This financial software knowledge base anticipates as many factors as possible to establish your selection criteria for general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, reporting, and other bookkeeping requirements. This knowledge base in particular, offers a view on enterprise financial packages, which can complement an existing ERP system.

The accounting and ERP for small and medium businesses (SMB) evaluation model targets functional requirements for a fully featured accounting solution. In addition to supporting accounting requirements, it is applicable for those researching an ERP system suitable for small and medium businesses (SMB). It includes categories such as General Ledger, A/P and A/R, Payroll, Job and Project Costing, Multinational Accounting, Manufacturing, Inventory, Technology, and much more.

TEC's new ERP for Manufacturing (SMB) evaluation model targets the software requirements of small and medium enterprises. If your organization doesn't have many sites to operate, seeks a solid base of ERP functionality, but doesn't want every possible feature of the biggest systems on the market, this model is a good starting place for your research. It covers fully featured accounting solutions with necessary manufacturing, inventory, human resources, purchasing, quality, and sales management functionality.

The EAM knowledge base is geared toward groups that need to analyze requirements for a system, which supports maintenance management tasks. Asset management systems typically enable planning, controlling, and monitoring of physical asset events. This knowledge base includes criteria for comparing general computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) functionality, fleet maintenance, workflow, reporting, and other areas that touch upon asset management practices.

A warehouse management system (WMS) should provide database and user-level tools in order for a company to optimize its storage facilities while at the same time providing user level task direction and activity support. The WMS should enable warehouse operators to optimize pick, put-away, and replenishment functions by employing powerful system logic to select the best locations and sequences.

The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Evaluation Center covers criteria for tags and storage devices, readers, wireless hubs and servers, and the middleware necessary for evaluating an RFID system deployment. RFID systems are used in different situations that require the tracking of unique items. RFID tags, in the context of enterprise resource planning and supply chain management, make items visible from manufacturing through distribution. RFID tags may be used to carry basic information such as an address, to more complex information used at different stages of an assembly line.

Document management systems (DMS) assist with the management, creation, workflow, and storage of documents within different departments. A DMS stores documents in a database and associates important information about the documents, to the documents (known as metadata). Most systems provide workflow engines to design and support document creation, publication, and usage. DMS solutions are often used by insurance and health care industries, government bodies, or other organizations processing high volumes of documents.

Business performance management (BPM) enables organizations to translate strategies into plans, monitor execution, and provide insight needed to manage and improve financial and operational performance. This knowledge base covers scorecards, dashboards, business activity monitoring, and more.

This business intelligence (BI) knowledge base covers a full range of BI functionality. BI applications enable real time, interactive access, analysis, and manipulation of mission-critical corporate information. BI users are able to access and leverage vast amounts of information to analyze relationships and understand trends that support business decisions. This knowledge base covers everything from data mining to analytics, querying, reporting, workflow, and in-depth analysis.

This CRM knowledge base supports specialized criteria for groups engaged in the financial and insurance markets. In addition to many of the regular CRM features, the knowledge base has a range of criteria for policy tracking, agency management, investment tracking, and other areas of concern to professional service automation (PSA) groups.

This comprehensive, customer relationship management (CRM) knowledge base covers the full range of CRM functionality. Modeled especially to help clients requiring modern B2B or B2C solutions, it covers marketing automation, sales force automation, customer service and support, partner management, contract management and creation, project and team management, Internet sales, e-mail response management, analytics, and important technical criteria.

Sales Force Automation (SFA) systems help sales and marketing teams with functions related to taking orders, generating proposals or quotes, managing territories, managing partners, and maintaining contact data. Systems often include various levels of analytic and reporting capabilities.

Quote-to-order (Q2O) solutions (sometimes known as configure, price, and quote or CPQ) enable manufacturers to mobilize their mass customization initiatives. These systems can reduce time-consuming quoting and ordering processes, decrease unit costs, and lower sales costs. Q2O suites can further help enterprises increase sales effectiveness across all channels. These solutions help companies that sell complex products and services shift their focus to customer-facing sales and service issues.

The discrete enterprise resource planning (ERP) knowledge base addresses discrete manufacturing (distinct items such as auto parts or chairs) as well as non-manufacturing industries. Research vendors that support a range of functionality for production planning, shop floor control, and product costing. The knowledge base also provides information on financials, human resources, and other enterprise management modules.

The process enterprise resource planning (ERP) knowledge base anticipates as many factors as possible to assist businesses in the process manufacturing field, which typically involves mixing, separating, forming, or performing chemical reactions (for example, paint manufacturers or refineries). The knowledge base includes criteria for determining batch control and reporting, formula and routing, and material management capabilities. It also provides information for other enterprise management modules such as human resources and financials.

The Discrete ERP Knowledge Base will help those involved in manufacturing and other industries, research vendors that support a range of production capabilities such as production planning, shop floor control, and product costing. The knowledge base also provides information on financials, human resources, and other enterprise management modules.

The engineer-to-order (ETO) enterprise resource planning knowledge base supports the requirements of companies that manufacture products based their customers' unique engineering designs. Companies building ETO products require special processes for estimates, purchasing materials, engineering changes, cost allocation and tracking, and ongoing work with customers.

The mixed-mode manufacturing ERP knowledge base addresses diverse criteria for multiple types of production environments and strategies. Companies that need to switch production without interrupting their operations may seek both discrete and process manufacturing requirements of their ERP solution. These may include mixing, separating, forming, or performing chemical reactions, as well as functionality for production planning, shop floor control, and product costing.

This knowledge base includes enterprise resource planning (ERP) and computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) modules geared toward the regular requirements of companies in the mining industry. While including important criteria for financials solutions and human resources, it has additional process workflow, quality management, field service, and other criteria.

The ERP for Mill-based and Material Converting Environments knowledge base focuses on a range of industrial activities that add value to raw materials by processing them into a form suitable for further manufacturing or for immediate end-use. These activities include traditional mills that turn grain into flour or extract sucrose from sugar cane; the spinning and weaving mills of the textiles and carpets sectors; the rolling plants of steel, aluminum, and other metals semi-fabricators; to the continuous outputs of paper and board mills.

The enterprise resource planning (ERP) for services knowledge base is appropriate for organizations in service-oriented industries. It consists of enterprise-wide integrated information systems that manage the operations, services, and resources of non-manufacturing organizations.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP)—distribution software is designed for companies in the distribution and logistics industries. Traditional distribution businesses focus on moving goods through a supply chain, and the distribution software market has developed products to meet these needs. The software solutions developed for ERP for distribution includes functionality for supply chain management (SCM), distribution process management (DPM), and retail and commerce.

Quote-to-order (Q2O) solutions (sometimes known as configure, price, and quote or CPQ) enable manufacturers to mobilize their mass customization initiatives. These systems can reduce time-consuming quoting and ordering processes, decrease unit costs, and lower sales costs. Q2O suites can further help enterprises increase sales effectiveness across all channels. These solutions help companies that sell complex products and services shift their focus to customer-facing sales and service issues.

The ERP knowledge base for K-12 school districts and municipalities focuses on back-office functionality, including financials, human resources (HR), and payroll. It covers important functionality for employee self-service activities, purchasing management, and inventory management.

The model of ERP systems for the upstream oil and gas sector addresses the particularly specialized business model of this industry. It is common practice for companies, individuals, and government agencies to form partnerships to explore, develop, and share production of oil wells. More often than not, this is a short-term alliance rather than a long-term partnership, and business structuring must therefore be flexible at initial set-up and throughout the lifespan of the venture. This model of ERP systems includes criteria for financials, human resources, production data capture and reporting, maintenance management, and supply chain management (SCM) functionality.

TEC's new ERP for Manufacturing (SMB) evaluation model targets the software requirements of small and medium enterprises. If your organization doesn't have many sites to operate, seeks a solid base of ERP functionality, but doesn't want every possible feature of the biggest systems on the market, this model is a good starting place for your research. It covers fully featured accounting solutions with necessary manufacturing, inventory, human resources, purchasing, quality, and sales management functionality.

This knowledge base on human resources management systems affords clients the opportunity to rapidly determine their criteria for management and employee personnel tasks. Its extensive criteria include benefits and payroll management, employee self service, data warehousing, and health and safety requirements.

The Learning Management Knowledge Base will help you select learning content and management systems. It covers the required tools for effective training, e-learning and virtual classroom, course management, competency management, and other criteria.

Enterprise incentive management (EIM) and employee compensation management sit between HR, CRM, Accounting, and sales force automation. These applications help sales executives gain perspective on sales performance, business operations, and manage compensation programs. EIM solutions are used to improve sales strategies.

Talent Management (TM) encompasses all the applications necessary for handling personnel-related tasks for corporate managers and individual employees from the point of hire to the point of retire. This talent management model includes functionality for recruitment and staffing management, personnel management, career development, succession planning, learning management, performance and compensation management, and workforce management and planning.

Recruitment and Staffing functionality allows the user to select and hire the right people with the right skill sets, as well as track the information regarding their recruitment for later analysis. It covers criteria such as Organization Structures and Modeling, Corporate Branding, Sourcing, Applicant Tracking, Assessment and Selection, Governance and Compliance, Vendor Management Systems (VMS) Portal, Recruitment Analytics and Reporting, and Product Technology.

Content management systems enable management of an organization''s information assets such as internal documentation, records, and group collaboration. This model of research on enterprise content management (ECM) covers requirements for content authoring, workflow, presentation, asset management, reporting, backup, and other criteria for content management processes.

Business process management (BPM) defines, enables, and manages the exchange of enterprise information through the semantics of a business process view, which involves employees, customers, partners, applications, and databases.

The Learning Management Knowledge Base will help you select learning content and management systems. It covers the required tools for effective training, e-learning and virtual classroom, course management, competency management, and other criteria.

Web content management (WCM) systems manage content creation, review, and approval processes for web site content. This may include public Web sites (Internet), or private web sites (intranet or extranet). Use a WCM solution to organize and manage documents; provide content version control, collaboration utilities, and user or document level security.

Document management systems (DMS) assist with the management, creation, workflow, and storage of documents within different departments. A DMS stores documents in a database and associates important information about the documents, to the documents (known as metadata). Most systems provide workflow engines to design and support document creation, publication, and usage. DMS solutions are often used by insurance and health care industries, government bodies, or other organizations processing high volumes of documents.

The Product Development and Portfolio Management Knowledge Base covers the execution processes of new product development projects and programs, including phase-gate processes. It also addresses Product Portfolio Management (PPM), including the evaluation processes of new and existing products and product portfolios to provide the most valuable, balanced, and well aligned portfolio of products.

This comprehensive product lifecycle management (PLM) knowledge base models modern product and design-related aspects of PLM for both discrete and process industries. It details product development and portfolio management, manufacturing process management, ideation and requirements management, service data, and regulatory and compliance criteria. This comprehensive knowledge base incorporates the criteria of TEC's other PLM knowledge bases.

Product information management (PIM) provides a common, central repository to manage all types of information about finished products. It integrates with back office systems and provides additional workflow management.

Core PLM, Product Specification and Recipe Management (PDM and RM) for Process Industries covers the base foundation of PLM for the process (or recipe-based) manufacturing industries such as food & beverage, chemical, pharmaceutical and others. It covers design and product-related aspects of PLM including management of material specifications, recipes, formulas, production processes, design tools, document management and collaboration.

Core PLM and Product Data Management (PDM) for Discrete Industries covers the base foundation of PLM for the discrete manufacturing industries such as automotive, electronics, aerospace and defense, medical devices, complex machinery and others. It covers design and product-related aspects of PLM including management of material specifications, product structures, production processes, design tools, document management, and design collaboration.

The Regulatory and Compliance Knowledge Base covers the requirements for ensuring products and their associated materials comply with both external and intenal rules and regulations. It covers regulatory and requirements needs, as well as product related components of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S).

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) for Fashion is an evaluation model containing tailored PLM criteria and extra functionalities that serve the specificities of this industry in order to help fashion goods (including apparel, footwear, accessory and home fashion) manufacturers and retailers to achieve more efficient product development, lower cost, and better collaboration and control throughout the whole supply chain.

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) for Retail is an evaluation model containing tailored PLM criteria and extra functionalities that serve the specificities of this industry in order to help fashion goods (including apparel, footwear, accessory, and home fashion) manufacturers and retailers to achieve more efficient product development, lower cost, and better collaboration and control throughout the whole supply chain.

The Product Development and Portfolio Management Knowledge Base covers the execution processes of new product development projects and programs, including phase-gate processes. It also addresses Product Portfolio Management (PPM), including the evaluation processes of new and existing products and product portfolios to provide the most valuable, balanced, and well aligned portfolio of products.

Business process management (BPM) defines, enables, and manages the exchange of enterprise information through the semantics of a business process view, which involves employees, customers, partners, applications, and databases.

A business practice that assists organizations to align their portfolio of projects with their business strategy. Typically IT departments employ an IT governance framework to ensure that their PPM strategy is put into action. With the increasing demand of IT departments to justify their project investments, PPM software has risen in popularity as the tool of choice. It allows both executives and IT decision makers to gain insight into their IT portfolios. PPM software allows IT managers to prioritize projects, allocate resources where needed, and gain financial insight into their portfolio investments.

A business practice that assists organizations to align their portfolio of projects with their business strategy. Professional services automation (PSA) refers to a system designed to streamline and track resources, projects, portfolios, revenues, and the costs of professional services organizations (PSOs), which provide billable services to their clients. Consequently, PPM for PSA provides both the high-level monitoring of project portfolios as business investments and automates the project-specific functionality of time, billing, expense reporting, opportunity management, and resource management, linking back office functionality with the PSO’s portfolio of projects.

If your business primarily needs forecasting, marketing, merchandising, simulating, and planning support, you will find vendors in the demand management knowledge base offer solutions focused on these issues.

A warehouse management system (WMS) should provide database and user-level tools in order for a company to optimize its storage facilities while at the same time providing user level task direction and activity support. The WMS should enable warehouse operators to optimize pick, put-away, and replenishment functions by employing powerful system logic to select the best locations and sequences.

The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Evaluation Center covers criteria for tags and storage devices, readers, wireless hubs and servers, and the middleware necessary for evaluating an RFID system deployment. RFID systems are used in different situations that require the tracking of unique items. RFID tags, in the context of enterprise resource planning and supply chain management, make items visible from manufacturing through distribution. RFID tags may be used to carry basic information such as an address, to more complex information used at different stages of an assembly line.

Transportation management systems should provide the basic components of a shared information system to support collaboration, rates, routes, roles, transaction sets, documents, and information exchanged to facilitate the booking, execution, and settlement of transportation movements.

Criteria in this knowledge base pertain to managing supplier, manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, and customer business processes. Addressing demand management, warehouse management, international trade logistics, transportation execution, and many other issues for a complete solution, this knowledge base will support your evaluation of an SCM suite.

A point of sale (POS) system helps retailers automate transactions. POS solutions are used in retail stores where sales associates must enter sales, refunds, layaways, transfers, etc. TEC's model of POS systems facilitates the selection process with research on vendors that support inventory management, register management, price management, transaction management, and other capabilities.

Merchandising systems are the enterprise back and front-office software solutions upon which the majority of retailers rely to manage and support their daily tasks. These systems typically record product performance, which allows buyers to purchase merchandise according to that information and to make accurate merchandise decisions. Moreover, retail systems have capabilities for tracking inventory, capturing sales data, and managing retail prices.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP)—distribution software is designed for companies in the distribution and logistics industries. Traditional distribution businesses focus on moving goods through a supply chain, and the distribution software market has developed products to meet these needs. The software solutions developed for ERP for distribution includes functionality for supply chain management (SCM), distribution process management (DPM), and retail and commerce.

Criteria in this knowledge base pertain to managing supplier, manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, and customer business processes. Addressing demand management, warehouse management, international trade logistics, transportation execution, and many other issues for a complete solution, this knowledge base will support your evaluation of an SCM suite.