ERP Course for SW7
Aalborg University

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems, Autumn 2008

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.Therefore, it is important to understand background on such systems to help you as a software engineer to work in such industry area.

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

Exercises will be dedicated to a mini project. The mini project will be split into 6 labs practicing installation, deployment, customization and set up of ERP system OpenERP (formerly Tiny ERP) and its modules related to the lectured topics. OpenERP is a desktop based open source ERP system customizable to different requirements of companies. It also has an internet extension. The goal of the miniproject is to gain practical knowledge on how to install, customize, deploy and set up a small company case. The knowledge will be documented in a project report which will be delivered at the end of the lecturing period.

The deadline for handing in miniproject December 5 2008. Place had in 2 copies (one for me and one for censor) per each working group into my mailbox. The notes on the mini project will be used for further discussions at the exam.

Exam:

Exam will be a regular oral exam with the final grade according to a regular 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 can be used as a source for further questions in the discussion. The questions and further notes on the exam will be announced here later

Syllabus:

Exam will be performed according to this syllabus: ERP course syllabys. This is the agreed version.

Lecturer

Peter Dolog

Literature

Main:

Additional (Some chapters from):

Lectures:

1. September 4, 2008, 10:15 - 12:00 Introduction and Course Organization, slides in pdf, Reading: Chapter 1 from Mary Sumner + course overview
2. September 16, 2008, 14:30 - 16:15 Production and Material Module slides in pdf, Reading: Chapter 6 from Mary Sumner
3. September 18 2008, 10:15 - 12:00 Sales and Marketing, slides in pdf, Reading: Chapter 4 from Mary Sumner
4. October 7 2008, 14:30 - 16:15 Human Resources, slides in pdf, Reading: Chapter 7 from Mary Sumner
5. October 9 2008, 10:15 - 12:00 Finances, slides in pdf, Reading: Chapter 5 from Mary Sumner
6. October 21 2008, 14:30 - 16:15 Supply Chain Management: Lecture slides in pdf, Reading: Chapter 9 from Mary Sumner
7. October 23 2008, 10:15 - 12:00 Reengineering: Lecture slides in pdf, Reading: Chapter 2 from Mary Sumner
Article: Varun Grover and Manoj K. Malhotra: Business process reengineering: A tutorial on the concept, evolution, method, technology and application. Journal of Operations Management Volume 15, Issue 3, August 1997, Pages 193-213
8. October 28 2008, 14:30 - 16:15 Workflow Management Systems: Lecture slides in pdf, Reading: Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 from Wil van der Aalst and Kees van Hee: Workflow management: models, methods, and systems.
9. October 30 2008, 10:15 - 12:00 Analysis Patterns on Plannig and Trading: Lecture slides in pdf Reading: Chapters 8 and Chapter 9 from Martin Fowler
10. November 3 2008, 10:15 - 12:00 Analysis Patterns on Accountability, Inventory and Accounting: Lecture slides in pdf Reading: Chapters 2 and Chapter 6 from Martin Fowler
Additional Material: Soeren Lauesen: Datalogens Introduktion til Bogholderi
11. November 4 2008, 14:30 - 16:15 Project Management and Implementation of ERP Projects: Lecture slides in pdf Reading: Chapter 3 and Chapter 8 Mary Sumner, paper on Agile ERP.
12. November 11 2008, 14:30 - 16:15 Enterprise Application Integration: Lecture slides in pdf Reading: Chapter 3 from Alonso et al.: Web Services
Background chapters: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 from Alonso et al.: Web Services
13. November 13 2008, 10:15 - 12:00 Service Coordination Protocols: Lecture slides in pdf Reading: Chapter 7 from Alonso et al.: Web Services
14. November 18 2008, 14:30 - 16:15 KMD presentation
Title: The use of an ERP platform for realising of a business suite for the Danish municipalities
Abstract:
KMD uses the SAP Business Suite as a platform for development of a business suite for the Danish municipalities. To ensure a structured and efficient development of this business suite KMD has taken an Enterprise Architecture approach and build the Public Sector Business Model. This model is the base for construction of the business suite on the SAP platform. The lecture will contain:
  • an overall introduction to SAP Business Suite and the Netweaver platform
  • an overview of the Enterprise Architecture based KMD methodology for realisation of ERP based systems
15. November 20 2008, 10:15 - 12:00 Summary, Syllabus, Exam

Labs:

1. Duration: 3 exercises Technical Issues, Instalation, Customization of ERP System:
  • Understand the instalation process of OpenERP and technological platform it runs on
  • Install the OpenERP
  • Understand an Architecture of OpenRP
  • Understand customization strategy
  • Design your own module
  • Explore how to integrate the OpenERP with another or with another tool
Links:
Open ERP
2. Duration: 3 exercises 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.
3. Duration: 2 exercises 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 and phone. A company deals with products which are configurable (please design your product line). A customer will express requirements on configurations in e-mail and a sales person need to record them in the system 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.
4. Duration: 2 exercises 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.
5. Duration: 2 exercises 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.
    Please set the case in your selected system.
6. Duration: 2 exercises 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