Mar 1

Written by: Hall
3/1/2010 9:22 AM 

We recently worked with a company that has grown through acquisitions over the years and now has three distinct companies under one corporate umbrella. It runs each company on a separate QAD database. This company thinks it will continue to use its existing QAD ERP backbone for most core functions. However, one of its divisions is not using QAD financials and therefore struggling to get itself to a position where it can easily consolidate financials under one Chart of Accounts and system.
Management has been hesitant to make this migration because the company has not developed a Strategic IT Plan and has not confirmed a mid to long range systems footprint. Without this footprint and Strategic IT Plan, users and management are hesitant to make tactical decisions that could allow for more efficiencies in the near and long term. Unfortunately, many companies see the effort in developing a Strategic IT Plan as significant and onerous. However, the effort to gain management consensus and document the footprint can be accomplished in a matter of a few weeks for most small and medium sized companies and, as illustrated in the above example, is critical tactical day-to-day decision making.