5: Electronic Commerce and Enterprise Resource Planning

Kumar, P. (2010). Successful implementation of ERP in a large organization International journal of engineering science and technology. Vol. 2(7), 3218-3224. Retrieved from http://www.ijest.info/docs/IJEST10-02-07-151.pdf

An ERP system integrates an organization’s data and services in a single system. ERP systems combine computer hardware and software during the process of integration. One thing most ERP systems have in common is the use of a single database that is used to store information for different system components. To obtain an ERP status, a given software package must successfully function as at least two systems. For example, a software package can hypothetically be considered an ERP system if it can execute human resources and financial functions.

In order to survive in this competitive business world, every business must produce or offer not only a better product or service, they must also offer better customer service, reduce their production costs and overhead costs, have a more well-planned management system, a highly reliable infrastructure, and the list is endless. Many of these can be achieved through a customized enterprise resource planning system (ERP). ERPs serve as “one comprehensive database to house all of the company’s corporate information”. However if these systems are not used correctly with the necessary change in management of people and technology it can result in failure.

An ERP system is the combination of applications and modules with software and hardware components integrated together to manage various functions in a company.

In this regard, (Hunton et al 2002) state that the ERP implementation enhances value to organizations. In the same line, (Poston and Garbksi 2000) explored a number of organizations implementing the ERP systems where as a result they found a decrease in employees’ ratio and cost of goods transferred in revenues.

What most managers who have been through an ERP implementation, will tell you, is the biggest impact is on "Corporate Culture". It is always underestimated and never overestimated.

Regardless of what industry your business is a part of, implementing an ERP system is a crucial venture that must be taken seriously for it necessitates strong commitment by the project team and solid support by the business leaders for guaranteed success. It is a known fact that ERP deployment is among the most costly, labour-intensive, lengthy, and complicated tasks a project team can take on.

ERP management system is the mode of the modern enterprise management. It is a company-wide application, highly integrated system, covering the customer, project management, inventory and purchasing supplies production, by optimizing the enterprise resources to maximize resource efficiency.

ERP system integrates technology that ensures the operation are managed and used effectively by organization (Maguire et al., 2010). This system enables an organization can observe the different departmental functions in one database. It improves and shortens the business process, so restructure is essential for existing business.

There are many different types of software that can help an organization communicate data back and forth through their various departments. One certain system that does this is the Enterprise Resource Planning System, also known as ERP. Enterprise Resource Planning Systems integrate business management along with technology. There are many parts of an ERP system, including Manufacturing, Finance, Human Resources, and many more. The system has saved organizations time and money in various ways. Although ERP Systems have helped businesses in integrating various data information between organizations, there are a number of disadvantages that individuals working with the system should be aware of.

In today’s world companies expanding market. This globalization is important factor in bringing suppliers, partners and customers together for supplying product globally. In this case study we will see how to implement an ERP system. This ERP implementation may be successful or unsuccessful but most of the times the reason behind failure will be due to bad management involved during implementation of ERP package. The management involved in implementation part should have proper management skills. In this case study we will examine key dimensions of implementing ERP system in an organization successfully. In this case study we will see about Rolls-Royce Company implementing an ERP package named SAP R/3 successfully. This case study paper deals with the issues involved in implementation of ERP and concentrates mainly on technical, cultural and business issues involved in implementation and also helps in evaluating project benefits.

• ERP software is hitting business at a time when data integration, reduced transaction costs and speed and accuracy of information are critical strategic issues.

Information systems play a vital role in improving the competitiveness of a company. There are many types of enterprise information software packages which are available in the market since the year of 90s till today (Mandal & Gunasekaran, 2003). Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is one of them. Due to intense competition around the world, many of the manufacturing company had decided to implement ERP. It assures one application, one database and is possible to unified interface across the entire organization. Many companies had not abstained from investing a large amount of money on ERP system, though the ERP implementation had high failure rate and well publicized (Ehie

In present era, Information systems existence is unavoidable in all working environment. Information system is globally recognized & widely accepted as a basic necessity for running successful business. Kim et.al (2007), Information Technology plays an important business tool in modern era to attain competitive advantage for the organization as well as improving employee’s efficiency and productivity. Enterprise Resource Planning system shortly known as ERP system is one of the primary information systems used in various industries to run their business operations. ERP attained various industry attentions due to its cross functional integration, business process reengineering, real time reporting and many other useful functionalities and capabilities. Initially, ERP system was predominantly implemented in large enterprises due to its high implementation cost and implementation time consuming. For the past few decades, SME’s businesses environment are rapidly changing in order to stay more competitive in fast paced competitive market. Organizations want to upgrade their business communications, business and employee capabilities and business process automation to latest technologies. During the last few decades, large number of small & medium size enterprises started implementing ERP systems to stay competitive in global market. Amoako (2007) and Kemp et al (2008) explains the usage of ERP system in different business divisions. From

An Enterprise is a firm or a business organisation that engage in an systematic economic activity to satisfy the demand of the people, specially focussed towards profit in obedience to the law. An enterprise system is an overall combination of hardware and software, which a business uses to run its activities.1