ERP Complexity: In some cases, businesses do not allow enough time was allowed to install such significant software.

Fitting software to the business: GSB722 (Systems analysis and design) teaches that it is important to avoid mistakes in setting scope and in doing the requirements analysis. ERP projects can fail when scope is not controlled and there is not an adequate analysis on how to match the software to the business (by changing the business processes, the software, or both).

Project Management : Failures in project management caused ERP projects to fail. This can happen even if the right software is selected.

SAP has developed and released created a new architecture which they call Enterprise Services Oriented Archtecture. This architecture makes it much easier to integrate SAP and non-SAP applications. SAP calls it's new architecture "Enterprise Service Oriented Archtecture" and we will study this architecture and one of its main components, Netweaver, in future weeks. For example "mySAP ERP" is built on top of Netweaver in this new archtecture and is much easier to integrate with other applications. (It's still not easy to integrate major new software into any business.)

You all had good comments about what can go wrong and some of the solutions. Two of you report direct experience with ERP problems.

ORACLE and SAP: Both of vendors have significant solutions to ERP. It is also possible to get Open Source ERP. Open Source ERP is a recent development. Some of you might want to write about Open Source ERP if you pick "Option B" for the Short Paper.