Using a Computer Business Simulation to Measure Effectiveness of Enterprise Resource Planning Education on Business Process Comprehension

Business Process Education is often aided by teaching Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP). ERP systems are large software programs which coordinate and/or control many aspects of a company, forming the backbone of most large organizations’ information systems, integrating all functional areas in an organization and promoting a business process perspective. Universities have been teaching ERP and using commercial ERP for experiential learning for at least 10 years now, yet little conclusive research exists that assesses the effectiveness of using ERP in the classroom to further comprehension of business processes. This paper reviews 9 studies that attempt to assess the educational effectiveness of ERP. The outcomes of that review are used to present research in progress that: (a) business simulation should be better used as a measure of students’ understanding of integrative business processes; and (b) the duration of assessment should cover an entire academic semester’s course outcomes

Measuring the effectiveness of enterprise resource planning education on business process comprehension

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel UniversityEnterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP) are very large and complex software packages that run every aspect of an organization. Increasingly, ERP systems are used in higher education to teach business processes, essential knowledge for students competing in today’s business environment. Past research attempting to measure learning business processes with ERP has been inconclusive and lacking in rigor. This dissertation contains a comprehensive research study that uses a critical realist approach to measure business process learning from experiential ERP. Using a business simulation game as a proxy for understanding business processes, students from (1) a US undergraduate program in three separate classes, one using ERP experientially, and (2) two UK postgraduate programs, one experiencing ERP and one not, are assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The data analysis results in a causal mechanism for learning, complemented by a list that trigger or suppress that mechanism in particular cases. The results validate the efforts of those using ERP in the classroom, and reaffirm other educational business school endeavors, with educational implications as follows. First, before attempting to learn business processes, students must know about business in order to enable them to learn this complex topic. Second, experiencing ERP systems indeed helps students understand business processes, with a cohesive curriculum integrating ERP benefitting students the most and students at the postgraduate level learning more deeply. Third, students are using the knowledge gained in university classes to make business decisions. Fourth, students should be encouraged to use all information possible for making business decisions instead of relying on their personal understanding of today’s current market, relying on their own business intuition or work experience. Last, teaching methods may need to be adjusted for postgraduates, especially those coming into programs with significant work experience

Assessing Business Learning by Analysing ERP Simulation Log Files

Business education is facing increasing pressures to equip graduates with both practical competencies and functional knowledge. In addition to developing authentic learning environments where one can learn those competencies, we need to develop authentic assessment methods. Computer-assisted learning environments, such as business games and simulations, assist in achieving the intricate learning goals, and at the same time, provide copious quantities of data. In this paper, we present an authentic assessment approach to measure the students’ practical hands-on activities rather than their theoretical knowledge. We analysed the log file data of an ERP-supported simulation to assess learning in a full year case study with first year BBA students. The analysis firstly demonstrates how and when log files can be used, and secondly indicated positive learning results on the cognitive and psychomotor domains of Bloom’s taxonomy. The log file analysis holds potential particularly for formative assessment to guide the student’s learning process during the simulation. These findings and our lessons learned can be applied to assessing learning in computer-supported learning environments, particularly in business simulations

Bridging Web 4.0 and Education 4.0 For Next Generation User Training in ERP Adoption

This study addresses the critical issue of user comprehension and application within the sphere of cloudbased Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, a recurrent challenge exacerbated by the intricate nature of these systems. To bridge the existing gaps in training methodologies, a novel paradigm that synergizes Web 4.0 and Education 4.0 modules with traditional ERP systems is proposed. This innovative framework ushers in a paradigm shift in ERP adoption strategies, promising a marked enhancement in user interaction and efficiency. Rigorous qualitative evaluations, conducted with expert panels and potential end-users, provided robust validation of the framework's transformative potential in the realm of user training for ERP systems. This pioneering approach not only makes a substantial academic contribution by reframing the perception of ERP systems but also holds a significant practical value in ameliorating the user experience with cloud-based ERP systems. In essence, the adoption of a Web 4.0-oriented approach in user training heralds a revolutionary shift in ERP adoption strategies, setting a solid foundation for future explorations in this domain

How Does ERPsim Influence Student\u27s Perceived Learning Outcomes in an Information Systems Course? An Empirical Study

It is a challenge for business students or even employees to understand business processes and enterprise software usage without involvement in real-world practices. Many business schools are using ERP software in their curriculum, aiming to expose students to real-world business practices. ERPsim is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) teaching-learning tool for business students to learn actual SAP and business processes. This study empirically examines how ERPsim enhances student learning outcomes in an IS course. The findings reveal the antecedent effects of two important IS constructs (enjoyment and cognitive appraisal) on learning behavior and learning outcomes during students’ involvement with ERPsim. The study provides empirical evidence that some major IS constructs (i.e., enjoyment and cognitive appraisal of using information systems) play important roles in shaping the effectiveness of using simulation game software to learn business processes and ERP software

Enhancing Student Learning of Enterprise Integration through ERP Simulation Game

Difficulty of teaching concepts of business processes and business process orientation using traditional teaching and learning methods is well recognized in the literature. This paper reports on the effectiveness of an initiative that employs ‘ERPSim’, an ERP Business simulation game that uses a simulated and complex business environment supported by industry standard software, SAP. Using this simulation game, this initiative aims to teach process concepts and enterprise integration to students who have no practical experience and limited understanding of business operations and information systems in an Australian Business school. Analysis of the data indicates the success of this initiative, despite some operational problems for the academics and cognitive challenges to some students. The study particularly reports improvement in the understanding of the concepts of integration and business processes, the primary objective of introducing this game. Based on the feedback from participants and the experience of academics in administering the ERP Sim game, this study offers some suggestions for further improvement

A Cross-Functional Systems Project in an IS Capstone Course

Information systems (IS) practitioners must regularly work cross-functionally with business users when implementing enterprise systems. However, most IS higher education is not truly cross-functional in nature with students typically relying on instructors or even themselves to represent user requirements. To address this gap, we describe an ambitious multi-course project that paired students from an operations management class as business users with students from an undergraduate IS capstone course as systems developers to build an enterprise resource planning (ERP) application. In doing so, we attempted to emulate the critical success factors typically encountered in realistic cross-functional systems projects as identified in existing literature, including top management support, team interaction, communication, project management, and training. We analyze post-project debriefings combined with structural modeling of student survey data to reveal moderate realization of these success factors. We also highlight opportunities for replicating and improving the project as well as review important feedback for our entire IS program

Teaching Tip: A Teaching Module Illustrating ERP Item Value Automation

Large parts of the enterprise resource planning (ERP) processes are automated. One example is the item values in the sales order process. To execute a sales order, the ERP system applies a specific “find” strategy on a wide variety of data sources such as customer master, material master, and customer price-specific data tables, and extracts information such as customer class, discounts, and dates for computations of line items, namely, prices, discounts, and taxes. While completing their ERP assignments on the sales order process, students often see only the final sales order amount and ignore—and thereby fail to appreciate and understand—the intricacies of the automated method that executes “behind the scenes” to achieve the sales order numbers. This leaves a gap in students’ learning process, as they treat the ERP automation mechanism as a black box and do not appreciate the finer details of the business process that come into play. To illustrate the general method involved in a business automation process, we have developed a teaching technique where students—without the use of ERP software—complete a sales order by manually searching for values in a sequence based on the business processing logic. This task helps students understand and appreciate the internal processes of business automation in ERP systems