What is Business information system?
Business information system is part of the business enterprise system that takes care of the data stream required for its functioning. In other words, it takes care of collection, transmission, archiving, processing and presenting the data of a company. Holders of data within business information system are paper documents and electronic records. Only the data in electronic form are able to provide information to company management. At the time of dynamic changes in business it is required to have strict control of the prescribed conduct and solid technological discipline. Prerequisite for such is automated business information system, supported by ERP class software.
What is ERP?
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is a software package for planning and managing all resources within the enterprise, following them through their lifetime. It is a software that supports business information system that accompanies objects, equipment, personnel, finance, business partners and other goods. Today the possession automated business information system is imperative for survival and success, and should be based on the ERP software classes.
IIB has its own ERP solutions specifically designed for:
- micro and small companies (Mali UPIS)
- small and medium-sized enterprises (UPIS.Partner) and
- medium and large corporations (UPIS.Net)
How to choose the appropriate ERP solution?
A good ERP must be applicable in various fields of business and therefore should have the tools to adapt information requirements. In other words, it should:
- possess detailed business model for the corresponding industry (manufacturing, distribution, wholesale and retail, services …)
- include all the major business processes such as planning, procurement, storage, production, maintenance, sales, finance, accounting, inventory, personnel and salaries, quality …
- be uniform, and that is easy to learn
- be customizable through parametrization
How to implement business information system?
For the successful implementation of business information system it is necessary to:
- choose an experienced team, with sound references, which is able to do an analysis of your business procedures. Do not fall easily on the big names of software products, but look for for specific references and, based on them, select your vendor.
- have a good methodology for implementation that quickly produces required results before changes in the business system occur.
What else do you have to know before you decide to implement or change business information system?
If you’re not a multinational company, which uses benefits of ERP software on its central location, avoid global ERP solutions because they are very complicated to implement and often impractical for successful and swift implementation because they possess multitude of options that will never be used in this region. These software are difficult to adapt to the specifics of the user and almost always not sufficiently adapted to our business environment. Regional ERP solutions are often incomplete. This is reflected in the fact that they often do not contain certain essential functionalities such as QM, retail, custom storehouses… They also do not support engineering, they have rudimentary manufacturing, do not cover the specifics of agriculture or utilities and other services…
To categorize: are you a small, medium or large company? Are you dynamic? Do you have a lot of transactions, documents or specifics? Please note that the information requirements of small businesses are such that one worker works more types of jobs, while in large companies there is only one type of work that is massive. From this we may conclude that there is hard to find an universal ERP solution for all kinds of businesses, but must be specially designed for small, medium and large companies. So, choose the appropriate.
Domestic regional ERP solutions, which are main holders of business knowledge in Serbia, are almost always the best choice if you are medium or large company. If you manage micro or small company you still have certain freedom of choice to choose regional or domestic ERP. Advantage of domestic software is availability of their creators, which guarantees the ability of the software to adapt to specific needs. As we have said, for small companies, which have a tendency for rapid growth, are often sufficient regional ERP solutions, but they may be incomplete, so be careful. Don’t get us wrong, regional ERP solutions are best choice in their home countries, while ours are better with us. The reason is simple, each of which was originally designed for the home country, and subsequently processed for use in the region.
What are the advantages of automated business information system?
It is generally known that to succeed means to quickly adapt to changes. Business information system accordingly gains its importance because it helps you to do the right thing, at the right time and in the right market. It helps you to follow the competition and customer demand for quality of goods and services. Business operations increasingly will be based on the mastery of information, which are becoming an important asset that will, in years to come, more directly affect the profit. Much depends on the ability to analyze data from which to draw conclusions and make valid business decisions. With a help of ERP solution, that supports business information system, you will be able to set business procesess to:
- minimize their fatigue,
- notice and take advantage of hidden features of the company,
- anticipate and reduce operating costs,
- optimize inventory,
- Purchase only from trusted suppliers,
- monitor customer satisfaction,
- raise your own development to a level that guarantees you topicality,
- successfully manage the finances and liquidity, and
- shorten the turnaround time of the material and financial resources.
To become a part of a winning team you should, as soon as possible, innovate your business information system. Raising the level of automation is the shortest way to get involved in the information age and:
- supply managers with information necessary to enable decision-making and mechanisms for the implementation of strict technological discipline,
- give instructions and guidance to direct perpetrators in order to achieve operational efficiency in work,
- provide the administrative staff with comfort and timely access to the documents which are processed.
Is there return of investment after implementation of business information system?
Implementation or innovation of business information system needs investments in: communications infrastructure, computers, equipment, network, system software, ERP software, staff training, implementation and maintenance. Each of these component is, in a wide range of prices, depending on quality, capacity, complexity, reliability, security and degree of automation so that the return on investment ranges from one to three years, usually up to five years or more, which also depends on the size of company , degree of automation, activities of the company …
