As you approach the completion of your internship, Bob Reilly informs you that he is very impressed with your work to date and your thorough understanding of the operations at VMH. He wants you to examine a broader issue which has implications across the entire organization. The administrators and managers at VMH are interested in exploring Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems. They want to know if adopting ERP could be beneficial to VMH. Effective management, i.e., planning and coordination of a wide range of resources is critical to VMH. Bob wants a concise research report for top management at VMH addressing ERP issues relevant to VMH. He has provided a few specific questions for you to answer."

You might want to search the Internet for information regarding ERP systems. There are also many books available regarding ERP systems.

Assignment Questions

1. Describe ERP. Explain how it is different from other information systems. Meg Willoughby is especially concerned with how ERP compares with MRP.

2. Explain why or why not ERP is appropriate for a service organization such as VMH. Describe what would be involved in the adoption and implementation of an ERP system at VMH.

3. Develop a list of major providers of ERP systems. Visit the websites of three providers and determine which features of their system would be relevant for VMH.

4. Determine the approximate range of the financial investment that VMH would have if they choose to implement ERP. Describe the expected benefits for VMH.

5. Other than financial considerations, describe what other factors the various departments at VMH should consider when determining the suitability of an ERP system.