Rating: 
Summary: Expert advice.......
Review: ....on implementing ES/ERP systems for your business' continued success in a world of rapidly changing technologies. Although not a technical book, Mission Critical is an invaluable guide that can help ERP managers, as well as IT specialists and top-level management differentiate between implementing leading edge and "bleeding-edge" technologies for their organizations. Focusing on business, not technology, the strategic guidelines provided by Davenport can help any company - whether large or small - translate their business needs into technological solutions.
Rating:
Summary: Expert advice.......
Review: ....on implementing ES/ERP systems for your business' continued success in a world of rapidly changing technologies. Although not a technical book, Mission Critical is an invaluable guide that can help ERP managers, as well as IT specialists and top-level management differentiate between implementing leading edge and "bleeding-edge" technologies for their organizations. Focusing on business, not technology, the strategic guidelines provided by Davenport can help any company - whether large or small - translate their business needs into technological solutions.
Rating: 
Summary: Good insights on ERP [for management]...
Review: A very good read for managers and implementors who are ready to embark on an ERP installation. Chapters are logically organised, although I am holding back the last star because of the way Davenport has organised the content within chapters. You won't really notice it if you are reading the book back-to-back, but it's quite obvious when you try making notes from chapters. Sometimes, bits of information are scattered across sections in chapters.There are important topics on creating benefits in the installation, and how to avoid failures. In particular, I felt the sections on how an ERP installation affects competitive strategy, organisational structure and culture very impressive; it's hard to find such stuff so well-written in many books. The sections on pre-, during, and post-implementation issues are interesting read and I feel complemented Daniel O'Leary's "Enterprise Resource Planning Systems: Systems, Life Cycles, Electronic Commerce and Risk" 2000, Cambridge University Press very well. The interested reader should read both sections from both books. :)
Rating:
Summary: An ES Manifesto with Instructions
Review: Davenport does a brilliant job of explaining what enterprise systems are and what they can accomplish in any organization. He suggests, however, that they are worthless "unless they lead to better information or better ways of doing business. I think that enterprise systems are without doubt an impressive technical feat, but I am primarily concerned that organizations get business value from them." Throughout his book, he addresses key issues such as these: 1. What enterprise systems are and why they are important 2. The promise and the perils involved 3. How to decide whether or not to implement enterprise systems 4. How to integrate enterprise systems with strategy and organizational structure 5. How to integrate enterprise systems with business processes and information 6. How to achieve value while implementing enterprise systems 7. How to transform the practice of management with enterprise systems 8. How to use enterprise systems to manage the supply chain 9. The future of ES-enabled organizations As Davenport explains in Chapter 1, "Enterprise systems offer the first great opportunity to achieve true connectivity, a state in which everyone knows what everyone else is doing in the business all over the world at the same time. And because they represent the first great opportunity for connectivity, they pose one of the greatest threats to the status quo that companies have ever faced." Hence the importance of one of the the book's most valuable sections, the Appendix, in which Davenport provides "A Technical Overview of Enterprise Systems." Those who feel threatened by an enterprise system will seize any and all opportunities to point out its technical flaws. At best, enterprise systems are complex, difficult to install, and inflexible. However, Davenport points out, they "will remain the most capable, integrated systems in the history of the world. They may have their flaws, but they are also the answer to our information systems prayers." I agree.
Rating:
Summary: An ES Manifesto with Instructions
Review: Davenport does a brilliant job of explaining what enterprise systems are and what they can accomplish in any organization. He suggests, however, that they are worthless "unless they lead to better information or better ways of doing business. I think that enterprise systems are without doubt an impressive technical feat, but I am primarily concerned that organizations get business value from them." Throughout his book, he addresses key issues such as these: 1. What enterprise systems are and why they are important 2. The promise and the perils involved 3. How to decide whether or not to implement enterprise systems 4. How to integrate enterprise systems with strategy and organizational structure 5. How to integrate enterprise systems with business processes and information 6. How to achieve value while implementing enterprise systems 7. How to transform the practice of management with enterprise systems 8. How to use enterprise systems to manage the supply chain 9. The future of ES-enabled organizations As Davenport explains in Chapter 1, "Enterprise systems offer the first great opportunity to achieve true connectivity, a state in which everyone knows what everyone else is doing in the business all over the world at the same time. And because they represent the first great opportunity for connectivity, they pose one of the greatest threats to the status quo that companies have ever faced." Hence the importance of one of the the book's most valuable sections, the Appendix, in which Davenport provides "A Technical Overview of Enterprise Systems." Those who feel threatened by an enterprise system will seize any and all opportunities to point out its technical flaws. At best, enterprise systems are complex, difficult to install, and inflexible. However, Davenport points out, they "will remain the most capable, integrated systems in the history of the world. They may have their flaws, but they are also the answer to our information systems prayers." I agree.
Rating:
Summary: Must Read
Review: Davenport hits another one on the nose. This is a great top-level look at achieving business goals using enterprise system software. If you've got one or are implementing one, you should read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Must Read
Review: Davenport hits another one on the nose. This is a great top-level look at achieving business goals using enterprise system software. If you've got one or are implementing one, you should read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Knowledgable, Hot Topics -but poor organization
Review: Davenport presented his experience and opinion in one medium-size book (300 pages), covered almost every aspects of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), which he called it Enterprise System (ES). This book is intended for both practitioners and students, and I found it serves its objectives. Starting with the definition, advantages/disadvantages, implementation, strategic integration, Information Technology (IT), business process, managing Supply Chain with ERP, and future of ERP in organization. The topics are the most popular questions in ERP decision, implementation, and continuous improvement. I would rate this book at five stars; however, there are something that I put four stars for this book -as follows: 1) Although the topics are hot and referred to many business cases, the organization of each chapter is terrible. I got lost several times in chapter or between chapters. 2) Each chapter referes back-and-forth to other chapters, which is quite useful for further reference. I, however, found they are too many referals. Again, this makes almost every chapters are not much different than others. Except for the book organization, this book is quite good for its content. I wish Davenport may consider to re-organize the second edition of this book or his new book. His knowledge in this area is exceptional, only it's required lots of organized. This book offers many excellent points of "after-ERP", which is rarely found in most ERP books. Good but not great book. Therefore, this is not the single book if you plan to get only one. You may consider O'Leary's book (ISBN 0521791529) or Brady et al. (ISBN 0619015934), if you are new to ERP and get Davenport's book for supplement.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Intro to the World of ERPs
Review: If you want to know how to implement an enterprise system, this is not the book to rely upon. But if you want an introduction to ERPs and how they can impact your organization, make this the first book you read. Davenport does a good job of laying "the first brick" in your continuing education process in regards to ERPs. It is easy to understand and gives real world examples of benefits and pitfalls of different implementation methods and gives the reader a fair view of the magnitude of an ERP project. Not the ERP bible, but a must read.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Intro to the World of ERPs
Review: If you want to know how to implement an enterprise system, this is not the book to rely upon. But if you want an introduction to ERPs and how they can impact your organization, make this the first book you read. Davenport does a good job of laying "the first brick" in your continuing education process in regards to ERPs. It is easy to understand and gives real world examples of benefits and pitfalls of different implementation methods and gives the reader a fair view of the magnitude of an ERP project. Not the ERP bible, but a must read.
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