Hyde Park Technologies Pty Ltd (HPT), a medium-sized enterprise with a turnover of $100 million per year is considering the purchase of an ERP system. As they have an urgent need to update their accounting system, they plan on purchasing an ERP financial module as the first step and then over time, they plan on integrating this module as part of a larger ERP rollout through the company. Eileen Dover, the CEO of HPT recently issued a request for proposal (RFP) to a number of ERP vendors. To assist the vendors in the preparation of their responses, Eileen has provided the following information: HPT was founded by Eileen's father (Hans Dover) in 1986. Even though Hans is now in his 70s, he still plays an important figurehead role in the company and will have influence in the choice of vendor. Eileen has emphasised that whilst the presentation materials be to a high professional standard, it is imperative that they clearly and simply articulate the "Hansefits" of the new system and don't just contain "cut and paste" from the company's website as her father would be very disappointed by such an approach. The current IT systems could best be described as "home grown" and have become increasingly difficult to maintain. These systems support the major accounting functions including: sales order processing, inventory control, accounts receivable, accounts payable and the general ledger. These applications use multiple legacy file systems which create both data redundancy as well as data inconsistencies. As could be expected from such a "home grown" "cobbled together" system, almost no documentation is available, and it is difficult to produce management reports. Many of HPT's competitors have adopted or are adopting fully integrated ERP systems that enable web-based front ends for order processing, order tracking and order follow-up. However, HPT's back-office systems are in disarray, and they cannot offer these services to their clients. One of their largest clients has indicated that they will shift their business to HPT's main competitor Wayville Technologies (WT) if HPT cannot provide a similar (or better) level of service to the current level of service being offered by WT. Ideally the selected ERP system will support, HR, Customer Relationship Management and eBusiness. It is anticipated that these capabilities will eventually be implemented in subsequent phases. ⚫ HPT currently has approximately 100 computers, uses a Windows based network system and has a Hewlett Packard server that supports the legacy systems. The budget for the new financial module of the ERP system is $1.2 million (including the cost of acquiring the necessary upgrades in hardware, software and networking facilities). Mission Statement Hyde Park Technologies empowers businesses to thrive through innovative technology solutions. With a focus on simplicity, reliability, and efficiency, HPT is dedicated to providing tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of each client, now and into the future. At HPT, we are not just implementing software, we are shaping the future of business. Eileen has also indicated to the ERP Vendors that whilst price will be an obvious consideration, their proposal will be evaluated using the following selection criteria: Selection Criteria Vendor Related 1. Vendor history & market strategy (trading experience, market share, strategy & strengths) 2. Product offerings, integration & scalability (ERP product line, module integration strategy, web-based application strategy, new offerings) 3. Consulting support available (support for configuration of organisational data, technical support for system implementation, cost of consulting support, availability of consulting support 4. Availability of vendor training (training in configuration of master data, training in operations ERP Modules Supporting Sales & Financial accounting 5. Fit with current business processes (specifically, sales order, receivables, payables and financial reporting processes) 6. Cost (ERP module, configuration and implementation support, initial and ongoing training, maintenance and software licensing) 7. Reporting applications (Current reporting capabilities, database query and reporting tools, web-based reporting capability) 8. Ability to integrate sales & financial accounting with other ERP modules (with production and manufacturing, marketing, and human resources modules) 9. User friendliness (availability of tutorials, application module documentation, technical documentation) Key Skills Developed: 1. The ability to conduct industry - based research to solve a "real world" problem. 2. The ability to select an ERP system that would align with HPT's requirements. 3. The ability to work independently. 4. The ability to deal with limited information. 5. The ability to produce a slide deck to a professional standard. 6. The ability to produce and deliver a pre