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3 pages/β‰ˆ825 words
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4 Sources
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APA
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Technology
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Essay
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English (U.S.)
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Topic:

Production Scheduling and Control Case assignment

Essay Instructions:

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 stakeholders.” [reference] They have become the workhorses of production scheduling in most companies in recent years, due to their ability to integrate a wide range of information across functional, source, and time lines. You’ll hear a great deal more about ERP before you finish your program; for now, it’s enough to realize that (a) there are a lot of competing systems out there, most of which do not play nicely with each other or, often, with legacy systems, and (b) choosing such systems and evaluating their performance is far from straightforward.

Let’s begin with some general background on ERP systems:

Whatiserp.net (2011) ERP System - ERP Basic and ERP Evolution. Retrieved November 4, 2011, from http://whatiserp(dot)net/erp-basic-knowledge/erp-system/

Wailgum T, (n.d.), ERP Definition and Solutions. CIO.com. Retrieved November 4, 2011, from http://www(dot)cio(dot)com/article/40323/ERP_Definition_and_Solutions?page=1&taxonomyId=3009

The following source article describes a company’s ERP decision and experiences.

Yusufa, Y., Gunasekaranb, A., Abthorp, M. S. (2004). Enterprise information systems project implementation: A case study of ERP in Rolls-Royce. International Journal of Production Economics. 87, 251-266. Elsevier V. B. Retrieved from https://www(dot)umassd(dot)edu/media/umassdartmouth/businessinnovationresearchcenter/publications/erp_rolls-royce.pdf

After reading this article, reviewing information from the Background readings, and researching other sources on your own, prepare a 3- to 4-page paper answering the question:

What are the effects of ERP technology implementation changes on both production systems and non-production functions of the business such as culture? How are the production and non-production effects related to each other?

Assignment Expectations

Your paper should be from three to five pages. Take a definite stand on the issues, and develop your supporting argument carefully. Using material from the Background information and any other sources you can find to support specific points in your argument is highly recommended; try to avoid making assertions for which you can find no support other than your own opinion.

You will be particularly assessed on:

  • Precision: Draw on a range of sources and establish your understanding of the historical context of the question. Carry out the exercise as assigned, or carefully explain the limitations that might have prevented your completing some parts. (Running out of time isn’t generally considered an adequate limitation.)
  • Support for assertions: Use examples, citations (especially to the required readings), and elaboration to support assertions. Provide evidence that you have read the required Background materials.
  • Clarity: Provide clear answers that show good understanding of the topic. Understand the module's purpose, and structure your paper accordingly.
  • Breadth and depth: Make the scope of your paper relate directly to the questions of the assignment and the learning outcomes of the module.
  • Critical thinking: Incorporate your reactions, examples, and applications of the material to business in a way that illustrates your reflective judgment and good understanding of the concepts. Read the Required Readings posted in the Background material plus others you find relevant. Providing informed commentary and analysis is vital—simply repeating what sources say does not constitute an adequate paper.

Overall quality: Turn in a well-written paper whose references, where needed, are properly cited and listed. (Refer to the University guidelines (http://support(dot)trident(dot)edu/files/Well-Written-Paper.pdf if you are uncertain about formats or other issues)

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Production Systems
Name:
Institution:
Technology over the years has proven to be one of the most resourceful aspects in the human history, dating back from the inventions related to farming and transport. In the business realm, there are subtle applications of technology, increasing the level of efficiency and effectiveness in resources management while maximizing the outputs and therefore profits. Enterprise Resources Planning is one of the processes that has benefited from technological inputs (Wailgum, n.d.). This is a process that relates to the integrated systems in business assisted by the advent of technology through automation. Companies now have their services related to accounting, human resources, sales, marketing and customer relations all automated using softwares. Both the internal processes and the external processes are managed with ease and with better effectiveness (Hsu & Chen, 2004). There are so many softwares in the market right now and selecting the right one is more of a gamble than a certainty. Managers have to look at the one that has the least number of compromises relative to their objectives in the short term and in the long terms (Yusufa, Gunasekaranb & Abthorp, 2004).
The ERP softwares have some subtle impacts on the production processes of any given company when they are applied. At the backbone of the productions lines are the inputs and the outputs of the productions process. It is these aspects that are affected by the ERP systems to make sure that the efficiency levels are raised to the maximum possible probabilities. To ensure that the company is making the maximum possible profits, cost efficiency is crucial. ERP systems provide the management with the right information before hand to help them make informed decisions that can lead to reduced costs. By efficiently managing the costs of production, the company can then maximize on the profits. Processing, presenting and managing financial data are some of the most crucial aspects of the ERP systems that make them quite valuable to the business (Yusufa, Gunasekaranb & Abthorp, 2004). From the point of product planning, acquiring raw materials for production, inventory management, the company is able to make informed decisions on the right quality and quality relative to the suppliers. The actual manufacturing process is also controlled with better efficiency relative to the outputs objectives and inputs limits, making ERPs a crucial addition to the process. The sales and marketing aspects are defined relative to the information sourced from the ERP systems (Hsu & Chen, 2004). This is to mean that, as managers design sales and marketing strategies, much of their inputs in the process are sourced from the ERP output data. Different companies will have different objectives which may change relative to the market dynamics. Using the ERP systems that have integrated all the processes the managers have a baseline to work with to maximize the resources use and thus the products they can manage to move against the competition. As...
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