What Is The Difference Between ERP And Enterprise System?

Enterprise system and Enterprise Resource Planning System terms are similar but there is difference between an enterprise system and an ERP system. An ES or enterprise system is a large scale system which includes packages like ERP and CRM. ERP is a subset of Enterprise System or it can be said that ES is a superset of ERP. It contains a variety of solutions. ES contains applications and packaged solutions which can be directly used in an enterprise. On the other hand ERP system is the automation of the business processes and the solutions are in the form of modules which are designed according to the client's requirements.

The functions are customized according to the client's business environment. Enterprise system does not include architecture of other solutions whereas an ERP implementation automates systems using technical aspects. ERP system includes architectures and databases and is client server architecture. The system is server based therefore the consultant needs to be aware of the technical aspect too.

ENTERPRISE

Another difference between an ES and an ERP system is that the ERP is aimed at improving the functionalities of the organization whereas the ES helps to improve the overall maintenance and accuracy. It provides for better solutions and aids in decision making. ES is difficult to implement compared to Enterprise resource planning and even the timeframe needed for implementation maybe more. The overall impact is high but so are the risks involved. If the ES is not implemented in the right manner, it can cause business failure and if implemented properly it can increase the efficiency and profits of the business organization. It is normally required when there is a big drawback in the current procedures and methodologies in the organization and need to be corrected. The company going in for enterprise system needs to be careful while choosing the software and the vendors due to the risk of failure involved.

The difference between an enterprise system and an ERP system is that ERP is mostly used for medium scale companies to big companies and ES is restricted to the big companies. There are many complex functions involved in big companies which cannot be provided solutions for alone by ERP. The role of ERP is restricted when compared to enterprise system because it does not include customer relationship or vendor management.

These applications are needed when the business process is complex and on a big scale. Therefore bigger organizations need to go with ES instead of enterprise resource planning alone. ERP is also an important system to streamline the internal processes but it does not provide for taking care of the external processes. Enterprise system takes care of the end to end business process of organization since it involves other applications also like SCM and CRM. There is quite a lot of difference between an enterprise system and an ERP and it depends on the company whether it wants to go with an ES to streamline the entire process starting from supplying, production and customer or whether he wants to go with an ERP system to streamline the internal process.

What Is The Difference Between ERP And Enterprise System?

Read about ERP Benefits. Also know about SAP ERP Review.

ENTERPRISE

Mobile Operating System Battlefield Remains Unsettled as Australians Mobilise Their Enterprise

Market researcher and consultancy has recently conducted its annual business end-user survey, which polled over 900 Australian decision makers, making it the largest of its kind in the country. Survey results on mobile and wireless, presented in the Telsyte Australian Business Mobile Usage and Directions: 2007 End-User Survey report, have led us to conclude that while companies have advanced in enterprise mobility adoption, technology fragmentation, lack of standardisation and end-user confusion remain key market features.

enterprise ssd

With Australia becoming a GSM-only market and emerging WiMAX-based solutions still in nascent stages, technology fragmentation has perhaps become most noticeable in the mobile device and operating system area.

ENTERPRISE

Telsyte finds that a small number of device vendors dominate the business mobile handset market in Australia, with survey results showing Nokia as the most popular vendor by far. The Finnish company is selected by two-thirds of Australian firms as their handset supplier of choice. Motorola and Sony-Ericsson, which appear to be more popular in smaller-size organisations, trail in a distant second and third spot, and collectively these top three suppliers are the primary handset providers to 80% of all businesses.

It should be noted that most business handsets are regular mobile phones, and not smart phones with an operating system (OS). Therefore, while Nokia, Motorola and Sony-Ericsson dominate the overall business handset installed base, the competitive dynamics in the smart phone segment are completely different. That market continues to be led by RIM, manufacturer of the BlackBerry device and solution.

Segmentation analysis indicates that, as would be expected, RIM's presence is more pronounced among companies with a high degree of wireless email penetration, including larger-size firms and those in the professional services, financial services, and telecom & media verticals. RIM's presence also appears to show little variation across the customer bases of the three carriers offering the BlackBerry solutions in Australia - Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.

One of the major areas of consideration for decision makers when mobilising the enterprise is the selection of the mobile device and the OS that runs on it. Device selection, coupled with other key considerations such as network technology and solution selections, continues to pose a challenge for Australian companies. Exacerbating the issue is that the mobile device, and the OS, landscape remains highly fragmented with a number of proprietary solutions that are not compatible with one another.

The fragmentation and indecision are set to continue, as more than half of Australian companies reported no mobile OS standardisation plans as they move further to embrace mobility. The rates of indecision are as high as 60% to two-thirds among SOHO and small companies.

Emerging as the OS of choice is Microsoft Windows Mobile, which powers such devices as HP, iMate, O2 and Dopod smart phones, and most recently the Palm Treo 750. While benefiting from the Windows OS look and feel that most business users are accustomed to, Microsoft's share in the Australian mobile OS market has grown at a rate slower than the vendor would have liked. This has been due to the stronghold fiercely guarded by RIM.

Although competition is set to intensify, Telsyte believes RIM's outlook remains highly positive as 14% of respondents indicated a preference for its OS. Given that the Canadian vendor is now the primary handset supplier to 4% of Australian firms, this finding suggests a potential new market of 10% of businesses that RIM could capitalise on immediately. As with its current installed base, preference for RIM grows stronger with company size. Preferences for the Palm OS and Nokia-backed Symbian OS as the OS to standardise on are limited by comparison.

Mobile Operating System Battlefield Remains Unsettled as Australians Mobilise Their Enterprise

About the Author

Warren Chaisatien is the Managing Director of Telsyte (http://www.telsyte.com.au), an Australian-based market research and consultancy specialised in the competitive intelligence of the converged communications market. Telsyte’s expertise is centered around the three core competency areas of Carrier & Broadband, Mobile & Wireless, and Enterprise Communications. Telsyte provides industry insights through custom research and consulting as well as ongoing research, including market reports and online databases.

ENTERPRISE