October 12, 1998
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nterprise resource planning packages are evolving into
corporate ecosystems, affecting business and technology decisions that transcend the software.
ERP systems are not only a key factor in process reengineering, but they're also influencing
supply-chain partnering, management restructuring, and other strategic initiatives. A company's
ERP software choice is also having a ripple effect on application development, network
infrastructure, database, decision support, and other key technology decisions.
The findings are consistent with the spread of ERP software from its stronghold in
manufacturing and finance to all facets of the corporation, including human resources, sales,
marketing, and customer service. "ERP is touching all parts of our business, and we ultimately
want to run our entire company on one application," says Dennis Doll, VP and controller for
Elizabethtown Water Co., a Westfield, N.J., utility that has adopted SAP's R/3 software and
requires companies it acquires to do the same. Adds Stan Lanning, IS manager at MetaWave, a
maker of network equipment for cellular carriers: "Just about everything you're going to do from
an applications standpoint is going to interact with your ERP systems."
The ERP project has been critical to Earthgrains' turnaround, helping boost operating margins
from 2.4% to 3.9% and pushing its on-time product delivery rate to 99% in fiscal 1997, says
Steven Brazile, VP of business systems. R/3 has provided better information to managers to help
them set pricing, cut inventory, rationalize products, manage SKUs, and determine which
customers are the most promising. And it's helped Earthgrains sweeten relations with its
customers by ensuring that products are delivered on time, in appropriate quantities, and with
accurate invoices. One customer named Earthgrains its 1997 supplier of the year, an award
Brazile attributes in part to the company's ERP-driven improvements.Broadcom seeking Sr Staff Business Analyst in San Jose, CA
CAST Software, Inc. seeking Sr Post Sales Engineer in New York, NY
Tower Hill insurance Group, Inc. seeking Programmer in Gainesville, FL
ISES, Inc. seeking C # Engineer in Bridgewater, NJ
Dell, Inc. seeking Counsel, Distribution Law, Channel Sales Division in Austin, TX
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