Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP is actually a process or approach that attempts to consolidate all of a company’s departments and functions into a single computer system that services each department’s specific needs. It is, in a sense, a convergence of people, hardware, and software into an efficient production, service, and delivery system that creates profit for the company. While the idea is easy to grasp in theory, the reality has been different. Most companies have a conglomeration of different systems and procedures (as well as hardware and software) designed specifically for their own needs. * The Human Resources Department holds employee records (including payroll, medical, and other benefits). * The Finance Department holds Financial data and processing, which includes payroll computations and employee compensation as well as invoicing and billing for company products and services. * Manufacturing holds production data. * Warehousing holds Inventories. * Customer Relations holds customer orders,
And so on ERP’s dream is to have a single software solution integrating the different functions and activities into a seamless whole where information needed for decision-making is shared across departments, and the action that one department takes results in the appropriate follow-up action up and down the line.
A good definition of enterprise resource planning is the one given by www.wikipedia.com which is as follows; Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application. Their purpose is to facilitate the flow of information between all business functions inside the boundaries of the organization and manage the connections to outside