MBIS5011 Enterprise Systems 3A Report
Students will write a report that identifies 5 enterprise systems that are used in different industries and discuss their functionalities.
The reports must have the following word counts: Part A 1000 words Students are required to use additional references to support their arguments.
Your report should be a synthesis of ideas researched from a variety of sources and expressed in your own words. It should be written in clear English and be submitted in electronic format as either a Word document or a pdf file. This electronic file will be checked using Turnitin for any evidence of plagiarism. You are expected to use in-text citations to support your arguments which should be referenced in the normal APA referencing style.
• The submission needs to be supported with information by credible sources.
• Credible sources should be varied and include, but not limited to, the Textbook, Government reports, Industry reports, Newspaper articles, Books, and Journal articles.
• Use the EBSCO Databases accessed through the Library and Learning Support page on mMoodle to find journal articles, case studies and more to help you prepare your assessment.
The report should additionally, include an
• Executive Summary
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Conclusion
• References
1.1 Introduction
Enterprise systems are total integrated applications that are intended to control, track, and optimise strategic organisational functions. These solutions facilitate the real-time exchange of information, enhance organisational processes, and inform decision-making across financial, human resource, procurement, and customer relation management functions. Thus, it is aimed to describe and evaluate five widely used enterprise systems in the current global market. ES steadies their unique features and instructs how such systems solve sectoral issues, improve the performance of the processes, and increase efficiency. Through analysing these systems, the report aims to identify their function in supporting organisational development, encouraging teamwork and shifting to meeting new organisational requirements.
1.2 Five Enterprise Systems
Enterprise Systems Architecture
Enterprise Systems Architecture (ESA) describes the architecture used to structure the coherent, most complex overall schedules, programs, plans, frameworks, and systems for an organization’s processes and goals. This means that ESA pulls together a hardware infrastructure, a software layer, a subsystem providing data and a network infrastructure such that all parts of the system can communicate and inter-work (Rabl, Jacobsen and Mankovskii, 2024). used in areas such as healthcare, manufacturing, retail and finance, to increase efficiency of processes and effectiveness at each decision point.
Figure 1: Framework of ESA
(Source: Rabl, Jacobsen and Mankovskii, 2024)
For instance, in healthcare, it has made it possible to power electronic health records (EHR) meant for managing data in relation to the patient. In manufacturing, special systems, for example, SAP ERP, increase production planning and supply chain management. Currently, ESA is applied for inventory management and as a tool to target consumers directly, particularly via Salesforce (Rabl, Jacobsen and Mankovskii, 2024). These systems enable this flexibility, real-time analysis and also security of data. The success of ESA has been evidenced in enterprises such as Walmart, where the inventory utilizes ESA to improve the operation performance for MBA assignment help Hence, ESA is crucial to organizations that aim at effectively linking technology to business strategy.
Enterprise Resource Planning
ERP means Enterprise Resource Planning which refers to the process of coordinating all important activities in an organization and linking them together through an integrated software solution that covers all main business functions like financials, human resources, manufacturing and supply chain, and CRM. ERP systems are effective in the sense that they provide actual time information, interdepartmental flow of information, and decision aid (Kitsantas, 2022). Such systems are still popular across industries because of such flexibility.
Figure 2: ERP diagram
(Source: Kitsantas, 2022)
In manufacturing, ERPs enable the improvement of production schedules and control of the stock. They use it for commercial records, sales, and supply chain management for retailers and patient records for healthcare practitioners consistent with the regulatory rules and regulations. In the same way, ERPs in finance integrate account and reporting while those in construction firms simplify project and resource planning. For example, SAP and Oracle ERP solutions are widely used throughout the world which shows the effectiveness and the potential of the systems (Kitsantas, 2022). Applying ERP systems ensures repetitive and mundane activities are implemented, reducing effort while unifying data, and making them essential tools in contemporary business organisations.
Supply Chain Management
Supply chain management is referred to as the management of materials, information, finances and services involved in the delivery of physical and/or services from supplier to customer. This tool is popular in various industries such as manufacturing, retail, healthcare and technology, to improve productivity, streamline costs and increase flexibility (Xu and Zhao, 2022). For example, in manufacturing, SCM establishes production planning and inventory control, whereas in retail it handles the logistic timetable for stock restocking.
Figure 3: SCM system diagram
(Source: Xu and Zhao, 2022)
Healthcare uses SCM for the acquisition of important materials and equipment while technology companies such as Apple Inc. use it in sourcing materials across the world to assemble their products in time. The modern advanced SCM systems incorporate data analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and IoT, to forecast demand, and risks, and make decisions. Xu and Zhao, (2022), stated that when an organization adopts an efficient SCM system, the cost can be cut by 15% as well as customer satisfaction through improving the calibre of deliveries and product quality.
Customer Relationship Management
CRM is a business approach and technology for managing and analyzing communication between a buyer and a company to improve customer service while creating value for the business. In retail, CRM tools are used to analyze customers’ behaviours to use them in promotions such as the promotional feature used by Amazon (Ledro, Nosella and Vinelli, 2022). CRM is applied in healthcare most often to interact with patients to enhance appointment scheduling and follow-up. In financial services, enterprise solutions such as Salesforce are used for client communications, which guarantees personalized advisory.
Figure 4: CRM technology
(Source: Ali and Alshawi, 2024)
Each real estate firm uses a CRM, such as HubSpot that helps them manage leads and work on customer relations. Bougouras argues that CRM can see sales productivity improve between 10% to 29% and customer retention between 15% to 34% (Ali and Alshawi, 2024). They interpret key information and help automate otherwise manual operations in industries; thus, showing the crucial characteristic of contemporary commercial activity.
Program and Project Management
Program and project management are the activities that deal with organizing resources, time and goals to meet the organizational aims effectively. Such systems are common in the construction, information technology, health, and manufacturing sectors, especially where large projects require rigorous direction. For instance, construction firms employ Primavera for the purpose of project scheduling and risk schedule analysis while the Information Technology sectors employ systems like Jira for the management of the agile system (Rabl, Jacobsen and Mankovskii, 2024). Patient care projects require tracking, and to this end, healthcare organizations use tools such as the ‘Smartsheet’ to improve accountability.
Figure 5: Project planning and management
(Source: Irfan et al., 2021)
Enterprise applications facilitate the organization’s resource mobilization, monitor progress, monitor compliance, control risks and foster collaboration for the accomplishment of strategic plans effectively (Irfan et al., 2021). Moreover, it can perform tasks such as resource management, monitoring, financial control, and evaluation of risks, so that enterprises can respond promptly to demands and achieve positive delivery.
1.3 Conclusion
In conclusion, it has been observed that the five identified enterprise systems serve as essential tools for increasing organisational productivity, managing and supporting decision-making, and facilitating adaptability. The highlighted systems such as ESA, ERP, SCM, CRM, and project management tools link up the processes and enhance effective resource utilisation and customer relations. Such technologies eliminate inefficiencies in various industries, including healthcare and manufacturing and show tangible value such as cost savings, enhanced throughput, and better client satisfaction. Because enterprise systems are utilized to achieve organizational objectives and end corporate aspirations, they foster organizational growth, encourage innovation, and help organizations adapt to market alterations.
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Irfan, M., Khan, S.Z., Hassan, N., Hassan, M., Habib, M., Khan, S. and Khan, H.H. (2021). Role of project planning and project manager competencies on public sector project success. Sustainability, [online] 13(3), pp.1–19. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031421.
Kitsantas, T. (2022). Exploring Blockchain Technology and Enterprise Resource Planning System: Business and Technical Aspects, Current Problems, and Future Perspectives. Sustainability, [online] 14(13), p.7633. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/su14137633.
Ledro, C., Nosella, A. and Vinelli, A. (2022). Artificial intelligence in customer relationship management: literature review and future research directions. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, [online] 37(13), pp.48–63. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/jbim-07-2021-0332.
Rabl, T., Jacobsen, H.-A. and Mankovskii, S. (2024). Big Data Challenges in Application Performance Management. [online] www.researchgate.net. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267963934_Big_Data_Challenges_in_Application_Performance_
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Xu, H. and Zhao, C. (2022). Supply Chain Management Practices Influence Supply Chain Performance With Mediation Role of Innovation and Moderation Role of Top Management Support. Frontiers in Public Health, [online] 10, pp.1–25. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.813828.