Most businesses today have more data than they know how to use. And getting at that data and then presenting it in a useful manner for cogent analysis are two tasks that typically haunt organizations.
For any business today, purchasing enterprise software -- ERP, CRM, BI and supply chain -- apps is probably unlike any other corporate activity.
<strong>1.</strong> ERP may be linked with complexity, high cost and 18-month rollouts, but enterprises today have many alternatives to behemoths SAP and Oracle. On-demand and software-as-a-service (SaaS) vendors offer robust ERP product sets, and open-source apps can be bought via Amazon.com's EC2 platform. Ray Wang, vice president and principal analyst with Forrester Research, says users have turned to SaaS for innovative functionality, as well as lower costs.
The Defence department has signaled a raft of changes to its approach to information technology under a new ICT reform program.
Software developer Christopher Shockey saw the first signs of trouble in late 2008. A sales rep who had always represented Web application development provider Coghead was now calling on behalf of Coghead's much larger rival Salesforce.com.
When it comes to social media, Salesforce.com leads rivals like Oracle and SAP — and its success could help your company reach customers. Case in point: Salesforce.com apps now work with social networking services like Twitter and Facebook.
As more companies announce mergers, acquisitions and divestitures to survive, the orderliness of their enterprise systems is critical: The "messier" a company's systems, the harder it will be to attract potential buyers. But the more up-to-date a company's systems, the more money they'll fetch.
If your current vendor "strategy" regarding ERP, CRM or BI apps is simply saying "No, not at this time," or "Please stop calling me," then you might want to read Forrester's new report, [[xref:www.forrester.com/go?docid=47343|"Five Steps To Building A Recession-Proof Packaged Applications Strategy."]]
Sharp-eyed and highly caffeinated regulars might have noticed the brand-new employee at the Mercer Island Drive Thru Starbucks in November. The newbie, wearing the standard-issue green apron, was receiving a crash course in just about every function at the 1,800-square-foot store. He took a turn as a barista, manned the drive-thru, handed out samples to customers, took out the trash, and assisted a patron who was trying to connect to the Wi-Fi network. He tinkered with the store's point-of-sale (POS) system. He even did some scheduling.