I'm someone who tends to open most of my email if the url resembles anything that looks familer to me. Tonight I opened what I thought was a typical spam email, to find a nice surpise. See below....
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Hi khay, (the user id = Kim Hayward)
As a top contributor for the past week at ITtoolbox Wiki, your article,"Plexus Online", was promoted in the ERP-Decision-Makers newsletter onTuesday.
ERP-Decision-Makers newsletter can be viewed (The link will expire after four days.) Please feel free to contact me directly with questions or suggestions about ITtoolbox Wiki. I hope you continue to find value in this knowledge sharing community.
Best regards,SonjaSonja Soderberg ITtoolbox Wiki Helper ITtoolbox "Professional IT Community" SonjaSoderberg@ITtoolbox.com My profile: http://www.ittoolbox.com/profiles/ssoderberg
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Decision Maker Wiki
Recent Wiki Contributions Plexus Online
One crusader in the ERP market has been Plexus Systems, whose Plexus Online ERP offering is now being accessed by some 30,000 registered users across roughly 1,200 plants. The Plexus SaaS offering encompasses such ERP functions as accounting, inventory, costing, and CRM, but... More...Last modified by khay , member since 2/8/2003
Top
Wiki Top Contributor: khay Created: Plexus Online Contents: "One crusader in the ERP market has been Plexus Systems, whose Plexus Online ERP offering is now being accessed by some 30,000 registered users..."...Continued at ITtoolbox Wiki.
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This Wiki honor email made me head over to the ITtoolbox site to take a look around, below you'll see what I think is the very first post ever made by me on the ITtoolbox site , wow 2001. I must have stayed away for a couple of years moved url's from www.plex-sys.com to http://www.plex.com/ and forgot my password.
Take a look at this ITtoolbox post below you can clearly see some of the same advice is relevant to the Software as a Service industry as it was to the ASP delivery model. Has it really taken 6 years for the rest of the software world to catch on to this line of thought?
Reply from Kim Hayward on 5/31/2001 12:05:00 AM
ITtoolbox Portal for ERP - http://ERP.ITtoolbox.com
Steve,
I would also recommend including not only ERP, but search for a ERP supplied by an ASP (Application Service Provider)in your study.
Although ASP and its Web-based technology is new, the basic concept of outsourcing is not. Companies like ADP (Automatic Payroll Processing) have been outsourcing payroll services for years. In a way, ASP shares some similarities with the old days when we used to timeshare on mainframes. Even so, the idea of hosting critical databases offsite will worry some management teams, especially those that aren't keen on outsourcing. But ASP's invest millions of dollars in hardware, software, infrastructure, and IT staff; something many manufacturing companies can't afford to do. ASP's put in redundant connections, security firewalls, and many other measures to make sure their systems are protected and always available.
Many experts believe that because of its centralization scheme and economies of scale, ASP's will be able to deliver information systems that are more secure, more reliable, and more effective than traditional internal systems.
In the late 1800's when electricity was first invented, only the rich could afford it. They would hire an electrical engineer to setup a generator in the backyard, and then retain that costly engineer to nurse along the hand-built system. Today, we simply plug in to a wall outlet. We don't have a generator in the backyard and we don't even think about the power plant from which our electricity comes. Yes, occasionally we lose electrical power, but far less than back in the old days when it was a hand-built local generator. The risk of occasional power outages doesn't stop us from using electricity. In the future, or perhaps now, information services will be provided and paid for as a basic utility. Think of it as an information system on tap. If the need for a new or upgraded software package is on your company's horizon, the ASP approach warrants consideration. It's important to select an ASP that makes sense for your situation.
Here are several factors to consider: The most important factor in selecting an ASP is the quality and capability of their software. Whether its delivered via a T1 circuit or hosted locally doesn't change whether the software fits your needs and helps you improve your operation.
Beware: many ASP's simply rehash their existing software, or purchase someone else's standard package, then pipe it to you. Make sure the ASP is reputable, trustworthy, and responsive to its customer's needs. You can�t ascertain that from a brochure. Ask for a customer list and call as many as you can. Talk to them. Listen to their stories. You'll soon determine whether this is the right ASP for you. If an ASP can't provide a customer list, then don't bother. Finally, make sure the ASP has experience in your field. There are all sorts of ASP's, offering a vast range of different services, and the number is growing exponentially. A company that sells retail systems, Internet services, or just hosts your hardware probably won't have the background necessary to fulfill your company's needs.
Kim Hayward Plexus Systems
---------------------------
Hi khay, (the user id = Kim Hayward)
As a top contributor for the past week at ITtoolbox Wiki, your article,"Plexus Online", was promoted in the ERP-Decision-Makers newsletter onTuesday.
ERP-Decision-Makers newsletter can be viewed (The link will expire after four days.) Please feel free to contact me directly with questions or suggestions about ITtoolbox Wiki. I hope you continue to find value in this knowledge sharing community.
Best regards,SonjaSonja Soderberg ITtoolbox Wiki Helper ITtoolbox "Professional IT Community" SonjaSoderberg@ITtoolbox.com My profile: http://www.ittoolbox.com/profiles/ssoderberg
--------------------------------------------------------
Decision Maker Wiki
Recent Wiki Contributions Plexus Online
One crusader in the ERP market has been Plexus Systems, whose Plexus Online ERP offering is now being accessed by some 30,000 registered users across roughly 1,200 plants. The Plexus SaaS offering encompasses such ERP functions as accounting, inventory, costing, and CRM, but... More...Last modified by khay , member since 2/8/2003
Top
Wiki Top Contributor: khay Created: Plexus Online Contents: "One crusader in the ERP market has been Plexus Systems, whose Plexus Online ERP offering is now being accessed by some 30,000 registered users..."...Continued at ITtoolbox Wiki.
------------------------------------------------------
This Wiki honor email made me head over to the ITtoolbox site to take a look around, below you'll see what I think is the very first post ever made by me on the ITtoolbox site , wow 2001. I must have stayed away for a couple of years moved url's from www.plex-sys.com to http://www.plex.com/ and forgot my password.
Take a look at this ITtoolbox post below you can clearly see some of the same advice is relevant to the Software as a Service industry as it was to the ASP delivery model. Has it really taken 6 years for the rest of the software world to catch on to this line of thought?
Reply from Kim Hayward on 5/31/2001 12:05:00 AM
ITtoolbox Portal for ERP - http://ERP.ITtoolbox.com
Steve,
I would also recommend including not only ERP, but search for a ERP supplied by an ASP (Application Service Provider)in your study.
Although ASP and its Web-based technology is new, the basic concept of outsourcing is not. Companies like ADP (Automatic Payroll Processing) have been outsourcing payroll services for years. In a way, ASP shares some similarities with the old days when we used to timeshare on mainframes. Even so, the idea of hosting critical databases offsite will worry some management teams, especially those that aren't keen on outsourcing. But ASP's invest millions of dollars in hardware, software, infrastructure, and IT staff; something many manufacturing companies can't afford to do. ASP's put in redundant connections, security firewalls, and many other measures to make sure their systems are protected and always available.
Many experts believe that because of its centralization scheme and economies of scale, ASP's will be able to deliver information systems that are more secure, more reliable, and more effective than traditional internal systems.
In the late 1800's when electricity was first invented, only the rich could afford it. They would hire an electrical engineer to setup a generator in the backyard, and then retain that costly engineer to nurse along the hand-built system. Today, we simply plug in to a wall outlet. We don't have a generator in the backyard and we don't even think about the power plant from which our electricity comes. Yes, occasionally we lose electrical power, but far less than back in the old days when it was a hand-built local generator. The risk of occasional power outages doesn't stop us from using electricity. In the future, or perhaps now, information services will be provided and paid for as a basic utility. Think of it as an information system on tap. If the need for a new or upgraded software package is on your company's horizon, the ASP approach warrants consideration. It's important to select an ASP that makes sense for your situation.
Here are several factors to consider: The most important factor in selecting an ASP is the quality and capability of their software. Whether its delivered via a T1 circuit or hosted locally doesn't change whether the software fits your needs and helps you improve your operation.
Beware: many ASP's simply rehash their existing software, or purchase someone else's standard package, then pipe it to you. Make sure the ASP is reputable, trustworthy, and responsive to its customer's needs. You can�t ascertain that from a brochure. Ask for a customer list and call as many as you can. Talk to them. Listen to their stories. You'll soon determine whether this is the right ASP for you. If an ASP can't provide a customer list, then don't bother. Finally, make sure the ASP has experience in your field. There are all sorts of ASP's, offering a vast range of different services, and the number is growing exponentially. A company that sells retail systems, Internet services, or just hosts your hardware probably won't have the background necessary to fulfill your company's needs.
Kim Hayward Plexus Systems
