Despite COVID-19 shutdowns, re-openings, and partial re-closings in some parts of the state, Illinois manufacturers of all sizes are grappling with serious management decisions. Many halted the implementation of planned installations or upgrades to an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software system or deferred part of their project when the pandemic began. Now, they are trying
Six Missteps Smaller Companies Must Avoid with an ERP Project
Since their inception, ERP software systems have historically been used almost entirely by large organizations: major corporations, financial institutions, federal and state government agencies, and similar behemoths with complex structures and massive operations.
Over the last few decades, ERP vendors have focused aggressively on the small to medium-sized business market. Today, a growing number of
Reducing the Risks of Being the Next ERP Failure
Failed ERP software system implementations and integrations happen frequently and the problems are legion. However, there are ways that organizations can avoid their own failures. In a recent Taft Technology Insights post, we discussed how to avoid a failure if restarting a deferred integration during COVID-19.
We are frequently retained by companies whose projects
Six Ways Users Can Control Their ERP Integrator
If ERP software system integrators were as smooth at integrating new or upgraded projects as they are at selling, it is likely they would be involved in fewer court disputes with users. Often, disputes happen because senior management hands off responsibility for the effort to the integrator rather than owning it as an integral part
Avoiding Problems With an ERP Restart During COVID-19
Many organizations are looking at ways to restart ERP projects that were deferred when the pandemic forced widespread lockdowns. Whether a company was in the midst of upgrading a legacy system or had been on the verge of moving forward on their first ERP software system, we suggested five ways senior executives can fast-track an
Five Must-Do’s When Assessing ERP Data Security
As we wrote recently, a global survey of senior technology executives conducted by KPMG and Oracle revealed that worrying about data security is the thing that most keeps them awake at night. The concern is especially acute for data stored in the cloud, but it also exists for on-premises servers.
For users of ERP software
Five Ways ERP Transformations Can Be Fast-Tracked Despite COVID-19
A debate is raging between some politicians and public health officials over the timing of reopening the economy. Noisy arguments in the news media, on Facebook or Twitter aside, the fact is that corporate executives need to be thinking seriously about the status of planned ERP software system upgrades or proceeding with projects that were
Deepfakes Can Mean Deep Water and Deep Pockets for Your Business
State Farm got the Internet’s attention this year with a deepfake advertisement of ESPN SportsCenter anchor Kenny Mayne. To many, this was an introduction to a new and accessible technology that creates convincingly realistic fake videos.
Nearly anyone with Internet access can create a realistic video clip of events that never happened. Deepfakes are videos
CIOs Worry About ERP Data Security in the Cloud During and After COVID-19
As SAP and some other vendors are forcing users of ERP software systems into vendors’ proprietary clouds, a significant percentage of the world’s Chief Information Officers are concerned about the security of the data being stored there.
This is one of the main takeaways from a KPMG and Oracle survey released during the midst of
COVID-19 and Understanding Your Force Majeure Clauses
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade has currently issued at least 4,811 force majeure certificates due to the COVID-19 pandemic (link). These certificates qualify the coronavirus outbreak as a force majeure event and certify that a party’s partial performance or failure to perform under an agreement be excused if there