What is Peoplesoft? ERP, Business Management Solutions, Applications

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What is Peoplesoft?

PeopleSoft was founded in 1987 by Dave Duffield and Ken Morris, with an aim to build client/server applications that empower organisations in the ever-changing marketplace and offer superior customer service. It is a leading provider of ERP software and offers e-business solutions entirely over the Internet for Fortune 1000 companies.

PeopleSoft initially provided business solutions in the areas of human resources and finance applications. Later, it built applications for general business processes, including materials management, customer service, etc.

In addition, the company developed applications for specific industries, such as automotive, communications and higher education.

In 2000, PeopleSoft launched PeopleSoft8, the first Web-enabled software along with PeopleSoft’s e-center, which is the company’s inhouse Application Service Provider (ASP). The company’s Web-based applications are intended to integrate systems such that the organisations can interact with their customers, suppliers and employees conveniently.

PeopleSoft was acquired by Oracle Corporation in 2005, and Oracle continues to market the company’s ERP solutions.


Business Management Solutions

PeopleSoft provides complete business solutions for increasing productivity, improving business performance and maintaining low ownership cost. Organisations can opt for solutions for a single function or a complete enterprise-wide solution.

The flexible business management solutions provided by PeopleSoft allow companies to modify applications for other verticals in the future conveniently. The PeopleSoft’s business management solutions cater to the following business functions:

  • Human resources management
  • Accounting and control
  • Treasury management
  • Performance measurement
  • Project management
  • Sales and logistics
  • Materials management
  • Supply chain planning
  • Service revenue management
  • Procurement

Peoplesoft ERP Commercial Solutions

PeopleSoft’s range of products and tools includes commercial solutions for organisations. These include the following:

Supply chain management

PeopleSoft is the only vendor providing comprehensive ERP solutions that are built around supply chain optimisation. It includes a Demand Planning module that enables sophisticated forecasting, using both real-time and historical information. PeopleSoft’s entire range of SCM products provides comprehensive support for any organisation that produces or markets a physical product.

Service industry solutions

PeopleSoft also provides a comprehensive commercial support solution for service industries. It includes Service Revenue Management applications that support the tracking of time and labour, payroll processing, project management, billing and expense and receivables processing. PeopleSoft’s range procurement modules support business functions such as purchasing, inventory management, payables and expense processing, and asset management.

Peoplesoft Industry ERP Solutions

PeopleSoft offers industry-specific solutions for several business sectors. The products and tools cater to industry-specific needs, customisation of existing business applications and sales and marketing support through direct channels and business associations.

PeopleSoft owns 11 business units that offer software solutions to a wide range of public and private sector industries. These business units help in developing industry-specific solutions for enterprise-wide functions, including back office and the front lines. PeopleSoft solutions are global, enterprise-wide and customised to unique industry requirements, covering service industries, manufacturing industries and the education and government sectors.

The different industries that deploy PeopleSoft industry solutions are as follows:

  1. Communications
  2. Federal Government
  3. Financial Services
  4. Healthcare
  5. Higher Education
  6. Manufacturing
  7. Public Sector
  8. Retail
  9. Service Industries
  10. Transportation
  11. Utilities

Peoplesoft Applications

The product series under the name of PeopleTools offered by PeopleSoft is an integrated set of client/server business application tools. The application allows customers to implement, modify and maintain PeopleSoft applications and also access, analyse and modify data. PeopleSoft consistently upgrades its technology to optimise customer information systems.

The company helps organisations to benefit from new and emerging technologies, providing more options and the freedom to build their own innovative business processes.

Some popular PeopleSoft applications are shown below:

Self-Service Applications

These applications enable organisations to improve productivity. PeopleSoft focuses on providing users with easy access to information and functionality specific to their needs. Therefore, the company has developed a set of self-service applications for helping organisations to promptly and cost-effectively use the software for enterprise-wide functions.

These applications are based on standard Web browsers, such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Explorer. Java-based, cross-platform applications allow customers, employees, suppliers and other partners to perform self-service administrative tasks. Self-service applications are linked to PeopleSoft Accounting and Control, Human Resources Management and Materials Management.

Web Client

Self-service applications of PeopleSoft are based on Web Client. Web Client can be accessed through the Internet on request and runs on a Web browser across multiple platforms. The open architecture and flexibility allow for delivering ERP solutions to a large number of people.

Applications can be accessed easily through a browser without having to install them on every computer. In addition, the PeopleSoft Web Client has a Work list and Query interface, which improves the flow of business processes and improves access to information for occasional users. Owing to its easy accessibility, Web Client comes with common business rules workflow logic and security features.

Multi-Layer Transaction Processing

PeopleSoft applications use the Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) settings in the client organisations. In LAN, the application runs on an application server instead of the client server.

The application server is designed to free the client from processing intense SQL transactions. Therefore, it reduces LAN traffic and improves performance across WANs. The three-tier architecture of a PeopleSoft multi-layer transaction provides increased scalability to include high volumes of parallel users while maintaining a consistent and reliable performance level.

OnLine Analytical Processing (OLAP)

To be able to quickly access and analyse information, organisations need effective decision-making tools. OLAP is a powerful tool used to analyse online data. PeopleSoft integrates popular OLAP tools, such as Cognos PowerPlay and Arbor Essbase, to easily share the multidimensional data stored at various locations.

Users can outline the data that they intend to access into an OLAP cube. This enables them to quickly view information from all perspectives and derive conclusions and what-if scenarios and compare alternatives.

Workflow

The PeopleSoft Workflow application enables organisations to achieve enterprise-wide integration of information, applications and people.

This application enables organisations to automate their time-consuming tasks, back-end operations, while putting useful data into the hands of the users. Workflow helps organisations to keep track of their existing projects by initiating a workflow message to the concerned person when a project deviates from the estimated budget and time.


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