system selection process.
Commercial ERP
Expensive.
Always backed by well known brands.
Assured training and after sales support.
Suitable only for big corporation.
Non flexible.
Usage modalities are rarely liberal and
cause trouble when they are modified.
Deployment is costly and inconvenient.
Less secure.
Lots of training is required for the
employees.

Open Source ERP

Free of cost.
Usually not backed by well known brands.
Training and after sales support is not
guaranteed.
Suitable for small companies and bigger
corporation.
Can be modified as licenses are available
along with the source code.
Companies can do the modification in code
rather than changing their business
policies.
More secure and indicates whenever
something goes wrong.

ERP Selection Methods and Criteria

ERP is a very expensive investment and has a long and complicated implementation process. As
Such, it is important to make a proper selection of the ERP. ERP selection process involves

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
Identifying criteria and their relative weights, and evaluating the alternatives.
An ERP system is the information backbone of an organization and extends to all areas of the
Business. Thus, long-term business strategy of the organization forms the basis of the ERP
Selection criteria. As mentioned earlier, ERP systems are costly to implement. When choosing an
ERP system, it is important to take time to select the right ERP system or set of modules for your
business. In order to do this in an efficient manner, it is important to have a plan of action.
The selection of the appropriate solution is a problem because only a part of it can be handled by
a definite or accepted procedure such as standard investment calculations. On the other hand, the
decision maker needs to judge and evaluate all relevant business impact aspects. There is no
agreed-upon and formal procedure for this important task[1]. The modules that an ERP offers are
the most important selection reasons; and can vary according to the needs of the organization.
When you consider an ERP system, it is important to weigh all available options carefully. This is
because of the time, money, and training that can be consumed in implementing such a system.
There are three criteria that are generally used when evaluating an ERP solution:
Financial Considerations: When an ERP solution is considered, it must make money to be
Acceptable. As such, there are several measurements that the finance department may make in
order to determine whether or not an ERP solution is feasible.
- Net Present Value (NPV) is generally the most accepted method of valuing an ERP. It takes into
account the time value of money and cash flows generated. The cash flow and discount rate
selection process is the most important part of an NPV calculation. Determining an average cost of
capital for your firm and the predicted cash flows help you get an accurate result from the NPV
calculation.
- Budgetary constraint is the most used method when considering IT projects. The Internal Rate of
Return (IRR) and payback period methods are also very popular for many firms dealing with IT
implementations.
Management Considerations : On the management side, there are more variables to consider
than simply money. For example, managers may differentiate between implicit and explicit
business needs, competitive pressures, legal needs, and environmental concerns. This can make
the management side of valuation very difficult to quantify. Generally, companies take a few

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
Factors and try to create a scoring system that can be objectively applied across the options.
Sometimes probability of achieving the intended benefits is included in this part of the
Calculations else it is included in the financial part of the process. However, the probability of
Achieving the benefits instead of simply succeeding in implementation takes on a different look.
This sort of probability may be more directly tied with a softer science such as management.
Development Considerations: Development is usually the least important decision factor in
These processes. One of the most important factors is the probability that a project finishes on
Time. This simply does not happen very often, so it is important to determine what sort of adverse
Effects this could have on business operations.
ERP Software Selection Criteria
When reviewing potential software suppliers, you tend to focus only on the potential products
functionality and cost. Although these elements are important, this methodology neglects other
areas of importance. A suppliers ability to deliver product services goes well beyond price and
feature options. The key selection criteria include making few questions. Such questions help you
simplify making an ERP software purchase decision. Some of the questions include:
For Product Functionality
Does this package meet the overall requirements listing?
Is the menu structure easy to follow and understand?
Are the help files easily assessable and easy for users to understand?
Can you customize help to meet the needs of the organization?
Is the product too complex?
Are there standard reports available, and are they useful?
For Product Cost
Are the license costs justified given the functionality offering?
Is the required database affordable?
Are annual maintenance charges reasonable and in line with the industry average?
Are payments for annual maintenance charges in line with industry norms?
What is the true implementation services-to-software ratio for implementations with
comparably-sized companies?

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
How quickly can payback be received?
For Corporate Vision
What major organizational changes has the supplier made in recent years?
What major product changes have occurred in recent years?
What major product changes does the company foresee or have planned in the coming years?
What level of involvement does the executive staff have in the companys daily operations? Is
the executive staff knowledgeable of industry trends and developing technology?
For Service and Support
Was the team comfortable with the sales process and representative?
Were the teams questions answered in an open and honest forum?
Can the supplier provide a complete turn-key solution?
What type of training is available?
What is the average technical support persons experience level and tenure with the company?
How quickly are the non-critical software bugs fixed?
Is 24/7 support available?
Does the supplier offer business process re-engineering as part of the implementation process?
Does the supplier have experience in similar industries?
For Technology and System Architecture
Is the technology robust enough to handle current and future transactions load? Is it scalable?
Is the systems speed acceptable for daily usage?
Is source code provided for customizations or modifications without hefty charges?
Do customizations hamper upgrading to future software releases?
Is the software Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) compliant?
Does the software support ecommerce, Radio Frequency (RF) and bar coding, and Electronic
Data Interchange (EDI) transactions?
Does the software support multi-company, multi-division, and multi-currency environments? Are
there any restrictions to this type of environment?
For Supplier Longevity
How many years has the company been actively engaged in this software industry?

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
When was the products first release? What is the current release version being quoted?
Has the company been consistently profitable?
Has there been recent turnover in the management staff?
Has the supplier increased or reduced overall headcount over the last year?
Are customer references available? Can you visit a customer reference site prior to contract
signing?

4) What is ATO and how is it different from ETO? List the advantages of
CAD/CAM.
Manufacturing Operations
The manufacturing operations can be classified based on the amount of processing the product
requires, after the company receives an order from customer. They are broadly classified as:
Make-to-Order (MTO) and Make-to-Stock (MTS)
Assemble-to-Order (ATO)
Engineer-to-Order (ETO)
Configure-to-Order (CTO)
Assemble-to-Order (ATO)
Assemble-to-Order (ATO) company is another variation of the manufacturing operations. The ATO
company manufactures standardized, option modules according to the forecasts it has made and
then assembles a specific combination, or package of modules, after receiving the customers
order. The classic example is the automobile manufacturer. After receiving orders from a host of
dealers, the manufacturer specifies the exact production schedule for the automobiles.
The schedule is based on the options order by the customers, like automatic transmission or
manual transmission, air-conditioning, standard or digital control panel, leather, cloth or vinyl
seating, and so on. Many components for assembling the automobiles would have be ordered or
started into production before receiving the customers order based upon demand forecasts. Thus,
the major processing that remains when the orders come in is assembly. This approach shortens
the time between placement of the order and delivery of the product cycle time.
Engineer-to-Order (ETO)
Yet another variant in the manufacturing operations is the Engineer-to-Order (ETO) company. The

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
ETO Company is the ultimate in product variety, product customization and flexibility. In this
mode of operation, as per customer order the company manufactures any thing, but at a higher
price. The expensive clothing of the bold and beautiful is an example of this kind of production.
Products are made for each customer and even the minute details, for example, the feel of the
cloth and the texture, the color of the threads, the size of the collar and so on will differ from
one customer to another, depending upon the customers preferences. So the manufacturer
cannot keep anything in inventory, he will have to order only once the customer has given his/her
specifications. Obviously, the cost of production will be highest in this mode of production.
Computer Aid Design/Computer Aid Manufacturing
The CAD/CAM systems assist engineers in designing, examining, and upgrading drawings required
for manufacturing. Being a part of Product Data Management it enables high degree of precision in
both during design phase and the actual manufacturing phase. It also enhances the capacity of the
company by reducing the time consumed in converting the drawings into actual working models.
Computer Aid Design/Computer Aid Manufacturing (CAD / CAM) are the other major focus area for
the manufacturing sector. Traditionally, the automotive and aerospace industries are the largest
consumers of CAD/CAM.
With the automotive sector in the depression, vendors were not able to meet their expectations
from this industry. On the other hand, the farm auto sector did better in comparison.
Mahindra & Mahindra (Tractor Division) has grown considerably in the last three years and their
manufacturing capacity has doubled. This is accompanied with significant improvement in design
capacity. Increasing design capacity is also a competitive edge for a company. For example, Tata
Johnson Controls, which makes seating systems, started off by designing seats solely for Ford.
With increased design capacity using advanced CAD/CAM, they went on to supply seating systems
to many other auto majors. The major focus area in CAD/CAM is on design analysis, development,
and manufacturing. Styling and ergonomics are the refinement areas to achieve design excellence.
There were only marginal investments in modeling. There is also a trend developing for reverse
engineering, especially in the engineering and appliances industry. Manufacturing, companies in
the BPL Group have taken up reverse engineering.
Product data management (PDM) is another leading edge of the CAD/CAM philosophy. TELCO and

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
Mahindra Ford have integrated many of their suppliers. For the supplier, it means enhanced
competence and improved competitiveness. Many of these suppliers, with their improved design
capacity and integration with OEMs, have also started exporting. Brakes India is supplying brakes
to many of the European auto manufacturers.
Another reason, which forces a company to make design an imperative, is the improved alignment
that many manufacturing organizations have acquired. This is because of business process
reengineering. An important thing is the integration of tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers with OEMs, for
standard product information.
Many companies in heavy engineering sector have signed up multi year contracts with global
majors like SDRC and PTC. BHEL has a CAD/CAM contract across all units with SDRC for a term of
five-year. Similarly Lakshmi Machine, L&T and Siemens works are investing in CAD/CAM to beef up
their research capability.

5) Discuss briefly about JD Edwards and PeopleSofts applications and

their various modules.
People Soft
PeopleSoft Inc. was established in the year 1987 to provide innovative software solutions that meet the
changing business demands of enterprises worldwide. It employs more than 7,000 people worldwide.
The annual revenue for the year 1998 was $ 1.3 billion. PeopleSoft's objective is to provide innovative
software solutions that meet the changing business demands of organizations worldwide.
PeopleSoft develops software that supports enterprise wide solutions to handle core business
functions. This includes human resources management, accounting and control, project management,
treasury 'management, performance measurement, and supply chain management. It provides
enterprise solutions which is industry-specific to customers in select markets. Like healthcare,
manufacturing, communications, financial services, higher education, public sector, services, retail,
transportation, US federal government, and utilities. PeopleSoft Select offered by the company is a
complete packaged solution including software, hardware, and services to address the needs of
medium sized organizations.
Solutions of PeopleSoft run on a variety of leading hardware and database platforms. Like IBM, Sun
Microsystems, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Informix, Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase, DB2, and others.
PeopleSoft delivers Web-enabled applications, workflow, Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), and so
on.
Business Management Solutions
PeopleSoft solutions extend across the globe. The applications help in managing a broad set of
business processes, from human resources and finance to supply chain management. One can

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
implement a single application, or a complete enterprise wide solution. The flexible design lets you
modify the applications to your specific needs. The PeopleSoft's business management solutions are in
the areas given below:
1 Human Resources Management
2 Accounting and Control
3Treasury Management
4 Performance Measurement
5 Project Management
6 Sales and Logistics
7 Materials Management
8 Supply Chain Planning
9 Service Revenue Management
10 Procurement
Commercial Solutions
Supply Chain Management: PeopleSoft has the industry's only complete enterprise resource planning
solution that is built around supply chain optimization. A Demand Planning module enables
sophisticated forecasting, using both real-time and historical information. PeopleSoft's complete suite of
Supply Chain Management products provides comprehensive support for any organization that
produces or markets a physical product.
Service Industry Solutions: PeopleSoft also provides a complete commercial support solution for
service industries. The Service Revenue Management suite features modules supporting the tracking
of time and labor, payroll processing, project management, billing, and expense and receivables
processing. A suite of Procurement modules is also available supporting purchasing, inventory
management, payables and expense processing, and asset management
Industry Solutions
PeopleSoft supports industry-specific market initiatives in many business sectors. The initiatives include
industry specific products, customization of existing applications, and sales and marketing support
through direct channels and business alliances.
PeopleSoft has 11 distinct business units, which provide software solutions specific to a broad range of
public and private sector industries. These Industry partners help in making the solutions widespread
and spanning the enterprise from the back office to the front lines. From service and manufacturing to
education and government, PeopleSoft solutions are
global, enterprise-wide, and modified to unique industry requirements. The different business units are:
Communications
Federal Government

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
Financial Services
Healthcare
Higher Education
Manufacturing
Public Sector
Retail
Service Industries
Transportation
Utilities
Applications
People Tools is an integrated set of client/server business application development and customization
tools from PeopleSoft. These tools enable customers to implement, modify, and maintain PeopleSoft
applications as well as to extract, analyze and manipulate data. People Tools includes several tools for
reporting, customization and workflow.
PeopleSoft continually adds and refines technology to optimise their customers information systems.
They help customers take advantage of new and emerging technologies, giving them more choices and
freedom to develop their own innovative business processes. Some of them are given below:
Self-Service Applications:
Helps to improve productivity throughout the organization. PeopleSoft focuses on providing the
occasional user with easy access to information and functionality specific to their role. They have
developed a set of self-service applications to help companies quickly and cost-effectively distribute
functionality throughout the enterprise over the Internet, and intranets. Built with a spontaneous
interface based on a standard Web browser such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Explorer. These
Java-based, cross-platform applications enable employees, customers, suppliers, and other occasional
users to perform self-service administrative tasks easily. Self-service applications are linked to
PeopleSoft core product lines. Such as PeopleSoft Accounting and Control, Human Resources
Management, and Materials Management.
Web Client:
Self-service applications use the PeopleSoft Web Client. The Web Client is downloadable on demand
and runs on a Web browser across multiple platforms. Its affordability, open architecture and simplicity
provide an ideal framework for delivering enterprise solutions to a large number of people. Applications
don't need to be installed at every desktop; they are accessed easily through a browser. In addition to
supporting self-service applications, the PeopleSoft Web Client has a Work list and Query interface.
This improves the flow of the company's business processes and improves access to information for
occasional users. Furthermore, all data transmitted between the Web Client and the application server
is coded for added security. Because the Web Client takes advantage of People Tools, self-service
applications can be deployed across the Internet or existing corporate intranets with common business
rules workflow logic and security features.

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
Multi-layer Transaction Processing:
The ability to support large numbers of parallel users, while maintaining reliable, and superior
performance, is critical to enterprise-wide data processing. PeopleSoft works in a variety of settings
over Local Area Networks (LANs) and Wide Area Network (WANs), throughout organizations. In the
latter, the application logic runs on an application server instead of the client. The application server is
designed to relieve the client from processing intense SQL transactions, thereby reducing LAN traffic
and improving performance across WANs. Three layered architecture also provides increased
scalability to accommodate high volumes of parallel users while maintaining a consistent and reliable
performance level. PeopleSoft continues to support its traditional two layered architecture as well.
Online Analytical Processing (OLAP):
Companies must be able to quickly extract and analyze the information they require for effective
decision-making. OLAP, or online analytical processing, is a powerful method for interactively analyzing
data online. PeopleSoft integrates popular OLAP tools including Cognos Power Play and Arbor
Essbase that enable users to easily share multidimensional data stored in various locations. With the
Cube Manager application, users can define the data they want to extract into an OLAP cube. It
enables them to quickly view information from all different angles to test conclusions, conduct what-if
scenarios and compare alternative strategies. With multidimensional information presented in quickread formats, managers can make better decisions, react faster to competitive threats and identify
inefficiencies.
Workflow:
An essential part of the solution, PeopleSoft workflow capabilities help communications companies
achieve enterprise-wide integration of information, applications, and people. Workflow enables a
company to automate many time-consuming clerical tasks, while putting useful data into the hands of
users. With workflow, the company's PeopleSoft applications do more of the work. For example, if
managerial approval is needed for a work order, the system automatically forwards the request.
Workflow can also help the company track projects, by initiating a workflow message to the appropriate
person when a project exceeds a predetermined cost. The company can even bring non-PeopleSoft
users into the workflow process, using e-mail systems and the Internet for collecting, and distributing
data.
JD Edwards World Solutions Company
1977 Denver, Colorado, three men left the accounting world to form a software company that would
specialize in midrange computing solutions. Each of the three founders Jack Thompson, Dan Gregory
and Ed McVaney lent a small portion of his name for the company name. On March 17, JD Edwards
was formed.
In the early years, JD Edwards designed software for several small and medium-sized computers. They
eventually started focusing on the IBM System/38 in the early 1980s. It was in this effort that JD
Edwards pioneered the Computer-Aided Systems Engineering (CASE) software development and
design tool. This lend for consistency across the broad range of JD Edwards' integrated applications.
As JD Edwards' business continued to grow, it became obvious that servicing a large number of
customers was creating challenges. The company could either remain small or serve customers on an
individual basis or, with a breakthrough in technology; it could become an industry leader in enterprise
software. When McVaney and Thompson began to design and implement World software, they
provided the pathway to success. By the mid-1980s, JD Edwards was being recognized as an industry-

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
leading supplier of applications software for the highly successful IBM AS/400 computer, a direct
successor of the System/38.
With the June 1996 introduction of One World, the company once again achieved a technological
breakthrough. Building on the CASE technology pioneered in the 1980s, One World combines a full
range of platform independent applications with an integrated toolset. One World gives organizations
the power to configure their systems and applications as their needs change.
Today, JD Edwards is a publicly traded company that has more than 4,700 customers with sites in over
100 countries and more than 4,200 employees. The company attributes much of its success to a
corporate culture that emphasizes quality at all levels. JD Edwards' commitment to its product quality,
its corporate culture and a customer centric approach enable the company to deliver and support
leading enterprise software solutions that solve business problems.
Product and Technology
JD Edwards offers its solutions primarily for the AS/400 platform. JD Edwards's has two application
suites, One World and World Software. World Vision, provide comprehensive supply chain
management functionality across the wide range of technology. Both can run parallel on the same the
AS/400 platform, share data and interact with each other as a unified solution.
One World
JD Edwards One World is flexible enough to support an extended solution by integrating with existing,
best-of-breed and other company products. This can be achieved without sacrificing the security,
integrity, or consistency of the existing systems or data. One Worlds own Application Programming
Interfaces (APIs) , as well as such industry standards as CORBA, ODBC and other packaged
integration solutions ensure that you won't be locked into limited functionality, and any of the future
opportunities.
One World embraces change with its modular architectural foundation. The information processing is
segmented into five functional elements. They are database, data warehouse, business objects,
reporting, and GUI. The users can link these elements in a variety of configurations from one level, with
every element running on a stand-alone PC, to five levels or more. One can also distribute the
elements geographically, departmentally, or administratively. You also can configure and reconfigure in
the field, as requirements change. There are provisions to add new servers, even Web servers, without
having to rewrite applications for the new machine.
One World has the tools and technologies that will quickly bring archived data to light. And you can
extend and supplement those technologies with solutions offered by leading industry data warehousing
and decision support specialists. The customer has the option to choose the data warehousing solution
that he wants. One World provides alternatives, so that you can choose the most appropriate solution
based upon your own requirements.
With One World, you can distribute your enterprise applications to employees, business partners, and
customers using web-based technology, without rewriting your applications. One World software
version supports client/server and Internet modes. This results in an extended enterprise that works
together to support the same business tasks.
No matter how well your applications fit, they probably need a little modification to fit precisely to the
needs of your organization. With One World, you get a powerful set of tools to make those alterations.
One Worlds toolset uses business logic, not symbols and syntax, to drive the modification process.
Change your business specifications, and the toolset automatically regenerates the appropriate object

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
code. You can modify applications, balance processing loads run reports, and build graphical user
interfaces without writing codes. Add hardware and databases without bringing your business to a halt.
Since modifications are made with the same toolset used to build One World, it's all integrated. When a
new release arrives, your changes will automatically be incorporated you won't have to make them
again. The interface is consistent whether you are partitioning applications or replicating data. This will
save a lot of time and effort in reprogramming and retraining. One World allows you to build highly
flexible workflow solutions and execute, predefined, and unplanned processes in your organization.
With One World, your ability to learn, implement, and maintain workflow at all levels of your
organization is simplified.
World Software and World Vision
In the age of technology change, the popularity of many enterprise software solutions is fleeting. The
resulting obsolescence is frustrating and costly. It is better to have a system that has the necessary
functionality with built-in longevity. More than 4,000 customers have found this staying power in JD
Edwards World Software. On its strength and the reliability of its host-centric. IBM AS/400 foundation,
World Softwares global Inherently flexible and easy to use, World Software readily adapts to your
situation, letting you:
Selectively mix, match and integrate software applications from among its diverse industry product
suites.
Easily modify it to ongoing business, local and organization-specific requirements.
Add World Vision, its advanced graphical user interface, to gain client/server benefits.
Optionally run it alongside One World, JD Edwards' network-centric solution, to gradually incorporate
other computing platforms into your network.
JD Edwards World Vision provides the Graphical User Interface (GUI) with a look and feel common to
the PC. At the same time it protects your investment in World Software and the AS/400. World Vision
also allows you to:
Maximize productivity by shrinking the amount of training users need.
Make a safe move to client/server by leveraging your existing host-centric World Software
applications.
And like World Software, another bread of software World Vision is developed and continually
enhanced for the future. For example, you can have World Vision as a Windows 95/NT style GUI for a
PC and as a Java-based interface for use across the Internet, or intranets.
Modules
The different product modules available from JD Edwards are:
Foundation Suite: Consists of Back Office, CASE Foundation, Environment/ Toolkit, Financial Analysis
Spreadsheet Tool and Report Writer, World Vision GUI, Electronic Burst & Bind.
Financial Suite: Consists of General Accounting, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Fixed
Assets, Financial Modeling and Budgeting, Multi-Currency Processing, Cash Basis Accounting, Time
Accounting)

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
Logistics/Distribution Suite: Consists of Forecasting, Requirements Planning, Enterprise Facilities
Planning, Sales Order Management, Advanced Pricing, Procurement, Work Order Management,
Inventory Management, Bulk Stock Management, Quality Management, and Advanced Warehouse.
Management: Consists of Equipment Management, Transportation Management, Job Cost and
Service Billing
Services Suite: Contract Billing, Subcontract Management, Change Management, and Property
Management.
Manufacturing Suite: Consists of Configuration Management, Cost Management, Product Data
Management, Capacity Planning, Shop Floor Management, and Advanced Maintenance Management)
Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Mining and Real Estate Suite: Consists of Procurement,
Inventory Management, Equipment Management, Job Cost, Work Order Management, Subcontract
Management, Change Management, Contract Management, Contract Billing, Service Billing,
Homebuilder Management, and Property Management.
Energy and Chemical Suite: Consists of Agreement Management, Advanced Stock Valuation, Sales
Order Management, Bulk Stock Management, and Load and Delivery Management.
Government, Education, and Not-for-Profit Solutions: Consist of Financial Administration and
Reporting, Budget Administration, Fund and Encumbrance Accounting, Grant and Endowment
Management, Purchasing and Material Management, Warehousing and Central Stores Management,
Human Resources Management, Service and Work Order Management, Capital Project and
Construction Management, Contract Management, Plant, Equipment, and Fleet Maintenance.
Utility and Energy Solutions: Consists of Customer Information System, Human Resources
Management, Work Management, Regulatory Reporting, Supply Chain Management, Project
Management, Enterprise Maintenance Management.
JD Edwards offers customers the means of achieving greater ongoing control of their businesses. It is
enabled by their ability to define and redefine the way they do business as markets, customers and
competitive conditions change. Behind this customer commitment is a twenty-two year history of
listening to customers, understanding what they ask of business technology. At the same time learning
the problems and requirements of their industry and developing solutions accordingly. By emphasizing
solutions, relationships, and value, JD Edwards maintains its focus on what truly matters to its
customers.

6) What is BAPI? Why BIAP is considered as commanding tool in the SAP

consultants toolkit?
Business Models and BAPIs
A company's business model is usually referred as revenue architecture that consists of major value
creation principles. This business model describes revenue sources and the way the company
organizes its activities to profitably exploit these sources. With the current business model, companies
can achieve the better business results which includes lower the amount of waste, reduce errors,
increase delivery speeds and so on. The change in current business model provides new ways to fulfill
orders, create products and service customers.

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
ERP Business Modeling is a well-defined approach to arrive at full and specified descriptions of the
business processes that are supported with the new ERP package. ERP Business Modeling emphasize
on managing the group decision-making process for developing the required process descriptions. This
process also highlights on employing a systems and modeling-oriented perspective to look at different
functions as one integrated whole.
ERP Business Modeling can be called as process facilitation approach rather than an expert approach.
Here, the client plays a leading role in the whole business modeling process. Although clients have an
in-depth knowledge of their business processes, they lack in identifying the overall view and the
relationships between the business processes. External expertise will only be used if explicitly desired
by the client. The major role of consultants is to assist the clients project team in gathering that
information to construct a well-understood model of the business processes which are to be supported
by the new ERP package. This can be achieved with the help of workshop and group facilitation
techniques
For example, with the help of Intellicorp Inc.'s Live Model, implementation teams are able to review and
simulate changes to the SAP R/3 application Reference Model that provides views of R/3 processes,
data models and functions. Any changes made to the Reference Model are stored in the Live Model
repository which can further be audited and changed on demand. Furthermore, because Live Model is
OLE compliant, the R/3 models can be manipulated and documented through desktop OLE
applications such as Microsoft Word.
The Open ERP business model is developing popularity in enterprise management. A Global Business
Process Model is also developed, which comprises the whole ERP software product.
This model is imposed in three levels. They are
System Configuration Level: This level scopes on high-level optionality on the entire system and is
static. The high-level option of the ERP system is chosen for the organization, which cannot be made
undone at any stage.
Object Level: This level scopes on single data objects and is more dynamic.
Occurrence level: This level analyses single process occurrences and is very dynamic. This level
elaborates on object parameters.
Further, the optional levels of ERP modeling are used to reverse engineer the ERP system and the
organizational structure. The right way to align both ERP and organizational models is as follows:
Convert the ERP system database to an object model.
Construct a global business process model.
Identify the system configuration-level business process alternatives.
Identify the object-level variants of the business processes.
Expose the occurrence-level business process options.
Business Application Programming Interface (BAPI)

Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 4

MI0038 Enterprise Resource Planning -4 Credits
(Book ID: B1324)
BAPI (Business Application Programming Interface) is a set of interfaces to object-oriented
programming methods that enable a programmer to integrate third-party software into the proprietary
R/3 product from SAP. For specific business tasks such as uploading transactional data, BAPIs are
implemented and stored in the R/3 system as remote function call (RFC) modules.[2]
BAPI is the most dominant tool in the SAP consultants toolkit. It is one of a set of tools for interfacing
with an SAP R/3 system. The priority of BAPI is calling data in and out of SAP. For the SAP consultant,
BAPIs are the small, powerful ships that keep these barges of data moving. SAP's R/3 system is now
open by releasing the specifications for some 170 business application programming interfaces
(BAPIs). This helped third-party applications interact with R/3 directly. BAPIs can be called as sets of
methods that allow external applications to collaborate with specific R/3 business objects such as
customers, accounts, or employees. As R/3 data is addressable through callable methods, BAPIs gives
flexibility to the third party application vendors to build supporting applications for the R/3 system.
In similar way, Baan offers OrgWare which is based on integrated business-modeling tool, combined
with business-specific templates that automate the configuration of the software to suit specific
operational needs. Baan is in the process of advancing this tool with new setup wizards to accelerate
software implementation on the Windows NT platform.