In: Operations Management
Q1: How do these 3 tools enhance communications and
collaborations? (Answer for each of the following 3
tools)
1. ERP systems
2. Video conferencing tools
3. Decision Support Systems
Q2: Name some brands and provide their features (Answer for each of the above 3 tools)
Q3: Provide some specific examples and applications in project management (Answer for each of the above 3 tools)
An ERP system can be seen as the business process management software which facilitates any business organization to implement the system of integrated solutions in order to effectively manage the business and have the automation of various back office functions. With the help of EPR system, the different department can coordinate with each other effectively as they can simply look at the ERP system for the information which they require. ERP system improves the communication among the departments as there is a free flow of information, different types of reports are created on the basis of the requirement of a certain department. Some of the most popular ERP systems are as below:-
NetSuite ERP:- It is mainly used to provide the comprehensive financial management capabilities and can be used effectively by the small and medium organizations. It can be deployed both on the cloud-based system or on the local server and is compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux OS.
Cloudsuite Industrial SyteLine :- It is mainly used for managing the sales order, CRM, interdepartmental communication and so on. It can be used by small, medium and large organizations and can be deployed both on the cloud-based system or on the local server and is compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux OS.
ERP system can be used in project management in order to monitor and control the different steps of the project The different project team can coordinate and communicate with each other related to the allocation of resources, to check any kind of variances and so on.
Video Conferencing Tools:- These tools are used in order to facilitate the users to have free communication by being located at different location. With the help of these tools, the different individuals can interact with each other without requiring to present at the same place. This really helps in time-saving and improve coordination as the members are now required to be at the same place and they can interact anytime.
The main video conferencing tools are as below:-
Skype:- It is quite user-friendly tools and provides a number of features to the users such as like text, voice, and video calls, and thus it is not limited only up to video conferencing. I can be used with mobile phones, tablets, laptop, computers or even TV.
Hangout:- This is provided by Google and supports both text and video interaction and it can handle the group communication up to 10 users. In order to use this tool, no third party software is required.
Decision Support System:- DSS is mainly the combination of various software and data warehouse which are used by the decision makers to have the informed and timely decisions It provides the facility of creating a prototype of the various situation and thus the better decision making can be ensured. DSS helps in improving coordination and different members of the management can create various reports and presentation as per their requirements without asking it from any department. The different types of DSS tools are as below:-
FINANSEER, Budget Expres, Micro
FINANSEER, Budget Expres, Micr SIMPLAN are the example of DSS which facilitates the financial simulation and modeling. SAS, Forecast Master Plus, ESP etc are used for used for statistics and econometric purposes.
With the help of DSS, the project managers can evaluate the different performance factors of the project management. They can simulate various models in order to judge the performance of the project. This is widely used to foresee the future application and performance of the projects.