ERP Course for SW7
Aalborg University

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems are software systems used to support information flow and information management in companies. They help to deal with information about orders, inventory, accounting, human resources, production, and so on. From software industry point of view, the area of ERP takes significant share on the market with demand for new skilled people to be able to consult, design, develop and deploy such systems.

The main goal of this course is to facilitate basic understandings of:

  • Modules of the ERP Systems
  • Functions of the ERP Systems
  • Concpets behind the modules and functions (patterns, conceptual models)
  • Planning and deploying of ERP Systems either from customer or provider point of view
  • Technology behind the systems

Mini project

The miniproject is a documentation up to 15 pages about experience and reflections on the 6 labs.

!!! The deadline for the mini project is December 1, 2006 by noon (12:00) in 2 copies per each groups with the names of the group members !!!

Lecturer

Peter Dolog

Literature

Main:

Additional (Some chapters from):

Exam

Exam will be a regular oral exam with the final grade according to a regular 13 grades scale. Each course participant will be examined individually for 20 minutes. You will pick up the questions from the following list. Prepare a presentation for those. You will be allowed to bring your notes. Pictures from the slides will be printed and available at the exam. Utilize your experience from exercises in the preparation for your questions. The documentation from your mini project can serve for further questions and should summarize the results and the reflections from the exercises. Please use also the knowledge gained at the lectures for your reflections in mini project and in presentations for the questions. Topics from the lectures like workflow management systems, enterprise application integration or knowledge management and learning can be used as a source for further questions in the discussion. The questions are available here.

Schedule (Lectures):

1. 15 September 2006, Friday: 10:15 - 12:00 Introduction and Course Organization
slides in pdf
Reading: Chapter 1 from Mary Sumner + course overview
2. 20 September 2006, Wednesday: 10:15 - 12:00 Sales and Marketing Module
slides in pdf
Reading: Chapter 4 from Mary Sumner
3. 22 September 2006, Friday: 10:15 - 12:00 Accounting and Finances Module
slides in pdf
Reading: Chapter 5 from Mary Sumner
4. 27 September 2006, Wednesday: 10:15 - 12:00 Production and Material Module
slides in pdf
Reading: Chapter 6 from Mary Sumner
5. 29 September 2006, Friday: 10:15 - 12:00 Short 5min presentation of each group about their achievments so far
Human Resources Module
slides in pdf
Reading: Chapter 7 from Mary Sumner
6. 11 October 2006, Wednesday: 10:15 - 12:00 1. Short 5min presentation of each group about their achievments so far
2. Supply Chain Management: Lecture
slides in pdf
3. Summary of ERP modules - discussion with students participation
Reading: Chapter 9 from Mary Sumner
7. 13 October 2006, Friday: 10:15 - 12:00 Knowledge Management and Learning
slides in pdf
Articles:
8. 25 October 2006, Wednesday: 10:15 - 12:00 Short 5min presentation of each group about their achievments so far
Analysis Patterns I
slides in pdf
Readings: Chapters 2 and Chapter 6 from Martin Fowler
9. 27 October 2006, Friday: 10:15 - 12:00 Analysis Patterns II
slides in pdf
Readings: Chapter 8 and Chapter 9 from Martin Fowler
10. 1 November 2006, Wednesday: 10:15 - 12:00 Short 5min presentation of each group about their achievments so far
ERP System Design and Deployment
slides in pdf
Reading: Chapter 3 from Mary Sumner
11. 3 November 2006, Friday: 10:15 - 12:00 Re-Engineering
slides in pdf
Reading: Chapter 2 from Mary Sumner
Presentation and discussion of additional exercise about metrics in business process reengineering
description in pdf
12. 8 November 2006, Wednesday: 10:15 - 12:00 Short 5min presentation of each group about their achievments so far
Workflow Management Systems: Organizing and Managemet of Workflows
slides in pdf
Readings: Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 from Wil van der Aalst and Kees van Hee: Workflow management: models, methods, and systems.
13. 10 November 2006, Friday: 10:15 - 12:00 Management of ERP Projects
slides in pdf
Reading: Chapter 8 from Mary Sumner
14. 15 November 2006, Wednesday: 10:15 - 12:00 Short 5min presentation of each group about their achievments so far
Enterprise Application Integration
slides in pdf
Readings: Chapter 3 from Alonso et al.: Web Services
Background chapters: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 from Alonso et al.: Web Services
15. 17 November 2006, Friday: 10:15 - 12:00 Service Coordination Protocols
slides in pdf
Readings: Chapter 7 from Alonso et al.: Web Services
Summary and Discussion about the Course and Sylabus, Exam Questions

Schedule (Exercises):

1.
  • 20 September 2006, Wednesday: 8:15 - 10:00
  • 22 September 2006, Friday: 8:15 - 10:00
  • 27 September 2006, Wednesday: 8:15 - 10:00
    		• Choosing an ERP Open Source for your project. Analyze existing available open source software.
    Guidelines:
    • Find success stories on open source ERP software (library/web). What factors contributed to the success stories and how they can influence your selection?
    • Look for open source software packages on the web and in the articles. Try to experience them (install them, learn about their technical requirements and which modules they have, what are licence agreements or requirements,...)
    • Read also about other commercial vendors: SAP, Navision, ...
    • Choose one ERP software package you will use in the semester and report on that (remember your criteria you used for selection, you will use them to compare to the experience you have gained at the end of the semester)
    Some software packages:
    Compiere
    Tiny ERP
    Some are listed at http://java-source.net/open-source/erp-crm
    2.
    • 29 September 2006, Friday: 8:15 - 10:00
    • Please use the week from 2 October 2006 - 6 October 2006 to work on your case too
    • 11 October 2006, Wednesday: 8:15 - 10:00
    		Sales and Marketing Module.

    Questions:
    • Analyze the sales and marketing module. Which functions does the module offer? Which data does the module manage? Please document.
    • Analyze the interfaces of the Sales and Marketing Module to other modules, Which are the modules interacting with the Sales and Marketing and how? Please document.
    • A Case to set: A company XY (name it) would like to interact with new customers through mail, phone and a web. A company deals with products which are configurable (please design your product line). A customer should be able to express requirements on configurations on-line or in e-mail when an offer is generated. Customer should be able to express an interest in products offered independently from an order. A company has several branches distributed geographically. It has 2 warehouses which provide parts for the configurations. Some of the parts are developed by company branches themselves, some are taken from suppliers. Company management would like to have quarterly and annual reports about how offers, orders and interests are placed, analysis of the sales team behavior and prediction on future trends. The report should be made both, in financial terms and also in resources spent or used over time.
      Please set the case in your selected system.
    3.
    • 13 October 2006, Friday: 8:15 - 10:00
    • 25 October 2006, Wednesday: 8:15 - 10:00
    		Accounting and Finance Module

    Questions:
    • Analyze the finance and accounting module. Which functions does the module offer? Which data does the module manage? Please document.
    • Analyze the interfaces of the Finance and Accounting Module to other modules, Which are the modules which interact with the Finance and Accounting and how? Please document.
    • Continue with the case above. The customer orders from previous case are transferred to customer invoices in accounts receivable and generated to send for customers. Company also manages internal clearings between the departments to follow the costs of labor needed to configure and deliver products to customer. Therefore internal accounts receivable and payable should be set too. For internal accounts, a charge for internal services is charged, e.g. a sales department does a service to accumulate enough configurable projects for the production department. Similarly a warehouse department provide services in terms of immediate access to parts needed for a configuration. Externally, inventory and warehouse departments generate requests for updating or getting new parts which is transformed to orders and checks to creditors in accounts payable. Management requires quarterly, annual and snapshot reports about the situation with cash flow.
      Please set the case in your selected system.
    4.
    • 27 October 2006, Friday: 8:15 - 10:00
    • 1 November 2006, Wednesday: 8:15 - 10:00
    		Production and Material Management.
    Questions:
    • Analyze the production and material management module. Which functions does the module offer? Which data does the module manage? Please document
    • Analyze the interfaces of the Production and Material Module to other modules, Which are the modules which interact with the Production and Material Module and how? Please document.
    • Continue with the case above. The company has limited resources to configure the products based on customers orders. Therefore, the system should be able to make a resource plan. Similarly, a plan for material, and parts of the products to be configured should be scheduled and planed as well. The parts and material plans consist of immediate access to them on site or a plan for the warehouses and their expenditures. Quality and quantity of parts, and configured products should be observable in the system. Quality attributes and their measurements should be configurable in the system. Number of defects either at the material, parts and the whole product level should be traced too. Management requests reports (quarterly, annual, and snapshots) about capacity, planning, and parts, and products flows.
      Please set the case in your selected system.
    5.
    • 3 November 2006, Friday: 8:15 - 10:00
    • 8 November 2006, Wednesday: 8:15 - 10:00
    		Human Resources.
    Questions:
    • Analyze the human resource management module. Which functions does the module offer? Which data does the module manage? Please document.
    • Analyze the interfaces of the Human Resource Management Module to other modules, Which are the modules which interact with the Human Resource Management Module and how? Please document.
    • Continue with the case above. The company plans its human resources based on skills and departments. Resources are needed in any step of the companies business process. Special attention is paid on management, development and engineering people. The system should allow to maintain skills of the employees and their development plans which should be planed in line with company's goals. It should allow to manage a recruitment processes and positions control. The human resource management should be connected withe a repository of special government acts which are placed on recruitment and employment. Programs like compensations and salary payments should be available as well. Management requires quarterly and annual reports on human resource utilization and planning, annual reports on personal development plans and company plans on human resource recruitment strategies and their effectiveness.
    • 3 November 2006, Friday: 8:15 - 10:00 additional exercise about metrics in business process reengineering
      description in pdf
      Please set the case in your selected system.
    6.
    • 10 November 2006, Friday: 8:15 - 10:00
    • 15 November 2006, Wednesday: 8:15 - 10:00
    • 17 November 2006, Friday: 8:15 - 10:00
    		Supply Chain Management, Putting it all together.
    Questions:
    • Analyze the Supply Chain Management module. Which functions does the module offer? Which data does the module manage? Please document.
    • Analyze the interfaces of the Supply Chain Management Module to other modules, Which are the modules which interact with the Supply Chain Management Module and how? Please document.
    • Continue with the case above. The company plans to optimize its interaction with suppliers. The system should allow to maintain and order suppliers and give benefits to those who are more beneficial for the company. The system should allow to maintain the benefits and strategies for the benefits. In addition, the system should be open to integration with other systems to optimize supply change management between companies through Internet. The management would like to see quarterly and annual reports on suppliers evolution and planning.
      Please set the case in your selected system.
    • Analyze the whole exercise set against the criteria you have set on your system selection and update the list/learn from the differences.


    Last Update:
    Peter Dolog
    You can contact me at dolog at cs dot aau dot dk