The idea behind Aristotle’s philosophy that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts has always baffled me. If I have an 8-slice pizza and I add up all the slices, I still have one pizza, so how can one pizza be greater than its 8 slices?
It didn’t make any sense … until it just did.
I realized that it isn’t about the logical mathematical equation that is easy for my analytical brain to grasp but rather how the parts make up the whole.
Slices on top of each other rather than organized in a nice circular pie does not seem appealing. Also, if I had 8 different toppings divided one per slice, it gives me a very different experience than if the 8 toppings are spread evenly across the entire pizza.
Consider ERP, data and other business applications. Three major parts. Each one on its own may have multiple parts and when used in a single solution can be a great thing, separate them and not integrate them and you can find disparate indicators all over the place contradicting almost any decision.
So when I look at SYSPRO and how all the parts of SYSPRO function in a cohesive integrated manner I get to understand the wise man from ancient times.
I get excited when I think about SYSPRO’s ability to house all data elements in a single entity, such as MS SQL Server or even SQL services in the cloud, being rendered in a number of interfaces allowing me to consolidate IoT devices and other disparate data sources into a single unified entity. Imagine if you delivered data from different sources depending on the users’ preferred delivery method, how risky it is to make decisions based on disparity. Bringing your business and its tools into a single integrated delivery method to multiple interfaces allows any business user to make efficient and confident decisions.
When I get hungry a whole pie looks a lot better than a single slice. I may only need one slice for me, but when I bring my kids into the equation I need a pie with many slices, each one can now satisfy their hunger with their own toppings. So next time when you see a pizza, remember that a good ERP solution is greater than the sum of its functions, integration framework and data. The best topping of all is the wider team that consists of staff and partners in a global framework of never ending completeness.
