"Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are integrated software packages designed to provide complete integration of an organisation's business information processing systems and all related data. These systems are conceptually based on event-driven systems concepts, which include the capturing of both financial and non-financial data to facilitate access and ad hoc analysis." (Gelinas et al. 1999, p. 5/11).

"ERP is a software mirror image of the major business processes of an organisation, such as customer order fulfilment and manufacturing." (ERP Center 1999).

ERP is the finest expression of the inseparability of business and information systems.

Today, SAP R/3 is market leader and also the most exhaustive and complex ERP-system providing solutions for the functional areas accounting and controlling (including treasury and asset management), production and materials management, quality management and plant maintenance, sales and distribution, human resources management, and project management. SAP R/3 also comes in industry specific packages (SAP Industry Solutions). In the past few years, SAP has developed additional products such as data warehousing (Business Information Warehouse - BW), Strategic Enterprise Management (SEM), Advanced Planning, Advanced Planning Optimizer (APO) for SCM, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), etc.

The mysap.com initiative is an answer to the often critisised weaknesses of ERP-systems with regards to E-Commerce-capabilites. Today's ERP systems are therefore often referred to as ERP II or 'second generation ERP', and they are considered to be part of the whole family of comprehensive integrated business solutions, referred to as ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS.

Main Co-operations

SAP Australia/NZ

The global SAP-University Alliance program intends to form partnerships between the SAP AG and universities in Australia, New Zealand and all around the world. The Alliance between SAP Australia/NZ and the Faculty of Business, UTS, was established in July 1998.

Under the terms of the Alliance program, SAP Australia provides its ‘mySAP Business Suite’ and staff training.

The Faculty step-by-step incorporated SAP solutions into its teaching and research program. Currently, the School of Accounting and the School of Management are offering subjects integrating SAP solutions.

The SAP Australia/NZ has approved all subjects currently offered by the School of Accounting. Amongst others, this means that students successfully completing any of the SAP-related subjects will be issued an official UTSAP Certificate confirming quality and the relevance of the SAP-related contents of the subjects.

In January 2002, a new chapter in the UTS-SAP Alliance was written. The Faculty of Business managed not only to renew the agreement, but also to extend it. Amongst other benefits, this means that the Faculty of Business will be in the position to implement not only the newest release of R/3 (4.6C), but also the “New Dimension Products” BW, APO, CRM, and SEM. While SAP provides the software free of charge, the Faculty of Business provides the servers, system administration and first class teaching labs. The Schools - above all the School of Accounting - drive these innovations and provide the educational products including the data required for teaching. The School of Accounting currently runs nine subjects with SAP-content.

Wirtschaftsuniversitaet Wien (VUEBA)

In Autumn Semester 2000, the School of Accounting, UTS, and the Department of Production Management (DPM), Wirtschaftsuniversitaet Wien (WU), successfully launched a partnership program, which comprises above all a close co-operation in ERP-related teaching and educational development, regular exchange of lecturers, and close co-operation in certain areas of research.

In the first months of the year 2000, Professor Alexander Prosser (DPM) worked at the School as Lecturer of one new subject 22782 ‘Business Process Integration with ERP’, program developer and researcher.

Dr Andreas Mild (DPM) visited the School in March/April 2000 and 2001 in order to implement and teach 22783 ‘Business Intelligence 2: Advanced Planning&rsquo.

Ms Maria-Luise Ossimitz was mainly involved in developing an educational concept for data warehousing using the SAP Business Warehouse. She now teaches and further develops the subject 22797 ‘Business Intelligence 1: Advanced Analysis’.

Since December 2000, Associate Professor Bernhard Wieder (UTS) regularly visits the DPM in order to teach 22759 ‘Accounting and ERP’ at the WU, Austria.

Victoria University of Technology, School of Information Systems