What is an ERP?
The term ERP, an acronym for Enterprise Resource Planning, is frequently used in BUworks communications. However, we have received feedback that not everyone at the University understands what the term means, so we would like to clarify how we define it.
First, some background: resource planning systems were originally developed for manufacturing environments and were used to track production, material usage and related elements of manufacturing operations. Over time, the capabilities of this specialized MRP software — variously referred to as Material Requirements Planning or Manufacturing Resource Planning — broadened to incorporate functionality that included purchasing, distribution, financials, human resources, and decision support. In other words, the software evolved to manage resources across an entire enterprise. The term ERP was coined to describe these systems that were developed to provide enterprise-wide support.
How does this relate to BUworks? Graphically, the primary systems currently in use at Boston University can be represented like this:
The business systems the University depends on are typically “siloed” or vertically isolated. These systems sometimes require separate logins and, as many users can attest, do not always share data. That limitation results in the need to enter information multiple times, which can lead to errors and/or inconsistent data.
An ERP, on the other hand, works across traditional system boundaries to align processes that draw from a shared database. Conceptually, the scenario looks like this:
