In a perfect world, functionality and ease of use would be the top criteria manufacturers use when deciding to purchase, replace, or upgrade their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution. Unfortunately, in the real world, cost considerations rear their ugly head. Business leaders are concerned about the price of not only purchasing the solution, but also how much it will cost to implement, support, and maintain. Further, there is significant concern that an ERP implementation will cause significant disruption to the business, cause the organization to lose focus, or even “break” business processes that the company looked upon as core to their success.

Digital technology is changing the world, one industry at a time. With these changes comes a reimagining of the supply chain, from the systems businesses use to communicate and interact, to the strategies they deploy to move goods around the world.

Digitalization gives rise to new business models, in which real-time connectivity, greater visibility, reactivity, and anticipation become the underlying characteristics of our supply chains. But this kind of change isn’t easy, and transformation doesn’t happen overnight.

By taking a staged approach to digital transformation, and building greater connectivity across the supply chain, businesses can pave the way toward a fully connected future, while still being able to tackle the biggest challenges they face right now.

By Nick Castellina, Director of Industry & Solution Strategy at Infor®.

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) has been mistakenly stereotyped as a back-office miser, worried about only one thing: the company’s bottom-line. CFOs have often been frugal, protecting the company’s wallet with an unwavering vow to be prepared for the proverbial rainy day. At least, that is the old-school notion.

For Corey Tollefson, SVP and GM of Infor® Retail and Fashion, retail isn’t a job. It’s not a hobby. It’s not just another customer. He lives and breathes the industry—and inspires teams of the best and brightest to follow him on the path to the Golden Age of Retail. Infor understands the symbiosis of retail and technology, and that harmony between them is the key to unlocking the greatest customer experiences of all time. 

ICCG is proud to celebrate National Manufacturing Day. Every year, thousands of manufacturers around the country open their doors to inspire the next generation of manufacturers. 

Expectations are high, as long as AI delivers real business value

What do IT decision makers really think about AI? Are they buying the hype? Are they laying some groundwork for artificial intelligence implementations?

Random interviews with several IT managers across a variety of industries on The Hub show floor at Inforum 2018 reveal what one might expect — a variety of opinions on AI. But most all believe it could be big, possibly very big.

Another widely held belief is that tapping into the capability of AI to optimize human potential will take some trial and error. To some extent, this reflects the thinking of sports superstar Venus Williams, who told a packed General Session at Inforum, “Failure is a huge part of knowing your pushing yourself hard enough.”

But all agreed on one thing: IT must acknowledge AI in some way, and at least begin to closely and seriously examine how it might fit into their organizations. After all, as Williams said, “It’s not where you start, but where you finish.”

With the advent of “cashier-less” stores like Amazon Go, tomorrow’s retail shopping experience has the potential to transform in a big way—but are retailers ready? We discuss the benefits and pitfalls of adopting this exciting retail technology in its early stages. Listen now and learn more about the next generation of retail software here.

Manufacturers eager to jumpstart growth opportunities are embracing digital strategies. New technologies offer exciting ways to leverage sensor data, engage with customers, and automate processes. New ways of looking at products, services and the complete value chain are transforming the way we think about manufacturing products and distributing them to the market. While the potential impact is promising, it can also be intimidating. Where do you start? How do you measure success? This checklist provides nine elements critical to a successful digital deployment, based on a timely report by R “Ray” Wang of Constellation Research.

A panel of experts recently convened to discuss what the coming years hold for manufacturing. They all agree that manufacturing is “enjoying a moment,” and that optimism remains high among manufacturers. Still, there are challenges to overcome and technologies and processes that will be important for manufacturers to keep on the right path. In this paper, we’ll highlight 10 trends and challenges manufacturers need to keep an eye on.