If you're like me, you rely on a host of cloud applications to get your job
done each day. While the convenience and familiarity of apps built for the
web is great, I can't help but notice the difference between each user
interface (UI) I use. Currently, all cloud-based ERP software vendors are
approaching the user interface with their own design style. For users that
work with multiple cloud apps each day, this can be disorienting - not to
mention bad for productivity and usability.
As more products are built for the cloud, I believe that we ought to start
thinking about creating a set of standards for what cloud-based applications
should look and feel like. Getting there won't be easy, so it's time to start
talking about creating these standards today.
Why Should We Create Standards?
Inconsistency in UI design has negative impact on usability and productivity.
It... (more)
These days, activity streams seem to be popping up everywhere in enterprise
tech as vendors rush to add social features to their software. Twitter and
Facebook-like streams are even starting to gain traction in manufacturing
software. Two of the most prominent examples of vendors incorporating
activity stream data into their manufacturing user interface (UI) are cloud
enterprise resource planning vendors Kenandy and NetSuite.
Incorporating activity stream data into manufacturing software UIs has
important implications for collaboration manufacturing environments. For
instance, i... (more)
Without a doubt, one of the most difficult stages of manufacturing production
is the planning stage. Minor errors in predicting demand or planning
materials can lead to costly mistakes such as producing too much or carrying
excess inventory. To drive out waste and produce at the most efficient
levels, manufacturers increasingly rely on information technology during the
planning stages. Two of the most popular planning applications on the market
today are material requirements planning (MRP) software and production
planning and scheduling software.
While it's generally understood... (more)
The primary innovation behind software as a service (SaaS) is the web-based
architecture - users accessing the system through a web browser rather than,
say, a Windows application. Proponents of SaaS have trumpeted the benefits of
this technological shift. Meanwhile, vendors with older client/server
products have evolved their architectures to offer web-based deployment. Some
systems are more elegant than others, but today just about every enterprise
software vendor offers a web access option.
Why then is the new class of SaaS (or cloud) application vendors racing ahead
with gre... (more)
Manufacturing software vendors are making aggressive moves to the cloud. In
the past year alone, four vendors rolled out a full suite
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings for the industry. That brings the
current tally of SaaS players in the manufacturing arena to five: Epicor
Express, Infor SyteLine, NetSuite, Plex, and SAP Business ByDesign.
The buzz around the cloud has manufacturers asking if a cloud solution is
right for them. To help answer that question, I'll explore the features and
functionality each vendor offers, and the ideal target market for each. Many
more vendo... (more)