Hi, and thanks for stopping by. I joined Forrester just over a month ago and I plan to post here regularly with some thoughts on the ERP apps arena. I’m hoping this blog will serve as a place for us to exchange views, and I very much welcome your input.

As you know, Forrester is structured around roles, and I’m part of the analyst team serving the needs of business process professionals. My primary area of focus is enterprise resource planning software. I’m currently pulling together my research agenda for 2011, and I was wondering what top-of-mind issues you think I should be tackling.

At a high level, some of the areas I’m considering include:

  • Midmarket ERP.
  • SaaS ERP and PaaS.
  • ERP-flavored project management.

I’m also interested in hearing about midsize organizations and enterprises that have benefited from the successful deployment of one of the following:

  • SaaS ERP.
  • A two-tier combination of one vendor’s SaaS ERP integrating with another vendor's on-premise ERP.
  • Commercial open-source ERP.

I was previously an analyst with The 451 Group covering both ERP and CRM software, and I’m interested in the flow of business processes between those two kinds of apps. I’m also curious about ERP’s potential embrace of collaborative technologies and thinking in contrast to what’s already rapidly occurring in the CRM arena.

As a new Forresterite, I’m taking advantage of the training courses Forrester provides to become familiar with both the company’s philosophy and its writing style. In that regard, I’m benefiting greatly from the guidance of the many seasoned analysts within the business process team. I’m based in the Cambridge, Mass., office — although I just can’t seem to shake my British accent. Looking forward to engaging over the coming months and years. Cheers!