Next Generation Enterprise Software Put to Test
Jan, 7th 2010
It is that time of the year where many of us look into the crystal ball to predict the future. As the challenge for business and technology strategists is to see where enterprise software is going - and not where it has been - it should be obvious why we spend mind and time on getting it right.
ComActivity stands for accountability. In the Straight Talk Archive you can review my previous predictions. These are still very valid. Some of you may nevertheless think I have not been enthusiastic enough about the Cloud, On Demand and SaaS model? If so, it is unintended. These capabilities - just as shorter time to value, lower cost and greater flexibility - are synonymous with Next Generation enterprise software.
It is difficult to recall any new capability about which the basic question, "Now, what is it again that makes it happen?" was still being asked years after it emerged. Sure, the enabler of the Cloud (I am using the word "cloud" as a synonym for software as a service (SaaS) and/or on demand, rather than jumping from one term to another) is standardization of the IT infrastructure where browser-based computing is key.
That Next Generation enterprise software is 100% Web-compliant is a no-brainer. It is therefore rather shocking that companies still buy non-Web applications. Several ERP systems based on 'screen scraped' user interfaces alien to the Web are still paid for. People agree visualization is better than code and that stepwise implementation is better than one big bang. But too often they still invest in old software. Why?
Lack of familiarity and credibility are major concerns for every new capability. People are not stupid. They want evidence. A convincing business case must exist before an investment can be approved. But the prime reason why Next Gen enterprise software has struggled to speed up the adoption rate is that its providers have been more technically oriented than solution oriented.
Businesspeople and many CIOs are much more interested about how applications are used than how they are developed. Technology provides an enabler but not the complete solution is their standpoint. And they are right. Therefore, they better be convinced about the value of Next Gen applications from a business' perspective than a developer's perspective.
Automation of routine tasks still provides great opportunity to improve efficiency. To increase sales you need to delight customers in all aspects - including keeping delivery promises and fulfilling their needs in an integrated Web environment.
ComActivity is now inviting you to assess the business benefits of Next Gen software solutions through live demonstrations. Here follows three out of many examples:
- How you can go from 25 PC screens to 1 web-page for item maintenance with visualized workflow, dynamic access control and by-directional audit trail.
- How your entire supply chain can be controlled via exception alerts and how a change of supply can spread through all dependent orders at once.
- How your customers can enter and monitor orders in a secured, elegant, fast and flexible environment. A good user experience creates engaged customers. Engaged customers are becoming loyal customers. And loyal customers results in continued sales growth and profit.
Thanks for your interest and remember if you have any comments or ideas you like to share - you are welcome to write me on:
peter.bjorkman@comactivity.netSTRAIGHT TALK ARCHIVE 
