Q&A Hero

Q: Some ERP products were developed using ________ technology, so it is important that ERP vendors be able to migrate quickly to current technologies. A) outsourced B) older C) used D) offshore

Q: ERP vendors usually issue a statement of ________ which describes where future development of the product is headed. A) direction B) support C) historical evolution D) vendor upgrades

Q: When selecting an ERP vendor it is important to consider the hardware and software infrastructure the ERP vendor supports since this will determine the fit and ________ of the system. A) instances B) web capabilities C) scalability D) bandwidth

Q: IT ________ companies regularly survey the ERP market and are a good source of current information on any implementation or support issues that may be happening. A) marketing B) design C) research D) management

Q: If the ERP vendor is a publicly traded firm it is useful to examine public reports to make sure they are in strong ________ position. A) managerial B) growth C) technical D) financial

Q: When evaluating an ERP vendor, it is important to consider the ________, or the companies already using the system. A) partners B) user base C) module portfolio D) change management team

Q: Senior management must be committed to the ERP project in terms of both resources and time or the project is doomed to failure from the beginning.

Q: Oracle recently acquired, Seibel, JDEdwards and PeopleSoft in order to centralize their offerings in the ERP world.

Q: When considering an ERP vendor it is important consider the hardware and software infrastructure preferred to support the ERP system.

Q: A good potential ERP vendor will have an active user base involved in defining future functional changes, and this is important to consider when selecting a vendor.

Q: Buying a new ERP system usually means that the company will also have to update their attorneys.

Q: Negotiating with two ERP vendors will yield a higher purchase price.

Q: Most companies base their ERP system requirements on a business process reengineering analysis.

Q: If the client miscounts the number of users, this would be an example of a(n) foreseeable circumstance that may require a change in the contract.

Q: In the ERP software vendor contract it is important that all of the investments are clearly defined.

Q: The ERP implementation contract is usually separate from the software vendor license and contract.

Q: The accuracy of TCO when applied to ERP systems has been marginal but is still a worthwhile exercise in the selection process.

Q: TCO provides a financial framework for evaluating and comparing ERP vendors and products.

Q: The largest cost of the ERP system occurs after the implementation with the system design and upgrades.

Q: All the ERP bids will need to be carefully evaluated by the different groups of people involved in the decision-making process.

Q: The RFP or RFQ is sent to ERP vendors to get bids on specific ERP systems.

Q: The RFP should specify what infrastructure the company already has in place.

Q: The bidding process is required for purchasing an ERP system in private industry.

Q: Along with responding to the RFI, ERP vendors often will do a demo of their system.

Q: The RFI is an essential part of the ERP vendor bidding process.

Q: The functional requirements process will be helpful in choosing an ERP vendor.

Q: After researching all the ERP vendors, the results should be a short list of possible vendors.

Q: Once the ERP system is installed, the relationship with the ERP software vendor is completed.

Q: Some ERP vendors have focused their products on specific IT platforms.

Q: Some ERP products are designed with a particular industry focus.

Q: PeopleSoft is known for its financial applications in the ERP software market.

Q: Company size is an important factor to consider when choosing an ERP package since some packages don't work well with large numbers of users.

Q: Great Plains is designed to be used by companies that have a large number of potential users.

Q: A business should not bother to examine what ERP packages their competition uses when selecting an ERP vendor.

Q: It is important to consider the ERP vendor's overall financial position when selecting an ERP vendor.

Q: It is good to ask department managers and subject matter experts if they have any knowledge or experience with ERP vendors.

Q: An ERP vendor should not be required to explain their software release and upgrade strategies as this is a separate issue from the purchasing decision.

Q: It is not a good idea to include end-users in the vendor selection process as this will only complicate the process.

Q: When selecting an ERP software package, it is important to research all aspects of the package including the platform on which it will run.

Q: State of the art ERP systems usually can be run on old legacy hardware without any problems.

Q: Usually the first step in selecting an ERP system is researching the ERP vendors on the market.

Q: Pricing for the ERP software is done in the Needs/Requirements assessment step of the purchasing process.

Q: The final step in the ERP purchasing process is to release the request for bid to the vendors.

Q: Companies often bring in specialized consulting firms to assist in the ERP vendor selection process.

Q: Once the decision has been made to implement an ERP system, the initial step is to select an ERP vendor.

Q: The customer is often blamed for an unsuccessful implementation.

Q: What are the issues associated with the infrastructure platform on which the ERP system will run?

Q: What is meant by ERP governance?

Q: How do ERP systems make use of database technology?

Q: What is integration and why is it so important for ERP systems?

Q: What are third party products and why are they needed?

Q: What are some of the different sub-teams that will work with the overall implementation team?

Q: Without the necessary people, ERP projects could not be successful. What are some of the roles played in an ERP implementation?

Q: Describe the different software components used in an ERP system.

Q: What are the main hardware components of an ERP system?

Q: Businesses that are not skilled at building or changing systems should consider a(n) ________ ERP implementation. A) massive B) comprehensive C) vanilla D) chocolate E) none of the above

Q: Change management activities should ________ the entire ERP project. A) occur throughout B) occur in the beginning of C) occur at the end of D) never occur in E) none of the above

Q: An ERP project is said to be a "vanilla" implementation when ________ are not allowed. A) users B) modifications C) managers D) chocolates E) none of the above

Q: Faster servers and increases in storage capacities made the single ________ feasible for ERP systems. A) database instance B) user interface C) access point D) governance E) none of the above

Q: External consultants may be valuable implementation partners because they have the ________ and experience of implementing many successful projects. A) time B) money C) knowledge base D) hardware E) none of the above

Q: ________ play an important role in the rapid implementation of ERP systems. A) Consultants B) Data C) Software D) Hardware E) none of the above

Q: Having a well-defined project methodology is very helpful in managing the inherent ________ of the ERP project. A) hardware B) software C) costs D) risks E) none of the above

Q: No ERP system is totally ________ and meets all the user requirements. A) paid for B) finished C) bug-free D) free E) none of the above

Q: The ________ meets to resolve all cross-module issues. A) project team B) cross-functional team C) steering committee D) change management team E) none of the above

Q: Project team members provide direction and ERP application knowledge with respect to business ________ design and configuration. A) hardware B) software C) process D) data E) none of the above

Q: The ________ is/are in charge of managing the day-to-day aspects of the ERP project. A) application steward B) project manager C) project executives D) steering committee E) none of the above

Q: The ________ is/are responsible for resolving functional issues raised to the Steering Committee. A) application steward B) project manager C) project executives D) steering committee E) none of the above

Q: The ________ Committee will oversee the project's efforts and ensure appropriate leadership. A) Executive B) Steering C) Governance D) ERP E) none of the above

Q: ERP systems are initially set up to support ________ as opposed to supporting the reporting component. A) decision-making B) planning C) transactional components D) marketing E) project management

Q: The recent development of ________ is an attempt to solve the interfacing and integration problems associated with ERP systems. A) operating systems B) bolt-ons C) project management tools D) middleware E) AI tools

Q: The downside of using an interface for integration is that the data will not be as ________ as it would be if it were integrated more directly. A) accurate B) timely C) economical D) valuable

Q: A(n) ________ is a process by which data or data tables are copied or updated to and/or from the ERP system. A) methodology B) protocol C) interface D) integration E) data migration

Q: ________ are add-on software components to either make the system operational or add missing functionality not offered by the ERP system. A) Applications B) Web sites C) E-business components D) Third party products

Q: The ________ team works with end-user training, communications and support activities. A) functional B) change management C) development D) data migration

Q: The ________ team customizes the systems functionality. A) functional B) change management C) development D) data migration

Q: The ________ team determines the gaps between the ERP functionality and the business process requirements. A) functional B) change management C) development D) data migration

Q: The ________ has to put together a good project team and work with top management to get support and resources for the project. A) Steering Committee B) project manager C) IT executive D) IT specialist

Q: The success or failure of an ERP implementation is ultimately in the hands of the: A) end-users. B) design team members. C) IT executives. D) IT specialists.

Q: Database administrators and IT operations support personnel are examples of: A) end-users. B) design team members. C) IT executives. D) IT specialists.

Q: Application software is the programs or ________ that help in the development, monitoring, and integration of ERP software. A) legacy systems B) utility software C) databases D) system software