ERP Is Now Smart & Digital

About this issue

The Changing Identity of ERP

ERP News Magazine Issue 1, dated August 2019, introduces a view of ERP as a more intelligent and connected business platform. Executive interviews examine the implications for manufacturers and growing organizations, while customer stories show the relationship between systems, information and daily work. Cloud strategy, inventory discipline, employee engagement and industry requirements give the technology discussion a practical foundation. The issue records the products, roles and expectations described at publication.

From Features to Business Processes

Terri Hiskey, Vice President of Global Product Marketing for Manufacturing at Epicor, discusses the move toward smart and digital ERP. Her cover interview considers industry fit, deployment choices, embedded education and more accessible workflows. IoT, AI and future interfaces enter the conversation through the operational problems they might address. Hiskey advises businesses to identify specific processes to improve and work in phases, building momentum through visible progress. Her future-looking comments are expectations rather than verified later developments.

Rob Sinfield of Sage Business Cloud Enterprise Management considers cloud ERP and the need to keep strategic ambition connected with practical business requirements. Paul Kruger of DXC Oxygen examines intelligent cloud ERP as a foundation for agility, integrated data and more timely decisions. Lucy Thorpe of InCloud Solutions explores two-tier ERP for organizations whose subsidiaries or acquisitions may require a different approach from the parent system. These contributions discuss deployment in relation to organizational structure and operating needs.

Customer Experiences in Different Settings

Anticimex's IFS story connects preventive pest control with a rapidly expanding service business. Its SMART traps and sensors provide information that can help direct technicians to the places requiring attention. The source describes integration with IFS Applications in Finland, alongside the wider challenge of a fragmented technology landscape. This geographical detail matters: the account does not establish that every country operation had the same connected deployment. Growth and acquisitions provide context rather than a measured return caused solely by ERP.

Premier 1 Supplies' Acumatica case begins with aging, unsupported software and a payment-compliance requirement. CEO Ben Rothe describes selecting an open platform that the business could connect with its website and other applications. Shared information gives departments better visibility, while internal development supports reports and workflows without relying on every change being supplied externally. The source reports faster access to reports and reduced technology costs. These remain customer-reported outcomes from this implementation, not guaranteed results for other retailers.

Cox Machine's Global Shop Solutions case follows a manufacturer using connected operational and financial information as its business grows. Jason Cox discusses electronic document access, production visibility, scheduling and customized displays. Linking documents and dashboards to the ERP environment reduces reliance on circulating paper and helps employees see relevant status information. The neighboring manufacturing checklist is general promotional guidance; its percentage claims should not be mistaken for measured Cox Machine results.

GoCardless' NetSuite story separately considers financial management across markets, currencies and tax requirements. The source describes automation and visibility in the context of international expansion. LC Waikiki's Infor CloudSuite PLM for Fashion announcement concerns a selection intended to support agility and growth; it is not a completed quantified implementation study.

Interviews on Readiness, Support and Growth

Çiğdem Dönmez of IAS discusses supporting digital transformation through caniasERP, TROIA, business intelligence, IASDB and consulting. Her interview places roadmaps and project management alongside technology. Dave Beldyk, President and founder of DABCO Consulting and a CCi partner, focuses on inventory accuracy before ERP implementation. He explains why a one-time physical count cannot substitute for reliable ongoing processes that keep system records aligned with the warehouse and shop floor.

Guy Leclercq, CEO of Deveho Consulting Group, describes supporting international growth through Sage X3 implementation and localizations. His interview considers changing country requirements, customer proximity and the importance of maintaining useful extensions. Andres Richter, CEO of Priority Software, discusses flexibility, customer support, implementation services and emerging technology. Both interviews combine company perspectives with forecasts; their commercial figures and future plans are attributed to the source period.

People, Information and Industry Fit

Poul Kjær of Pipol examines resistance to change and the importance of engaging people's commitment. Katie Slimov considers ERP features relevant to a younger workforce. Ted Rohm of Technology Evaluation Centers surveys changes in the ERP market, linking connected data, analytics and intelligent capabilities. Jesse Linklater of Genius ERP explains Drum-Buffer-Rope scheduling for custom manufacturing, while John Hogan of TraceLink considers supply-chain technology trends. Andy Bell of Edenhouse discusses blockchain's potential in enterprise processes, and Robin Irvine of Avaap examines food and beverage requirements such as traceability, labeling and specialized production needs.

The issue also reports on Lumenia's ERP HEADtoHEAD event and SAP's partnership with Karlie Kloss and Kode With Klossy to encourage young women in STEAM. Across its interviews, customer accounts and guidance, the first issue presents modernization as coordinated work on processes, information and people, supported by technology selected for a clearly understood business purpose.