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T&D Extra is an information service of Training & Development
magazine, published by the American Society for Training &
Development,
www.astd.org. ************************************************************
THIS WEEK:
1. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems
2. America's Learning eXchange
3. IT Training Crystal Ball
THE HUMAN SIDE OF IMPLEMENTING ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (ERP)
SYSTEMS
Businesses worldwide spend $10 billion annually on enterprise resource
planning (ERP) systems, such as SAP, PeopleSoft, Oracle, and Baan.
These systems are designed to integrate all of the information flowing
through a company. Implementing an ERP system is extremely costly, yet
an organization can lose its investment by ignoring "the human side"
of implementation, including training and organizational change
management. In fact, one group of executives ranked human factors such
as training and education number one as a success factor in
implementing ERP systems.
Reference Sources:
* Techra ERP Supersite
Produced by Technology Research Associates (Techra), this site claims
to be the premier site on the Web for information on ERP products and
services. It offers dozens of forums and chat groups on ERP topics,
news from leading vendors, analyses of the marketplace, and employment
opportunities. The site also lists consulting companies and training
companies for all kinds of ERP software. There's even a forum for ERP
jokes and humor.
* Datamation
This site consists of several articles on implementing ERP systems.
One of the most useful is "How to Survive ERP," by Elaine L. Appleton.
Appleton's article presents case studies of ERP implementation at
three manufacturing companies: Cable Systems International, Dana
Corporation, and Par Industries. The article points out that the most
important skills in implementation may be communication skills and
team building.
Another article, entitled "Desperately Seeking SAP Support," by Emily
Kay, says out that consultants who can implement SAP systems charge up
to $2,500 a day because of a national skills shortage. The article
offers criteria for evaluating SAP consultants and provides links to
ERP implementation services.
* SAP Resource Centre
This one provides links to SAP consulting companies, contractors,
publications, products, and clients. Published by an Australian IT
consultant named Adrian Bell, this site also provides a SAP FAQ
section.
(Source: ASTD Information Center)
AMERICA'S LEARNING EXCHANGE
ALX, a component of America's Labor Market Information System, is a
public market for Internet education and training resources. Vendors,
employers, and individuals are posting training information to the
system in preparation for a full system rollout. You can browse the
prototype Website now at
www.alx.org. IT TRAINING CRYSTAL BALL
According to Elliott Masie of The Masie Center, the next phase of IT
and Computer Training is going to be challenging. Here are some
predictions:
* Learners need to develop better information filtering and
verification skills.
* The majority of commercial transactions will migrate to intranet-
and extranet-based front ends. Each business will require the skills
to create and modify those formats on-the-fly.
* Business-level staff will need new levels of IT skills and
background to be able to more deeply leverage technology for profit
and productivity.
* Managing high-confidence computer users will be a challenge for
organizations. The next generation of users will require a new model
for managing computer usage on work goals.
* The Y2K Problem is a warning for organizations. Computing strategies
must be screened deeply for organizational impacts. Those skills will
need to be driven throughout the organization.
* The lines between IT Training and Organizational Training are
getting fuzzier.
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T&D EXTRA point of contact is Donna Abernathy, technology and products
editor,
dabernathy@astd.org.
Remember to bookmark our Webpage -
http://www.astd.org/virtual_community/td_magazine. ************************************************************