ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SYSTEMS

It also looks at the open ERP architecture in detail and how it can be used to develop a better system. I have gone ahead to explain each structure the commonly used in its diagram. It also looks on the available and most used ERP systems in the world citing examples of the familiar vendors of the ERP systems in the world. I have gone ahead to look at the applications of this system. The advantages and disadvantages of the ERP system to any organization that has adopted the System are also given greater weight. All this usually connected to the efficient function of the system. The person involved in organizing the structure is required to know how these components work together (Chang et al.

ERP system structure From the figure above, it shows that the structure of the system divided into four levels which are: • Network level • Resources level • Application level • Decision support level The network level includes the infrastructure of the system that enables the data to move both externally and internally. This includes data flowing from the computers to the database and from the database to the machines. In case the organization is willing to share this data with other people then this level is the one that will permit it. Decision support level is made up of models and methods made in such a way that they suit the desired need of the organization to make decisions. In this, the management can process data from the system to make significant decisions.

The framework of competitive positioning decisions should drive the choice of any information system. Apart from the four levels the structure also has the servers which include the database server, application server, and the web server. There is decision support that also makes up the system. In this the project team manager comes up with the best way they will follow to achieve the target with ease. This includes writing down the steps they will follow in coming up with the actual system. They will also look at the extra activities that they will require to carry out. The last phase will be making an informed judgment so as to come up with the best system. For the purchased system research shows that there are numerous functions in the system that will not fit the business that has purchased it.

A web-based portal is usually present at the business/application tier which allows data to stored in the presentation tier (Al-Ghofaili & Al-Mashari, 2014). Since ERP usually deployed in a distributed manner, the client typically spread across multiple locations in the business. Due to this three traditional types of ERP architecture exists. These types include two-tier (client/server) architecture, three-tier architecture and web-based architecture. The world has proliferated to the internet and as it stands currently the most used is the web-based architecture. , Kenandy Inc and Plex which have established their reputation in this area. With a higher percentage of the people in the world having access to mobile phones, it has become so important for an organization to make the applications available to its clients who possess the smartphones.

Due to this ERP vendors developed a mobile architecture that can be used on mobile phones and portable devices (Mittelstädt et al. ERP system design requires a team of people who will do various functions to achieve one complete system. This team may be made up of both experienced and beginners or may have only experienced designers. This also enables the management to add product suggestions and make the system more efficient (Mittelstädt et al. , 2015) The offering of expert functional and technical review. Each system has functional strengths and weaknesses. An expert system in place can review the system and determine if it’s the best for the organization or not. A technical expert will understand the ability of the information technology staff and the system to provide solutions to the organization (Mittelstädt et al.

No movement from one office from one location to another but instead everything is made available instantly from the department it should be taken from to another. This ensures a smooth and quicker transition (Nwankpa, 2015). According to Nwankpa, 2015, this system ensures that there is a unified and single reporting system. The data is extracted from a shared repository for each department, and the information is usually the same. This is opposed to where the departments could be having different data to generate various reports. This is a requirement since this users are the ones who are expected to participate in the use. This users also determine the user interface. Indirect costs are usually imposed on the organization hence discouraging most of them.