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The Makings of a Great

ERP User Experience

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The Makings of a Great
User Experience
During the course of a year, TEC performs numerous in-depth reviews of ERP and other
systems to develop product certification reports and industry reports, and to keep up
with the latest trends. As the product comparison chart in the recent TEC 2015 ERP for
Discrete Manufacturing Buyer’s Guide shows, it is evident that all ERP vendors provide
robust functional capabilities or partner with best-of-breed solutions to fill functional gaps.
But one area where solution providers are differentiating themselves is how they deliver
on user interface, thereby shaping a user’s experience within the system. In this report
we’ll break down some of the best and must-have user experience elements, talk about
advancements in user experience, and look at future directions in this area in ERP systems.

User Experience Elements

Modern ERP systems have adopted several core user experience elements. Disappearing
from system user interfaces are the long nested menus of transaction codes for getting
a user to the information they need. We now see data grids (based on Microsoft Excel),
graphical reporting, and system search taking over as the paradigm for information access.
And when it comes to actually getting the day-to-day job done, transaction screens are
more appealing and personalizable than they used to be. The user experience elements
and features discussed below represent some of the best of what we’ve recently witnessed.

Excel-like Data Grids

One primary user experience element being employed by ERP providers is what we call an
Excel-like data grid. These grids have the look and feel of a spreadsheet and are used for
accessing tabular data across the system. Why Excel? Because it’s the most-used business
intelligence (BI) tool in the world, according to Eron Kelly, general manager of SQL Server
Marketing at Microsoft (as quoted in a recent post on CIO’s Web site). Kelly notes that “one-
in-seven human beings on the planet have Excel.”

The data grids allow users to sort, filter, group, and perform common mathematical
operation like sums, averages, etc. The columns on the grids can be resized, moved, added,
or changed based on the user’s unique needs. And of course, the data from one of these
screens can usually be downloaded to Excel in a click or two.

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Probably the biggest advantage to these user configurable data grids is that they enable
self-service data access and report development. Virtually any ERP user in an organization
who knows how to use Excel can now create customized reports to get at key information
across the system, without needing to ask the IT department for a custom report.

After a user sets up a grid to match his or her individual needs, the grid setup can be
saved by the user for future use. This saved setup can also be sent to other users across the
department or company. Some ERP providers also allow for saving and categorizing these
custom-developed views into a library.

Different vendors have developed slightly different takes on the data grid objects. Microsoft
calls these data grids “list pages” and has published one of the most extensive publicly
available sets of user experience guidelines for its ERP products. Detailed user experience
guidelines for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 can be found here. Below is a view of a list page
in Microsoft Dyanamics AX (figure 1):

Figure 1. Microsoft Dynamics list page

The majority of ERP manufacturing solution vendors have adopted the data grid as one of
the primary ways to access information. We see Infor exploiting the same list view of data
in Infor LN. The screenshot below shows the Infor LN list view (figure 2), which illustrates
how a user is able to customize various components of the user experience, including the
display of fields within a data grid, or what Infor calls a form.

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Figure 2. Infor LN list view

These data grids will normally be pre-built on top of the major data entities in the system
(e.g., sales orders, purchase orders, warehouses, etc.). The grids then allow the user to drill
down directly to the source transactions of the data.

Pervasive and Embedded BI—Reports, Charts, and KPIs

One way vendors are differentiating their solutions is by delivering a rich set of charts,
key performance indicators (KPIs), and reports that let users visualize the information
and quickly drill into the system and take action. ERP providers now deliver a wealth of BI
capabilities to the end user, out of the box. If the solution provider doesn’t have a rich set of
BI user experience elements, the buyer should think about looking elsewhere.

From any of these elements—charts, KPIs, health meters, etc.—the ERP solution allows
the user to drill down to the source of the data. And similar to the data grids, these user
experience elements should be modifiable by anyone with a basic understanding of the
system and knowledge of Microsoft Excel—users shouldn’t have to put in a request to the
IT department to be able to modify a graph on their screen. The figure below shows an
example of a NetSuite executive dashboard (figure 3). These dashboards are no longer only
for the C-suite, but should be available to everyone across the organization to manage their
aspect of the business.

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Figure 3. NetSuite executive dashboard

Some ERP vendors will leverage and embed one of the top BI tools, such as IBM’s Cognos
or SAP’s Crystal Reports. But many ERP vendors choose to develop their own tools for
reporting, charting, and data analysis. This is for a couple of reasons: One is that vendors
have found that using a third-party tool limits the ability to create a truly unified user
experience. Another reason is that the great advances in tool development have made
it possible for vendors to develop tools without having to invest extensively in internal
research and development (R&D).

One great feature that some products are now providing is what is being called embedded
BI. When a user is looking at, say, a customer, a window on the screen shows any number
of charts, such as the number of quotes received and converted for the customer, or the
customer’s accounts receivable (AR) days outstanding vs. the average AR days outstanding.
This embedded BI capability is another great way to bring key information to the user
experience.

On the BI front, a number of vendors are also providing a significant amount of online
analytical processing (OLAP) services out of the box. These may be part of the standard
solution or offered as a separate add-on to the solution. These OLAP data cubes can be
graphed, diced, sliced, and analyzed just like the base ERP transaction data. The reporting
discussed above is delivered primarily for the online transaction processing (OLTP) data in
the ERP system. (A discussion of the differences between transactional OLTP reporting vs.
OLAP reporting is beyond the scope of this report.)

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ERP vendors have always delivered full sets of standard reports with their ERP systems.
The common reports were always available either as a list of reports grouped by area
and/or accessible from the transaction screen that the user was working in. The data grid
capabilities described above go a long way toward reducing the huge catalog of standard
reports that were delivered with a system. Yet, every vendor still needs to provide a strong
suite of well-developed standard reports.

Information Retrieval—Search, Autocomplete, and Lookups

ERP systems are great at storing large volumes of structured and unstructured data, but
accessing that data remains problematic. The user experience elements discussed above—
the Excel-like data grids and graphical BI tools—have made the data within ERP systems
more accessible, but users still need other ways to search through a system. ERP vendors
are now adopting common Web paradigms for information retrieval.

The Web has forever changed the way we search for information. People expect to be able
to easily search across a corporate ERP system to get the information they need in the
same way they search the Web. Most ERP providers can deliver on a simple search that will
display all information stored in the system related to a user’s search. For example, a global
search bar allows a user to search for, say, a customer by simply entering the customer’s
name in the search bar and hitting enter. The system will display all information related
to that customer while ensuring proper security is enforced on the information retrieved.

However, the problem with the simple Web-like search employed by most ERP providers
is that it will simply display all the transactions and documents on that customer in some
predefined sort order. But, if that customer is commonly party to hundreds of electronic
transactions (purchase orders, shipments, invoices, debits, and credits), then the simple
search across the system quickly becomes useless. ERP providers are currently developing
better search algorithms employing faceted, direct, or combined information retrieval
techniques.

Other information retrieval techniques adopted from the Web include automatically
filling in field information and keeping breadcrumbs of work performed by the user. The
autocomplete or autofill is used when a user is searching for or entering data. The user can
start typing, for example, the name of the customer and the system automatically fills in the
rest of the customer name when it already exists in the system. This feature alone can save
staff a significant number of keystrokes, thus improving business productivity.

Structured information retrieval is a tried and true method where a user can look up an
object (product, customer, or other database object) by searching any number of criteria
about that object. The user is able to call up a search box that lets the user define more

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refined (and even more complex) search criteria to retrieve the object she or he is searching
for. This type of information retrieval is still needed in ERP systems today, but the Web
paradigm is becoming prevalent. For example, when entering customer information for an
order, rather than having to complete a series of fixed fields (for name, telephone number,
zip code, etc.), it is useful to be able to type just one of these elements and have the system
identify the matches for this set of criteria.

Social ERP
It’s no secret that social networking has dramatically changed the way people work and
interact. Facebook’s latest statistics list 829 million daily active users on average and
654 million mobile daily active users on average as of June 2014. Though some vendors
were slow to get on the social bandwagon, the majority of ERP solution providers now
weave social networking capabilities into their solutions. TEC looked into how social ERP is
transforming the way people work in a two-part series of articles titled “Social ERP Emerges,
Transforms the Way People Work,” Part 1 and Part 2.

The integration of social networking tools with an ERP system can enable better
communication and increase productivity beyond email’s capabilities. With social
networking communication tracking and storage, the data is stored within the context
of people’s work, so the information can be better cataloged and organized for later use
than is currently possible in an email-centric environment (which is still the norm for
many organizations). The biggest ERP software players all have solutions to help you go
social—SAP Jam, Microsoft Yammer, Infor Ming.le, NetSuite SuiteSocial, IBM Connections,
Salesforce Chatter, Jive, Deltek Kona, and others.

One thing to keep in mind is that an organization seeking to go social should look for
an enterprise social networking solution that supports the greater social needs of the
organization. In other words, the social networking tool shouldn’t be only an arm of the
ERP solution; it needs to become part of the organization’s corporate culture. Adoption still
lags for a number of reasons, but the shift in workforce composition from baby boomers
to millennials will be a major factor in shifting organizations over to social networking
platforms. An example of a team working on a project in Deltek’s enterprise social tool
Kona is shown in the figure below.

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Figure 4. Deltek Kona enterprise social tool

Personalization, Customization, and a

Little Color
A better user experience also means being able to customize and personalize the
experience to allow the individual user to make his or her experience better. Let the user
change the colors palettes that they are working in every day, or let them use their team
colors if they want to.

Color is also a great way to highlight information that needs action or attention. Streetlight
colors are universally understood, and most ERP solutions now let users flag objects as
green, yellow, or red to visually indicate actions that need to be taken. Some solutions
will give individuals color options; for example, if a user doesn’t want to use harsh green,
yellow, and red, he or she can choose to use other shades, such as lime, butter, and rose.

Most ERP systems allow either a system administrator or individual users to customize the
screen fields that will be visible. This customization can be done on the Excel grids described
above or on system transaction screens. Allowing users to change their experience to see
only what they need to see, and in accord with their individual preferences, is another way
to increase the productivity of each user.

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Mobile and Wearable
It’s no secret that mobile devices of various forms (phone, phablet, tablets, and wearables)
are now being used more than ever. However, a recent survey by Epicor indicated that
although 65% of organizations see mobile access to ERP as important, only 25% access
the ERP system through a mobile device. Tablet and larger phablet users can access and
manage ERP information via the user experience components described above as long as
the ERP front end has been designed to support common browsers. Many ERP providers
have moved the front end to HTML5 to support any browser and any device. Some of the
user interface components we’ve discussed are fairly easily tweaked to allow automatic
adjustments for screen size, scrolling, and tapping functions (to select icons or links) for
larger mobile formats.

Vendors are doing significant work on how to best deliver ERP application information to
wearable devices. Smartwatches and optical head-mounted displays like Google Glass are
garnering a significant amount of attention. The IFS Labs team (an innovation division of
IFS) is working on tools for smartwatches in response to customer requests for improving
processes like invoicing and workflow approval (figure 5). With the impending launch of
the Apple Watch, we expect to see significant efforts going into wearables.

Figure 5. IFS Labs Samsung Gear proof of concept

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But using phones or wearables to enter or update detailed data in an ERP system is far on
the horizon. ERP vendors are rolling out a number of point solution applications to perform
low-complexity operations such as purchase order approval, time sheet approval, or work
order execution on the shop floor. Customer relationship management (CRM) functions
such as entering contact details are currently being rolled out by vendors. For the most
part, these screens look like we have taken a step back.

Some new paradigms need to be developed to make it possible to get complicated work
done with a small form factor. Voice recognition, automatic zooming on a database object
to show details, or new interaction methods such as the double-blink on a wearable are
examples of adjustments to the user interface on smaller form factors. The increasing
availability of 3D cameras is also bringing gesture recognition (popularized in the gaming
world) into the enterprise application space.

ERP Providers: User Experience To-do List

1. Develop a user experience strategy and ensure guidelines are readily available. A clear strategy, whether
or not it is made public, needs to be part of the product roadmap for any ERP provider. It needs to be
more than a shallow marketing headline; it needs to show in detail how the elements of the strategy
will be executed across the solution.

2. Keep the user experience elements, and their definitions, in plain English. Don’t try to wow us with
techie terminology (“dichromatic visual parallite”) or use cultural references (“Taj manhattman tile
object”) that carry no meaning to anybody outside of the design team who came up with it.

3. Establish consistency, and standardize across the industry. Early in the development of the personal
computer software market, opening a file was performed completely differently on virtually every
application. Then there was a realization that there was a need to standardize on basic operations
like working with files, editing text, how to get help in a system, etc. Led by IBM, the common user
access guidelines were published, and the majority of those user experience guidelines are still seen
in many applications used today. Industry cooperation among players like IBM, Microsoft, and Apple
may never again align as it did in the early days of the personal computer. But the players should just
get together and decide on a few things: Why does a gear, grid, or pencil icon do something different
in every application? With the massive proliferation of mobile apps, the situation is only getting worse,
and standardization of user experience elements would be a big benefit for users and provide massive
productivity gains.

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User experience has become an important differentiator for ERP systems, and should be given
proper consideration by organizations seeking an ERP when creating a shortlist of best-fit
solutions. When assessing potential solutions, making sure that the user experience elements
your company needs, such as embedded BI elements and social or mobile capabilities, are not
just present but presented well, and then taking a deeper look at the user interface to ensure
your users’ interactions with the system will be uncomplicated and straightforward will help
you come out of the selection process with an ERP system that works optimally at every level
of the company.

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About the Author
Ted Rohm is a senior research analyst at TEC focusing on ERP manufacturing
solutions. He has over 20 years of experience in large-scale selection, design,
development, and implementation projects, primarily in the biotech/pharma
industry.

Prior to joining TEC, Rohm worked for a number of companies including Oracle,
Syntex, and Genentech (now part of The Roche Group). Rohm worked with
Genentech for 13 years, starting as a senior programmer analyst responsible
for building custom applications using the Oracle Tool suite in support of sales
and marketing and product distribution. He then became senior manager
of commercial systems, where he directed the development, deployment,
and operations of enterprise-wide applications for the sales and marketing
departments. Rohm was the principal systems architect during his last few
years at Genentech, focusing mainly on the implementation of SAP ERP and its
integration with other systems.

Rohm holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Columbia

University and a bachelor’s degree in physics from Allegheny College.

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TEC 2015 ERP for Discrete
Manufacturing Buyer’s Guide
The TEC ERP for Discrete Manufacturing Buyer’s Guide was developed
to provide unique perspectives on the state of the enterprise
resource planning (ERP) solution market for manufacturers. Discrete
manufacturers face a number of business challenges in the 21st
century, including the traditional challenges of planning and
managing production, managing costs, and staying compliant with
regulations, and newer challenges related to the ability to support
customizable and complex products and global markets, and hiring
qualified staff.

How are manufacturers and vendors dealing with these changing

requirements for manufacturing ERP? Read on to find out. In addition
to a functionality comparison of manufacturing ERP products currently
on the market, the TEC 2015 ERP for Discrete Manufacturing Buyer’s
Guide includes the results of TEC’s ERP trends survey (showing some
surprising trends and stats), a discussion about how ERP vendors are
differentiating themselves these days with elements enhancing user
experience, and a special section dedicated to configure, price, and
quote (CPQ) solutions and their growing importance to discrete
manufacturers. Case studies and thought leadership from leading
vendors in the discrete manufacturing ERP software space are also
included as examples of recent successful ERP implementations and
upgrades. Download the free guide now for TEC’s expert analyst
insight into manufacturing ERP trends, functionality comparisons, and
vendor differentiation.

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About Technology Evaluation Centers
As the world’s leading online provider of software selection tools, services, and research
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leading software selection advisory firm with more than 400,000 subscribers to its information
services and software evaluation and selection tools. For more information, please visit
www.technologyevaluation.com.

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