Challenge

Here I wish to express my previous company carrier learning experience, which is approximately

18 years Back. When I was worked as an ERP Selection Team Member, earlier my company was

used to run an independent systems/application to post the final data to Finance system. When

I joint there, they assign me to design a system to consolidate all independent application to use

a single database. Our company was located throughout the country, so our first Job to design a

WAN Technology to make single networking system. First to learn the network feasibility for

each branch. Regarding the network connectivity we face more issues to reach connections to an

entire branch. Because in that time some area doesn’t network /wireless connection.

Second challenge to choose a suitable ERP System to fulfill our entire business requirements

with in out budget. We categorize the business sectors and each one to use a different business

units or entity, then define the finance structure, material inventory and procurement planning,

also link the HR and Payroll system to core Ledger in terms of business entity.

Selection:

We met different popular ERP companies and segregate the Team to analyze our business

requirements and Features of each ERP Systems. Consolidate the MRP (Material Requirements

Planning) then decide to choose an ERP System to implement our company. Finally, we launch

an ERP system fulfill our entire business activities.

Application:

First, we used an independent application to run each module, entry the data in redundantly.

One application end result needs to implement the other module, finally to make a consolidated

trial balance to verify the business results. Here its chance to make manual entry mistakes and

also the speed issue. Legacy systems are using on different platforms, so one application user

doesn’t perform well in another system. There we used Finance in COBOL System, HR & Payroll

Partially COBOL and Manual process in Excel sheets. The Inventory, Procurements and

Maintenance Management System are in FoxPro. My role has to study the existing applications

and to generate a consolidated data structure and then import the old data to selected ERP

System.

The Finance application used an old method of accounting segments, Inventory and

Procurements doesn’t have a structured item code.  Payroll system was link with the Finance

Application and HR Data stored in an External Excel sheet. The ERP Selection Team present

selected ERP system to a higher Management and then we choose one application. The next

challenge is studying the new system and prepare the old data to match with new system. Then

we categorize the Team to module wise, the finance team prepare the standard accounting

structure/ segments, Inventory team prepare a standard unique Item Code Structure and the

HR and Payroll prepare the Employee structure ready for implementation. Preparing the

Accounting Code combination, we got an external Auditing company’s help and convert our

existing data to that future data format and migrate the Journal Entries to ERP System.

Meanwhile we prepare a standard unique Item Code structure and store the all existing

inventory items to ERP System. Also, the prepared HR and Payroll data transfer to the core

application.

Insight

We implement the consolidated ERP System and its run from WAN Technology, then we provide

the end user training and start to use the application. The new systems Internal Integrity really

enjoyed each end user and we generate an error less Consolidated Trial Balance. The higher

Management also monitor data in their own required format. This consolidated application was

controlling the unwanted material purchase, also to support the purchasing materials in an

international market rate.

Approach

We approach each module core and end users to study the present difficulties and try to avoid

the maximum difficulties in new system. Finance application user suggest to provide a unique

code combination which has direct link with the HR & Payroll and Inventory & Procurement

module. Gathering information from each module users and its implemented to the future

system is really amazing experience. Each branch can monitor the material availability in

consolidated warehouse then after only they request new items. The consolidated system has

generate a direct interaction with each other.

