The year 2008 was over, many people thought that the serious economic recession would bring about collapse of the domestic ERP market. Nevertheless, ERP market in 2008 had clear gap and growth recorded in several segments. The number of upgraded and expanded contracts had been increasing Many software suppliers believed changes in the global financial market in 2008 had a great influence on Viet Nam businesses in general and software businesses in particular. However, it was not as bad as what they thought. Actually, in comparison with the previous year, 2008 witnessed an impressive increase in turnover with more deployers in ERP. According to many deployers, compared with the year 2007, their ERP services still made a remarkable growth at the end of the year 2008 ( For example: FPT, HPT, Gimasys…..)

Many specialists stated that the economic and financial crisis would still extend in the year 2009. Therefore, businesses will cut down spending, human resources and make discreet investment in building ERP. As a result, ERP implementation in this year is believed to face serious difficulties. Enterprises and their psychology when implementing ERP Time for deploying ERP system often ranges from 6 to 18 months. In this phrase, clients (PM, steering committee and users) are supposed to be influenced by many internal and external factors. Understanding about the psychology changes in this period can help the project manager as well as the deployment process be successful. Changes in psychology are often divided into 5 periods.

Exploiting benefit of ERP
Function - oriented management
In this period, enterprise absolutely changes its framework of organization. Process of management changes from separated organization and management to integrated ones (Management Through Functional Integration). As a result, enterprise can get the following benefits: + Reducing costs by reducing time for handling processes: purchase order approval, debt reduction, invoice exporting, credit limitation…. + Setting up schedule for inventory limit reduction thanks to functions of making and connecting with selling plans, material requirements, manufacturing, purchasing in ERP system, moving towards “Just In Time” strategy – “Right product – Right quantity – right place – right time” Enterprises, however, also encounter a lot of challenges. ( In this period, the internal developing process of enterprises are connected with their partners in the supplying chain including customers and suppliers).

Conclusion
ERP system lays sound future foundations for development of an enterprise. Exploiting the benefit of ERP after deployment is combination between the application of advanced management method and fit technology. It remains indispensable part of the enterprise’s business strategy.

ERP and future prospect
 Mai Phuong Vy (MPV) is one of very few enterprises aware of ERP’s future prospect. Regardless of its initial small size, MPV applied this software and considered it as the “launching pad” speeding up the enlargement of the enterprise.

Patiently pursuing ERP
Mrs Pham Thi Loan- MPV’s manager expressed: “I knew information technology can make management jobs easier. Therefore, I decided to apply ERP right after setting up my company but all projects failed due to the irresponsibility of our partner (the deployer). Nevertheless, MPV still wished to implement ERP for management mission” Then, only after thoroughly studying all documents on Microsoft Dynamics Axapta (Microsoft Dynamics AX) from Tectura and considering its demo as well as commitment, did she make up her mind to take risks to invest in ERP.

“Clearing up” for ERP
What can we learn from Dynamics AX?
According to Mrs Loan, in MPV, both manager and staffs felt more comfortable after ERP application. They can come back home at the right time and everything goes on smoothly and easily. ERP supplies her enterprise with integrated management and helps her objectively assess the current business situation and then make right decision on all future targets as well as strategies.

Choosing ERP effectively
When to invest in ERP?
In order to answer this question, enterprises should consider if they are in the following situations:

• - Enterprises with increasing exporting invoices and business transactions. Their customers start complaining about mistakes in store, deliveries, information of invoice and exports…
• - Enterprises are coping with a lot of challenges, turnover reduces. Savings and management rationalization requirements are ones of the most urgent tasks.
• - Enterprises, with rapid operation growth and high profits, wish to extend their business scope into other areas
• - One company’s products are exported to other countries and it is required to be equipped with a management model corresponding to international rules.
• - Companies are recognized with ineffective activities and management machine, which are being restructured. ERP are supposed to be an effective solution if your enterprise are in the above situations.

Choosing a fit ERP “coat”
In order that ERP “coat” isn’t “too tight” or “too wide”, each enterprise needs to define its development strategies in 5 years and 10 years, not basing on the present model.

How much to invest in ERP?
Attention should be paid to the Total cost of Ownership which mainly includes costs for:

• + Copyright
• + Deployment and transfer
• + Maintainance and assurance
• + Hardware and media infrastructure
• + Internal cost
• + Future connection and extension

According to a statistic, enterprises normally spend from $ 50,000 to hundreds of thousand dollar or even millions of dollar in the initial period.