What is the relevance of Enterprise Resource PLanning systems to strategic IS?
There is a brief description of ERP systems in O’Brien 3rd ed. pages 4/0-407, and a description based on a report at http://www.itworks.be/reports/rep_68.htm . A search of the Web will uncover various software and consuting businesses offering ERP. ERP is the current name for cross-functional cleint/server network applications. A simple classification of ISs can be based on business functions, such as marketing. In practice ISs are not isolated, one to each function, but built around business processes which span functions. Such cross-functional systems share data to improve effectiveness of processes. Intranets are being used for this purpose. ERP software supports all the primary chain processes of the value chain. So it would support business process re-engineering. Other examples of integrative systems are Manufturing Resource Planning systems and Supply Chain Management systems. So ERP is based on the old idea of integration of systems across functions, linking ‘islands of informa
