Optimising Business Performance with Standard Software Systems: How to reorganise Workflows by Chance of Implementing new ERP-Systems (SAP®, BAANTM, Peoplesoft®, Navision® …) or new Releases
Purpose of the Book
This book intends to show how modern Standard Software can be used as a means to the improvement of business performance.
Based on the finding that popular Standard Software implementation approaches neglect the optimisation of business processes, a pragmatic semi-process oriented approach for business development is described. This methodology can yield extensive improvements in the form of business process optimisation for initial software implementations and release migrations.
The book provides practical guidelines for project teams, project managers, implementors of Standard Software, including consulting companies. In order to fulfil that claim, detailed descriptions of project activities, applicable techniques for project tasks, and helpful documentation structures will be explained.
In contrast to other methodologies, this approach is not proprietary, i.e. it can be applied for any Standard Software of different vendors in a range of commercial applications. The underlying life-cycle model is deemed to be ‘semi-process’ oriented which means it is located between the pure function oriented and process oriented implementation approaches. The first approach is usually applied in practice and the second has been subject to widespread discussion in the literature.
We have also explained a few life-cycle models for Standard Software projects that are of major importance in practice. An evaluation of these implementation approaches shows how they fulfil the criteria for a sophisticated execution of process based Standard Software projects.
Readers who are interested in theoretical foundations of business process reengineering, business process optimisation techniques, modelling approaches, etc. will find extensive explanations in the first chapters. We also illuminate the interdisciplinary aspects
of business process optimisation and Standard Software projects.
These are often ignored in the literature, but are very important in practice.