The Difference Between Walmart And Procter Gamble Information Technology Essay

The Difference Between Walmart And Procter Gamble Information Technology Essay In late 1980s, Procter Gamble, the manufacturer and Wal-Mart, the distributor started to practice vendor managed inventory (VMI) partnership. Their success on increasing efficiency of supply chain immediately trumpeted other organization like Campbell Soup, Johnson Johnson, Glaxosmithkline ¼Ã…’Electrolux Italia ¼Ã…’Nestle and Tesco, and also Boeing and Alcoa, to apply VMI approach. VMI is a business model which is first implemented and common among grocery industry. Vendor or supplier usually refers to manufacturer. Instead of having the customers, often distributors, to place order to vendors,, as in traditional replenishment process, VMI created a value added service in which vendors have full responsibility on maintaining agreed level of inventories for distributors. Through VMI software, manufacturers either able to monitor and access distributors actual inventory level, or distributors will send sales and inventory data via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) or internet on pre-arrange schedule, typically on daily basis. Manufacturers then make resupply decisions regarding order quantities, timing, and shipping based on mutually agreed stock levels, fill rates, and transaction costs. Yes, the researcher agreed that VMI provides significant benefits to an organization. Therefore, exploring the benefits arise from implementation of VMI, would be the next focus for this paper. The paper also objectives to examine the disadvantages involved in the application of VMI for both distributors and manufacturers. 2.0 : VENDOR MANAGED INVENTORY Advantages The advantages were introduced in terms of manufacturers, distributors, not to forget dual benefits. 2.1.1 For manufacturers Increased productivity More efficient own inventory control Increased customer relationship Improved market analysis Increased sales Cost reduction VMI Benefits for Manufacturers Figure 1: VMI Benefits for Manufacturers Source: The Researcher Cost reduction Administration cost, operating cost, transportation cost and many more are decreased because of lesser order problem like bad data, and decreasing unexpected order. Increased sales This is the quickest advantage as sales could be rise to 5-25%. This mainly due to increased sales of their customers, contributed by lesser stock out problems, together with improved product mix, as a result of better demand visibility. Market share also increased because distributors could experience lower cost, greater profitability, and improved service from manufacturers. Another factor is better collaborative planning for special sales such as promotion. Improved market analysis More frequent and direct communication allowed better insight in customer demand. This enables easier market analysis and created opportunities to provide other value added services. Increased customer relationship Manufacturers secured its customers by providing continuous supply, avoiding out of stock problems. VMI also assured long term relationship together with steady and predictable income as long as manufacturers still carrying the task of maintaining a predetermined stock for its customers, often a distributor. More efficient own inventory control With the ability to monitor and keep track its customers actual sales and inventory, manufacturers able to forecast demand, hence better plan and control its own inventory, for instance, keeping just enough stock for manufacturing and resupply for its customer. Increased communication also allows promotion to be easily incorporated into inventory plan. Increased productivity Manufacturers productivity is increased because monitoring customers stock regularly enable manufacturers to control its own inventory more efficiently, thus manufacturing operations could be schedule more productively. 2.1.2 For distributors Improved service Increased sales Cost saving Lesser stock-out Lower inventory level VMI Benefits for Manufacturers Figure 2: VMI Benefits for Distributors Source: The Researcher Lower inventory level Manufacturers have greater responsibility to ensure availability of inventories, by ordering replenishment when inventories fall below order point. Frequent review of inventories and demand information enable manufacturers to more accurately control lead time component of order point calculations, hence reducing safety stock. Lesser stock-out or shortage The theory and reasons is just the same as for reducing safety stock and inventory level, which is automatic replenishment by supplier before stock-out, and better order calculation due to increased visibility of actual demand. Having manufacturers to monitor its own items also allows better respond to unexpected demand compared to typical distributors managing bulks of items from different manufacturers. Cost saving Administration cost is reduced. Since manufacturers in charge of stock replenishment, the cost involves for managing replenishment, generating purchase order and other administration task is eliminated. Distributors will then require lesser time and effort in ordering. Cost involved in bad or wrong order is eliminated too. VMI also decreased cost of carrying stock. Increased sales VMI leads to fewer out-of-stock situations. This simply means higher sales, as lesser sales opportunities are lost, and customer loyalty is improved. Increased visibility in demand ensured the right products always available at right time and right place. Frequent communication also allow better collaborations with suppliers in planning for new product introduction, promotions, and exceptional demand, allowing distributors to enjoy full advantage of special sales opportunities. Improved service Having correct items at correct moment improved overall service level. Manufacturers practicing VMI also keen to provide better service to distributors. 2.1.3 Dual Benefits In addition to the above advantages, both manufacturers and distributors benefit from shortening of supply chain. Human data entry errors were avoided through computer to computer communication, which also improve processing speed. Next, overhead is lowered due to automated VMI. Another consequence would be stronger ties and true partnership between manufacturers and distributors. Furthermore, timing of purchase orders was stabilized on a predefined basis, for example once weekly purchase order cycle. Disadvantages The researcher also identified some disadvantages. Firstly, manufacturers might need additional effort and cost to undertake resupply activities which is previously carried out by distributors themselves. Therefore, manufacturers must guaranteed substantial amount of gross profit and sales to cover those extra expenses. Secondly, since distributors are excluded from forecasting demand, inaccurate forecast might occur. In terms of distributors, dependency on single source of supply gives disadvantages when suppliers unable to meet its commitment. Distributors also faced potential in losing confidential information since manufacturers are given access to its data. There is also possibility of job losing as replenishment tasks are transferred back to manufacturers. Implementing VMI also means distributors unable to enjoy bulk purchase discount, promotion, and forward buying. Another risk is that lacking of advanced information technology could results in outdated and incorrect information sharing. Besides cost of technology, application of VMI also involved cost of training and changing organization. Moreover, the success of VMI is hugely determined by the strength of relationship between manufacturers and distributors. For instance, lack of trust in data exchange could leads to ineffective implementation, including inventory invisibility and inventory imbalance. Since VMI increased dependency on both parties, switching cost is raised and these created difficulties in switching. Flexibility is loss through VMI because special events or promotions required beforehand communication in order to eliminate replenishment mistake. The next concern is that VMI which encouraged lower inventory contributed to loss of shelf space at distributors selling area. This decreases attention of their buyers, hence market share are loss. However, they are ways to overcome these disadvantages. Take the above example, shelf space could be filled with other items from same vendor. Furthermore, achieving mutual agreement before applying VMI would creates mutual trust, therefore strengthens relationship and partnership between manufacturers and distributors, thus better price and transaction, resulted in better service to the end customers, which will then generate significant benefits for both parties. 3.0 : CONCLUSION Procter Gamble and Wal-Mart appears to be the pioneer and master of VMI, a supply chain practice which is popularized among grocery industry since late 1980s. As oppose to traditional business model where distributors initiate purchasing order, buying decision in VMI are shifted back to vendors, often manufacturers. This is an automated process where manufacturers automatically make resupply decision, ensuring certain amount of stock is available for distributors to meet consumer demand. Manufacturers are given access to real-time sales and inventory level, where electronic data will be sent by distributors to manufacturers through EDI or internet. Under VMI partnership, both manufacturer and distributor are bound by agreement which determines information like inventory level, refill rates, cost, and shipping. The researcher agreed that VMI created numerous advantages for both manufacturers and distributors. Examples include increased sales, cost reduction, lower inventory level, lesser stock-out, improved service, improved productivity, improved market analysis, shortening of supply chain, improved processing speed, stronger partnership and many more. Nevertheless, VMI have disadvantages too. These incorporate additional effort and cost for manufacturers, inaccurate demand forecast, dependency on single source of supply, loss of confidential information, loss of job, loss of purchase discount, outdated and incorrect information sharing due to lacking of advance technology, cost of training, changing organization, increased dependency, increased switching cost, loss of flexibility, loss of shelf space, and loss of market share. As conclusion, the researcher recognized that VMI could be structured properly in order to maximize its advantages and minimize its disadvantages. To illustrate, good flow of information is key to success in VMI application. Thus, it is necessary to allow information sharing by ensuring an open communication channel. Implementing a well-structured VMI also required good understanding of VMI as well as training of staff. Other measures to avoid VMI failure includes clarify expectation, and achieve an agreement between manufacturers and distributors regarding factors such as lead time, cost, and information sharing.

The Temple of Heaven

Autqem Neter Sh. Nu Au Mu Samga History May 20, 2012 The Temple of Heaven The Temple of Heaven is located in the southern area of Beijing. Occupying an area of 273 hectares, it is three times the area of the Forbidden City. It was built in 1420 A. D. , for emperors to worship Heaven. The main buildings include the Altar or Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Circular Mound Altar. In 1998, the Temple of Heaven was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Beginning in 2005, the Temple of Heaven underwent a 47 million Yuan (6 million USD) renovation that was completed on May 1st, 2006.The Altar or Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, 38 meters tall and 30 meters in diameter, stands on a round foundation built with three tiers of marble stone. This large hall is under a three-story, cone-shaped glaze-tile roof in blue color crowned with a gilded knob. A circular wall of polished bricks known as the Echo Wall encloses the Imperial Vault of Heaven. The Circular Mount Altar, south to the Imperial Vault of Heaven, is where the emperor prayed to heaven. At the center lies a round stone called the Center of Heaven Stone that echoes when a visitor speaks loudly when standing on the stone.The Temple of Heaven is enclosed with a long wall. The northern part within the wall is semicircular symbolizing the heavens and the southern part is square symbolizing the earth. The northern part is higher than the southern part. This design shows that the heaven is high and the earth is low and the design reflected an ancient Chinese thought of ‘The heaven is round and the earth is square. The Temple is divided by two enclosed walls into inner part and outer part. The main buildings of the Temple lie at the south and north ends of the middle axis line of the inner part.The most magnificent buildings are The Circular Mound Altar (Yuanqiutan), Imperial Vault of Heaven (Huangqiongyu) and Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest (Qiniandian) from south to north. Also, t here are some additional buildings like Three Echo Stones and Echo Wall. Almost all of the buildings are connected by a wide bridge called Vermilion Steps Bridge (Danbiqiao) or called Sacred Way. The Circular Altar has three terraces layered with white marble. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 A. D. – 1911 A. D. ), the emperors would offer sacrifice to Heaven on the day of the Winter Solstice every year.This ceremony was to thank Heaven and hope everything would be good in the future. The picture below is of The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, a big palace with a round roof in three layers. Inside the Hall are 28 huge posts. Four posts along the inner circle represent four seasons-spring, summer, autumn and winter, 12 posts along the middle circle represent the 12 months; and 12 posts along the outer circle represent 12 Shichen (Shichen is a means of counting time in ancient China). The roof is covered with black, yellow and green colored glaze representing the heaven s, the earth and everything on earth.The Hall has a base named Altar for Grain Prayers which is made of three layers of white marble and has a height of six meters. The numbers 3 and 9, in particular, recur in the layout and design; these are important or ‘lucky' numbers in Chinese numerology. The number 9, being the highest value digit is associated with the emperor. Its square root, 3, has a natural occurrence in terms of beginning, middle and end. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests was constructed relying only on carpentry, with no nails employed. This building was commissioned by Qing dynasty emperor Qian Long (reign: 1736-1795) in 1775.

Jazz Concert Reflection Essay

Jazz is a musical style that began in African American communities in the southern United States around the beginning of the twentieth century. It was a new style of music that brought together music traditions from West Africa and Europe. Some of its West African musical influences give jazz its unique sound. Jazz has many different elements, which are improvisations, swinging, using blue notes, and combining different rhythms. I attended The Bill and Helen Murray Jazz Residency Program featured Ellery Eskelin on the Saxophone with Susan Acorn on the pedal steel guitar and Michael Formanek on the acoustic bass and The Towson University Jazz Faculty Ensemble Featuring Dave Balloy on the trumpet, flugelhorn, and piccolo trumpet, Jim Mc falls on the trombone and baritone, Tim Murphy on the piano, Jeff Reed on the bass and last but not least, Frank Russo on the drums and cymbals. At each concert about four songs were performed. The musical elements in both performances that classify the music I heard as jazz were the swing rhythms and improvisations. The Jazz Residency Program was based on improvisations. Each player at this concert; had the ability to instantaneously compose, revise and perform their parts amazingly. As Ellery played the Sax, Susan and Michael played their instrument spontaneously creating fresh melodies. At the Jazz Faculty ensemble, the musicians played songs that were previously written. Their musical styles were mostly bebop and swing with lots of call and respond. Jim Mc falls would play his trombone and all group members would follow after him. The song â€Å"Moodly† sounded like bebop, because there were a lot of bass drum bombs and tonal clashes. â€Å"Marsch der freien Sound Fur Funf Instrumente† was also a bebop song that was played with extended harmonies and tonal clashes. Some of the non-traditional jazz elements that I heard were played at both of the Jazz Concerts. Susan Acorn played the pedal steel  guitar, which I found to be a non-traditional element. The sound was completely different from what I had ever heard before. At the Jazz Faculty Ensemble, Dave Ballou played the Piccolo Trumpet for the last piece â€Å"Conversion†. The high-pitched sound made the song slur and blend with soft melodies. Listening to each concert, gave me two totally different experiences. The Jazz Residency concert was all improvisations, so it didn’t remind me of any of the music I had heard before. The Jazz Faculty ensemble was a reminder of music styles like Art Tatum, John Coltrane, and Duke Ellington. When they played Hamster in a bucket it’s reminded me of â€Å"In a Mellotone† by Duke Ellinton. Then Dave Ballou played the trumpet in the song â€Å"Cry Baby† like Miles Davis played the trumpet in the song â€Å"So What†. In conclusion, the quality of both performances was outstanding. Each performance was completely different and that’s what I loved. The jazz residency program was completely improvised, leaving me opened and surprised at every note each player chose to play. The Jazz Faculty Ensemble’s songs had a distinctive vibe. They made the sounds of their music come together and I felt the rhythm. I would defiantly pay to see each performance again. I left the concerts smiling, because I felt as if I knew exactly what they were trying to accomplish with their music. The two ensembles I attended featured some of the most talented musicians I ever heard performing at Towson University.

Mental Illness As A Social Problem - 982 Words

Mental Illness as a Social Problem Introduction Mental illness is a turmoil that is portrayed by unsettling influences in a man s idea, feelings, or conduct. Emotional instability alludes to a wide assortment of scatters, running from those that bring about gentle misery to those that impede a man s capacity to work in day by day life. Numerous have attempted to make sense of the purposes behind emotional instabilities. These reasons have been taken a gander at and considered for a great many years. The natural point of view perspectives dysfunctional behavior as a real procedure. Though the mental points of view think the part of a man s childhood and environment are foundations for emotional sicknesses. Examines demonstrate that 9 to 13 percent of youngsters between the ages of nine and seventeen experience the ill effects of a genuine passionate unsettling influences that upsets the kid s day by day life. Significant misery is a serious issue. Indications incorporate pull back from family and/or companions, weight reduction, do zing issues, regular crying, escaping vulnerable, fancies, and pipedreams. This malady is normally analyzed amid youth; guardians may see grades dropping, poor mental self-portrait, pained social relations, and self-destructive acts. This ailment might be lethal if the individual gets to be self-destructive. The test of emotional instability in the public arena might be seen as a social issue. Emotional instability is a wellspring of genuineShow MoreRelatedMental Illness Is A Social Problem1501 Words   |  7 PagesMental illness is a health condition that affects an individual’s moods and thinking in a way that changes how that person relates to other people in society. The functioning of the affected person is also altered and usually results in the person failing to perform some of the daily activities that the person has previously engaged in. Mental illness can be considered a combination of both social and health complications, affecting the social life of the people who fall victim in many ways (ElliottRead MoreMental Illness : A Social Problem1290 Words   |  6 PagesIntroducing Mental Illness The social problem I have chosen to write about is mental illness. This problem is important to talk about â€Å"because of the number of people it affects, the difficulty of defining and identifying mental disorders, and the ways in which mental illness is treated† (Kendall, 2013, p. 227). â€Å"About 57.7 million people, or one in four adults, in the United States suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder† (Kendall, 2013, p. 229). â€Å"Many of these illnesses begin in childhood orRead MoreMental Illness Is A Social Problem Essay1864 Words   |  8 PagesThis essay will analyse the statement â€Å"Mental illness is a social problem†. This essay will discuss the sociological perspective of mental health within the chosen concept of gender. 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Ghandi Essay - 477 Words

In 1869, Mohandas K. Gandhi was born in northwest India. When he was a young Man, he traveled to England to receive his college education and law degree. Upon returning to India he set out to change how the West was colonizing and industrializing his country, and set life to a new sort of technique that would change India, and give a new perspective, and shed light on Indian culture, and civilization. His techniques revolved around passive and calm responses instead of wild and violent responses to the British. His term satygraha meant truth and firmness which was a method of passive resistance to provoke a response. This is how Gandhi received respect and honor from his followers, and the people of Indian civilizations. He†¦show more content†¦He believed that India should remain unscathed, he states that India that her people are so uncivilized, ignorant and impassive, that it is not possible to induce them to adopt any changes. He also states that civilization is that mode of conduct which points to man the path of duty. The Gujarati equivalent fo r civilization means good conduct. In some of the primary sources Gandhi compares the mind to a restless bird; the more it gets the more it wants, and still remains unsatisfied. Then he states that the more we indulge our passions the more unbridled they become. Gandhi talks about how his country has remained the same throughout the years, and has had no system of life-corroding competition. He talks about how the Indian people have had the same types of cottages in their former times, and how their education has remained the same throughout the years. Gandhi also states that It was not that we did not know how to invent machinery, but our forefathers knew that, if we set our hearts after such things, we would become slaves and lose our moral backbone. He believed that people should only do what they could with there hands and feet. 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This is his story: On October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, India, a region of Queen Victoria, Mohandas Gandhi was born to Kaba Gandhi and his wife. Although his father, Kaba, was the chief Minister for the Maharaja of Porbandar, he and his familyRead MoreReaction to the Film Ghandi Essay1433 Words   |  6 PagesReaction to the Film Ghandi The way of truth and love has always won. Tyrants may seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Mahatma Ghandi The film Ghandi proved to be insightful, educational, and inspirational. The film traces Indias rocky path towards decolonization, led by the Great Spirit Ghandi. Mahatma Ghandi led Indias struggle for independence from the British Empire before 1948. The trials and tribulations of India and her people touch on many social issues. The film depictsRead MoreGhandi: An Exemplary Leader Essay931 Words   |  4 Pages Ghandi was a man with no official title who led his country to freedom because he stood up for his core beliefs. 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The Tanks Of World War II - 1266 Words

Patrick Easler Professor Pfister Hist 4344 3 December 2014 The Tanks of World War II World War II was the first war to heavily employ tanks. The tanks ranged in variety for each of the individual nations. It has been said that the German Panzer tank was top dog on the battle field during the war but especially at the beginning of the war. This statement although true is not because the common belief that they were built better than other nation’s tanks but because German strategy and the preparedness of the tanks themselves and the crews operating them was vastly better than competing nations such as France and the Soviet Union. The first tank was initially invented in World War 1 by Britain. Tanks in the First World War represented a brilliant idea but a poor execution. The tanks of that war moved at about a walking speed and constantly needed repairs because of how undependable they were. After the war however the Tanks offensive potential was recognized and each nation began research into a better tank to avoid the deadlock imposed on the last war due to modernized weapons and old time tatctics. Luckily tanks are in fact vehicles and were often made by similar plants as cars were, this meant ss the automotive industry advanced with new engines, new transitions, new ways of breaking so did the Tanks by association. It was not however until the start of the second war that the design of tanks truly advanced in improvements, weaponry, and armor. But as these innovationsShow MoreRelatedEssay on Weapons of World War 21395 Words   |  6 Pagesof World War II The result of World War II was affected by many different factors. One major factor which affected the war was the weapons and artillery used during the war. Since the beginnings of time, weapons have always been around. From swords and knives to nuclear weapons and missiles, weapons have evolved greatly throughout the years. The weapons and artillery used in World War II basically were evolved types of weaponry that were used during World War I (Military History 1). World War IIRead MoreA Brief Note On The World War II1317 Words   |  6 PagesMachinery, and Submarines of WWII World War II was one of the biggest epidemics in the history of humanity. From Hitler to Franklin D. Roosevelt there were problems world wide.(submarine) These problems eventually led up to the outbreak of war, this war wasn’t any ordinary war either. It was brutal to say the least, with over twenty million deaths worldwide it nearly killed off one percent of the world population (Sheehan) You would think that most people died in war but that is not the case. OverRead MoreWeapons of World War 2 Essay1416 Words   |  6 Pagesand Artillery of World War II The result of World War II was affected by many different factors. One major factor which affected the war was the weapons and artillery used during the war. Since the beginnings of time, weapons have always been around. From swords and knives to nuclear weapons and missiles, weapons have evolved greatly throughout the years. The weapons and artillery used in World War II basically were evolved types of weaponry that were used during World War I (Military HistoryRead MoreThe Bombing Of Japan During The World War II1572 Words   |  7 Pages World War II was a war that lasted about 6 years. Within these six years, many new advances took place. In order for countries to be able to have a chance, they would need to keep up with the new, and developing technology. Air technology was still fairly new before the war, but grew rapidly as the war progressed. On the same note, new water vessels were being invented, which allowed to war to grow into the seas. Submarines, U Boats, and other vessels allowed for this shift to occur. 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Free Sample-Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation Oilco

Question: Discuss about the Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation Oilco. Answer: A business exists to earn profits and reduce costs. Technology is rewriting the way of human living, and this affects businesses also. Computers, software, databases are common and have been integrated into operations of businesses. However, the older implementations are silo-based i.e. the systems supported only their individual business functional areas (Monk and Wagner, 2012). The silo-based systems hurt competitiveness by introducing barriers to fast, automated and error-free information exchange among departments, with suppliers and with customers. But, the business processes need to be organized in such a way that they provide a faster and higher return on investment (ROI) on the finite resources (Ganesh et al., 2014). An ERP eliminates the isolated silos of the various branches of the organisation and integrates the operations company-wide based on a shared database, with the added benefit of current data and processes throughout the business (Monk and Wagner, 2012). ERP is considered one of the biggest revolutions in running a business, and as mentioned above moved the functioning from the level of a department to the enterprise (Ray, 2011). However, an ERP implementation is a very challenging task (Momoh, Roy and Shehab, 2010), with less than 10% of projects completing within budgeted time and expense, and matching the functionality proposed (Momoh, Roy and Shehab, 2010). This paper reviews two case studies - OilCo and ExploreCo (Motiwalla, 2008) and looks into issues in implementation of these ERP Projects, reasons for success, lessons to be learnt, any recommendations for improvements. Issues in Implementation of ERP Projects An ERP implementation seeks to rewrite the operations of the entire enterprise at every level. Such a change is always a risky proposition. Challenges, in general, can come at technical, business processes or staff level. A literature review of the field of ERP suggests that some characteristics are common in most of the implementation attempts that have a significant bearing on the success or failure of the endeavour. The top issues are support and commitment from the top management, evaluation and administration of the project, re-engineering the business process to align with the information technology, minimum customizations, and competence of the ERP team. Both the case studies of this paper were a success, but they faced their share of concerns as per the decisions made before starting the project and later on due to the leadership and any industry-specific requirements. OilCo went significantly over time and over budget in its implementation of ERP system (Motiwalla, 2008). OilCo handed over the duties and tasks for the mission to staff which was already on duty for other tasks. Additionally, OilCo had to develop an oil industry-specific module, for which endless report generation delayed actual progress (Motiwalla, 2008). OilCo took the ERP implementation as an opportunity to restructure its business and experts believe that this could also be an issue which made OilCo's project runaway. Similarities and Differences in the Implementation of OilCo and ExploreCo Both the case studies of this paper (eventually) achieved their goals. However, one of them was over-budget and delayed by years while other was delayed by two weeks only. An analysis of the similarities and differences of the implementation of ERP in both may be helpful in understanding the possible reasons for the staying near the projected timeline or missing it by years. Both projects identified same Critical Success Factors (CSFs). These CSFs were management support, a project champion, a balanced team, a commitment to change, implementing a Vanilla ERP (which has more chances of successful implementation), empowered decision makers, having the best people available full-time, well-defined scope and goals, and deliverable dates. Also, both had plans for minimum customisation, which is almost always a predicate to a successful implementation. OilCo decided to work out a new and streamlined operations process for the entire enterprise for the implementation of the ERP, while ExploreCo stood by this decision. ExploreCo also identified performance indicators. Though the CSFs were identical, the method of achieving them was poles apart. OilCo did not have a clear policy, or an official project champion, or a show and reality of top-management commitment by having a board-level member in the implementation, or full-time and balanced team. However, ExploreCo had all of these. Reasons For Success Both the case studies succeeded in achieving their goals. However, OilCo violated the budget and time predictions by a much higher margin than ExploreCo. While OilCo got delayed by years, ExploreCo got delayed by weeks, tough this could partly be justified on the relative sizes of the original projects. Some authors consider OilCo's implementation to be a failure, though the company began reaping the benefits of the new system from the fourth year of application onwards (Yick, 2011). Both the projects identified CSFs which are in line with the literature findings and have been elsewhere in this report. These top issues are support and commitment from the top management, evaluation and administration of the project, re-engineering the business process to align with the information technology, minimum customizations, competence of the ERP team. Thus, this helped them move in the right direction. Also, both projects did not seem to have any shortage of funds or people to meet the goals. Targets were well-defined, and skill-sets were available for the companies to throw at the problems. Lessons To Be Learnt The case studies provide lessons to be learnt in ERP implementation, confirms the literature as to the precursors to a successful implementation, showcases the importance of people, and the benefits of sticking to the schedule. In detail, the outstanding success of ExploreCo validates the importance of a board-level member in the team. This leadership by a top-management member makes the power of the group visible and official in that the decisions can be decided and enacted by the team without having to move up and down the hierarchy of the company. Also, having the employees on team full-time is a strong contributor to the success of the ERP implementations, and probably any large-scale initiative. Some companies may want to save on expenses and load their staff with additional duties without decreasing the current workload and without increasing their compensation. The businesses can do that, but the extraordinary success of ExploreCo ERP confirms otherwise. Having employees work on one project full-time allows them to focus and also prevent any feelings of discontent. The customizations were minimum in both case studies but followed in only one. The company which stuck to its guns and did not add to the original plan was successful in implementation. To be fair, OilCo had to develop an industry-specific module and this decision could not have been cancelled. Also, a plain vanilla ERP has more chances of success rather than some convoluted functionality as ERP is already a very complex initiative. Recommendations For Improvements Comparing the two case studies and reviewing the literature available on ERP provides some takeaways for a better implementation. Successful projects have common themes, and these align with the CSFs identified throughout this paper and in the literature (Dezdar and Sulaiman, 2009), (Momoh, Roy and Shehab, 2010). Management support is crucial. This support is required not only in words but real authority. Successful ERP implementations have a genuinely motivated person at the helm of affairs. No doubt such a person is called the project champion and in the successful ERP implementation of ExploreCo was given this title. Unlike the OilCo implementation of the ERP (which was over budget and late by four years) there should not be a de-facto project champion, but an explicit and powerful (with official authority) project champion. Successful projects have balanced teams and individuals who can focus full-time on the ERP implementation. Additionally, the team members of successful ERP pr ojects are competent and know their roles with a sufficient amount of on-the-job experience. Implementing an ERP is an opportune time to renew and re-invent the business processes to align with the information technology techniques and practices to remove the manual processes with the faster, automated and error-free processes. Customizations are minimum in a successful implementation as ERPs by definition shake the routine of the business from the core and change is always difficult. A minimum customised ERP (vanilla ERP) stands more chances of not exceeding the budget or time and meeting the stated requirements. Conclusion This paper analysed the case study of ERP implementation of two companies in Australia. One of the projects took years longer than originally planned and was way over budget, while the other, though smaller in scope and size, was only two weeks over budget. This selection of the ERP implementation projects allows for comparing and contrasting the two to learn about how and why two ERP implementations in the same industry and the same country could have such differing management and professional lessons. To be sure, both implementations are considered successful from a business point of view (increase profits and decrease costs). OilCo, whose project was delayed by years took four long years before reporting having starting to reap the benefits of the implemented ERP system. The fundamental differences in the two case studies were in the human factors rather than the technical factors. To be fair, OilCo had to develop an industry-specific module, and this cost it more time and was not included in the original estimations. This paper also looked into issues facing ERP implementations, did a brief literature review throughout this report, identified lessons to be learnt, and made recommendations for improvements. References Dezdar, S. and Sulaiman, A. (2009). Successful enterprise resource planning implementation: taxonomy of critical factors. Industrial Management Data Systems, [online] 109(8), pp.1037-1052. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shahin_Dezdar2/publication/220671948_Successful_enterprise_resource_planning_implementation_Taxonomy_of_critical_factors/links/5636011208ae88cf81bcd7cc.pdf [Accessed 12 Jan. 2017]. Ganesh, K., Mohapatra, S., Anbuudayasankar, S. and Sivakumar, P. (2014). Enterprise Resource Planning. 1st ed. Cham: Springer International Publishing. Momoh, A., Roy, R. and Shehab, E. (2010). Challenges in enterprise resource planning implementation: state?of?the?art. Business Process Management Journal, [online] 16(4), pp.537-565. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/download/35547641/Challenges_in_enterpreise..._-_artigo_-_2010.pdf [Accessed 12 Jan. 2017]. Monk, E. and Wagner, B. (2012). Concepts in Enterprise Resource Planning. 4th ed. Cengage Learning. Motiwalla, L. (2008). Enterprise Systems for Management. 1st ed. Pearson Education India, pp.128-131. Ray, R. (2011). Enterprise resource planning. 1st ed. New Delhi (India): Mcgraw-Hill Pub., p.4. Yick, J. (2011). Implementing Vanilla ERP Systems: Factors to Consider in Strategy, Business Alignment, and Customization. 1st ed. [ebook] University of Oregon (Applied Information Management Program). Available at: https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/11401/Yick-2011.pdf?sequence=1isAllowed=y [Accessed 12 Jan. 2017].