The "Understanding, Justifying and Implementing an ERP System" course presents the training material from the "Introduction to ERP" course developed by APICS, the Association for Operations Management, in webinar format. Sponsored by brij Image & Information Inc, and led by an APICS instructor, Tim Lyons, CFPIM, the course uses lecture, exercises and a case study to provide a foundation for selection and implementation of ERP software within an organization. Participants will learn how to develop a business case for an ERP implementation, manage business process and organizational changes during implementation, and properly structure an ERP implementation.
Originally designed for classroom-based delivery, the course has been adapted for delivery over the web. "Too often companies approach an ERP selection or implementation without understanding some fundamentals of ERP software, best practices, what criteria to use to select software or how to approach an implementation" notes Lyons.
"This is not surprising. Business people don't select and implement ERP software on a regular basis--their job is to manage aspects of a company's operations, and they just aren't armed with the skills they need to make sure they are getting the most value from their ERP software purchase and implementation."
While the "Introduction to ERP" APICS course has been available for years, the people that need it most are usually key company individuals identified to participate in an ERP software selection and/or implementation process. These individuals already bear significant responsibility within a company and are the least likely to have large blocks of time available to travel to a classroom based course.
To address this need, the course has been adapted to a series of shorter sessions delivered over the Web. Students can attend sessions and interact with the instructor live over the Internet or they can view sessions that have been recorded. The course also includes personal mentoring sessions to help students adapt the lessons they learn to their own specific organizations.