Page 41 -

CHAPTER 4 The Procurement Process 23
2
CHAPTER
CHAPTER

Introduction to Enterprise Systems

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completing this chapter you will be able to:
1. Discuss the evolution and key business benefi ts of enterprise
systems.
2. Explain the role of enterprise systems in supporting business
processes.
3. Differentiate the different categories of data within SAP ERP.
®
4. Identify and analyze the major options for reporting.

n Chapter 1 we discussed the key processes executed in organizations. We saw
that there is a high degree of integration and interdependence among pro-
Icesses. Even within small organizations it is diffi cult to execute these processes
effi ciently using manual techniques. Thus, organizations invariably rely on the use
of enterprise systems to ensure that these processes are executed effi ciently and
effectively. In this chapter we discuss key concepts in enterprise systems, par-
ticularly SAP ERP. We begin by expanding on the introduction to enterprise
systems and SAP ERP provided in Chapter 1. We follow this discussion with a
brief history and evolution of SAP ERP. We then explore the different types of
data utilized in SAP ERP. Finally, we conclude the chapter by examining various
reporting options enabled by enterprise systems (ES).

ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS

Enterprise systems are one of the most complex and powerful information systems
in use today. As we explained in Chapter 1, this book will cover the world’s most
popular ES—SAP ERP—in great depth. Although you might have studied enter-
prise systems in a previous course, we provide a quick review of the key concepts
to refresh your knowledge and to place these concepts in an appropriate context
for the rest of this course. In this section we briefl y discuss the architecture of enter-
®
prise systems, the SAP Business Suite, SAP ERP, and the technology platform—
®
SAP Netweaver—that forms the foundation for these applications.
23

31/01/11 1:08 PM
CH002.indd 23
CH002.indd 23 31/01/11 1:08 PM