new energy sources, the high cost of transportation, supply disruptions, and increased affluence of global competitors. Like all industrial cycles, this one differs from predecessors. Technology is more advanced and granular. Digital technology is pervasive, with software applications for virtually any real or imagined situation. Systems unable to integrate mobile technology are obsolete. Speed, as always, is a business goal, but speed without quality is waste. Sustainability is an issue affecting every business decision. Process improvement programs must incorporate resource yield/optimization, and viable ERP systems provide deeper structure for planning and managing resources. Strategy and governance define the direction for the business, how it designs, markets, distributes, and acquires the needed assets to buy/make product. ERP systems plan and control the supporting processes, translating objectives into actionable plans, then tracking execution in real-time. Since its inception, ERP has grown steadily more complicated, robust, and expensive to purchase and install. Comprehensive systems are still available but new approaches provide industry with advanced and in some cases, more simplified solutions, including cloud applications, modularity, and a return to the simple functionality of MRP. ERP/MRP, like manufacturing, presents exciting new applications for achieving excellence. This book is a structured process written to guide you on the journey to successful implementations.

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