Small and medium-sized enterprise ERP application present condition analysis and the countermeasures

In the current I trapped market economy gradually mature background environment, the types of products, specifications of the growing demand presents the diversity of the trend, and the customer (consumer) for product quality, delivery conditions demand more and more. This means that in the current international market, information's business environment, the enterprise must have the market faster response ability, must through the reinforcing the enterprise internal system to improve coordination market competitiveness. The traditional management ideas, mode and means restricted the development of Enterprise, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning, namely Enterprise Resource Planning), as Enterprise based on supply chain management of information integrated system, improve the competitiveness of enterprises is a shortcut. Although ERP technology itself is not change enterprise profitability of direct medicine, but if used properly, probably change enterprise operation ability and the operational efficiency of the effective way.

With ERP technology and other information technology better and better, more and more of the small and medium enterprise began to realize that apply ERP management means strategic significance. Although the division standard of the small and medium-sized enterprise there are differences, but can be judged that the small and medium-sized enterprise as a business is needed in a more "vulnerable groups", most of the limitation of resources by internal and external environment of complicated variety. Relative to the greater competition the advantages of large enterprise that, small and medium-sized enterprises in the process of transition start ERP management inevitably to deal with more potential risk and uncertainty.

L ERP in middle and small enterprise the present situation of the application of analysis

Throughout the manufacturing of the small and medium-sized enterprise ERP technology application situation, the cardinal principle can be divided into three levels of application level:

1.1 basic application level

The application layer in the enterprise has not been formed within the enterprise information integration, the functional departments ask lack of overall information of integration and sharing, the ERP application only stay in finance, sourcing, sales and inventory management, and other aspects of the basic application. For small and medium-sized enterprise ERP software industry market threshold is lower, ERP software developers technology the good and bad are intermingled, as some of the functions of a single financial software, enters sells saves the software, MIS system is called ERP, and it is available for small and medium-sized enterprise selected ERP software quite a lot, and generally all can meet the needs of the enterprises. Now most of the small and medium enterprises implement ERP technology stay in the level of basic application, and involves the ERP technology advanced application, such as related to order processing and payment for goods receiving, and other ~ some more advanced customers value-added services, such as supply chain members in strengthening the cooperation between the applications, and small and medium-sized enterprise mostly far behind big company.

1.2 collaborative application level

Part of the small and medium-sized enterprises can will ERP technology applied to production operation management level, such as MPS/MRP (master production plan/material requirements planning) tools the harmonious use, can make the enterprise be sales and production of synchronization. MPS/MRP function is the core of the external demand into the enterprise internal demand, in order to solve the four production enterprise, i.e. production, production and how much what when production, what demand. Its principle is to solve the fluidity of the market and the production of the contradiction between the balance, through the logistics, cash flow and information flow to strengthen the integration of the enterprise planning control tools. In the aspects of the application, in addition to MPS/MRP module, but it needs to be SOP (sales and operation plan), CRM (customer relationship management), and other modules with the operation, you can really through the inventory control management and rapid response to customer the purpose of project management. At present, only some small and medium-sized enterprise can achieve this level of ERP application. Investigate its reason, besides enterprise itself not to attach importance to the role of program management, outside, at present the ERP software vendors also fail to provide the function is perfect products, so restricted that level of ERP application.

1.3 lean application level

ERP application in lean management level of the enterprise can realize LaDongShi production, around the mode of production, enterprise development of lean management, such as using tools such as electronic bulletin board for production of sustained improvement. In addition to the improvement of production in the enterprise ERP lean management usually need to overall business intelligence solutions support, such as the daily management of the enterprise systems such as OA (office automation), HR (HR) and ERP is linked together, the administrative examination and approval procedure, the document with the business requirements for docking, forms the enterprise internal resources integration, even the enterprise internal process management and enterprise external resources integration, realize supply chain upstream and downstream industry the docking, fully rational use of enterprise internal and external resources. At present can implement ERP lean the management of small and medium-sized enterprises is still little little, this not only and small and medium-sized enterprise management mechanism and structure is related to the market with ERP software products supply, other factors, such as the product quality.

2 influence the operation of the small and medium enterprise ERP factor analysis

Small and medium-sized enterprise application influence factors of ERP performance in general include management factors, organization factors, technical factors and environmental Vatican element and so on four aspects, as is shown in table 1, their influence degree and change to the difficulty of the different. Including technical factors on ERP implementation effect of impact, change the difficulty of the medium, organization and management factors influence factors for intermediate level, and easier to change, environmental factors on ERP less effect, but the transition of the most difficult.

2.1 management factors

Management is the main body (people) through the object (objects) to realize the main purpose of a kind of activity, management factors including management subject, management should form, management method, etc. The modern management activities in different input mandatory system on and material means the traditional management process, it needs to depend on the main management thoughts, feelings, the interaction between into a variety of forms such as of the maintenance of the system to achieve the purpose of management. In the small and medium-sized enterprise management personnel, especially as the subject of the management of enterprise leaders, and especially to labyrinth. Usually the small and medium-sized enterprises shall more full-bodied colour, enterprise leaders of cognitive level of ERP, whether to have the relevant technical knowledge and factors will influence enterprise ERP implementation of the effect. Second, the management process involves the management of the form and method, also is constraints sme success ERP application one of the important factors. Common small and medium-sized enterprises management flow problems generally includes material flow not institutionalization, operation process not standardized, departments, and between the information between. Finally, management system problems will also affect the application of ERP. ERP system bring enterprise is not only a set of software, but management system of innovation. ERP system implementation will inevitably impact of the original system structure and enterprise ZeQuan system, if the original management system can't get the corresponding improvement, such as enterprise the most basic into, sales and stock management system and ERP system in law, tend to cause the ERP operation efficiency is low. Because management factors unfavorable effect, small and medium-sized enterprises at present the application of ERP in basic application level.

2.2 the organizational factors

In the enterprise of organization, the organizational factors including man and man, man and material, and the thing that the coordination of relationship. Organization is the object of management, is the object of management, it includes three aspects: the organization of resources (organization of individuals, organization structure (the organization forms group) and organization culture (organization of the formation of the group culture). First, the enterprise the quality of staff and the successful implementation of the ERP has the very big relations, good quality of employees, such as the ability to accept new things and learning ability, will be to enterprise ERP implementation of bring about a positive impact. Second, the structure of the organization is also influence the important factors in organization ERP operation. Currently most small and medium-sized enterprise organization structure for vertical integration function of the leading vertical way, this information communication and spreading way and the ERP by the enterprise information sharing and realize largest minimum redundancy abhorrent, so even if the enterprises to form the special ERP special group, may also be in the running of the organization by each department members of resistance. In addition, the enterprise is in the production and business operation activities of the formation of the creation of organizational culture. The characteristics of the enterprise is a physical form and the sum total of the system, the enterprise worker in ERP operation process is highly condensed, coordination and incentive effects, and therefore for enterprise ERP's success and failure plays an extremely key role. At present due to the influence of the factors in organization, small and medium sized enterprises to the application of ERP to higher level pheasant marching forward.

2.3 technological factors

And ERP technology related factors include two contents: one is and ERP software developers about technology, including technical installation, operation, maintenance and upgrades to the difficulty of the, such as the interface of the friendly sex, safety, reliability and network, etc.; On the other hand and technology users, including the enterprise internal external employee to the construction and use the technology, such as the construction of foundation database for the operation of the ERP influential. Generally speaking, the typical manufacturing enterprise of the underlying database including code, material list, process route and the process parameters, the necessary data who the completeness, accuracy is very important, is not only related to the implementation of the basic parameters are selected, and database of static and dynamic management system is the implementation of ERP direct carrier, so the ERP operation to the direct effect. At present due to technical factors, some small and medium-sized enterprises have to reduce the level of ERP application, such as for technology reason, this can lean level management of the business enterprise still have to just between the application of ERP association hierarchy.

2.4 environmental factors

Influence the effect of operation environment because of ERP, divided into industry environment factors and industry in the environmental factors. The so-called environmental factors in the industry, namely the industry business environment brings to the enterprise to influence, such as industry is the characteristic of labor-intensive or technology intensive, the industry's own life cycle, monopoly degree and competitive nature. And in the industry, whether it has to have some learning an example of the reference, or whether the supply chain members pressure, etc. Such as wal-mart requirements its suppliers the bar code technology and radio frequency identification (rfid) technology so as to strengthen the integration of the supply chain, from supply chain cooperation, competitive advantage, and sales channel, customer service level consideration, the enterprise had to raise the level of ERP. The industry environment is the outside pressure from industry and power, such as public management (taxes and administrative management, and so on), government intervention, the request of the consumer, the strength of foreign enterprise and the influence of ERP.

3 in middle and small enterprise ERP application countermeasures

3.1 the gradual implementation mode of ERP operation

The proposed technology acceptance theory Davis (technology acceptancemodel, hereinafter referred to as TAM) think, technical users to the use of technology and ease the higher the degree of recognition, suggests that the use of technology, the higher the intention, so for technical level of acceptance and also more high. The model since it was proposed, has been more research and gradually developed into a mature model, this theory is to assume that the essence of the usefulness and perceived ease of use of technology has the positive correlation, which can conclude that, through continuous learning can improve cognitive gradually to the use of the technology and technology of usability cognitive and, ultimately, to achieve success on the use of technology.

The gradual mode in the enterprise ERP implementation to get technical support acceptance theory, through the gradually learning process, and the cognitive the usefulness of ERP technology and the perception of the usability can obtain gradually improve. ERP information technology cognitive learning or is achieved by experience, the enterprise to the information technology of the import shall abide by this one also progressive pattern. In the initial stage of cognition, the user of the technology is not mature cognitive, can grasp the use of some primary know-how, the application of information technology and the whole enterprise also failed to business process integration phase; When the enterprise internal to new technologies are prepared, namely enterprise staff's cognitive to achieve a certain height and enterprise internal process to get the ERP operation optimization reforming, the enterprise to carry out the management of ERP.

According to the ascendant helix operation mechanism, the premise of ERP start in order: internal process of reforming, and customer relationship management, logistics industry to follow up, the reorganization of external supply chain. Although according to the gradual change model, the enterprise needs to experience a long time to get ERP benefits, but they can by timely find problems and timely adjust strategic way, thus evading ERP operation process of the risk, but also can be used for investment funds gradually accumulation and talent, guarantee ultimate success.

3.2 to carry out enterprise management mode innovation

ERP as enterprise's important lT resources, not only is a pure technical system, is also a kind of fundamentally manifest managers of management thought management mode. It's the advantage comes from in organization, release the information transmission capacity, but not completely instead of decision-making, and therefore the information advantage is not everything, vulnerable to human interference and lead to advantage loss, not reasonable enterprise cultural factors and organization structure factors may weaken its value.

For small and medium-sized enterprise that, long-term man rich color, usually to exist between informal communication is in the majority, in the management decision by most with the subjectivity of the solid exercise experience; Enterprise general use of the vertical integration of longitudinal structure, the multi-stage stratified make curtain access layer operator decision-making ability, initiative has certain lack. Not suitable for information management process, this to the ERP management based on the construction of the electronic supply chain is undoubtedly a serious challenge. Therefore, the enterprise shall seek in the management mode innovation for the original thoughts of management, organization structure adjusting, all department duties range to define. These management performance in daily management process is: the manager's control functions should be transformed into enterprise support consultants function, the leader will be more decision-making power transferred to junior staff, and its function FanSi is as business insight into the, the planning strategy; the The daily management of the process gradually precision and digital, daily management decisions gradually digital and objective, such as material flow to form institutionalized, standardized operation process form.

In addition, the enterprise shall set up a cross functional departments of the ERP project team, ERP's construction is a involved in management and technology integrated project, speak all the implementation personnel's close cooperation, this breaks the original structure of the practice of the ERP implementation process will be beneficial to the information coordination and communication. The ERP project group is responsible for the overall scheme of the plan, such as reasonable allocation of resources, policy formulation, departments relations the coordination and so on. Members of the project team inside and outside the enterprise by the business backbone, technical experts, really has some of the authority and the professional, easy to coordinate departments to do the work.

From long term planning 3.3 constructing the ERP implementation strategy

ERP implementation shall be used as the enterprise strategic business strategy of supplement, therefore, from constructing the long-term planning strategy ERP has special significance. Quite a number of small and medium-sized enterprise due to the limitation of the management often from the beginning for the ERP strategy to the construction of the long-term and make a formal, system plan. Leading to ERP planning into a dilemma.

In making ERP planning at the beginning of, enterprise should first reasonable choice of the construction of the strategy ERP mode, the key is to rational analysis of small and medium enterprises internal and external business environment. Enterprise external business environment including: enterprise in the industry, enterprise competitive and external asked supply chain, etc.; And the enterprise the internal business environment including: enterprise capital, human resources, the nature of the product, the technical parameters, to establish the urgent strategy ERP degree and so on. Only give due consideration to the internal and external business environment factors, the enterprise to the construction of the strategy ERP mode reasonable planning.

Second, the enterprise to make ERP planning respectively the short-term, medium-term and long-term goals, these goals can refer to the same larger and more standard management of enterprise, to calm base aim (benchmarking) management, that is, in the planning process for the timing of performance evaluation, find the gaps and analysis the gap.

In addition, the function of each enterprise operation plan should also department of ERP planning supportive, marketing strategy, logistics strategy, financial strategies, such as human resources strategy should provide support the implementation of ERP guarantee. Including logistics strategy and human resources strategies on ERP planning influence is bigger, such as enterprise material code of work involved to enterprise inventory of raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products coding work, as for the orderly operation ERP is closely related, at the same time the enterprise personnel training work is also the favorable ensure successful ERP.