Why does everyone look for a "do everything software"?

nell209 · Nov 22, 2021

I was recently a part of a program with a local industry/university/business center partnership.

We were tasked to build a solution for the most "painful" parts of managing a job shop. Over a year we identified and built a tool for scheduling and priority management. All shops that were part of the same program adopted it and loved it; claimed it transformed how they collaborate in their organization.

With that news, we tried reaching out to other businesses and it seems like no one wants to solve scheduling unless it comes with a CRM, inventory manager and costs module.

I'm curious as to why it feels like shops want an ERP that attempts to do "everything"? as opposed to using tools best suited for the job. i.e. QuickBooks for finance, Hubspot for CRM, etc. Is there something I'm missing? we've offered to integrate with all these tools and sometimes their existing ERP but still face the same challenges.

Interested in an explanation or advice if I'm looking about this all the wrong way.

Cheers,
Nelson

nell209 · Nov 22, 2021

thermite said:
Apple users, neither.

This line made me laugh at my desk

. I'm trying to understand the business implications for your response though?

If people want a single tool to point all problems at but the tool doesn't improve from feedback (i.e. an ERP doesn't care that you requested an improved scheduling module). the business owners ultimately pay the price of the headache. wouldn't it just make sense to keep using existing tools for what they're good at and accept that the best decision for the business is multiple solutions?

mhajicek · Nov 23, 2021

My CAD software has to do everything CAD related that I need. My CAM software has to do everything CAM related that I need. Why would I want to have multiple softwares that I have to figure out how to mesh together? An ERP software package should handle everything ERP related. It could have different modules, and maybe not everyone needs all those modules, but those modules need to seamlessly work together.

EmGo · Nov 23, 2021

nell209 said:
We were tasked to build a solution

Task is a noun, dear. How about you go back to the dictionary and see if you can find a verb ?

Strostkovy · Nov 23, 2021

EmanuelGoldstein said:
Task is a noun, dear. How about you go back to the dictionary and see if you can find a verb ?

Not sure if I'm missing something but task, tasked, and tasking are all verbs.

CAMasochism · Nov 23, 2021

EmanuelGoldstein said:
Task is a noun, dear. How about you go back to the dictionary and see if you can find a verb ?

How about you go back and verb yourself.

EmGo · Nov 23, 2021

Strostkovy said:
Not sure if I'm missing something but task, tasked, and tasking are all verbs.

Yes, you are missing something, they are not. That's crap. His initial post is full of stupid-shit gobbledygook "modern" usage. Given the presentation, I'd expect the product to be about as useful.

nell209 · Nov 23, 2021

Thanks for the perspective. I definitely understand not wanting to figure out a whole other tool, the cost of anything isn't just the money but the time and headache involved (nothing is ever free).

But at what point do you realize things need to separate.

I mean, most people say they aren't happy with their ERP, which isn't always entirely true; They hate the CRM, inventory, scheduling or some other module but since it's all managed by the same platform it's convenient to blame the entire platform.

I can only imagine if there's a point where someone's ERP might be a great financial planner or customer tool but you could probably do better if you used an isolated inventory tool. e.g. every ERP offers accounting, but sometimes it's worth it to use QuickBooks instead since it's the better tool. Where do you draw that line?

nell209 · Nov 23, 2021

mhajicek said:
My CAD software has to do everything CAD related that I need. My CAM software has to do everything CAM related that I need. Why would I want to have multiple softwares that I have to figure out how to mesh together? An ERP software package should handle everything ERP related. It could have different modules, and maybe not everyone needs all those modules, but those modules need to seamlessly work together.

Thanks for the perspective. I definitely understand not wanting to figure out a whole other tool, the cost of anything isn't just the money but the time and headache involved (nothing is ever free).

But at what point do you realize things need to separate.

I mean, most people say they aren't happy with their ERP, which isn't always entirely true; They hate the CRM, inventory, scheduling or some other module but since it's all managed by the same platform it's convenient to blame the entire platform.

I can only imagine if there's a point where someone's ERP might be a great financial planner or customer tool but you could probably do better if you used an isolated inventory tool. e.g. every ERP offers accounting, but sometimes it's worth it to use QuickBooks instead since it's the better tool. Where do you draw that line?

mhajicek · Nov 23, 2021

EmanuelGoldstein said:
Yes, you are missing something, they are not. That's crap. His initial post is full of stupid-shit gobbledygook "modern" usage. Given the presentation, I'd expect the product to be about as useful.

task verb
tasked; tasking; tasks
Definition of task (Entry 2 of 2)
transitive verb

1: to assign a task to
employees tasked with updating the files

- Tasked Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

EmGo · Nov 23, 2021

mhajicek said:
Tasked Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Yes. It's crap, always been crap, and I don't particluarly care what that second-rate piece of garbage has to say. Even the OED has gone to the dogs.

Just look at their ignorant definition - transitive ? Did no one tell them what transitive means ? What's the object, a prepositional phrase ? Great.

Imbeciles. Sometimes I think the wingers are correct, education these days truly is shit.

We used to call it "corporatespeak" and SGI even had a translator ... was funny how accurate it was at creating meaningless gobbledygook out of misused words. "Gifted" used as a verb is another one

Strostkovy · Nov 23, 2021

EmanuelGoldstein said:
Yes. It's crap, always been crap, and I don't particluarly care what that second-rate piece of garbage has to say. Even the OED has gone to the dogs.

Just look at their ignorant definition - transitive ? Did no one tell them what transitive means ? What's the object, a prepositional phrase ? Great.

Imbeciles. Sometimes I think the wingers are correct, education these days truly is shit.

We used to call it "corporatespeak" and SGI even had a translator ... was funny how accurate it was at creating meaningless gobbledygook out of misused words. "Gifted" used as a verb is another one

"Gifted" as an adjective is probably something you haven't heard said to you.

boosted · Nov 23, 2021

I have a hard time separating scheduling from quoting. I need scheduling to be fed directly from quoting, and quoting should probably feed straight into a CRM.

Getting work, quoting work, and scheduling the work, are all pieces to the same puzzle. Doing the work is a whole other process.

nell209 · Nov 23, 2021

boosted said:
I have a hard time separating scheduling from quoting. I need scheduling to be fed directly from quoting, and quoting should probably feed straight into a CRM.

Getting work, quoting work, and scheduling the work, are all pieces to the same puzzle. Doing the work is a whole other process.

This is a great answer! Different processes, different tools. but married processes need married tools. I guess otherwise you're intentionally adding the extra work of breaking things apart that are normally related.

I'm curious though. When you've got quotes with a set date or BOM with operation dates. But when material is delayed, a rush order comes in or things need to shift, how do you manage the "doing" every day when the quoting process is more like once and done?

It would be helpful to know the difference between forecasting a quote schedule based on projected capacity vs managing your shop schedule to keep capacity moving every day. they do feel like 2 different jobs, do you treat them differently?

Mcgyver · Nov 23, 2021

I don't get why this is even a question. If systems aren't integrated you end up with multiple data bases and everyone rekeying things all day long.

What may make sense is integrate various third party modules via API.....i.e. little point in writing your accounting system for Next Great ERP Software Co. and so on. The user should care less where the say accounting software came from, so long as its really good and integrated

Mcgyver · Nov 23, 2021

Geez EG, that wasn't that big an offense......make your self useful and take to task the mouth breathers using "good" as an adverb

EmGo · Nov 23, 2021

Mcgyver said:
Geez EG, that wasn't that big an offense......make your self useful and take to task the mouth breathers using "good" as an adverb

We each have our buttons

This "gift" and "task" crap, and always the passive voice, it's getting to be as bad as "loose" when people mean "lose".

If there's a grammar exam at the pearly gates, gonna be a whole hell of a lot of disappointed people

Tom Lg · Nov 24, 2021

EmanuelGoldstein said:
We used to call it "corporatespeak"

Obfuscatory Managerial Jargon (OMJ), or bullshit.

empower · Nov 24, 2021

EmanuelGoldstein said:
Task is a noun, dear. How about you go back to the dictionary and see if you can find a verb ?

task
/task/
Learn to pronounce
verb
past tense: tasked; past participle: tasked
assign a piece of work to.
"NATO troops are tasked with separating the warring parties"
make great demands on (someone's resources or abilities).
"it tasked his diplomatic skill to effect his departure in safety"

tasked - Google Search

nell209 · Nov 25, 2021

EmanuelGoldstein said:
Yes, you are missing something, they are not. That's crap. His initial post is full of stupid-shit gobbledygook "modern" usage. Given the presentation, I'd expect the product to be about as useful.

I (regret)/(am regretful) if my post rubbed you the wrong way. My only objective is to try to solve problems and, even more so, try to identify what problems that exist or are worth solving. I can accept the feedback of sounding like corporate-speak; I do recognize I adopt a different lingo just to fit in and feel understood. But I do genuinely care about the problem I'm trying to solve and the questions I'm asking. If you have any advice I'm all ears and would love to get in touch and learn where I could improve. I welcome any criticism if it helps with improvement.

Cheers,

Why does everyone look for a "do everything software"?

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