
In episode 70 of the Data Modernization Minute, analyst Wayne Sadin takes a look at enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and why they’re necessary to move an organization forward.
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Highlights
00:52 — In Wayne’s day job, he advises clients on how to use technology better. ERP comes up. An ERP is an enterprise-wide system used to coordinate work across the entire organization, not just a departmental tool or database. It’s designed to produce top-level results.

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01:50 — Typically, “enterprise resources” refers to the tools used to produce external reporting and manage all the data necessary to create those reports. An ERP system optimizes the use of these resources to generate income or achieve the goals of a nonprofit organization.
02:28 — The word “planning” modifies the word “resource.” An ERP system is not just a historical register for dumping data. While it can certainly show you how you performed in the past, its primary purpose is to plan for the future. It considers the organization’s history and current situation to help prepare for future events.
02:53 — How does this approach impact resource management at the enterprise level? Wayne gives an example of the actions an ERP system initiates for a retailer after a customer purchases an item from the shelf.
03:23 — This is the idea of an ERP system — it manages enterprise resources by looking to the future. It’s not merely an inventory system or a tool for maintaining static data.
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