Enterprise Resource Planning

Abstract

An enterprise resource planning (ERP) project is a large enterprise program, both from a business and technology point of view. It generates huge changes and often involves calling into question many traditional functions within the company, for which people are seldom well prepared. It often requires the implementation of several new systems and their integration with existing systems and often represents one of the larger IT projects – certainly one of the highly critical ones in most companies, Cooperation between business and IT extends to a global collaboration between many business units and several entities of the IT department. The success of the project will depend on the quality of that collaboration. Before starting such a challenging project, certain conditions must be assured.

The company must ensure the maturity in ERP and the technical and management capabilities of the IT department and the ability of both business and IT to work together. Without these prerequisites, companies would not be able to lead and achieve the different phases of a ERP project. This preparation may require some communication and educational campaign, which is critical for success. Once the level of maturity, acceptance and technical capabilities are reached, then the project team must be given the structure and the skills that will allow it to face and overcome the inevitable challenges it will encounter; this effort should integrate business, IT and change-management people.

1.Enterprise information systems provide a technology platform that enables organizations to integrate and coordinate their business processes. An enterprise information system provides a single system that is central to the organization and that ensures information can be shared across all functional levels and management hierarchies. Enterprise systems create a standard data structure and are invaluable in eliminating the problem of information fragmentation caused by multiple information systems within an organization.

An enterprise resource planning (ERP) project is a large enterprise program, both from a business and technology point of view. It generates huge changes and often involves calling into question many traditional functions within the company, for which people are seldom well prepared. It often requires the implementation of several new systems and their integration with existing systems and often represents one of the larger IT projects – certainly one of the highly critical ones in most companies, Cooperation between business and IT extends to a global collaboration between many business units and several entities of the IT department. The success of the project will depend on the quality of that collaboration. Before starting such a challenging project, certain conditions must be assured.

The company must ensure the maturity in ERP and the technical and management capabilities of the IT department and the ability of both business and IT to work together. Without these prerequisites, companies would not be able to lead and achieve the different phases of a ERP project. This preparation may require some communication and educational campaign, which is critical for success. Once the level of maturity, acceptance and technical capabilities are reached, then the project team must be given the structure and the skills that will allow it to face and overcome the inevitable challenges it will encounter; this effort should integrate business, IT and change-management people.