Westye

The first part of the process of selection of an applications software package was to determine what Westye needed. Under this process, they sought to develop criteria for how business solutions companies would address their specific needs. Here, they outlined these through the creation of 160 issues related to Westye’s business processes. The second step included determining the specific small midmarket business solutions that can address Westye’s needs. In here, considerable attention was given by the company towards finding competent providers and was equally reduced to 27 companies who shall then be subjected interview and questioning. The third process that the company took was the selection process. Here, Westye based their choice in the capacity of small midmarket business solutions to address their needs. Given the specific criteria, the company was able to consolidate effective responses coming from Microsoft Business Solutions – Navisione and became the primary choice. The last part involved finding the necessary partner that can help address the issues and problems of Westye. Here, the choice of ICS Advantage revolved around the ability of the company to facilitate better means of integrating a collaborative long term strategy and relationship with Westye. Likewise, the company also sought a committed and driven partners who can fulfill the company’s needs accordingly. Analyzing the specific strategy employed by Westye, it could have improved its selection process if it had tried (1) to set specific standards for choices above the 160 criteria, (2) provided inputs on how the old MAPICS system can be integrated towards the recommended changes, and (3) considering long term strategies and options for employees. Seeing this, the value then of the first input corresponds to the capacity to examine further not only the technical and operational business schemes influencing Westye but also try to integrate it in the way people do business. By setting up these standards, vendors can then align their proposals to meet these realities accordingly. The second part corresponds to allowing Westye proper transition from its old system and incorporating them into the new one. This can help new participants to have a grasp of what the new system is and leverage increased costs in education and training of people. The last part corresponds to outlining how these new strategies impact the workforce in both education and application. By inducing opportunities to include feedback and reaction, it can help facilitate better means of transcending competency and ability to harness effective skills for operation and diversification of tasks by employees within Westye. (2) Analyzing the specific advantages of utilizing a package development, it revolves around (1) revamping the old MAPICS system, (2) effective support mechanism, (3) allows standardization of Westye’s processes and (4) infusing simple means to increase efficiency of production. Here, the first process takes into consideration deriving valuable opportunities for Westeye to address the loopholes and inefficiencies of the old MAPCIS system. By incorporating packaged software, it can veer away from the old system and incorporate new ones that can be synchronized with the companies needs. The second advantage is that technicians can effectively carry out repairs and updates of a packaged system compared to a customized one. Such directions also provides standardization of processes as the new software then incorporates actions by the workforce and takes into account key trends in a more facilitative and effective manner. Lastly, using the tools of a packaged software, it can help Westye align these to infuse efficiency in production and consolidate these with the goals of the company. On the other hand, specific disadvantages of a packaged system revolves around (1) associated costs, (2) lack of innovation, (3) issue of control, and (4) the issue of customization. In the first part, it considers the value of costs related to training employees once again with new processes and how to operate such packaged system. Another hurdle that packaged system can contribute is the lack of innovation wherein companies have the last say in the design and applications included in the design of the software package. The same can be seen with the issue of control. Though ICS provides Westye control over data and inputs, it limits the capacity of businesses to take into consideration establishing a user-interface that is efficient for their use or responsive to their needs. The last one revolves around the process of customization. Here, additional costs can be incurred if new changes and amendments may be undertaken by Westye in expanding its business processes and integrating new means for gathering data necessary for production. Seeing this, the idea of using a Navision package is more suited to the needs of the Westye group. Such analysis revolves around the need to revamp and change the old MAPICS system and consolidate better means of acquiring information in a more effective and efficient manner. By using a packaged solution, the company can cater towards creating better means to address the problem in a faster manner and take advantage of its comparative advantage over its competitors. Similarly, this decision can also align the company’s processes to what is essential to the needs of the company both in its short and long term strategies. (3) Responding to the advantages of Navision compared to ERP, they include (1) filtering inefficient processes, (2) consolidating data effectively, (3) incorporating new technological features, and (4) new structure to cater for the needs of Westye. The value of the first advantage corresponds to taking into consideration changing the loopholes and boundaries within the old MAPICS system and generating better means for analysis and acquisition of data. In the second part, Navision gives better means of consolidating data with its new framework and platform different from that of the old system. Alongside this is the associated new features wherein employees can take advantage of. By using these new technologies, it has developed effective means to cater the needs of Westye in terms of determining inputs and data necessary to transact and establish partnerships with clients. On the other hand, there are also associated disadvantages that Navision has over adding ERP modules which include (1) costs, (2) employee integration and education, (3) adjustments, and (4) value of time. One essential setback by the Navision involves the corresponding costs. Since the overall system shall be revamped, it takes into account changing the business processes. Alongside this are the new means of training personnel and employees of proper procedures and mechanisms necessary. Such then brings about adjustments and puts into the table the question of time in achieving specific goals and objectives. These then create necessary implications for the company especially in the short term as it may affect the overall productivity of the company during these times of adjustment and changes. Though there are indeed associated setbacks with the application of the Navision package, it can be seen that it has consolidated better means for Westye to expand and develop its business processes. By utilizing specific strategies related to determining loopholes in the previous system, it was able to create a new framework that supports the interests and goals of Westye. At the same time, by infusing these directions, the company can then legitimize its opportunities to create competitive advantage and standardize the dynamics related to finding the means to diversify business processes and generate increased productivity. (4) Analyzing the advantages of the customization scheme created by Navsion, they correspond to (1) wider company control, (2) taking into consideration competitive advantage, (3) access to real time data, and (4) consolidating to the needs of employees. In the first one, it caters to the formalization of how employees control the system. The customization process furthered this by giving opportunities for personnel to make important decisions concerning specific business processes. Such dynamic then provided the ability to establish competitive advantage as it opened up means to establish efficiency in decision making and harness the skills in responding to such. Alongside this direction, Westye was also able to provide effective access to trends and data necessary. Since they are heavily reliant in these, the customization process help employees fulfill their roles without having to sort and tabulate trends, hence easier transmission of data to clients. On the other hand, there are also associated negative reactions to such customization. These revolve around (1) re-training of employees, (2) hampering of production, (3) difficulty in establishing technical support, and (4) complexity in administering changes. In here, the customization process hampers employee’s responsibilities because they are given new training about the system and what they do. Such actions then hamper time and capacity to work at their optimal level and in turn hamper production. Another setback is that it creates difficulty in pointing out problems particularly if these processes remain intertwined and correlated with one another. The same can be seen with the application of changes within the system. Since it is designed to fit Westye’s needs, Navision may find it difficult to correlate including new features as it may need to be synchronized with other related processes. 5) Analyzing the point established by the case that Westye’s system provides ‘real-time data access’, it can be argued that it is the same with the term ‘online input’ plus ‘online processing’. Here the idea of real time corresponds to the actual input of data provided by a specific program or software wherein it analyzes specific trends and issues inputted by the user. Seeing this, such process then corresponds to ‘online input ’ plus ‘online processing’ for it utilizes specific measures in generating effective patterns of analysis and justifying its scope and value to whatever purpose it may seek to serve. Seeing this, the company indeed has ‘online input’ plus ‘online processing’. This can be seen in the manner of how the company adheres to its business processes. In here, the derivation and analysis of information remains crucial for the company to remain competitive. That is why it needs up-to-date information to give its clients so as to harness effective means in making crucial business decisions and Westye provides such information to them.