Viewpoint: Strategies for Justifying and Implementing ERP
How do you justify investment in an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system? Once justified, how should you implement it to get the right information to the right people at the right time, and in formats they can use?
To explore these issues, Food Engineering interviewed William R. Friend, group vice president for logistics and information services for the Food Group at J R. Simplot Co., the multi-plant, multi-product food processor based in Boise, ID. Friend manages the group-wide IS function which integrates manufacturing plants, distribution centers and group headquarters, and serves on Simplot's Food Group Executive Committee. Starting with the first plant site in 1995, Bill has managed implementation of the Marcam Protean ERP system throughout the Food Group at Simplot, and is currently integrating Protean ERP with Simplot's Wonderware Manufacturing Execution System (MES).
Food Engineering: What are the basic criteria for justifying investment in ERP?