Future
  March 2008The e-newsletter for Businesses Who Continually Strive for their Future State
state news
CAPSTONE ALLIANCE PARTNERS, LLC
Business Process and Technology Optimization
Click the Link below to Open and Read the entire newsletter.  Print out a copy to take with you to read later. Share copies with others on your team.
How to Tap IT’s
Hidden Potential

The reality is that CEO’s can’t ignore IT and expect to succeed.  Technology has accelerated the pace of change in business, making it critical for companies to detect, assess and respond to every opportunity and every threat as quickly and as effectively as possible.  And that kind of agility can only be achieved by fully embracing the operational and strategic importance of IT.


Tear Down The Walls

Costly Neglect: Most top executives fail to recognize the value of IT.  They think of IT as a basic utility, or as an expensive headache.

The Separation: The wall is a result of differences in mind-set and language between management staff and IT staff.

Breaking Through: Several steps that can shatter the wall including commitment from leaders for effective IT management.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, Monday March 10, 2008.

For a complete copy of the article, visit WSJ.com or, contact Capstone at info@capstoneAP.com and request a copy. 
Getting Value From Your ERP System Implementation
When considering rationalization of ERP systems and  current extensions, a valuable process for every company should include careful review of all stand-alone point solutions and home grown modules that once filled functionality gaps in older software releases. Much of this functionality is readily available today in core ERP modules. And, by eliminating these extensions and customized modules, integration efforts are also eliminated and the path to upgrades to new releases is cleared. Although often overlooked when evaluating a new business system, the payback for this type of rationalization can be exponential.


Additionally, be careful that your team understands that an ERP implementation is never completely done. There will always be innovations and technology advances to consider, and a healthy business is constantly changing and evolving—utilizing technology to it’s fullest helps sustain a business during belt tightening times.

Whether your company is trying to gradually move its business systems from “bare bones” to an industry standard, the following should help spur the necessary performance improvement and ensure your system provides the value expected.

To read more, click here...
As Lean thinking has evolved, Lean advocates have come to recognize that ERP and Lean work together very well.


Other Articles in the March Newsletter include:

  • How to Use ERP to Help in Your Lean Journey/Implementation

  • Beyond Buying: Supply-chain managers used to have one main job:  purchasing stuff cheaply.  Today, they need a whole new set of skills.

  • The Role of Technology in Lean Environments

  • Where is Lean Going Tomorrow?  Jim Womack, Founder of the Lean Enterprise Institute shares his views on how much ground we still have to cover.

  • And Much more.                               to read how implementing the RIGHT Technology can greatly improve the way your business responds to the ever-changing demands of the customer.