The Opportunity in IT

Manufacturing facility utilizing ERP in one of their departments
Manufacturing facility utilizing ERP in one of their departments

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has unveiled new plans to upgrade the country’s mobile communications systems and implemented an ICT-based governance system in a bid to boost the country’s economic competitiveness.

Myanmar’s ICT spending, according to a report from International Data Corporation (IDC), between 2012 and 2016, is expected to have a growth rate of 14.8%, as the government, businesses, and consumers embrace technology for infrastructure development, process improvement, and personal communications.

ICT in Myanmar has potential both as an enabler to modernize various sector, and also of becoming a core sector of its own. In line with this is also the backing of the strong vision from government for improving the ICT infrastructure. It is exciting to know the high interest level of government as they set targets to achieve penetration of mobile density of up to 50% by 2015. One of the topmost sectors that government is targeting for ICT promotion is the manufacturing sector which is a complex business comprising many different business functions. Manufacturers need to be able to give customers accurate cost estimates, manage complex projects that include multiple phases, keep costs minimal and cycles short, deliver product on time and on budget while maintaining

a positive cash flow, and provide customer service. Integrating all the pieces together and providing a comprehensive companywide window is done by Enterprise Resource Planning system. Interestingly Myanmar also finds itself in a juncture where it is fresh and ready to adopt what’s new in the market. There are many leading state-of-the-art ERP solutions out in the market that suit the needs of specific inductries. The problem is in choosing the right one that improves efficiency, and delivers what it promises to do. ERP can literally transform a manufacturing business, but only if you do it right.

The mobile devices are also playing an important role and mobile applications are redefining the way manufacturing companies run their business.

A recent Aberdeen Group study showed that companies using mobile technology have experience up to 45% improvement in productivity and up to 44% improvement in operational efficiency.

It has been found that integrating the mobile applications with the ERP system boosts productivity as you get real-time access to actionable information at the touch of a finger.

Time and again the questions that are of importance are… Will the ERP solution actually deliver what is promises to do? Will it really work in your business? How can you find the right system that provides the results and expected return of investment? What are the best practices to implement on ERP? How much training is involved? Who needs to get involved in the process? Though the challenges differ from company to company, following some basic principle and starting with setting up realistic goals ensure the ERP implementation is tailored to the needs of the company and is a success. All in all, ICT is an approach towards better management of your business and its adoption is a must to remain competitive in today’s world.