In comparison with the other services, however, the Navy has been a pioneer in bringing comprehensive software solutions to a wide range of functions. The Navy’s effort took a major step forward this fall, as the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) went “live” on the Navy ERP system. Further expansions are planned, beginning next spring with the Space and Naval Warfare System Command (SPAWAR).
The Navy didn’t consider ERP until the late 1990s, when an initiative from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff called for management and technological innovation designed to achieve improved levels of effectiveness in joint war fighting. The Navy formed four pilot ERP programs to investigate whether commercial off-the-shelf ERP products were feasible for the Navy and to report the findings to senior naval leadership.
By then, it was common for private business to integrate and abridge data and processes into unified ERP systems.
“We looked at what industry had done and reviewed their best practices,” said Susan Keen, Navy ERP technical director. “It became very clear that we looked very much like a very large global corporation.”
Consequently, the decision was made to replace legacy supply, maintenance and financial management systems with a single integrated, responsive, accurate and integrated system. The software chosen was that developed and offered by SAP, the Germany-based business software company that has been a major force in spreading the ERP concept in recent decades.
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