Minimize Regrets, Maximize Availability, Be Prepared!
ERP Architecture, Infrastructure, and Business Continuity Planning

Raja K. Iyer, PhD, CBCP

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) refers to the combination of software tools, hardware resources, and network architecture configured and customized to provide business process-oriented information technology environments for enterprises.

ERP software products have enabled organizations to:

• Improve work flow and business processes
• Gain enterprise-wide productivity
• Achieve competitive advantages
• Enhance inter-organizational alliances and relationships (along supply and demand chains)
• Increase profitability and market valuation of enterprises

To ensure successful ERP implementation, enterprises must proactively consider several issues, as follow:

KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR ERP IMPLEMENTATION

Architectural and infrastructure design considerations are important before, during and after ERP implementation. Some key considerations are:

• Number of business functions which will become part of the ERP environment
• Number of users per business function who will have on-line access to various ERP functions
• Number of transactions per user by time of day/week/month/year
• Degree of separation between database, applications, and presentation layers in the three-tier client-server architecture – the familiar debate on the merits of ‘thick’ versus ‘thin’ client.

In addition to the architecture and infrastructure issues, consider the much needed business continuity and disaster recovery issues.

CATEGORIES FOR RISK ASSESSMENT

Managers should ponder the importance of business impact analysis, disaster recovery and business continuity planning before, during and after ERP implementation. Some of the categories of risks needing assessment include:

• Project risks – including the assessment of the organization’s maturity to implement ERP
• Facility Risks – including vulnerabilities where database and application servers will be located
• Technology risks – including those for local area and wide area network infrastructure

For these risks, a careful business impact analysis must be conducted. When systems are down in an integrated ERP environment, the entire enterprise will be affected!

FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPMENT

A proactive and concurrent approach to disaster recovery and business continuity plan development is needed for the ERP environments. The following framework may be utilized in developing and implementing a plan for these specialized, integrated environments:

• During ERP feasibility study phase, conduct organizational maturity assessment, including IT architecture and infrastructure requirements, and complete risk assessment.

• During the ERP configuration and customization phase, conduct business impact analysis to verify and validate blueprints from ERP, and to develop mission critical scenarios.

• During ERP prototyping, quality assurance, and conversion phases, develop and test disaster scenarios, recovery procedures, and business continuity policies and plans.

• During ERP production and "Go Live!" phase, finalize and implement recovery and continuity plans.

A concurrent approach, developing BCP concurrently with ERP development, can mitigate ERP implementation difficulties and catastrophic impacts on enterprise-wide integrated systems. Careful planning today will help you minimize regrets, maximize availability and be prepared for tomorrow!

About the Author
Raja K. Iyer, PhD, CBCP is ERP/BCP Practice Manager for Sprint Paranet. For more information on this topic, contact Dr. Iyer at rkiyer@paranet.com or (972) 239-5544.