Baan provides powerful solutions for all enterprises

Baan provides powerful solutions for all enterprises

"Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) can mean different things to different people, but ultimately it should empower enterprises to harness their resources for maximum impact," said G. Hidayat Tjokrodjojo, President Director of PT Bisnis Sistem Indonesia. His company is an authorized reseller of Baan Series of integrated business applications for Indonesia. "At the minimum, however, an ERP package should have the capability to handle manufacturing, logistics, distribution and finance," he added. "The rest are tools that make all the other business processes in the organization work seamlessly in an integrated fashion."

Mr. Tjokrodjojo's other company, PT Realta, was among the first to introduce Baan software from the Netherlands into the Indonesian market back in 1988. Today, through the newer company, he has been serving Baan top tiers customers all the way down to SME customers, with a focus on process-intensive companies such as pharmaceuticals and food & beverage makers.

In the IT industry, it is very common to hear ERP vendors claiming how their products enable tight, end-to-end integration of business applications used throughout any company, be it a manufacturer, a financial institution or a logistics operator. Baan, however, offers several unique features that make it stand out among other offerings.

Highly customizable

For starters, Baan software, which is based on open component architecture, is highly customizable. Its level of flexibility comprehensive international capabilities and support for multiple languages, tax structures and currencies makes it suitable for the Indonesian market, where the laws and regulations have a mix of Dutch, Continental and American influences. On the global level, the software's flexibility is best reflected by the fact that even Germany's giant automakers Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen are among the list of its major users.

Baan has also been gaining ground in the ERP market because it covers such a wide range of industries, including automotive, aerospace & defense, project industry, food & beverage and, electronics. The Baan ERP system is very strong in handling distribution, manufacturing, purchasing or logistics, but one of its unique features is its ability to handle projects including engineering and construction projects. "When you construct a high-rise building, for example, you are actually dealing with a project," explained Mr. Tjokrodjojo. "You will need a solution that integrates logistics, project management, maintenance and service functionality." Even in a manufacturing company, there are always projects that need to be managed properly, and Baan has the right tools for the task.

Perhaps the most important value of Baan System is the Dynamic Enterprise Modeler, or DEM. An innovative and powerful modeling tool, it allows the user to visibly and consistently link all the business processes of the entire organization to the functions of the software. Just by clicking on any of the components in the diagram on the screen, the user can call up the related modules and launch a session. Modifying the business processes is as easy as drag and drop, and the system processes will automatically change accordingly.

And then there is e-collaboration, which is yet another strong feature of Baan Business Application aimed at capitalizing on the Internet. Unlike most other collaborative tools, this module allows the user to tap into the resources that his partners may have. From their side, partners can also access his data -- based on the level of authority that he has granted to each of them.

We only hear from Baan who can give e-fulfillment for your e- requirement.

Another Baan forte is in the supply-chain management area. Baan's Caps Logistics, for example, is used by companies that provide logistical services to other companies. It can be further enhanced by Baan Transportation module, which enables logistics planners to easily assign vehicles to specific routes so that shipment of products can be optimized.

Food & beverage is another area where Baan system excels, because tight control is absolutely mandatory in this industry. As the Quality Management Systems (QMS) is already built in, the module perfectly suits companies that have already earned ISO 9000 certification. Yet it is flexible enough to be used in discrete as well as continuous processes using formulas or volumes.

Rapid Implementation

Most pivotal of all is implementation. "Rapid implementation is crucial in determining the success of an ERP system, particularly because it will lead to quick returns on investment," reminds Mr. Tjokrodjojo. To ensure that implementation will be as efficient as possible, PT Bisnis Sistem Indonesia has provided training to its implementation partners in its Accredited Training Center (ATC) located in Menara DEA, Kuningan. Today, more than 20 professional Baan implementators are ready to tackle an ERP project of any size. As implementators, they understand the business processes of the customers, the technical features of Baan products and the Target methodology that Baan uses. To achieve the best results, they also have access to technical support from Baan Asia Pacific in Singapore.

Founded in 1978, Baan Company has dual headquarters in Barneveld, the Netherlands, and Herndon, Virginia, USA. Baan offers a comprehensive portfolio of integrated services and best- in-class, component-based applications that span an organization's entire value chain, including E-business and Web Commerce, Customer Relationship Management, Enterprise Resource Planning, Supply Chain Management and Corporate Knowledge Management. Deployed at more than 15,000 customer sites worldwide, Baan Company solutions enable organizations to drive strategic business growth, improve business processes, reduce operating complexity, and increase corporate flexibility.

In Indonesia, Baan's major customers include PT Nutrifood Indonesia, PT Padma Pacific, and PT Komatsu Indonesia.

Today, increasing opportunities and competition mark the business environment. Companies strive to achieve the highest level of efficiency, productivity and quality of services, while at the same time cost should be kept at a minimum and product life cycle is as short as possible. The only thing to make it possible is to use extremely flexible enterprise applications. It is here that BaanERP truly shines. More information on Baan can be found at www.baan.com.