Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems

Run a Google on keywords: SAP, JD Edwards, Peoplesoft, and other software service providers.

You may be able to get more information on the various structures of ERP available.

Tijit

The problem with ERP software is that, you don't know if it works until you used it. Not used it for a day or two but used it for 6 months at least. At that point, you're stuck with it.

Most of them are not customizable, don't believe what the salesman said. You're forced to work the way the programmer think it supposed to work. I'm using E2 and its the worse I've used. Everything is backward. You supposed to create a job before you quote for service or material.

Another problem is the system supposed to tie everyone together. So it gotta work for everyone but you can't get everyone involve in a 6 month test.

If you know someone using the system for a while, you can ask them how they like it and what problem they face.

Pineapple

I have used SAP in the past and found it very difficult and not intuitively obvious to use. Unless you want to just use the finance portion of SAP you will be performing significant operator training just to get inventory tracked.... I am a firm believer in the KISS principle as you will not be hiring all CPA's, MBA's and/or PhD's the UI does not adhere to this, hence the training. I would reccomend getting together a list of have to haves, nice to haves and wows and asking the players to come present on how there hardware and software address those issues.