Mémoire-projet

Abstract

All along this work we have tried to answer in the best possible way the question of how to implement an Enterprise ResourcePlanning (ERP)at PEPITe. This researchhas been conducted within the framework of a qualitative approach. One ofthe purposes is to try to understand the nature of this effort within this Liège-based company. A company that has been recently acquired and recapitalized in order to give it a second start. Through this work, we have identified the company's key processes, benchmarked the ERP market and through exchanges with software companies, we have tried to understand their positioning towards ERP.Finally, and following the analyses, weattempted to understand the relevance of implementing an ERP at this particularmoment of the company's existence. The aim of this project isto provide recommendations that could be helpful to PEPITe’s management. In order to answer this research in the most relevant way, it has been important to take several analyses and researchesof information into account. Indeed, an internship has been carried out during a full academic year, which has allowed us to be involved in the daily life of this company. It also allowed us to bring forward both the employees' and the management's perspectives. In addition, interviews were conducted in various companies, which enabled us to enrich this work with the valuable feedback of active managers covering a diverse range of positions. The conclusion of the study indicates that the implementation ofan ERP can be an asset for the company PEPITe. Indeed, the analyses have shown that there are many ways to improve the connections between the systems in order to have a more relevant collection of information and thus save time for the different teams. Time is the main tangent to justify the implementation of an ERP. This type of projects cannot be improvised and even if the daily life of an SME is often made up of emergencies, it is necessary to take the time to raise the right questions. The ERP approach must be a top management initiative as it impacts the company as a whole. We have found that bringing in an external consultant can be an asset, even if it seems costly. The expertise of an ERP consultant allows to be more efficient, as well as the human resources of the company initially allocated to the project can be concentrated on other more profitable actions. This study includes a benchmark of ERP solutions that allows us to highlight the Microsoft365 Business Central solution, which is scalable and flexible. Indeed, this software can adapt to the reality of the software business, is designed for SMEs, while ensuring a level of connectivity to existing software at PEPITe. The mission of ERP softwareis to help a company to structure and optimize its processes, in order to accompany the growth of the organization throughout its life.