B Bakery is a family owned firm with around 70 employees and sales revenue increased to more than $ 13.5 million during the past year. It has been in business for over 50 years and supplies bread and confectionary products to a number of different businesses, including supermarkets and pub-chains. The firm has experienced mixed fortunes over the years in terms of business performance, but in the last few years has experienced a growth in orders for some of its new healthy product ranges. However, the Bakery has recently lost some key accounts as a result of being unable to produce some of its products at a competitive price.
Although the firm hired an accountant who was keeping their books for them and producing the financial statements each year, the firm thought they needed much more information to really run their business efficiently. They felt that they needed to make an investment in an accounting software to take their business to the next level.
Assignment Requirements
You are required to conduct desk research on AIS/ERP Systems for your above client. Prepare a Business Report for the client detailing the following processes of selecting an AIS/ERP:
1. Define business processes
a) What a Baker does? Discuss the business activities/processes of the organisation to show your understanding about the business.
2. Develop business requirements
b) What processes are indispensable to be performed? (300 words)
c) What outcomes are required from these processes to achieve business objectives?
3. Determine the systems requirements
a) What are some of the possible software features or functionalities that the firm should consider to achieve their IT investment objective?
4. Software selection
a) Visit the web sites of accounting software package vendors (e.g. SAP, MYOB, Xero etc.). You need to visit at least 3 (three) software vendors' websites.
b) Which category of accounting software (low, medium or high-end/ERP) suitable for the firm? Give your justifications in detail.
5. Vendor selection
a) Compare and contrast the features/ functionalities of two accounting software packages offered by accounting software package vendors (e.g. SAP, MYOB, Xero etc.) within your selected category in question 4. (500 words)
c) Which one would be the most suitable vendor (and accounting software package) for the Bakery business and why?