techniques and tools for the Design and implementation of enterprise information systems

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are enterprise-wide information systems that automate business processes and provide global data visibility (Shen, Wall, Zaremba, Chen, & Browne, 2004; Umble, Haft, & Umble, 2003). Among its many applications, it is particularly useful in integrating the supply chain into business processes. It is important to note that the techniques and tools involved in designing and developing ERP systems play a crucial role in the success of implementation. In fact, most failures in the implementation of ERP arise from poor design (Yusuf, Gunasekaran, & Abthorpe, 2004). Therefore, given the importance of ERP in the global business environment for competitiveness and viability, a focus on improving the techniques and tools of ERP development is needed. As a potential way of improving ERP system usability, the collaboration theory is proposed in Chapter 1. The collaboration theory involves improving the collaboration between the user and the system by conceptualizing a partnership between them. The user provides the development framework for the system, thereby making it better able to support the user’s needs. As a result, the user interface is optimized to maximize the benefits of the usersystem relationship and the user is better able to meet his individual objectives. In designing an ERP system, modeling and simulation (M&S) are important to optimize performance. However, most of the M&S tools available today are not sufficient for model optimization. To overcome the weaknesses in the existing monolithic software design, a hybrid approach is recommended in Chapter 2. This would involve integrating legacy M&S tools into a component architecture that uses an XMLbased model interchange format, which allows a homogeneous and standardized exchange between tool components. Building upon this hybrid approach, a universally applicable optimization component can be established. Book Review techniques and tools for the Design and implementation of enterprise information systems