Development of an ERP System

This way the IT department can understand what the higher level and lower level employees need for system stability and a better graphical interface. Another plan of action would include the method of Systems Development Life Cycle or SDLC. The phases of this method are planning, analysis, system design, implementation and operation. First we must plan on what exactly we are trying to accomplish. We know we need to upgrade the Riordan Manufacturing system. Next we must analyze the system and look for problematic errors. A project proposal can be essential to launching a system analysis (Farah, 2013). These are things to keep in mind: understand the business situation or problem, understand the significance to the problem in the organization, think of alternate solutions, the use of computer information systems for solutions, find people interested in the solving the problem (Farah, 2013). This plan is used to decrease redundancies, errors, and increase security. Finding all the weak spots in the company will help in the improvement of integrating an updated efficiently functioning system. Feasibility is important to account for when upgrading the system. Integrating a CRM will help to work with customers and understand their needs and wants to benefit the company and the relationship with their customers. Designing the system will involve knowing what kind of software is needed to store and

The implementation portion of the Riordan project could in fact, prove to be one of the most challenging parts. However, this could be the part that is worth all of the effort. There will have to be a team of experienced developers in various different Information Technology fields to see the implementation portion stage through to completion; this cannot be known as a “one-man show.” Several of the departments within the Riordan organization will have to be given priorities when it comes to implementing the new human resource management system. Since this type of system has been deemed automated and is on an Information Technology platform, the

Riordan manufacturing has requested its information technology areas of telecommunication and network s he focus is on security and efficiency that Riordan manufacturing has encountered. The System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) method includes analysis needs and availability of

Riordan Manufacturing is in need of updating their decrepit HRIS system to stay profitable. This system will move from the legacy system, integrated with the financial system, into a new standalone system used to integrate all of the HR tools within the system presently.

The next step to gather information will be trough the interviewing of the key stakeholders and end users inside Riordan Manufacturing. Based on Kendall & Kendall (2012) an information-gathering interview is a directed conversation with a specific purpose that uses a question-and-answer format. For this the analyst will need to prepare beforehand a series of question that will as specific as possible. Being ambiguous could result in a lost of time and money for the company. Preparing also will depending on the amount of time provided for the creation of the system application. Depending on this time, the interviews will be prioritized based on which stakeholder could provide the best data for the project. If enough time is given, then all stakeholders should be interviewed accordingly.

Riordan Manufacturing has been on a steady growth pattern since it began in 1991. Riordan currently has multiple databases handling separate aspects of the company. Each branch of Riordan Manufacturing has its own databases for human resources, sales, accounting and finance, operations and security. This paper presents the problems this type of system can cause and recommendations of a system that will integrate all locations regardless of city, state or country. These recommendations will integrate Riordan’s business systems by creating a central location for the information resulting in a streamlined,

Pros. An ERP system is a necessary investment for Riordan because it integrates all departments and their respective functions across the organization into a single IT system (UMaine, 2009). There are three main benefits of ERP systems that directly address problems with Riordan’s operations. One benefit is a logical solution to a mess of incompatible applications currently in use by the organization. ERP also allows global access and sharing of organizational data as well. Additionally, implementing an ERP system will help the organization bypass the difficulties and expenses of replacing legacy systems (UMaine, 2009). An analysis of Riordan’s current issues with its Finance

After all the information is obtained, analysts will review, analyze and structure the information obtained so they can develop an overall understanding of the new system’s requirements. To define the new system requirements; drawing diagrams, workflow diagrams and activity diagrams will be used to express and model the new system’s processing requirements. Last, the IT team selects and recommends an alternative to Riordan Manufacturing. The recommendation recaps the results of the analysis phase activities, and together the team makes firm decisions about an alternative.

AnalysisIn order to design and development an integrated state-of-the art human resources information system, the initial step is to define Riordan's business needs and its current technical resources. Riordan's ERP system was installed in 1992 and independent from its branch offices. This system is an integral part of the finance and accounting application.

The adoption of the ERP software package throughout the enterprise will have a positive effect on the company. Through the elimination of data conversions and manual data reentry, the company can significantly reduce the time it takes to complete the monthly General Ledger, Income Statement, and Balance Sheet reports. The adoption of a single system instead of three will save Riordan money by reducing the IT staffing needs as it

Riordan will need research, plan, design, and develop a customized human resources system with employee management or select a third-party vendor that has experience with this type of project based on the needs of the human resources department. Project objectives will need to be organized in a manner that will help maintain an efficient project flow as well as serving as a timeline to measure the overall success of the project. Riordan Manufacturing will need to determine the goals for the project and determine which system features will best meet the needs of their company. Discussions with stakeholders will try to accomplish the understanding of existing processes and systems, learn the likes and dislikes about the processes and/or systems, and identify potential areas for improvement.

The key for implementing any change is an effective way of exchanging information between people and the process. An evaluation and appraisal plan is a written form of document that will show the detail of how the customer information system will be examined and monitored. After the evaluation the results will be used for improvements and decision making. The plan will create a sort of understanding about the changes and it will also support in facilitating a smooth transaction. If we continually monitor and evaluate the new system its effectiveness will be determined through several outcomes. Those outcomes include financial statement, customer satisfaction and employee morale. A weekly meeting at each office will be conducted by the managers to provide updates regarding improvements. Discussion meeting will be carry out to talk about the concerns of employees. The feedback will be reviewing from all users to maintain the success of the

Lastly, is the information flow and who has access to the information. The system that Riordan wants to use is the Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP system. Since they want to keep this system, the new system will have to make some changes to it and the access control system. The Riordan function will officially start going in this order suppliers, receivers, warehouse, inventory, production, sales, packing, and

Riordan would be able to manage data, text, and document management as a communication simplicity tool. As in any company, data is an informational asset that brings in earnings, investing in data management. Simply spoken, it helps to raise customer relationship management (CRM), while cutting expenses. This type of database will enable increased speeds for locating the products the customers want. It will reduce, considerably, the unauthorized purchases, and improve the efficiency in the operation, helping to also reduce errors in customer purchases. Part of the restructuring, would involve a need for Riordan implement consolidating software applications for all of the branches.

‘Feasibility’ is the stage coming after, it is when the clients establish their objectives and review options that help accomplish them. This stage may take up to 9 months (National Research Council staff et al., 2000). A large scope of change of design information may involve