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Jeff Dix

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ERP Project Leader, JAFRA Cosmetics International

332 points

Jeff Dix is an ERP expert for mid-size companies, specializing in ERP selection, contract negotiation, and managing towards achievable Return On Investment.

Jeff Dix asked a question

Oct. 29, 2011

Have you had experience with NetSuite Adaptive Planning?

Jeff Dix recommends this answer by Andrew Baker

July 28, 2011

Tips for talking your boss out of legacy software and into ERP?

ERP has a tremendous impact on a business. Not just in what benefits it can bring, but in what changes it inflicts upon the various departments. :)
These sorts of changes/improvements, should always be presented from a viable business case perspective. If your proposal cannot answer ... more

Information Technology

Enterprise Software

Jeff Dix recommends this comment by Amanda Gleason-Mack

July 20, 2011

Where Netflix went wrong

Mr. Fred Clay,
Please do not insult my intelligence or that of anyone on this blog. I am an avid reader but I enjoy watching a few shows before bed to relax. more

Information Technology

Business Decisions

Jeff Dix recommends this answer by Steve Christensen

July 20, 2011

Is project governance easier on cloud-based ERP implementations than for on-premise?

Michael,
Project governance for cloud-based ERP implementations v. on-premise is identical. The cloud is nothing new. It is a network. Even the on-premise implementation is a cloud given that there is a server and there are clients. Certainly, the clients may differ slightly from one version ... more

Information Technology

Cloud Computing

Enterprise Resource Planning

Jeff Dix and 7 other people answered this question

July 18, 2011

Do fixed-price ERP projects protect against expensive cost overruns?

Fixed Price offers some protection, but not the protection that many buyers need. Fixed Price does NOT protect from the cost overruns that are a result of adding necessary functionality that was not a part fo the original Fixed price scope, and it is these ... more

Information Technology

Enterprise Resource Planning

Jeff Dix recommends this answer by Bob Swedroe

June 27, 2011

When choosing enterprise software, do you hire independent selection consultants?

Being an ERP vendor, I have no problem with an unbiased 3rd party consultant as long as they are really unbiased. There have been instances where the playing field is not level. For instance, we experienced a situation where the consultant sent me an e-mail ... more

Information Technology

Jeff Dix recommends this answer by Paula Rosenblum

March 18, 2011

3 ways to handle and work for an autocratic, micro-managing and de-humanizing boss?

Three ways: leave, leave and leave.
You cannot change people and there are some who are just too whacky to work for. Period.
I've been there too. I waited too long. It took a serious toll.
If you can stand to wait until you have ... more

General Management

Jeff Dix and 2 other people answered this question

Feb. 11, 2011

How do you select the best system integrator for your enterprise software project?

I agree with both John and Todd on the critical importance of the specific team members who will be working on the ERP project. Domain expertise is a critical need for a project to start on the right track and stay there.
In addition, I ... more

Jeff Dix is now following

Feb. 8, 2011

Jeff Dix recommends this answer by Bob Swedroe

Nov. 29, 2010

ERP Software Selection Best Practices: What are your 3 tips for selecting an ERP software?

1. Make sure you define your needs up front, else you might select a solid ERP that addresses the wrong issues. The needs assessment should involve all relevant functions/employees in order to define a broad spectrum of requirements. This will also help to obtain employee ... more

General Management

Jeff Dix recommends this answer by Troy Grove

Nov. 23, 2010

What are some other quality ERP systems aside from Microsoft?

I believe you should look at the ERP systems that align with your vertical business industry focus and narrow that matrix down to approx. 8 ERP solutions and do some GAP analysis and demo 3 from the list with a tier 1 solution, tier 2 ... more

Information Technology

Erp & Crm Software.

Jeff Dix and 9 other people answered this question

Nov. 9, 2010

Which ERP vendors have a reputation of serving small businesses?

I would echo Robert's answer above and recommend that you start your search by looking at QuickBooks and Peachtree to see if these cover your needs. If not, the next step up in terms of operational needs would be providers like Infor and Activant who ... more

Erp Software Solutions

Jeff Dix recommends this answer by Tim Hourigan

Oct. 20, 2010

Do I need to hire a full-time IT person to manage my new ERP?

Assuming an on-premise implementation for a mid-size company moving off a product like QuickBooks or Peachtree to a Tier 2 type package, the typical answer is "no". But to be clear, I would say every ERP implementation needs a designated 'functional' super user and a ... more

Human Resources

Information Technology

Business Intelligence

Jeff Dix recommends this answer by Julian Tocato

Oct. 19, 2010

What is the #1 reason why ERP projects fail?

A buyer would say: because the vendor didn't sell me the right solution to fit my business environment.
A vendor would say: because the buyer didn't properly identify his/her requirements.
I think the truth lies somewhere in between. A savvy buyer should make every effort to cover ... more

Information Technology

Business Intelligence

Business Intelligence Software

Jeff Dix and 4 other people answered this question

Oct. 19, 2010

Is CRM a part of ERP?

Very basic CRM-type tools (contact information,recent sales, etc.) are a part of many ERP systems' core modules today, but a CRM to really manage business interactions and communications is typically a separate piece of software.
You will likely find full CRM packages available from your ... more

Information Technology

Business Intelligence

Jeff Dix answered this question

Oct. 15, 2010

What ERP tools should I consider when just getting started?

You might want to take a look at the webistes for some of the basic ERP software packages such as Sage MAS500 and Microsoft Dynamics GP as a start. The features and functions of these packages will give you an idea what a "typical" ERP ... more

ERP Applications

Jeff Dix and 1 other person answered this question

Oct. 15, 2010

What are the top things I should consider before purchasing an ERP system for my small business?

First, I would recommend documenting (even if just written on a piece of paper) what exactly you expect to get out of your ERP system purchase. Depending on how small your business is, you may not need an ERP system to get what you need. ... more

Small Business Advice

Jeff Dix and 1 other person answered this question

Oct. 8, 2010

How do you create alignment with systems integrators and consultants to ensure successful projects?

One answer is to create financial incentives that encourage alignment of your interests. To use an example from an ERP implementation: determine the implementation timeline that gets your company what you need at the price you can afford, then negotiate with the systems integrator to ... more

Information Technology

Jeff Dix answered this question

Sept. 29, 2010

Which ERP vendors have a reputation of serving large enterprises?

SAP and Oracle will most likely be the most common answer to your question. Both have a reputation for being able to serve global enterprises and include a lot of complex tools that deal with multi-organization financials and complex, multi-country supply chain issues.
Depending on ... more

Information Technology

Jeff Dix and 2 other people answered this question

Sept. 5, 2010

Focus Research Insight: The #1 reason ERP buyers eliminate vendors is because of a poor reputation.

I think that the typical ERP buyer has an idea about reputations but does not limit their field of consideration on reputation alone. I would certainly recommend that a potential buyer use more decision criteria before eliminating any vendors.
It is, however, frequent that someone ... more

Information Technology

Focus Research Insight

Jeff Dix and 21 other people answered this question

Sept. 4, 2010

How should a small business start up go about creating a website?

I would check out www.wix.com to see if they have a standard solution that can fit her needs. Wix offers free websites, but for e-commerce tools, she will have to pay. It is worth looking into. I find it fairly easy to use. You just ... more

Jeff Dix recommends this answer by Hrvoje Smolic

Sept. 2, 2010

Should BI Teams Reside on the IT or the Business Side?

Kirsty,
I think that both is necessary - and more. I had experiences when we delivered and covered all techical aspects of BI, from databases, data warehouses, sql queries, optimisations, cubes, demensions and measures. In that case, something is missing - business authority.
My opinion is that ... more

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Business Intelligence

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