1. Business Applications Overview

2. Trends Driving e-business  Velocity of business is increasing  Enterprise boundaries are disappearing  Expectations for technology are rising

3. Legacy Systems  Existing computer systems and software, often using 1970’s technology  Problems: Outdated languagesOutdated languages Often incapable of running in real timeOften incapable of running in real time Undocumented (designers no longer alive!)Undocumented (designers no longer alive!) No customer focusNo customer focus

4. Too many Spreadsheets!  Many businesses rely on separate databases  Functional manager may make conflicting decisions based on different data E.g., Sale figures from the sales department may be different to the accounting departmentE.g., Sale figures from the sales department may be different to the accounting department

5. Evolution of Business applications Task Oriented Functional Applications Integrated Cross-Functional Applications

6. Kalakota’s 7 types of applications  Customer relationship management  Enterprise resource planning  Supply chain management  Selling-chain management  e-Procurement  Enterprise application integration  Business intelligence, knowledge management and decision support

7. CRM  CRM entails all aspects of interaction a company has with its customer, whether it be sales or service related  Main dimensions: SalesSales ServiceService MarketingMarketing  CRM software attempts to integrate these functions as one

10. ERP  a business management system that integrates all facets of the business  A ERP system consists of ERP software that automates internal business processes, hardware and Operating Systems that run ERP software

11. ERP Forecasting & Planning Accounting Finance Warehousing & Inventory Mgt Purchasing & Material Mgt Finished Product Distribution

14. Supply Chain Management  The process of optimizing delivery of goods, services and information from supplier to customer  Supply chain management applications attempt to: Reduce inventory with real time schedulingReduce inventory with real time scheduling Find bottle necks in production/distributionFind bottle necks in production/distribution Integrate activities of partner businessesIntegrate activities of partner businesses

16. Selling chain management  Selling chain management applications integrate marketing and selling and sales functions into one seamless activity  Aim: to process sales more quickly and reduce “sales” overheads  Includes: product customization,product customization, Pricing and contract management,Pricing and contract management, quotes and proposal generationquotes and proposal generation Commission managementCommission management Promotions ManagementPromotions Management

18. e-Procurement  These applications focus on automating and integrating enterprise procurement activities e- Procurement Office Supplies Services Business Travel Computer Equipment MRO

21. Enterprise application integration  Connecting CRM to ERP  Allows businesses to track business activities from customer purchases to product delivery  Results in quicker product delivery and improved business responsiveness

23. Business intelligence, knowledge management and DSS  Transform raw data into useful information  OLAP systems (Online analytical Processing) provide fast analysis of shared multidimensional information (eg Microsoft data analyser)

24. The way forward….  In house software design is dead. Businesses can no longer afford to develop systems in isolation  Choosing standardized software modules that interface seamlessly with existing systems is the way forward

25. Journal question of the week What are some of the unique application integration issues faced by international businesses operating across national boundaries? Include three (3) issues. What are some of the unique application integration issues faced by international businesses operating across national boundaries? Include three (3) issues.