From the AEGIS e-Journal, Volume 7 Number 12, December 2004
Second Wave Enterprise Resource Planning Systems Edited by Graeme Shanks, Peter B. Seddon, Leslie P. Willcocks Cambridge University Press ISBN: 0521819024 468 pages $55.00 http://titles.cambridge.org/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521819024 +44 (0)1223 326050) Enterprise-wide software systems rank right behind the internet as the most important information technologies to emerge in the last two decades. Companies that have invest heavily in enterprise software such as SAP, ÆGIS, December 2004 13 Oracle, PeopleSoft, Siebel, and i2 Corporation do so to gain better access to information help them make informed decisions. The difficulty for the licensee is which product to choose, and how to integrate the right programs for the requisite needs. This book gives an overview of some of the very difficult decisions facing anyone who is using, or looking to implement, software for ERP. It is both an excellent resource for those involved in planning, and for senior management of those firms looking to build or buy ERP software. Since enterprises spend around $100 billion per annum on these systems, did they get what they wanted, or should they have gone to a custom system? The conclusion is that most organizations can use the canned programs, but even the purchased systems require customization. Other enterprises, whose needs are so specialized as to preclude stock systems, recommend either using the canned ESS for divisions and using a custom platform for integration, or building from scratch. Business Owner’s Legal Guide Kevin Johnson, Esq. Knowles Publishing ISBN: 1-932498-11-7 $150.00 http://www.knowlespublishing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PRO D&Store_Code=817&Product_Code=52 1-800-299-0202 The object of a business law reference is to have the small business owner understand the fundamentals without counsel. We have looked at many business law references in the past, but have not reviewed them because they were written way above most business owner’s ability to understand. This loose-leaf binder contains laws, rules, and regulations directed at the small business owner. It has the detail needed to support what is said, but is written in such a way that all who read it can understand what the author is trying to convey. It covers the different type of entities, contracts – many different forms of contracts – what to expect in litigation, and the pains of grown and downsizing. The guide is worth room on the shelf to lean on, or to educate the business owner on the basics, so they can know the questions to ask, and gauge the quality of the answers. 7. Free-Subscription/Unsubscription/Copyright Information •• ÆGIS e-journal is supported and maintained by voluntary efforts. This publication is owned, published, and copyright © 2004 by The LUBRINCO Group Ltd, Inc. and Financial Examinations and Evaluations, Inc. It is edited ÆGIS, December 2004 14 jointly by Richard Isaacs (RBIsaacs@lubrinco.com) and L. Burke Files (LBFiles@lubrinco.com). The LUBRINCO Group provides services in three high-threat areas, too specialized to be dealt-with in-house, that can adversely affect domestic and international bottom lines. • OPSEC: The identification and protection of information that would give your competitors and adversaries an advantage. o Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. o Protection of trade secrets and intellectual assets. ♦ Anti-competitive intelligence. ♦ Anti-economic espionage. • International financial investigations and due diligence consulting. o Location and recovery of missing and hidden assets. o Establishing business relationships and strategic partnerships in Central and Eastern Europe, the offshore financial centers, Beijing and Shanghai, Central Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. o Anti-money laundering and financial fraud requirements under the International Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-Terrorist Financing Act of 2001 and the EU Revised Money Laundering Directive of 2001. • Protection of management, staff, and families. o In the high-threat environments of Latin America, Africa, the Mid- East, and Southeast Asia. o When traveling and living overseas. o When transporting items of substantial value. LUBRINCO identifies and quantifies threats and vulnerabilities, and their associated risk, then manages the vulnerabilities so you can transfer or live with the residual risk. We prevent disastrous financial loss to your company, and physical harm to you, your family, and your staff. For information on The LUBRINCO Group and its services, or for the archive of all past issues of ÆGIS e-journal in PDF format, please go to http://www.lubrinco.com/. To sign up for a complimentary subscription to ÆGIS e-journal or the ÆGIS e- journal PDF notification list, go to ÆGIS, December 2004 15 http://lb.bcentral.com/ex/manage/subscriberprefs?customerid=7768 or send an email to ejournal@lubrinco.com. To subscribe to our AvantGo channel, go to http://avantgo.com/channels/_add_channel.pl?cha_id=1773 To be removed from the subscription list, follow the instructions on the mailing you received, or send an e-mail to ejournal@lubrinco.com. If you know of anyone else who should be receiving ÆGIS e-journal, please send their e-mail address to ejournal@lubrinco.com. If there is a topic that you would like to know more about, send it to ejournal@lubrinco.com and the editors will consider it as the topic for an article in an upcoming issue. If you would like to submit an article for publication in ÆGIS e-journal, send it as an attachment to an e-mail to ejournal@lubrinco.com. Submission of an article certifies that (a) all information in the article is in the public record, or (b) that you are authorized to release any personal or corporate proprietary information contained in the article, and (c) that none of the article has previously been copyrighted. The submission of materials for publication in ÆGIS e-journal constitutes a license to The LUBRINCO Group Ltd, Inc., and/or Financial Examinations and Evaluations, Inc, their assigns, associates, or affiliates, to abridge and/or edit said submission, and to copyright and publish/republish any submitted materials in whatever written and/or electronic form they may choose. If you would like to go beyond normal fair-use in reproducing articles from this issue of ÆGIS e-journal, you may do so freely as long as appropriate source, copyright, accreditation, and link to the LUBRINCO website is included. This should be in the form
Article Title, from the December 2004 ÆGIS e-journal (© 2004 LUBRINCO & FEE), to be found at http://www.lubrinco.com/. ÆGIS e-journal is a forum for the exchange of information, ideas, operating styles, theories, and related topics for corporate managers who make decisions about threats typically outside the expertise available in-house, yet which have the potential to affect their company’s domestic and international bottom lines. Nothing appearing in ÆGIS e-journal should be construed as legal advice. The information provided is “general information,” not “specific advice.” ÆGIS, December 2004 16 The solution to any problem is highly dependent upon the precise facts involved. Thus, before making any reliance upon anything said here, you should consult with an appropriately skilled professional. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher, and may be presented to encourage a dialogue among subscribers. The publisher and any re-publisher cannot be held responsible for any loss incurred as a result of the application of any information published in ÆGIS e-journal. Please be safe, and be smart.