This book is about enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. It is also about how a business works and how information systems fit into business operations. ERP is a suite of business management software that allows an organization to use a system of integrated applications to manage its operations. ERP systems integrate all departments and functions across a company onto a single computer system that can serve the entire organization. This real-time data integration and sharing throughout the company's functional areas increases the efficiency of operations and helps managers to make better decisions. Today, the power of ERP systems is augmented by a host of technologies like: business intelligence (BI), e-business and e-commerce, business process reengineering (BPR), data warehousing, data mining, on-line analytical processing (OLAP), product life cycle management (PLM), supply chain management (SCM), customer relationship management (CRM), geographic information systems (GIS), etc. The basic goal of an ERP system is to provide one central repository for the data that is shared by various ERP facets in order to ensure the smooth flow of information across the organization. A properly implemented ERP system can dramatically improve the efficiency and competitive advantage of an organization. The main advantages of ERP packages are: improved efficiency, reduction in inventory, on-time shipment, information integration for better decision making, faster response time to customer queries, etc. Besides these, the benefits include better corporate image, improved customer goodwill, customer satisfaction and so on. Other benefits of an ERP system are business integration, flexibility, better analysis and planning capabilities and use of latest technology. Changes in the Third Edition: The third edition has been revised to include the latest developments in the field of ERP and information technology like popularity of the Internet and World Wide Web (WWW), emergence of new technologies, changes in the market dynamics and so on. The book has been updated and revised to reflect the current state and enlarged to make it more comprehensive. Three new chapters-Business Processes and Enterprise Systems, Advanced Technology and ERP Security and ERP Deployment Models have been included to cover the topics such as business processes, enterprise systems, ERP security, on-demand (SaaS) ERP, cloud or hosted ERP, etc. The chapters ERP Marketplace and Market Dynamics and Future Directions and Trends in ERP, have been completely revamped to reflect the latest trends in the ERP marketplace. New ERP case studies from a variety of vendors in diverse industries have been included. A comprehensive bibliography has been included for those who want to learn further about the topic. All the chapters in the book have been thoroughly revised to include the latest developments. Features of this Book: This book contains a lot of pedagogical features including review questions (short answers, descriptive and essay questions), objective questions (true or false, fill in the blanks and multiple choice) and case studies. To further improve the usefulness of the book, a companion website has been provided. This website contains resources like study guides, solution manuals, PowerPoint presentations, slides, etc. The 'Student Edition' of the resources can be freely accessed and used; the 'Instructor Edition' can be provided on special request.

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