ABSTRACT
This chapter gives an overview of enterprise resource planning (ERP). The chapter explains how ERP has evolved from business process reengineering (BPR), material requirement planning (MRP), manufacturing resource planning (MRP II), and decision support systems (DSS). The basics of ERP, its growth, the needs for it, and the benefits of using it are elaborately discussed in this chapter. The chapter also explains the life cycle of ERP. It details the various phases in ERP, starting from decision to investing in ERP to implementation. It gives details about the various vendors of ERP and the business verticals to which they cater.
