Towards the Implementation of an Intelligent ERP System: Guidelines for Building Intelligent ERP Systems

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Information Systems and Technologies ManagementThe digital age has forced companies to change the way they operate their businesses and adapt quickly to the digital transformation driven by increased global competitiveness in recent years. To remain competitive, organizations must implement management solutions that allow them to efficiently control all business areas through an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Management systems have had to evolve to keep up with technological advancements by incorporating intelligent tools. As a result, ERP companies have created new systems known as intelligent ERP (i-ERP). Given the variety of improvement opportunities, it has become necessary to develop a series of guidelines for i-ERP manufacturing as well as for companies that want to implement intelligent solutions in their different business areas, in order to assist technical and non-technical people selecting the best existing option. A design science research (DSR) methodology was used to accomplish the study's goal. It was mandatory to start by defining what an i-ERP system is. Furthermore, their seven capabilities have been clarified, such as intelligent behaviour, learning management, advanced analytics, process automation, intelligent interfaces, dark analytics, and simplification of customization. These capabilities are based on technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, and cloud computing. The guidelines were based on these seven capabilities and were applied to the four major modules of an ERP, which are financial, purchasing, sales, and human resources. As a result, it was possible to create a table with recommendations in general by i-ERP capabilities, followed by guidelines focusing on the financial, purchasing, sales, and human resources areas, and an assessment tool that allowed creating measures to evaluate an ERP system, considering its level of intelligence based on the recommendations created. Finally, the evaluation system was used to rate the latest system developed by SAP SE, SAP S4/HANA, demonstrating its usefulness, followed by expert interviews to validate the recommendations for the four areas identified in terms of their use and acceptance. The relevant literature review and my personal work experience were used as the basis for this master's thesis. It is expected that this study will contribute to the scientific community's understanding of intelligent information systems as well as arouse curiosity in future studies.A era digital forçou as empresas a mudarem a forma como operam os seus negócios e a adaptarem-se rapidamente à transformação digital impulsionada pelo aumento da competitividade global nos últimos anos. Para se manterem competitivas, as organizações devem implementar soluções de gestão que lhes permitam controlar eficazmente todas as áreas de negócio através de um sistema de planeamento de recursos corporativos (ERP). Os sistemas de gestão tiveram de evoluir para acompanhar os avanços tecnológicos, incorporando ferramentas inteligentes. Como resultado, as empresas de sistemas ERP criaram produtos conhecidos como ERP inteligentes (i-ERP). Dada a variedade de oportunidades de melhoria, tornou-se necessário desenvolver uma série de orientações para fabricantes de i-ERP bem como para empresas que pretendam implementar soluções inteligentes nas diversas áreas de negócio, a fim de ajudar as pessoas técnicas e não técnicas na seleção da melhor opção existente. Uma metodologia de desenho de investigação científica (DSR) foi utilizada para atingir o objetivo do estudo. Foi obrigatório começar por definir o que é um sistema i-ERP bem como as suas sete capacidades identificadas, como ter um comportamento inteligente, gestão da aprendizagem, análise avançada, automatização de processos, interfaces inteligentes, análise escura, e simplificação da personalização, que têm como base tecnologias como inteligência artificial, aprendizagem de máquinas, grandes dados e armazenamento em nuvem. As orientações utilizaram como base estas sete capacidades e foram aplicadas aos quatro principais módulos de um ERP, que são o financeiro, compras, logística e recursos humanos. Como resultado foi possível criar uma tabela de recomendações gerais por capacidades de um i-ERP, seguida de recomendações com foco na área financeira, compras, logística e recursos humanos e por último uma ferramenta de avaliação que permitiu criar medidas para avaliar um sistema ERP, considerando o seu nível de inteligência com base nas recomendações criadas. Por último, o sistema de avaliação foi utilizado para classificar o mais recente sistema desenvolvido pela SAP SE, o SAP S4/HANA, demonstrando a sua utilidade, seguido de entrevistas a especialistas para validar as recomendações para as quatro áreas identificadas em termos de respetiva utilização e aceitação. Uma relevante revisão bibliográfica e a minha experiência profissional foram utilizadas como base para esta tese de mestrado. Espera-se que este estudo contribua para a compreensão dos sistemas de informação inteligentes pela comunidade científica, assim como despertar curiosidade em estudos futuros

Enterprise Information Systems and Technologies in Czech Companies from the Perspective of Trends in Industry 4.0

Part 4: Advanced Manufacturing and Management AspectsInternational audienceThe paper deals with aspects of ICT innovation based on the development of the internet of things in industrial companies. The article presents the main results of a pilot survey carried out in a number of Czech companies. They show the current understanding of Industry 4.0 principles and the penetration these trends in companies, including the penetration level of the main IT trends and integration role of enterprise information systems application in Industry 4.0

Critical Success Factors in Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation in U.S. Manufacturing

Organizational leaders have increasingly turned to enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications, also known as decision-support systems, to make their firms\u27 operational, tactical, and strategic processes more efficient and effective in the changing global marketplace. High failure rates in ERP systems implementations make these projects risky, however. Most prior research on critical success factors for conventional ERP implementation has been on large enterprises, resulting in a gap in knowledge on these factors in the small and medium enterprises that constitute the majority of U.S. employer firms. A qualitative modified Delphi study with an expert panel of U.S. manufacturing consultants and 3 iterative rounds of data collection and analysis revealed consensus on 8 critical success factors in ERP implementations, with the highest agreement on top management support and commitment, enterprise resource planning fit with the organization, quality management, and a small internal team of the best employees. In addition to furthering knowledge in the fields of leadership and enterprise applications, the study expands enterprise resource planning experts\u27 and scholars\u27 understanding of strategies to improve project success and the triple bottom line for any size enterprise in the manufacturing industry. Practitioners in the ERP industry can also apply approaches outlined during ERP implementations to mitigate risk during these engagements. Implications for positive social change include additional job opportunities and higher wages through increased efficiencies in ERP applications