Deere ERP Project Construction

Deere Co., Ltd. is the United States Deere Company and Tianjin Tractor Factory joint venture founded in August 2000. The United States Deere Company is a world-renowned agricultural machinery manufacturing company, its products are known as the Mercedes-Benz, Tianjin tractor Factory is the domestic production of the old Tractor enterprises. Long before the company was founded, its U.S. companies have been in the headquarters and other subsidiaries of the implementation of the SAP system, and achieved good returns. Therefore, Deere days drag the company set up at the beginning as soon as possible to establish ERP system as the first work to catch. And that this is a radical change of the old management ideas and management model, to adapt to the market economy, a major initiative. However, as a joint venture from the traditional state-owned enterprises, there is a certain gap between the information infrastructure and the American company: the company's informatization degree is not high, the staff's computer level is low, and the electronic data is lack. So for the Deere Day drag, the adoption of a set of advanced management ideas, easy to learn and use, the implementation of a short period of ERP system is the right remedy. At the same time, Deere days dragged by its long-term development vision for the system to add a strict condition: it can meet the current business management needs, but also to ensure that enterprises can continue to upgrade and develop. Deere days drag that in the selection of software at the same time, but also need to choose a good after-sales service and strong strength of the consulting company, because they can provide long-term, high-quality, timely service.

After a variety of schemes to verify the comparison, the final decision to adopt Grapecity.inc (original Olympic Island group) to provide intuitive ERP system. Of course, what makes Deere more reassuring is that before that, Deere's other joint venture in China has successfully run Grapecity's solution, and their success has strengthened our confidence in the implementation of the system. Dir days drag the first project ERP system implementation needs is the concept of change and high-level leadership of the separation of cooperation, this point on the days of the completion of the deer is very good. After 2000 National Day, the company set up the ERP Project Steering committee and project team, the Steering Committee by the general manager and senior leadership, the implementation of major issues in decision-making.

The implementation of ERP is a great impact on the traditional management thought and mode, its influence involves all aspects of the enterprise, so the change of the idea of all staff is the key to the success of ERP. Especially, it is very important for high and mid-level leaders to change the habitual rule of man (officers) into the rule of law (System management). The leadership of the Committee has repeatedly told everyone to avoid two kinds of emotions: one is: "System useless Theory", that there is no need to spend a lot of money to build ERP system to deal with the work that can now be done manually. The other is "system omnipotent theory", that as long as the use of ERP system, the problem is solved. The former, which can seriously hamper the implementation of the project, may disappoint many people. This needs to let all staff really know what is ERP, why to implement ERP, its significance and impact on the development of the company? Ultimately, the idea must be radically changed from top to bottom. At the same time, another important task for the Steering Committee is to receive regular reports from the project team, to conduct inspections, to guide the implementation and to provide financial assurances. Project team by the main departments of the company to select the business fine, high-quality personnel, especially for the financial, production, supply, technical departments are carefully selected to ensure the establishment of a lean and pragmatic project team.

All the staff are fully out of office. All personnel have a clear division of labour, but also emphasize the spirit of cooperation. Due to the various work in the implementation process, repeatedly, a lot of work will be completely demolished from scratch, so be ready to do the project team personnel's ideological work, to avoid "boredom" mood. The project team should develop a sense of teamwork and set up a corresponding incentive mechanism from the outset. Flame ERP implementation is closely related to each business unit. Production planning and the collection of large amounts of data, although the workload is large and cumbersome, but the success of the completion will directly affect the system's smooth on-line. In the process of ERP implementation, it is necessary to make a feasible plan. The plan is to include all the contents of the work, and to refine and decompose them, according to the order of work and the relationship between them, reasonably discharge the schedule. Each task must identify a clear person responsible. The work of the project team must be planned, often even on a daily basis for the inspection, implementation, coordination, scheduling, the emergence of major issues in a timely manner to convene a special meeting to solve. To make timely revisions to work and emerging problems that cannot be completed on schedule to ensure the guidance of the plan to the implementation.

To ensure the smooth operation of the ERP system is a basic work of data collection, collation, transmission work. This is one of the biggest, most complicated and time-consuming jobs. The information collected and collated includes: establish the material number, create list, identify customer documents, identify supplier documents, determine the safety stock, determine the work center and capability, arrange the process route, establish general ledger accounts, determine the user group and Security authority, determine the lead time, determine the main control parameters, establish the cost of this layer, etc. Meticulous work. The data collection process also needs to modify or redefine the original data. For example: Man-hour quota, craft route, this layer cost and so on have very big change. Basic data collection must be strictly in accordance with the collection, collation, audit, approval procedures to carry out, no matter how many times, all the data must have the operator signature, leadership approval, do foolproof, otherwise in the run will encounter great difficulties. In the actual input, because the ERP system provides the "Input Wizard" tool, a lot of work can be done in Excel, reducing the difficulty of entry, save time.

After the ERP system is used, the enterprise's business activities will be integrated management by the system, so the data required by all departments must be "accurate, effective, timely and unique", and the above data from all aspects of the company's business, in order to ensure the accuracy of information input and output and the timeliness of transmission, After the implementation of the project, the work of "system Workflow" is set up immediately. The workflow is different from the original department responsibility system of the enterprise, it emphasizes the interface and responsibility of information flow. The work flow of Deere days is divided into three levels: the first level is "General plan", with "plan" and "General Ledger" module as two centers, the company's main operating business and ERP system modules are connected, mainly embodies the information "inflow" and "outflow." The second level is the ERP system "work flow chart", mainly explains "what to do in the business activity?" Which interfaces of the system can work accordingly? By which department? ”。 The third level is the "Work Instruction book", which mainly explains: "At which point does this work go on?" How to do it? Who's going to do it? ”。 Work flow is a global work, to avoid the standard thought, all to ensure the smooth flow of information, correct for the purpose. After the work process is completed, issued by the general manager, as the highest document implementation. And in the implementation of the process needs with the continuous changes in the development of the process to further revise and improve. At the same time, training is the foundation of project implementation, it must be throughout the implementation process, and no matter how stressed is not excessive. Training should include not only the leadership and project team, but also all personnel training. The training method is carried out in the way of grapecity expert instruction and project team members ' counterpart lectures, which complement each other. Combine the theory training, carry on the actual operation training of the related personnel. Initial training to raise awareness, change the concept of the main, and then gradually to become familiar with the master software. Training done well, can really play a multiplier effect.

The real assessment plan for quality is like a blueprint for building the data is a block of brick tile tiles, the most stringent assessment of this information project is that in the actual construction of the drawings is comprehensive consideration of each detail, the construction of the results can meet the needs of various departments; for the Dir day tow, They want to test whether the system can be successfully switched to the system can run smoothly according to expectations. Before the system switching, in addition to the data carefully check, but also organize the inventory of goods and products in the inventory, accounting purposes adjustment work to ensure the accuracy of the initial data. At the same time, we should organize the simulation exercises of different scale and different levels before switching. The simulation walkthrough is roughly divided into three phases: At the outset, you can use the walkthrough data provided by the software, that is, prototype testing, with the establishment of your own database, gradually into the use of the company's production of a tractor part of the drill, that is, conference room simulation; Plan before each walkthrough, determine the purpose, participants, progress. After the walkthrough, make a serious summary of the problems that arise in order to schedule the next walkthrough. Even after training, not through many field exercises, the relevant personnel can not fully understand, master the operation of the system, the field exercises can also expose the problems of each interface to make timely repair. The final walkthrough must include the entire process from order to production to purchase to checkout, and must be a comprehensive exercise. At the same time, another essential task before switching is to complete the establishment of the rules and regulations to ensure the normal operation of the network and system. These systems should include: "Network security management System", "ERP Database Security management system", "Computer system Management System", "host room safety Management system", "software revision and approval system" and so on.

In addition, the "Fault handling emergency Procedures", "system maintenance standard Operating Procedures" and other norms of operating procedures to improve the efficiency and accuracy of fault handling. Any operation of the network or system must be completed with an "Operation Record" and archived for future reference. The successful switching of the system does not mean the end of the project team's work, but, on the contrary, the need for it to play a coordinating organizational role further. The day-to-day work of the project team is in a state of readiness, the system often has poor stability after the operation, and a large number of unexpected problems, and require timely and prompt solutions to the project team's work to put forward higher requirements. It should be pointed out that: for a large number of problems occurred in the field, to analyze its nature, the problem of the system itself, we should emphasize the direct contact between the relevant departments, coordination and initiative to resolve. The project team is focused on dealing with network and system issues. Avoid the project team into the complex general problems of processing, so that it can focus on improving the function of the software as soon as possible, improve the quality of the relevant personnel.

The biggest experience: User and consultant good cooperation in the implementation of ERP, we deeply appreciate: the success of the project must rely on the software users and suppliers of good cooperation. We maintain close contact with grapecity experts at all stages of implementation, report progress and problems to them in a timely manner, and work together to develop implementation plans, with grapecity experts present at all critical stages of the project. While the two sides set up a hotline to help, also set up a regular problem feedback system: We will have problems and requirements and resolution of the time to inform grapecity experts, experts on the solution and expected to complete the time to inform us, the two sides communicate with each other, to establish a fast and effective way to solve the problem.

The entire implementation process from the March 2001 project start, to the same year July 16 system switching on line (logistics, capital flow, workshop management), lasted 4 months, the two sides to mutual cooperation and achieved results are satisfied, this is my company foreign general manager was very surprised,　I didn't expect the system to be successful in such a short time. Since July system switching, all the company's business management activities have been integrated into the operation of the ERP system. ERP system in improving the level of management, reduce costs, shorten the production cycle has achieved remarkable results for the development of Deere days dragged the company to create a good condition, I believe that our tomorrow will be better! Author Introduction: Xun Han: Deere Day Drag Co., Ltd. ERP project manager, after the successful implementation of the system, left the ERP project team, promoted to the company's top leadership, is currently responsible for Deere in China's overall strategic planning of all joint ventures. Jiangning: Grapecity.inc (formerly Shanghai Olympic Island group) senior ERP Implementation consultant, responsible for Deere days towed the company's ERP implementation project.