ABSTRACT
The first step in implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is to understand the definition, purpose, and functionality of ERP. Unfortunately, that task is not as easy as it sounds. ERP systems represent different things to different organizations, vendors, and individuals. Defining ERP is difficult because there are many variations of the term within the manufacturing literature. In addition, a wide variety of software companies advertise various versions of “ERP systems” with different modules and functionality configurations. To further complicate the matter, the concept of ERP is quickly merging with e-commerce, e-supply chain, and knowledge management.
