| Enterprise Resources Planning is a core component of business management system,consequently an overwhelming majority of Large and Medium Enterprises are implementingERP in order to manage the flow of capital, information and handle logistics. It is fair to saythat ERP has become essential to Management Information Systems (MIS).The paper starts by presenting the historical implementation process of SAP ERP withinDatang Mobile: awareness the Datang Mobile needed an ERP system, spelling-out the ERPspecs, planning its implementation, early results, IT support and the challenging integrationof the ERP with existing IT systems etc.Chapter2presents the theoretical notion of ERP, describes both its origins and itshistorical developments. ERP started as an Order Point Method, and went through variousupgrades and transformations: Time-Phased MRP, Close-loop MRP, MRP II etc. Despite thefact that ERP has continuously integrated a growing number of features, MaterialRequirement Planning (MRP) remains its true core. MRP is not just the most importantfeature off ERP, it is the key to understanding how all the other components of ERP arelinked to one another. For reference, the end of Chapter1presents and compares mainstreamERP solutionsIn the following chapter the author describes the ERP requirements stemming fromvarious departments (Sales, Supply Chain, HR etc.) as well those stemming from thecompany as a whole. The analysis of those needs shows that the main motivation for thecompany to implement ERP is to integrate organically Finance, Sales, Supply Chain, HR etc.Making the most of the existing IT structure, the ERP solution uses cross-departmental andtrans-operational process-flows so as to guarantee the integration and the integrity ofinformation transfer across the company. ERP results in lower interdepartmentalcompartmentalization and increases productivity.Chapter4describes ERP system design. During ERP system design, the first step isthe choice of the ERP software. Here the paper takes into consideration all the modulesavailable (Finance, Sales, Production Design, and Material Management etc.). Each modulerequires structural design as well as process design. Once that design is done it is necessary tocompare it with the Best Practices within the SAP ERP software, making the necessaryadjustments so that there is a true alignment between the software and the real practices. It goes without saying that a thorough and careful analysis of the company’s real processes willbring out areas that can and should be improved, inconsistencies that need to be reduced, andthis can be the right moment to do so. In short this is the right time for Business ProcessReengineering.In chapter5the author presents methodologies available when deploying EnterpriseResources Planning, including all the steps that are required (project preparation, processblueprint, system implementation, final preparations, on-line support etc.). This chapterpresents the average time necessary to implement each step, and should be a useful referencefor any company about to deploy ERP.Chapter6is devoted to the benefits brought by ERP for each business module withinthe company (Finance, Sales, Production Design, and Material Management etc.). For eachmodule the paper presents the control blueprints, the implementations already deployed aswell as a comparison between business monitoring indicators. This comparison highlights thebenefits brought by ERP.The last chapter concludes that deploying ERP is not the ultimate mission of the ITdepartment. One can say that accommodating the implementation of ERP by building anddeploying a more adapted IT structure is the new essence of IT. Indeed the implementation ofERP requires that all data pertaining to business processes be channeled into the ERP. Thisrequires that new information systems be built around ERP， feeding it withreliable/timely/precise. Based on his experience on the field, the author lists the supporting ITsystems required in order for ERP as well the role each of them plays. |
PDF Full Text Request