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ERP Implementation at VIT

Prabudha Kushagra
MBA Tech. Computers 3/16/2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................ 0 ERP Implementation at VIT ........................................................................................................ 2 Prior to ERP Implementation ...................................................................................................... 2 Expectations from ERP application implementation .................................................................. 3 Implementation............................................................................................................................ 3 Overall Experience and benefits from the process ...................................................................... 4 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................. 4 References ................................................................................................................................... 5

ERP Implementation at VIT

VIT University campus is among the best computing networks in India. They were the first educational institute in India who implemented ERP across all of their departments. They identified this new avenue as a necessity to become more efficient in their day-to-day management stuff and operations across their various departments. Prior to ERP Implementation VIT had a vast number of operations which involved paper work. They had standalone computers for their different departments. These contained their specific databases which held data pertaining to these specific departments only. Therefore there was a lack of data integration and reach and thus there was this need to keep up coordination across all its departments. This led to increased operating costs. As for instance operational costs were more in stationary and help-desk. Another important concern was about tracking the actual costs incurred for activities which were not precise at this stage. Moreover there were issues often at linked sectors such as admissions, fees, attendance, marks and even in academic updates.

Appendix A. Figure 1: Before ERP Implementation

Expectations from ERP application implementation There were many expectations with the implementation of ERP software. Firstly, they considered it as an opportunity through which they would be able to maintain coordination across their various departments. Secondly, incompatible processes would be identified and eliminated. Thirdly, the complex interfaces would be removed and a common interface across systems will come into perceptive. Fourth, the number of applications required would fall. E.g. a common purchasing system will handle all purchase operations.

Implementation As there was a wide scope of application in their business and the in house skill was lacking so they employed consultants for even smaller projects. They went with the phase wise implementation approach. The applications were installed by taking one department at a time.

Appendix B. Figure 2: After ERP Implementation

They implemented PeopleSoft ERP system with all of its modules. These modules of PeopleSofts such as HR, Supply Chain, Financials, CRM, etc. are built with the PeopleTools technology. One advantage of the technology was that all the code that represents a module could be adapted to fit the owner's business needs. An additional product, PeopleSoft code is a (OOL) proprietary object-oriented language used to express the business logic of the PeopleSoft applications. The hardware solution to this consisted of two clustered servers IBM P55A with

virtualization, 2 TB storage server DS4700 and TS3100 autoloader external backup with IBM Tivoli Storage Manager. It took them approximately 18 months to come up with the complete integration and implement all the modules. In January 2005, PeopleSoft was acquired in a hostile takeover by Oracle Corporation. Overall Experience and benefits from the process ERP implementation at VIT was a challenge initially due to several factors. Some of them included convincing people, managing techno stress, high risks, higher implementation costs and issues related with downsizing. In order to avoid failures they followed certain implementation techniques such as slow process and effective testing at every module. Some benefits experienced from ERP implementation were 1. Reduced Operational Costs: The major benefits from implementation of ERP were improved coordination across functional departments and increased efficiencies of doing business. The immediate benefit from implementing ERP-systems were, it reduced operating costs and also help desk costs. 2. Facilitated Day-to-Day Management: Among other benefits from implementing ERP systems to facilitate the day-today management. Implementation of ERP systems, promote the establishment of backbone data warehouses. ERP systems offer better access to data so that management can have up to minute access to information for decision making on the payment of wages. ERP software helps track actual costs of activities and perform activity based costing. 3. Support for Strategic Planning: Strategic planning is the assessment of needs and resources to set up an idea, the target group and the goals and objectives, planning and design coordinated strategies with evidence of success to define sets, these strategies need to be logical, assets, and desired results, and measure and evaluate the consequences. Conclusions The augmenting need for information in any enterprise makes it a necessary cusp to improve or replace old and complex/non user-friendly systems. This is extremely important in the present Indian business environment in which the concept of globalization came into the picture, full convertibility has been created and infrastructure projects are coming closer to completion, and it is expected that the whole business system passes a fundamental shift. In this case, it went successful because proper planning was done prior to implementation and the evaluation was also done accordingly. Thus going for ERP proved their commitment to the education world and proficiency in modern management.

References

www.wikipedia.org vit.ac.in www.ebsco.com www.peoplesoft.com www.erpsupersite.com