John R. Dunleavy

Is Your Company Getting the Most from Its Investment in Change? Many companies have already invested heavily in infrastructure change, some are making that investment now, and all are contemplating the costs of becoming or evolving as an e-business. Is your company a "greenfield" organization with no back-end systems, or one whose infrastructure support systems are integrated across the enterprise? Are you just beginning to think about e-business capabilities, or are you on the leading edge of convergence? Whatever your company’s position on the ERP/E-Business Matrix, E-Business and ERP: Transforming the Enterprise provides the proven techniques you need to know to meld enterprise resource planning capabilities with the communications power of the Internet. Is Your Company Positioned for E-Business Success? The Internet has revolutionized twenty-first century business. Organizations today can communicate with customers, suppliers, and sellers at e-speed with the click of a mouse. Yet, with all of the excitement about the external possibilities of the Internet, companies still need efficient internal processes to make and move products, manage finances, recruit and motivate employees, and excel. E-Business and ERP: Transforming the Enterprise covers the skills and tools you will need to combine existing ERP software and capabilities with emerging Web-based technologies. In this forward-thinking outline for a new business structure, executives and managers will discover: *Strategies for established companies to penetrate the Internet marketplace *Procedures that lower costs across the supply and demand chain *Techniques that help you meet–and master–the dot.com challenge The companies best positioned to succeed in the near future are those that can balance existing ERP-based infrastructures and capabilities with exciting new e-business innovations. E-Business and ERP: Transforming the Enterprise examines the changing but essential role of ERP, places it in the context of the Web-based technologies defining today’s e-business environment, and reveals how to blend the best aspects of both to create a strong and flexible twenty-first century business enterprise.

"One of the ways companies are looking for competitive advantage in this frenetic [business] environment . . . is through the use of a tactical technique called shared services. . . . In this book, we bridge [the] chasm between the theory of how a shared services operation 'ought to' work and the practical issues involved in how to make it work, how to carry out a successful implementation of a shared service operation in your business."-from the Preface. Gaining competitive advantage in today's fierce business environment requires focus throughout the company on value, as measured by quality, cost, speed, and service. In the quest for superior performance, a growing number of companies are now turning to shared services, a tactical technique by which corporations can organize financial and other transaction-oriented activities to reduce costs and provide better service to business unit partners. Written by four authorities, three PricewaterhouseCoopers consultants and the executive who has directed the shared service efforts at Lucent Technologies, this comprehensive resource-the first of its kind-examines shared services from the macro issues that compel senior management to embrace this approach through the design and implementation of a shared services environment that leads to increased customer and shareholder value. Of all the tools available for gaining competitive advantage, why shared services? One of the principal reasons is that it creates, through consolidation of often disparate activities, more of a "one company" feel among business units. The benefits of this are twofold: one, it enables companies to show a consistent face to clients and customers, vendors and suppliers, shareholders and potential shareholders; two, it provides increased flexibility to all of the business' operations, allowing corporate leaders to maintain a global perspective while at the same time allowing business unit leaders to take strong, customer-focused actions. Providing both a domestic and global view, Shared Services addresses the full spectrum of issues, including: * Assessing whether shared services is right for you-issues to consider, goals to be reached. * Getting started-building support, establishing an effective organization, instituting continuous communication. * Setting up the infrastructure-billing shared services to business units, dealing with tax and legal entity issues. * International challenges-complexity, time zone, legal issues, currency stability, and security. * Program and project management-structures, planning, execution, and control. A groundbreaking book that examines a timely and important topic, Shared Services is an accessible and thorough guide to what could be a critical component in achieving long-term business success. This comprehensive resource is the first to introduce, explain, and explore shared services, an innovative business strategy that involves centralizing various business units, including accounting and transactional operations, to reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction. Presenting a practical and easy-to-follow blueprint for the smooth and sound implementation of shared services in your organization, Shared Services: Adding Value to the Business Units covers all the fundamentals, from how to get started to proper management techniques.

Crucial Help for Getting the Most from Today’s Information Systems Technology Deciding what type of information systems your company will need to stay competitive into the twenty-first century is a highly complex and risky exercise. SAP: An Executive’s Comprehensive Guide provides the information you need to assess your options realistically and make the most informed decisions possible. Written by a team of business, financial, and information systems professionals who have extensive experience with SAP system implementations at Fortune 500 companies, this book:*Explores the strategic role of client/server enterprise computing now and in the next century*Helps you to evaluate your company’s long-term IS requirements*Offers an impartial look at SAP R/3 strengths and weaknesses*Outlines the costs and benefits involved in implementing SAP R/3*Helps you decide whether SAP R/3 is right for your organization*Shows you how to make SAP R/3 an integral part of process redesign*Covers all key technical SAP aspects of concern to IS professionals